What lessons have you learned working with solar?

[OffGridForGood]

Ha! Won’t be long and she will be telling you about the cool new add ons to make them go farther and faster!

I can't wait !

 

[NaughtGeek]

Code compliance will add thousands you didn't plan for unless you have a mechanical and electrical PE available. SA will always quit communicating when you're trying to hit max or min on your batteries. Some inverters cannot be reset on fault without completely powering down. Just because something says it supports a specific communications protocol doesn't mean it does so in the standard manner and will talk to something else supporting that protocol. Running climate control when the grid is down = priceless!

 

[Rmart30]

I try to research things well ahead of time and minimize mistakes and learn from others.

My first things would be. If this is going to be anything more than a small hobby system would be to go at least 24v, preferably 48v from the start.
Yes, they all have their place and I have some 12v systems myself where 48v system would be overkill.
Second would be. Dont buy multiple small batteries. Instead of buying four 12v batteries one at a time when you have extra cash or find a sale to make 48v, id suggest save up till you can buy one 48v battery.
Third thing would be is thoroughly shop for solar panels. With a bit of research you can save a lot on panels. ie: you can find new panels 400w for anywhere between $90 and $450.
Follow up to #3 would be to save up and buy a pallet of panels when they go on sale/have free shipping etc. I never buy panels unless there is a sale or free shipping. You can almost always sale the ones you dont need and make a few bucks on them also.
The last pallet I bought was 36, new bifacial 400w panels. I sold 20 of them for more than i paid each which made my cost for the last 16 i kept about $40 each.

 

[fatjay]

New and creative ways to lie to my wife about how much something costs and how much we’re saving

I thought I had mastered this when buying guns, but I had no idea at that point.

 

[Danke]

New and creative ways to lie to my wife about how much something costs and how much we’re saving

I thought I had mastered this when buying guns, but I had no idea at that point.

Just buy her more pants with your solar orders.

 

[dougbert]

New and creative ways to lie to my wife about how much something costs and how much we’re saving

I thought I had mastered this when buying guns, but I had no idea at that point.

bump the wife budget as well

 

[Rednecktek]

New and creative ways to lie to my wife about how much something costs and how much we’re saving

I thought I had mastered this when buying guns, but I had no idea at that point.

The industry will standardize on something new and better between the time you buy equipment and the time the install is done.

Any hardware failure will only occur on perfectly sunny days.

 

[dougbert]

 

[OffGridForGood]

Minus 15C/5F out and super windy...
Power is out tonight on my rural road - looks like some trees came down across the mains up the line from here.
We are watching a show, fridges and freezers, well pump and furnace are all running as usual. My wife checked on our elderly neighbour to suggest they stay the night with us - they say they are fine with their wood stove and some candles...
ROI has been achieved.

 

[Danke]

You are missing out. Chopping and hauling wood is good exercise.

 

[OffGridForGood]

You are missing out. Chopping and hauling wood is good exercise.

my furnace runs on fire wood, that I cut and process on the property - aka my weight control system lol!

 

[rodrick]

You can never have enough batteries,panels,scc’s or inverters

 

[RyGuy]

If you live in an area with wet/cloudy winters:
The number of panels you add to your system is a curve. Once you have enough panels / batteries to cover your loads for sunny and even moderately cloudy seasons the numbers grow exponentially when the extended bad weather hits. This generally aligns with shorter days. Suddenly you start seeing all the high demand and continuous loads. Maybe it's cheaper and easier to reduce those for the bad months.

Unless you have arrays facing different directions to spread the input over a longer period, don't significantly over panel a mppt if you are counting on banking every watt possible between bad weeks of weather. For my situation I believe around 110-120% would be best.

No matter what new, better inverter comes out you'll always wish it had features specific to your situation.

 

[JJJJ]

As soon as you “finish” your project you will think about upgrading x, y and z.

 

[OffGridForGood]

As soon as you “finish” your project you will think about upgrading x, y and z.

I have no delusion of Ever "finishing" the whole solar power plant - unlike @timselectric who seems to have had a clear and steady plan from day-one, and knows Exactly what he is doing, how, and when...I have been on more of a 'leasurely drive' from one 6kW inverter and couple batteries...to the 24kW I have now ...to perhaps ultimately a full 48kW system one day...with side-trips stop-overs and few U-turns along the way !!

 

[timselectric]

I have no delusion of Ever "finishing" the whole solar power plant - unlike @timselectric who seems to have had a clear and steady plan from day-one, and knows Exactly what he is doing, how, and when...I have been on more of a 'leasurely drive' from one 6kW inverter and couple batteries...to the 24kW I have now ...to perhaps ultimately a full 48kW system one day...with side-trips stop-overs and few U-turns along the way !!

I'm just practicing what I preach. Plan everything before you buy anything.
That's not to say that I haven't made changes along the way. But they are just additions, and not reworks to the original plan.

 

[k490]

My lesson learned this year was I built a diy battery should have bought a kit box like the apexium box then build one. The box I built was much larger then it needed to be and I spent lot more then just shelling out $520 for a ready to go box with a JK BMS.

 

[JJJJ]

I built a diy battery

Invaluable experience! Buying prebuilt is easier, but the education will pay dividends down the road. Congratulations!

 

[OffGridForGood]

The box I built was much larger then it needed to be and I spent lot more then just shelling out $520 for a ready to go box with a JK BMS.

pic ?

 

[dougbert]

My lesson learned this year was I built a diy battery should have bought a kit box like the apexium box then build one. The box I built was much larger then it needed to be and I spent lot more then just shelling out $520 for a ready to go box with a JK BMS.

I did a 12v one and 24v one and I did as you did: WAY too big a box for both. Got 12v inverter for the 12v battery. Then a 24v inverter on a dolly for my portable. gad its battery is too big, but doable

looking to do a 48v and found this video just today for more experience on the cheaper, and for a 2nd 48v inverter set

 

[45North]

Cheops Law is still valid.

"Nothing ever gets done on time or within budget" Robert Heinlein

 

[OffGridForGood]

looking to do a 48v and found this video just today for more experience on the cheaper, and for a 2nd 48v inverter set

Another pack with the Pos on the Right.
Maybe I just missed this in the past, thought the Pos is always on the Left...losing my damn mind...maybe.

 

[Skypower]

Battery build knowledge keeps improving. Ironically, manufacturers are just now starting to catch up to DIY’rs

 

[OffGridForGood]

Lesson I learned today. Since my OCD is on HIGH setting;
Pos on the LEFT server rack packs:
SOK
EG4
Jakiper
SG Power
LiTime
Epoch
RUiXU
QSO
CATL
Rich Solar Relabel
FogStar


Pos and Neg both on the Right, Pos furthest to the Right
AO Lithium
Everbest relable
Pytes
EV Lithium
SunPal Energy
Seplos Mason

Neg on the LEFT and Pos on the RIGHT
CoreMax


okay I feel better now. Had to be done.

 

[ricardocello]

okay I feel better now. Had to be done.

I once bought a car battery that had the + and - flipped. Fortunately, the battery cables and lugs reached. Just.