Solar Plan next 12 months

[saxon11]

I'm finally in a situation on some new land i can dive into solar. My plan over next 12 months is start small to learn and then more to larger.

My goal is understand how to setup and build a whole house solar solution myself (except for advanced electrical connection to grid). I have done some homework and research sizing the systems (even though I still have lots to learn).

Here are my plans of projects (FYI links to products i found is just me searching around, I have found it hard as a newbie to sift through and find the right products at best price, so I did my best, suggestions welcome):

1. Off-grid small pole mount solar charger to charge/run cell phone 24/7 (should look a lot like those solar powered road signs). All this plus pole, mount approx $100.
2. Off-grid small array for shed like this 200W kit in which i'd just need to add a 100A lead acid battery and inverter. All of it together from Renogy is about $800.
3. On-grid + battery back for new home with this 11.4kW system priced at $17k.

Will this sort of progression in project #1 and #2 prepare me to build and make good decisions on implementing #3? Thank you

 

[12VoltInstalls]

Will this sort of progression in project #1 and #2 prepare me to build and make good decisions on implementing #3? Thank you

Maybe. There’s a lot more to consider- big leap from small solar to gridtie with backup

The Renogy at $800?
I spent under $400 on my initial 200W setup with inverter. I had two fla batteries but including new batteries and some fuses etc at today’s prices is still only $500-$550 and better than the renogy stuff imho.

 

[chrisski]

3. On-grid + battery back for new home with this 11.4kW system priced at $17k.

This is the part that seems the hardest. Mostly because of permitting at the county level.

1. Off-grid small pole mount solar charger to charge/run cell phone 24/7 (should look a lot like those solar powered road signs). All this plus pole, mount approx $100.

The case you linked for a solar charger I don’t see how you Pole mount that. I have a 100 watt panel I run to a cheap DC converter $20 to a USB phone charger $15. The most expensive thing is the panel. 100 watts is way Marie than needed to charge the phone until it gets cloudy.

I’m not really picturing what you want for a charger on a pole. What I’m thinking is the phones use so little power, it’d be good to just tie into either the shed or main house.

2. Off-grid small array for shed like this 200W kit in which i'd just need to add a 100A lead acid battery and inverter. All of it together from Renogy is about $800.

For this, a good power audit needs to be done. A kil-a-watt meter helps tremendously.

For my energy uses, a 200 watt panel and a 100 ah battery is way underpowered for a 1000 watt inverter. If this is an occasional use shed with low power requirements could be fine. You have 600 wh of use max from the battery. Just as an example, if I charge my power tools with a 20 volt battery, that takes 100 watts while charging, so six hours.

I also am not a big fan of the kits. Something will not be made for your need like cables too long. FOr panels, youmightbe able to get those locally off cragslist for way less, but you may need to make sure you get an MPPT SCC to run it.

 

[Wellbuilt]

I would just buy components am make a small system for your shed .
I use sams club golf cart battery’s for every thing 100 each 220 amp hours at 6 volt so you need 2
get 2 300 watt solar panels with victory charge controler .
I like a small morning star 300 watt sine wave inverter for 300 $
This system will run your shed for the foreseeable future .
Renogy not so much .

A small system won’t really help you with a. Design and future plans .
the parts you buy now won’t work with a larger system .
The ease yes thing to do is make a call to arazona Wind And Sun tell the guys what you want to do
and they can put a system estimate together in 24 hours .
I’ve used solar since the late 80s and that knowledge didn’t help me much , I run a 2800sf cabin on a 3600 watt out back system .
I Installed it with the help from the engineer that designed it at Arazona Wind And Sun.
If I have a problem I can call there and most any one could help me with a question .
If they can’t the have the engender call me back .
If you hook the system to the internet they can trouble shoot from there computer .
I’ve had very little trouble from tier 1 equipment , all my charge controllers inverter chargers still work .
I use a old freedom inverter from the late 80s in my boat I’ve never even seen it is in the bottom of a locker and all remote , it just makes power and charges the battery’s ?

 

[saxon11]

I would just buy components am make a small system for your shed .
I use sams club golf cart battery’s for every thing 100 each 220 amp hours at 6 volt so you need 2
get 2 300 watt solar panels with victory charge controler .
I like a small morning star 300 watt sine wave inverter for 300 $
This system will run your shed for the foreseeable future .
Renogy not so much .

A small system won’t really help you with a. Design and future plans .
the parts you buy now won’t work with a larger system .
The ease yes thing to do is make a call to arazona Wind And Sun tell the guys what you want to do
and they can put a system estimate together in 24 hours .
I’ve used solar since the late 80s and that knowledge didn’t help me much , I run a 2800sf cabin on a 3600 watt out back system .
I Installed it with the help from the engineer that designed it at Arazona Wind And Sun.
If I have a problem I can call there and most any one could help me with a question .
If they can’t the have the engender call me back .
If you hook the system to the internet they can trouble shoot from there computer .
I’ve had very little trouble from tier 1 equipment , all my charge controllers inverter chargers still work .
I use a old freedom inverter from the late 80s in my boat I’ve never even seen it is in the bottom of a locker and all remote , it just makes power and charges the battery’s ?

Good to know about just buying my own parts instead of starter kit. I'm building the small system more to use it in future but to understand solar and parts needed (how everything works) to build upon a skillset that i can somewhat intelligently approach the larger system (for my home). The consultanting from AZ Wind and Sun is a good idea.

 

[saxon11]

This is the part that seems the hardest. Mostly because of permitting at the county level.

The case you linked for a solar charger I don’t see how you Pole mount that. I have a 100 watt panel I run to a cheap DC converter $20 to a USB phone charger $15. The most expensive thing is the panel. 100 watts is way Marie than needed to charge the phone until it gets cloudy.

I’m not really picturing what you want for a charger on a pole. What I’m thinking is the phones use so little power, it’d be good to just tie into either the shed or main house.

For this, a good power audit needs to be done. A kil-a-watt meter helps tremendously.

For my energy uses, a 200 watt panel and a 100 ah battery is way underpowered for a 1000 watt inverter. If this is an occasional use shed with low power requirements could be fine. You have 600 wh of use max from the battery. Just as an example, if I charge my power tools with a 20 volt battery, that takes 100 watts while charging, so six hours.

I also am not a big fan of the kits. Something will not be made for your need like cables too long. FOr panels, youmightbe able to get those locally off cragslist for way less, but you may need to make sure you get an MPPT SCC to run it.

1. the pole mount will be to enclose a phone to run 24/7, with cell service, will tether my cell service/interet to wifi router. then wifi will be available to connected devices. the battery and inverter would just mostly be responible to run the router and phone.

2. i didn't know an oversized inverter like 1000w for a 200w was an underpower issue. i will resize my inverter down to like 600w?

 

[chrisski]

2. i didn't know an oversized inverter like 1000w for a 200w was an underpower issue. i will resize my inverter down to like 6

All depends on what you use. If you do a power audit you’ll have an idea. Might be enough. Might not.

 

[Wellbuilt]

There is not much to the solar thing really , all the reading in the word won’t allow you to design a system.
There are a lot of things to be considered , if the system is in your home the system need to be UL listed ,I know
in my area you need a stamped electrical plan in order to get permitted .
Then there is the Home owners insurance ? No permit = no coverage if you have a fire ?
This is a out back flex power one 36/48 aio system .
Just hook up your solar panels , hook up the battery’s , run a wire to your breaker box .
This unit can be grid tied all so , but I have no grid ?‍

 

[12VoltInstalls]

All depends on what you use. If you do a power audit you’ll have an idea. Might be enough. Might not.

OP: for the light use you describe it might be fine. One 100W panel might do 500-800W in a day: you need to sorta get full charged up early enough in a day to have enough solar oomph to equalize an fla battery.
Like he ^^^ said, you gotta figure the consumption out. But I’ve got an idea of a workable Ah of fla batteries as a wild-hat guess that you need 100W solar for every ~100Ah fla battery to recover well enough for decent longevity. So, guessing, it is conceivable that if you don’t use over 120Wh overnight a 200W getup will work.

But the audit will prove it- or not. Then you know what to do and you answered the question yourself. THAT will be educational

 

[saxon11]

For off grid powering shed, based on what i've read, getting a lithium battery won't work before winter here in MN gets well below freezing. So AGM would be logical choice?

 

[Wellbuilt]

I like cheep golf cart battery’s
I used Gell battery’s and AGM battery’s in my sail boat banks .
They where allmost 3 times the price
And lasted 3/4 years 5 month a year use
My golf cart battery’s don’t freazze
They get down to zero every year
They put out good power .
It’s not cutting edge technology but it works .
Ps , most of the posts on this site are about people trying to figure out how to get the Lipo battery’s to work ?
LA battery’s you just hook them up and charge them easy Peezy
I think a 100 watt panel will give yo 4/500 watts in June and half that much in DEC
You need to figure worst case with solar power .
No one ever complains about having too much solar power ?

 

[AaronBrand]

I'm finally in a situation on some new land i can dive into solar. My plan over next 12 months is start small to learn and then more to larger.

My goal is understand how to setup and build a whole house solar solution myself (except for advanced electrical connection to grid). I have done some homework and research sizing the systems (even though I still have lots to learn).

Here are my plans of projects (FYI links to products i found is just me searching around, I have found it hard as a newbie to sift through and find the right products at best price, so I did my best, suggestions welcome):

1. Off-grid small pole mount solar charger to charge/run cell phone 24/7 (should look a lot like those solar powered road signs). All this plus pole, mount approx $100.
2. Off-grid small array for shed like this 200W kit in which i'd just need to add a 100A lead acid battery and inverter. All of it together from Renogy is about $800.
3. On-grid + battery back for new home with this 11.4kW system priced at $17k.

Will this sort of progression in project #1 and #2 prepare me to build and make good decisions on implementing #3? Thank you

I bought the 200w renogy kit. It’s been great. I have a single 12v 100amp hr AGM battery from Walmart and run only 12v with that. It powers a security light, an irrigation pump, and a refrigerator. The MPPT controller (20 Amp) that comes with the kit is awesome. I’m considering buying a data logger for it to get the full visualization, but the phone app that works with the included Bluetooth gives me a pretty good idea of performance.
That being said, I have yet to put together a setup with an inverter. I think this would need at least two batteries to provide a good amount of charge for anything running on 120volts (except maybe a single light, but then why not just go with 12 volt?).

 

[12VoltInstalls]

think this would need at least two batteries to provide a good amount of charge for anything running on 120volts

Cloudy days is a concern yes?

Are you actually agm or deep cycle?

A small fridge will struggle with weather on 100Ah which is two 100Ah AGMs in usable power.