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diy solar

diy solar

Polish up your crystal ball

Danke said:
How are factories, home not facing south or with trees, people in apartment buildings, etc. going to power, especially their electric vehicles, with solar?
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This isn't really the right question. If you look into California where residential solar is mandate, there is currently a "duck curve" on the power grid because too much solar comes online due to south-facing orientation.

And solar can't "realistically" power the grid beyond about 20-30% due to the lack of reliability (due to clouds, etc)... What will solve that is the ability to store power, but we don't have that yet.
 
EastTexCowboy said:
As some point the insurance companies are likely to get involved. If they see too many claims related to DIY solar you know they're going to start including exclusions or requiring a separate endorsement or worse.
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Yeah the "SETT-Certified" Solar-Energy-Transfer-Technology certified endorsement, like they do now with wood-heating devices (ask me how I know...!) In Canada they call this WETT- (Wood Energy Transfer Technology) certification, not sure what the similar system in USA/EU/UK would be called, but I am sure they all have something like it. I can see this as an easy adder by an insurance co, if you want insurance they will say you need this certificate; then all the insurance companies get together with the underwritters and they make it a requirement across the entrire industry so you can't shop around looking for an insurance company that doesn't require it.
 
John Frum said:
I think one of the major motivators behind DIY solar is independence.
Its the common ground between hippies and preppers.
DIY solar is an important piece of this puzzle.
With Starlink internet you can live way off the beaten path and still have access to the great howto.
Or... you could be the person that finds a way to have energy independence without getting the stink eye from the HOA.
I think someone already mentioned stealth solar which I think is a great concept.
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Not sure how they're gonna build stealth solar but it would be pretty cool, as us hippie preppers say. I'm still waiting on the paint that turns anything into a solar panel. I can see some grounding challenges with that. I've seen something about camo panels - not very practical. You know the NSA satellites are going to pick up the heat signature, then here come the black helicopters. I hate it when that happens.
 
All those satelites Elon is sending up...keeping a lookout for my Stealth Solar! Time to switch to mirrors and solar hotwater-turbines? LOL.

I think we each do have a role to play in shaping this future - I mean if the forum has 60,000+ members, and it seems anytime I log in the Guests outnumber the members this is a lot of influencers.
I feel the best guard against getting "over-regulated" is helpping new comers as much as we can, and hopefully reduce the frequency and severity of accidents. Remember the YT posting with all those lead-acid batteries just spread out in the guy's off grid tent, no fuses, and nothing to stop a tool from getting dropped right in the midst of all those exposed battery terminals! Yeah that kind of stuff. (Yes I wrote to that guy to cover those terminals or put the batteries onto shelves and add fuses)
 
OffGridForGood said:
All those satelites Elon is sending up...keeping a lookout for my Stealth Solar! Time to switch to mirrors and solar hotwater-turbines? LOL.

I think we each do have a role to play in shaping this future - I mean if the forum has 60,000+ members, and it seems anytime I log in the Guests outnumber the members this is a lot of influencers.
I feel the best guard against getting "over-regulated" is helpping new comers as much as we can, and hopefully reduce the frequency and severity of accidents. Remember the YT posting with all those lead-acid batteries just spread out in the guy's off grid tent, no fuses, and nothing to stop a tool from getting dropped right in the midst of all those exposed battery terminals! Yeah that kind of stuff. (Yes I wrote to that guy to cover those terminals or put the batteries onto shelves and add fuses)
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Laudable goals for sure but if the Government wants something regulated then they will just create whatever scenario they need to get it done.
 
EastTexCowboy said:
Not sure how they're gonna build stealth solar but it would be pretty cool, as us hippie preppers say. I'm still waiting on the paint that turns anything into a solar panel. I can see some grounding challenges with that. I've seen something about camo panels - not very practical. You know the NSA satellites are going to pick up the heat signature, then here come the black helicopters. I hate it when that happens.
Click to expand...
When the black helicopters come you deploy the line launching shotgun with the line attached to ever increasing sizes of cable......
 
OffGridForGood said:
All those satelites Elon is sending up...keeping a lookout for my Stealth Solar! Time to switch to mirrors and solar hotwater-turbines? LOL.

I think we each do have a role to play in shaping this future - I mean if the forum has 60,000+ members, and it seems anytime I log in the Guests outnumber the members this is a lot of influencers.
I feel the best guard against getting "over-regulated" is helpping new comers as much as we can, and hopefully reduce the frequency and severity of accidents. Remember the YT posting with all those lead-acid batteries just spread out in the guy's off grid tent, no fuses, and nothing to stop a tool from getting dropped right in the midst of all those exposed battery terminals! Yeah that kind of stuff. (Yes I wrote to that guy to cover those terminals or put the batteries onto shelves and add fuses)
Click to expand...
Either that or we're a small enough community that we're not worth messing with. Which doesn't negate the need to help newcomers (and old comers as well) and definitely try to reduce the accidents. I agree whole-heartedly and have benefited from same myself more than once. Unfortunately I think the growth has become exponential and it's just a matter of time before regulators start eyeing the DIY crowd.
 
Rednecktek said:
I'd love to see a "FridgeBatt" system that has your batteries, inverter, etc all in a single housing that wheels in and just wires to your main panel with 4 wires. That would be a game changer in the solar world!
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We're sorry but our current 100kWh FridgeBatt prototype, even though it could possibly be adapted with an inverter and wheels, weighs in at just over 2200 lbs and we haven't figured out how to move it now that we built it. :oops:
 
EastTexCowboy said:
We're sorry but our current 100kWh FridgeBatt prototype, even though it could possibly be adapted with an inverter and wheels, weighs in at just over 2200 lbs and we haven't figured out how to move it now that we built it. :oops:
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It would have to be an assemble in place. I can envision an enclosed rack with the electronics wired up in the top unit, then battery modules that would slide in below that. The bus bars would be pre-installed and a few wires from the battery modules to the bars, a conduit hole out the side to go to the panel and ATS.

The unit would be sold and shipped in a couple units, the cabinet, the batteries, and a small box of bolts. Easy enough to move if you're not trying to do it all at once.
 
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