ON GRID "OFF Grid" Shed Power

[A J]

I am showing and telling my 5 year in the making on grid, off grid solar power storage system.

On Grid meaning that if things are going to be no good for solar I use the grid.

When switching I have a UPS to seamlessly switch between Grid and Solar, Stored Power.

Off Grid meaning NO GRID power.

When I first started in my solar experiments I was full of nuts with no bolts!

My first ever solar system was 12V 100Ah SLA AGM, 60Amp PWM charger with a very old hand me down damaged (in the junction box, the busbar had no connection, easy fix) 20 Watt BP solar panel.

Finding that this was only powerful enough to power X2 5M LED strip for 12 odd hours I saved my $$ and stepped it up.

Finding a suitable lockable storage cabinet, I placed a MDF board on the back and screwed it to the cabinet. Then finding a good controller to go with it was a head ache, two controllers later I stumbled upon MidNie Solar, The KID MPPT controller, umming and arring I went for it and by the time it came from the US, I had a 250 Watt panel with all the wiring complete, 1500 Watt 3000 Watt surge modified sine wave Inverter with the original 100Ah Battery!

Hum not enough POWER.

Saving again I got X3 12V 165Ah SLA AGM (495Ah total) Batteries.

YES POWER at last 12+ Hours on solar and stored power YES.

Upgraded inverter to pure sine wave, 2500 Watt, 5000 Watt surge.

4 years later I found my batteries where low, 300Wh not the KWh’s I would normally get, I had reached the CYCLE COUNT of the batteries! Oh well new Batteries then…

The new Batteries are X2 6V 520Ah SLA AGM in series making it 12V 520Ah, my off grid is buzzing or humming for at least another 5 years.

This Powers X2 5M LED strip, X4 Laptops, main Laptop sound system, X3 monitors, X2 Uniden Bearcat Scanners, IP Surveillance Camera, 8 Port router, WiFi extender, and some electronic testing equipment, low power supplies.
Sounds like a lot? No after the UPS stops charging it's battery its around 20 to 28 Amps FULL LOAD 30+ below 40 Amps, the only time I have not been able to fully charge the batteries is when the clouds come from no where or a storm puts a damper on things, doesn't happen often, the most i have gotten just charging the batteries is 2.4KWh
Oh I nearly forgot I upgraded the solar panel as well from 250W to 315W.

Just putting this out there and THANK YOU.
"AGAIN"
From the ?? (AU)



P.S.
To "Will", THANK YOU for all the hard work, putting the forum up and running for all to enjoy, very impressed!:D
THANKS AGAIN.

 

[Will Prowse]

That is awesome!! Very simple and those batteries sound like a huge upgrade. You should be set! :D

And I am glad you like the forum!

 

[A J]

Thanks Will, Yes huge in weight as well.. Nearly broke my back putting them in, it was aching for days...
If i did't do electronics at school it would of been complex...
A example from 8:16am stored power ONLY 100% SOC, X2 Laptops, LED strips all consuming 10.1 Amps for 13Hrs 39Min leaving 74% SOC.
Down under is coming on better weather, when we get smashing days I will use full load, then see how well I've done!
Love the forum.

 

[b.james]

Its a slow but interesting learning experience and it looks set to get better. I guess you lock up the batteries to keeep the kids away from them.

 

[A J]

Its a slow but interesting learning experience and it looks set to get better. I guess you lock up the batteries to keeep the kids away from them.

Day by day slow, learning experience was awesome, there was stuff i knew and did not know still don't know!
People come to me for help, so "I point them to will's you tube channel..."
When these batteries reach cycle count I will be going lithium, or the next storage technology.
The lock up was for keeping little and BIG fingers out and away from the batteries and inverter!
I did freak out "if little fingers got a bit of wire that is laying around and played around the inverter sockets" the power would keep flowing as there is limited to NO protection at the socket!
Glad to say there is no more little fingers at home for that to happen, CROSS fingers, now it's just keeping the old man from stealing power.

 

[b.james]

Good stuff . On one of my systems I put an RCD device after the inverter and before an outlet socket because I don't think the inverters have anything built in . $20 on ebay or so. It seems to still work OK and gives me some peace of mind . My thumbs seem to be getting bigger too.

 

[A J]

Good stuff . On one of my systems I put an RCD device after the inverter and before an outlet socket because I don't think the inverters have anything built in . $20 on ebay or so. It seems to still work OK and gives me some peace of mind . My thumbs seem to be getting bigger too.

I did't realise that you are from Cairns! G'day from Tassie...
There is a bunch of fuses at the back (inside the Inverter) that is not a safety measure!
NOT any safety devices I could find? If you get bitten by it you get a boot that will be your last!
I was considering an RCD but ran in to issues on where to put it?
I could put two power points on the left door and have RCDs protecting each point! Thanks you have me thinking now, hope I don't get a head ache from thinking to hard...
Seeming RCDs are for "Grid power" Inverted PSW power is way different? I cannot say on how they would react on Inverted power or when needed to PROTECT? Some better than NONE.. HUMM.
I will post this in the safety check section and see what people have to say?

 

[b.james]

Seeming RCDs are for "Grid power" Inverted PSW power is way different?

Well the stuff coming out of the inverter has to be identical to grid power. I have one on mine and shorted it to test it . Worked fine . I'd trust my life to it ...well maybe yours first.
Just one RCD per inverter depending on how much current . I use a 20 amp but there are bigger.

 

[A J]

Well the stuff coming out of the inverter has to be identical to grid power. I have one on mine and shorted it to test it . Worked fine . I'd trust my life to it ...well maybe yours first.
Just one RCD per inverter depending on how much current . I use a 20 amp but there are bigger.

No, not disputing that it tripped on a "SHORT"!
The Residual Current Devices (RCDs) will NOT detect you been electrocuted by the LIVE 240V inverter wire.
"Unlike mains power", the AC output of the majority of inverter do not have its neutral bonded to earth.
Both the line and the neutral are isolated from earth, the chassis, and from the DC input.
As a result of this isolation, the earth cannot become part of a current path returning current back to the output of the Inverter.

RCD set up for a power inverter.

www.patrol4x4.com

Have a read, Australia only.

Unless you have an inverter that is bonded?
I am looking at a dandy looking inverter from Renogy "but still no RCD".

3000W 12V to 230V/240V Pure Sine Wave Inverter (with UPS Function)

Renogy 3000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter has 6000W peak surge during load start-up, converts 12V to 240V AC power with conversion efficiency >90% and reduces conversion loss.

au.renogy.com