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Solar Projects Needing SOUND advice

JB73

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Aug 17, 2021
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Good day, so I've posted here once before but wanted to start a new thread with more information on my ultimate plans.
please note, I'm new & green behind the ears when it comes to solar systems ( as some have seen by my past post ? ) but I have the ability to make it happen with sound advice lol. Please try to stick with me through all this Hahahaa

I went ahead and attached a layout sketch to help with visualization.
This not to scale sketch consist of the following:
*Primary/Main Home with main panel location.
*Mother in Law/Tiny Home with sub-panel location.
*230/240v Well Pump Location
*Proposed New Shop Location
*Portable Solar Trailer (unfinished)
The tiny home has a subpanel fed from the main home panel. The main home also has a 30amp panel / 30amp plug set up for a generator to feed main.

My solar trailer has 4 Sharp 85watt each panels, four brand new 12v 200ah /20HR solar batteries, a ProStar 30 charge controller (& I have a Brand New never used SolarEdge grid tied 5k inverter which I've now learned on this forum that it wont work for off grid solar ?).

And now for what I'm attempting to do.
My 1st project-
My orig plan is to utilize the portable solar trailer to power the tiny house when the grid goes down. I'd like to have it so that I can plug the salar trailer into a panel on the tiny home. Thw tiny home is low power consumption, running only a few led lights, a low power mini split a/c, standard fridge, a small countertop microwave, & a 12 gallon water heater. 1st off, with the four 85w solar panels, and 4 new batteries, do you think with the correct inverter, I could make this happen? Im ok with adding additional solar panels or whatever is needed. I also want to be able to plug this trailer intonthe main homes 30amp generator panel and selectively feed the panel.
I need guidance on an inverter to work with this setup off grid.

My second project-
I would like to add an inverter and solar setup for our homes well pump. Its 220v sump motor I believe. I would like to have this so that I can either run off homes main panel as it is, or solar backup if the grid goes down. This well feeds the main home with the tiny home piggybacking off the main home. I will have a small shed installed directly next to the well to house all the electronics and batteries stored.
I have no honest idea where i need to start with this project.

Last project- After the solar well setup is accomplished, I'd like to redirect & extend the 220v power that was once fed the well pump and send it to the "proposed new shop" to be built a short distance away.

If experienced folks can give advice to a guy who has little to no solar experience, in a way I might somewhat understand lol, it would be greatly appreciated!
I refuse to pay most of these aolar companies, as sometimes I wonder if they truly know or that their looking to take advantage of someone not as sharp on the topic as they are. Im more than capable of doing the work, I just dont want to make the wrong decisions along they way, wasting time and money.
Thanks!!!!
 

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And now for what I'm attempting to do.
My 1st project-
My orig plan is to utilize the portable solar trailer to power the tiny house when the grid goes down. I'd like to have it so that I can plug the salar trailer into a panel on the tiny home. Thw tiny home is low power consumption, running only a few led lights, a low power mini split a/c, standard fridge, a small countertop microwave, & a 12 gallon water heater. 1st off, with the four 85w solar panels, and 4 new batteries, do you think with the correct inverter, I could make this happen? Im ok with adding additional solar panels or whatever is needed. I also want to be able to plug this trailer intonthe main homes 30amp generator panel and selectively feed the panel.
I need guidance on an inverter to work with this setup off grid.
Have you done any type of energy survey/audit? The first thing for any solar/battery project should be some type of an energy audit to understand the needs.

I like to use this tool:

Note: The tool assumes all loads will be turned on at the same time when calculating inverter size. This is the worst case. For small builds this is fine but for powering a whole house it can end up with an inverter recommendation that is larger than needed.
 
FilterGuy, i have not performed an audit yet and assumed that was going to be one of my 1st steps. Thank you for the link! I also understand the all loads worst case scenario. I dont see that ever happening but then again, anything is possible and Idefinitely dont want to short myself on choosing the correct size inverter. Ill post my results once I have it completed.
 
So, without physically inspecting each appliance spec sheet, Ive come up with approx 4330 running watts and 3300 initail startup watts for a combined wattage of 7630 of everything I have going on with the tiny house.
Now obviously this doesnt take into account every single possible scenario, like deciding to bring in a toaster, or curling iron, hairdryer or anything else that could play into the total wattage....and it would be extremely unlikely that every load would happen all at the same time.
That being said, the only thing that is, for the most part, running continuously is the H20 heater (1500 watts), the fridge/freezer (700w/2200w), mini split a/c cycling on-off (660w/1100w) and maybe one or two 8w led lit lamps and a 42" ceiling fan on low speed.

Only other things that may be added to this load at any given time (these were all factored into the 7630 watt number above) may be a small led tv, maybe an additional couple of 8w led lights on, a bluray dvd and a microwave. I never have every single led light on at the same time, hardly ever use the microwave or the 4 cup coffee maker etc.
At 7630watts, would I need to source an off the grid inverter to handle that number, even though every load would never play out at the same time? My batteries are four 12v 220ah/20hr solar batteries. I currently only have four 85w solar panels and a ProStar 30 controller (not sure this controller is correct for my needs but I have it on hand).

Now, the well pump I have no idea the wattage use. Its a 220v submersion pump at approx 350ft. depth.
I didnt use a link but would something like what Ive listed below in bold print work for a 220v well pump / solar application? Looks a bit pricey but what do I know ?
Just want to retain my existing ac pump, run the well on solar if its possible without going to a completely new dc solar pump setup.

6000 Watt Pure Sine Inverter Charger 24Vdc / 240Vac Input & 120/240Vac Split Phase Output​

I truly have no idea of what Im needing to make all this come together ?‍♂️
 
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