Sourcing

[Stewfish]

You guys are smart, lots of times smart, thrifty, but safe go hand in hand. I'm going to spend quite a bit on wire, etc connection gear. What brands and websites do you guys look at mostly, hopefully without expensive shipping, and maybe free shipping esp with large purchases. I just dont want to get cheap ebay junk. That said , if you know a seller or have a link to good quality ebay stuff let me know. I'm planning my build in May so China distributors are okay also. This will be for an off grid cabin, but I would like listed stuff or quality close to it like Canadian listed or something. I'm not sure where to save money that doesn't get me junk.I have the PV wire already and MC4 connecters I got with my panels from Santan. I also have inverters and charge controllers.

1.) Thick welding wire from batteries to inverter. I'm think go as big as possible. I have two 48v 6kw inverters that will be split phase 240v on the house side.

2.) At least 20 Terminals tinned would be best if its a big savings I can apply dielectric grease over good copper terminals. Location is a solar shed in the desert.

3.) Midnight solar combiner boxes for 50 panels with the outer disco switch on each box

4.) Midnight solar breakers for disco boxes. I dont want to do MC4 fuses/branches.

5.) Bus bars - I have a drill press and could use starboard to mount/make a bus bar from solid copper. If I cant het tinned I could grease it up with dielectric grease to prevent corrosion, esp galvanic corrosion between the stainless bolts and the copper.

6.) Class T fuses at the batteries

7.) Should probably have a big emergency DC disco box outside of the solar shed before the controllers inside.

8.) Should I put a disco between the controller and batteries? With 16s2p 48v I'm not sure if a regular blue seas battery switch would work with a battery that big.

8.) I'm thinking regular home depot wire in conduit from the combiner boxes to the solar shed. Same from the inverters to the cabin.

 

[schmism]

1) I would size wire for the current that they are required to carry. I have found WindyNation on amazon a reliable source for cable.
2) Some say get only marine rated ones, They typically run $3/ea. Amazon verions can be half that. I dont see their being twice the quality difference. Your likely paying for a certification requirement on the marine grade ones and frankly, we don't need it.
3) Midnite solar is were I found mine.
4) I googled the breaker part number as the price that Midnite solar offered was not great. I found a diffrent site that was offering the same breaker for like 1/2 the cost each.
5) many use copper bar stock from mcMaster or the like. I used squished copper pipe that I squished with my shop press.
6) did buy any
7) that may be a code thing in your area. for a ground mount array a disconnect at the array may suffice, if roof mounted you'll likely need a ground accessible disconnect.
8) each battery bank should have a disconnect. If your running dual 6kw when a shutoff to each inverter would be my choice instead of a single disconnect at the battery.
9)yes regular THHN from a big box store is fine. Priceing between my local HD/lowes/menards was all over the place for wire of various length.

 

[HRTKD]

All my cables, lugs and heat shrink tubing, as well as my hydraulic crimper, came from TEMCo Industrial. Shipping was free and in a reasonable time. Customer service was excellent.

With a properly crimped connection and heat shrink tubing, no dielectric grease is necessary. The only place I used any "grease" was on the aluminum terminals of the battery. I used Noalox there.

The flexibility of welding wire was very helpful in my RV install. With the cramped space, making a tight turn with welding wire was easy.

In another thread a forum member posted that Blue Sea is going to change the specs on their battery switches. 48v will not be within spec. Up to 36v will be.

 

[Stewfish]

1) I would size wire for the current that they are required to carry. I have found WindyNation on amazon a reliable source for cable.
2) Some say get only marine rated ones, They typically run $3/ea. Amazon verions can be half that. I dont see their being twice the quality difference. Your likely paying for a certification requirement on the marine grade ones and frankly, we don't need it.
3) Midnite solar is were I found mine.
4) I googled the breaker part number as the price that Midnite solar offered was not great. I found a diffrent site that was offering the same breaker for like 1/2 the cost each.
5) many use copper bar stock from mcMaster or the like. I used squished copper pipe that I squished with my shop press.
6) did buy any
7) that may be a code thing in your area. for a ground mount array a disconnect at the array may suffice, if roof mounted you'll likely need a ground accessible disconnect.
8) each battery bank should have a disconnect. If your running dual 6kw when a shutoff to each inverter would be my choice instead of a single disconnect at the battery.
9)yes regular THHN from a big box store is fine. Priceing between my local HD/lowes/menards was all over the place for wire of various length.

Windy nation seemed very stiff when I bought their PV wire. I would rather have super flexible welding wire vs stiff wire. It must have been a dozen strands for 10g wire vs dozens for flexible stuff.

Stiff is bad from my experience which mirrors what everyone says. I have seen too many stiff wires used in an RV battery compartment or golf cart, and after replacing them saw all but a couple strands of the 2g or 4g wire cracked near the terminal.

 

[Stewfish]

All my cables, lugs and heat shrink tubing, as well as my hydraulic crimper, came from TEMCo Industrial. Shipping was free and in a reasonable time. Customer service was excellent.

With a properly crimped connection and heat shrink tubing, no dielectric grease is necessary. The only place I used any "grease" was on the aluminum terminals of the battery. I used Noalox there.

The flexibility of welding wire was very helpful in my RV install. With the cramped space, making a tight turn with welding wire was easy.

In another thread a forum member posted that Blue Sea is going to change the specs on their battery switches. 48v will not be within spec. Up to 36v will be.

You got welding wire ay temco also? I never looked. I was going to get their hydrualic crimper, its in my amazon wish list. I'll price it all out from their site as well.

I don't thing a blue seas battery switch is up to the task I will be putting through it. I think I need a residential setup. I'm basically setting up my property for two 120v cabins at the same time ground mount, or one cabin and a 240v welder/shop at the same time before the second cabin. Of course in dif configs. That's a lot of amps from the battery to shut off all at once.