FilterGuy
Solar Engineering Consultant - EG4 and Consumers
Where is @Will Prowse ? I have not seen a new video in nearly a month!!! I am not in withdrawal yet but......
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I'm always present here or checking the channel. Trying to think of a new fun direction to take with the videos. Have done a few hundreds videos now and I feel like I'm repeating myself. I actually filmed some videos this month, but didn't post them because they were not very useful.
Still have plans for SolArk build videos?I'm always present here or checking the channel. Trying to think of a new fun direction to take with the videos. Have done a few hundreds videos now and I feel like I'm repeating myself. I actually filmed some videos this month, but didn't post them because they were not very useful.
I am sure your decisions are valid, you are a smart guy.I'm always present here or checking the channel. Trying to think of a new fun direction to take with the videos. Have done a few hundreds videos now and I feel like I'm repeating myself. I actually filmed some videos this month, but didn't post them because they were not very useful.
Yeah WillStill have plans for SolArk build videos?
My fun videos get downvoted. Or if I share opinions or entertain. Technically, instructional videos get the upvotes, and I'm here to appeal to the masses. Need to find the next thing that can really help people. I don't want to entertain. I want to help people. Without wasting their time.There he is! Over on the left by the ice cream shop hiding behind the clown with the unicirn baloon!
Here's a challenge Will, make a functional solar system with only what you can buy within 50 miles of your house.
I really hope ypu're not 49 miles from SanTan.
You should go drive to santan solar.. road trip vacation ?Haha! Yes I still need to do sol ark videos.
I just get tired of doing the same videos over and over again. My channel views do not change much regardless of if I post or not.
Other channels are doing similar tests that I did when I started out, so I want to mix it up and do something different.
While I'm filming I tend to say the same line from at least ten other past videos. Gets a bit repetitive. Want to mix it up. I've done hundreds of videos on the topic now, so the burn out is real.
Also my current system rocks ? it works so well and I love it. Just passed 2 megawatthours.
????? That seems... oddly depressing. Sheesh!My fun videos get downvoted. Or if I share opinions or entertain. Technically, instructional videos get the upvotes, and I'm here to appeal to the masses. Need to find the next thing that can really help people. I don't want to entertain. I want to help people. Without wasting their time.
Here's one:Haha! Yes I still need to do sol ark videos.
I just get tired of doing the same videos over and over again. My channel views do not change much regardless of if I post or not.
Other channels are doing similar tests that I did when I started out, so I want to mix it up and do something different.
While I'm filming I tend to say the same line from at least ten other past videos. Gets a bit repetitive. Want to mix it up. I've done hundreds of videos on the topic now, so the burn out is real.
Also my current system rocks ? it works so well and I love it. Just passed 2 megawatthours.
That is exactly why I was suggesting you break away from the rest of the YouTube pack and start doing more detailed analysis of Inverters and how they perform. Just looking at the effieceny curves of "typical" Inverter designs has got me really wondering at what Wattage are these Inverters efficiency being rated at. How effiecent is a an LV6548, Growatt or Sol-Ark at full load versus 40% load? That is one of those values you can see instantly with that Fluke Meter and a bunch of heaters for loads. Then we have the whole THD question. Lots of new Angles to test the equipment you already have.My fun videos get downvoted. Or if I share opinions or entertain. Technically, instructional videos get the upvotes, and I'm here to appeal to the masses. Need to find the next thing that can really help people. I don't want to entertain. I want to help people. Without wasting their time.
That is right along the lines of my post earlier today!I'd love to see a clear, concrete example comparing series vs parallel arranged solar panels. I know there are lots of videos on the subject but they all have serious deficiencies. Here's what would interest me at least:
You need 6 identical panels, somewhere in the 200-400W range each. Make sure each panel has 2 or 3 bypass diodes. You need two identical MPPT SCCs, big enough for the following setup.
Take 3 panels, put in series, long edge to long edge, and hookup to one SCC. Take the other 3 panels, put in parallel, long edge to long edge, and hookup to the other SCC. Have both SCCs on battery banks that can take the full charge current.
Ensure both panel setups are next to each at the same tilt and facing the same direction. The only variable here should be the series/parallel arrangement. Show the results of both SCCs. They should be producing basically the same wattage and both should be outputting the same charge voltage and current. That's the baseline.
Now demonstrate shading effects. Block various combinations of cells on both setups at the same time and note the changes at both controllers. I think the following tests would give interesting results:
- Block one cell in one panel in both setups.
- Block one long row of cells in one panel in both setups.
- Block one short row of cells in one panel in both setups.
- Block one short row of cells across all three panels in both setups. This should give the worse results in both setups I think.
- Simulate some tree shading on both setups. Maybe hold a broom or something a few feet away from the array.
Perhaps repeat the whole set of tests with the panels arranged short edge to short edge.
The primary goal would be to nail down whether the whole idea of putting panels in parallel or series is better when shading is an issue. I think a lot of the old wisdom is from pre-bypass diode panels. None of the videos I've seen show two side-by-side setups to get a real comparison. None of the videos I've seen are methodical in their testing. None use 3 panels, usually just 2 and that's not a valid test for most people.
I think the end results can be summarized to show under what shading conditions series is better and under what shading conditions parallel is better.
It would be a nice technical touch to be able to explain each result. For example, explain why in the series setup, the voltage and current dropped from X to Y when shading Z cells and why in the parallel setup it changed from A to B when shading the same cells.
Maybe a follow-on video comparing the results of a 4S setup and a 2S2P setup but with the 4 panels in the same physical layout (either 1x4 or 2x2). There's a lot of possibilities.
I'm not sure this is the type of video for Will or not, but I'd love to see someone do this I'm living mobile and have no way to do this sort of thing myself.