Questions from a newbie

[jessetisaacs]

I am hoping someone can help me out. I just want to know what kind of system would be best for me. All I want is a off grid system that will power my surveillance system and my deep freezer and maybe charge a phone or some power tool batteries. My surveillance system is a nvr Poe system with 6 cameras. Also I'll be getting a led TV because that seems to be the most energy efficient. Not sure how big my freezer is but I'd say your average deep freezer size and it's a fairly new model. I've been watching videos forever and just can't figure it out. Some guy on YouTube who seems to be the most popular says, that 48volt is the way to go and what he said makes sense but I don't know if that would be the case for my needs. Any recommendations would be appreciated along with rough price estimates thanks.

 

[1201]

How much energy does your system use per day and what's highest amp draw?

 

[jessetisaacs]

I am not home I am a truck driver but I found this on the Amazon page for it

 

[jessetisaacs]

How much energy does your system use per day and what's highest amp draw?

(4K/8.0 Megapixel & 130° Ultra Wide-Angle) 2-Way Audio PoE Outdoor Home Security Camera

How much energy does your system use per day and what's highest amp draw?

(4K/8.0 Megapixel & 130° Ultra Wide-Angle) 2-Way Audio PoE Outdoor Home Security Camera System, 6 Wired Outdoor Video Surveillance IP Cameras System 2TB https://a.co/d/hAKrWaC

Here's a link

 

[Supervstech]

Ok, you need to buy a kill-o-watt meter, harbor freight has one on shelf, or you can amazon one.
Plug in, let it run 2 full days, record the kWh of the draw.
Repeat for each load.
Add up kWhs.
Come back here for reccomendations.

 

[jessetisaacs]

Man I was hoping it would be easier than that

 

[jessetisaacs]

Ok, you need to buy a kill-o-watt meter, harbor freight has one on shelf, or you can amazon one.
Plug in, let it run 2 full days, record the kWh of the draw.
Repeat for each load.
Add up kWhs.
Come back here for recommemdations.

I do thank you for your help

 

[Supervstech]

Man I was hoping it would be easier than that

We can guess...
But with a deep freezer in the mix, ya wanna be sure.

 

[jessetisaacs]

We can guess...
But with a deep freezer in the mix, ya wanna be sure.

Well for now just guess conservatively for me if you would please

 

[timselectric]

I only guess, when I am very sure that I know the answer.

 

[Supervstech]

Most chest freezers pull 1000W startup, and run around 120W with a 40% duty cycle, so you will need at least a 1200W inverter.
Battery needs to be large enough to power the freezer 3 days without sun, so
Figure 120×24×.4=1152 per day, ×3 is 3456, so you need 3 100Ah 12v batteries minimum.
If you use lead acid, multiply times 2 so you dont dip into the degradation zone.
For LFP, i recommend times 1.2 so you have a cushion without dipping into the depletion zone of LFP, but it isnt critical.

That is just for the freezer, the rest likely can survive on the fringe of the storage, but adding a bit extra wont hurt.

 

[jessetisaacs]

Most chest freezers pull 1000W startup, and run around 120W with a 40% duty cycle, so you will need at least a 1200W inverter.
Battery needs to be large enough to power the freezer 3 days without sun, so
Figure 120×24×.4=1152 per day, ×3 is 3456, so you need 3 100Ah 12v batteries minimum.
If you use lead acid, multiply times 2 so you dont dip into the degradation zone.
For LFP, i recommend times 1.2 so you have a cushion without dipping into the depletion zone of LFP, but it isnt critical.

That is just for the freezer, the rest likely can survive on the fringe of the storage, but adding a bit extra wont hurt.

I thank you for this. I am new so bear with me. That all sounded like a foreign language. I understood 3 12v 100ah batteries and x2 for lead acid but what is lfp and how many watts of solar panels would I need. I get pretty decent sun most the time. I'm in central NC. I'd say at least 12hrs or more sun hits my roof. I did find out my deep freezer is 9cu ft but that's all I got for now. By the way I'm wanting to do this for doomsday prepping just so your aware. What do you think this will cost me

 

[jessetisaacs]

Most chest freezers pull 1000W startup, and run around 120W with a 40% duty cycle, so you will need at least a 1200W inverter.
Battery needs to be large enough to power the freezer 3 days without sun, so
Figure 120×24×.4=1152 per day, ×3 is 3456, so you need 3 100Ah 12v batteries minimum.
If you use lead acid, multiply times 2 so you dont dip into the degradation zone.
For LFP, i recommend times 1.2 so you have a cushion without dipping into the depletion zone of LFP, but it isnt critical.

That is just for the freezer, the rest likely can survive on the fringe of the storage, but adding a bit extra wont hurt.

Also half my roof faces east the other west and the slope is very minimum. It's a double wide bought and paid for. I was thinking half panels facing east and rest west

 

[Supervstech]

I thank you for this. I am new so bear with me. That all sounded like a foreign language. I understood 3 12v 100ah batteries and x2 for lead acid but what is lfp and how many watts of solar panels would I need. I get pretty decent sun most the time. I'm in central NC. I'd say at least 12hrs or more sun hits my roof. I did find out my deep freezer is 9cu ft but that's all I got for now. By the way I'm wanting to do this for doomsday prepping just so your aware. What do you think this will cost me

I live in charlotte, so i know basiclly your weather.

LiFePO4 is called LFP and it is the best battery tech so far for solar.

Solar will be divided by 5 the Wh number.

 

[jessetisaacs]

I only guess, when I am very sure that I know the answer.

Well man you could hardly even call that a guess then

 

[Supervstech]

Heh, i got a ton of used panels we could meet up and plan a setup.

 

[jessetisaacs]

Heh, i got a ton of used panels we could meet up and plan a setup.

Man well that is coolio. I'm about an hour north of you near Salisbury.
So I need probably 6 lfp lead acid batts 12v 100 ah. I'll get a 2000 watt inverter and some panels from you. What you think this will cost me altogether

 

[Supervstech]

Man well that is coolio. I'm about an hour north of you near Salisbury.
So I need probably 4 LFP OR 6 lead acid batts 12v 100 ah. I'll get a 2000 watt inverter and some panels from you. What you think this will cost me altogether

I fixed it for you.

 

[Supervstech]

Most chest freezers pull 1000W startup, and run around 120W with a 40% duty cycle, so you will need at least a 1200W inverter.
Battery needs to be large enough to power the freezer 3 days without sun, so
Figure 120×24×.4=1152 per day, ×3 is 3456, so you need 3 100Ah 12v batteries minimum.
If you use lead acid, multiply times 2 so you dont dip into the degradation zone.
For LFP, i recommend times 1.2 so you have a cushion without dipping into the depletion zone of LFP, but it isnt critical.

That is just for the freezer, the rest likely can survive on the fringe of the storage, but adding a bit extra wont hurt.

8.7cuft chest freezer at home drpot is listed as 218kWh/year, thats about 600Wh/day, or about 1/2 my estimate.
So, depending on model, and room temp where freezer is stored, you might get by with 1/2 the battery storage i guessed at.

 

[wheisenburg]

My suggestion is go for something like this:

EG4 6000XP Off-Grid Inverter | 8000W PV Input | 6000W Output | 480V VOC Input | 48V 120/240V Split Phase | All-In-One Solar Inverter

The EG4 6000XP is a cutting-edge 48V split-phase, off-grid inverter and charger, designed to revolutionize your energy needs. With an impressive 8kW of PV input capacity and an efficient 6kW continuous power output, it also serves as a battery 140A charger. What sets it apart is its scalability...

signaturesolar.com

About $1500 for a 6000 watt inverter. $0.25 per watt

EG4 LifePower4 Lithium Battery | 48V 100AH | Server Rack Battery | UL1973, UL9540A

EG4 (48V/100AH) LifePower4 Battery EG4 Lithium battery 51.2V (48V) 5.12kWh with 100AH internal BMS. Made of UL Listed Battery Cells. Off Grid Solar Batteries - Off Grid System - Solar Batteries for Home - Lithium Solar Batteries - Deep Cycle Solar Batteries - Power Reserve - Solar Panels Plus...

signaturesolar.com

About $1250.00 for 5 KWHs. $250.00 per KWH.

4 * 400-450 watt panels

It will be on standby and automatically switch over to batteries if you lose power. It does 240 volt with one unit and you could power a normal electrical panel with this. Just hook up the battery and PV and connect to a 60 amp breaker in your grid panel. Then add a small sub panel and power it with the loads output from the inverter. You can then move the loads you want from your main panel to the protected panel. This would be a serious system that you could add to without having to upgrade the inverter.


If you go with multiple12 volt batteries and a 2000 watt inverter, you will spend a ton of money on cables. 12 volt batteries means 4 times more DC amps for the same power output. A 2000 watt inverter will only supply 120 volts. You will end up running extension cords around. You can't power a house panel with this. You will wind up upgrading all of this in 1 year. Get one good 48 volt battery, and a decent 120/240 AIO inverter.