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diy solar

diy solar

You're going to laugh...

After reading the responses and seeing others on this site I think I finally understand more of the concept a little better. So this system I have will do the small things I need for the beginning but once I need things like the a/c to run I'll definitely need to go at least to 24 v but 48 is typically better and cheaper if u want a normal house equivalent.

I need more understanding of the amount of electricity that a battery holds which I thought with a
12v/100ah/1280wh Battery
Is saying like 1280x100=128000total watts that can't exceed 100watts going out per hour.... is that correct? I have no idea honestly but I need to know how to figure it out.

O and I'm a girl y'all it keeps throwing me off reading he lol. Yes the idea of this is to start at a minimum and move to a maximum and there's indeed a need for ac but not even true indoor plumbing so it's a give and take. I will run only ac if needed but by summer I need to have in order what I should get for running that alone and being able to upgrade to being able to run a full regular house or several smaller connected houses that make a single house in the end. Plan is to make them connecting in a circle really with doors going to the middle and the mid point will be the kitchen area that can serve also as a partial heat source in the winter. That's a long way from now though.

So the panels say like 70% efficiency which I don't know how to figure the true efficiency I would assume it would be that 70% of the 100w = 70w
70w ÷the average efficiency in the area =the amount of watts each panel produces in 1 hr?

If that's correct then I just multiply that by 3 for 3 panels that are 100w and it equals the amount expected to produce in an hr?

These rotating or swivels for the panels I've heard of but have no idea about them but it sounds worth it. Are they manual or electronic or hybrid?

I'm just making sure I can get help in an emergency and be able to look at the phone for a couple days if I'm snowed in.

I can use this as a Guage for understanding how it works and placement and such at least and have a couple outlets in the meantime lol.
As for the panels, let's say the label says 500W then what you'll get on a good sunny day is around 80% of that, which would be 400W at max sun. Let's say you get 3 hours of max sun, then we take 400Wx3h and we get 1200Wh of harvested energy. If you have 2 panels then it'll be 1200Whx2=2400Wh.

Also panels must be placed where they get no shadow. Even a partial shadow on one of the panels can diminish your energy harvesting considerably.

Go to https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/ and you can get an estimate of how much sun you ca get at your location. You have to input some parameters like how many Watts you have (as per our example, 2 500W panels = 1000W or 1KW), panel orientation and panel inclination. The calculator will give you an approx. energy per year and per month.

A swiveling or rotating panel mount is more expensive and requires maintenance, from what I've read is not usually worth the trouble, but each case is unique.
 
After reading the responses and seeing others on this site I think I finally understand more of the concept a little better. So this system I have will do the small things I need for the beginning but once I need things like the a/c to run I'll definitely need to go at least to 24 v but 48 is typically better and cheaper if u want a normal house equivalent.

I need more understanding of the amount of electricity that a battery holds which I thought with a
12v/100ah/1280wh Battery
Is saying like 1280x100=128000total watts that can't exceed 100watts going out per hour.... is that correct? I have no idea honestly but I need to know how to figure it out.

O and I'm a girl y'all it keeps throwing me off reading he lol. Yes the idea of this is to start at a minimum and move to a maximum and there's indeed a need for ac but not even true indoor plumbing so it's a give and take. I will run only ac if needed but by summer I need to have in order what I should get for running that alone and being able to upgrade to being able to run a full regular house or several smaller connected houses that make a single house in the end. Plan is to make them connecting in a circle really with doors going to the middle and the mid point will be the kitchen area that can serve also as a partial heat source in the winter. That's a long way from now though.

So the panels say like 70% efficiency which I don't know how to figure the true efficiency I would assume it would be that 70% of the 100w = 70w
70w ÷the average efficiency in the area =the amount of watts each panel produces in 1 hr?

If that's correct then I just multiply that by 3 for 3 panels that are 100w and it equals the amount expected to produce in an hr?

These rotating or swivels for the panels I've heard of but have no idea about them but it sounds worth it. Are they manual or electronic or hybrid?

I'm just making sure I can get help in an emergency and be able to look at the phone for a couple days if I'm snowed in.

I can use this as a Guage for understanding how it works and placement and such at least and have a couple outlets in the meantime lol.
Take a look at what I am bringing down to my moms to power her refrigerator and tv/ lights…
I am bringing 800ish watts of solar, and 10,124Wh of battery… on 2700W of inverters it MIGHT make it a couple days.
As backup to the grid down…

No way it will power ac.
No way will it power hot water.

I am also setting up a 4500W generator to power her well pump and water heater… one at a time… carefully.

A battery is a VERY limited power storage system, and you need a LOT to live off grid for much.
 
It will be interesting to see what you actually receive from your temu order... if your experience is like mine

3-100w monocystaline solar panels
1000w power inverter
12v 1280wh LiFePO4. (Life-po-4 is how I remember it)

Will be
3 x 25w panels
200w inverter with a bunch of Chinese writing explaining it is 1000w for a tiny fraction of a second
100wh battery which is mostly empty or full of sand to make it heavy

If it includes wire it will be CCA that is smaller than a lamp cord..... Copper Clad Aluminum... pitch it in the Recycle bin...

This is why they said it might run a porch light.

There are many aspects of solar and energy storage that have to be 100% right or it could turn your tiny house into a tiny pile of ashes.

You can do it, just going to take lots of learning and lots of time reading to do it right.

The first thing folks here tell people is buy nothing until you have a plan, then post a list to be vetted and you decide what to buy at the end. Then pictures and questions and we as a collective group will help you do it right.

Welcome to the addiction that is solar.

P.S. I knew you were a girl... or suspected.... writing style and I have several friends that are named Kris or Chris...the girls are all Kris and the boys are all Chris.
 
They make some pretty inexpensive portable HWOD units that run off 2 D batteries and a bbq tank. Mine lasts about a month on a 15lb tank with 40 minutes of use per day.

You would need to power a pump unit to push the required GPM thru it but for what you are wanting it would likely work. They have many options under $300. The pump would be a low watt draw and a DC load so no inverter required. It would also only consume electricity when you use it instead of constantly. Something to consider.

The energy audit really is an important step in figuring out your needs. It will provide you 2 key details. Overall energy consumption daily and max draw amperage needed during highest demand. This is overall storage capacity and peak inverter wattage numbers.

Once you know the max draw needed at once you can decide what voltage your system will need to be 12,24, or 48v.

From what I understand 100-200 amps is reasonable 400A is a lot.

200a@12v is approximately 2400w
200a@24v is approximately 4800w

Keep in mind battery voltage changes during usage so 2400w on a 12v system might be more than 200A. For example if your batteries

@12.8v. 2400W\12.8V=187.5A
@11V 2400W\11V=218A

300w of panels would probably run a mini fridge constantly for you.

The other trick is day usage and night usage. Batteries cannot be drained and charged at the same time. If your usage is equal to or higher than your panel input then the batteries will not see a charge. If however you panels can supply more than your usage during the day then your batteries get charged and if large enough in storage capacity they carry you thru the night.

So if your fridge is pulling 200w an hour then 300w of panels gives you 100w into the batteries each hour the sun is out. So about 400w goes into the batteries during the day.

That powers your fridge for about 2 hours after the sun sets…meaning more panels needed to get enough storage during the day to last all night if that makes any sense???

Location will also determine how many hours of sun you get. So if you got 6 hours instead of 4 that is another 200w capacity in the above example.

Here is a link for some systems by Will

 
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Just to give you a frame of reference. My system has 10kw solar panels with 30kwh Lifepo battery storage. I have a 12k BTU mini-split that runs 24 hours a day, a 7 cuft chest freezer, a 12 cuft upright freezer, and some miscellaneous lights and small stuff that doesn't use much power. On a good sunny day, I use up at least 50% of the 30kwh battery by the next morning. And I pray that it doesn't rain for more than 2 days in a row.

Here's the energy audit:
12k BTU mini split ~1000wh
chest freezer ~100wh
upright freezer ~200wh
misc ~100wh
inverter ~75wh
Total: 1475wh

All these things are in a 2 car garage (maybe 300 sq ft). My solar system does not power anything else outside of the garage.

So let's assume that there is no solar production between 5pm - 8am. That is 15 hours of no useable sunlight. In 15 hours my energy requirements will use 22kwh. My battery is 30kwh. You can see why I worry when it's going to rain. If it does rain, I'd shut off the mini-split for a while.

Your system is at least 20 times smaller than mine. The math will not work out for your system. BTW the solar equipment I've seen on Temu is really for micro scale solar. It won't be sufficient to even run a coffee maker for 5 minutes.
 
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You would need to power a pump unit to push the required GPM thru it but for what you are wanting it would likely work. They have many options under $300. The pump would be a low watt draw and a DC load so no inverter required. It would also only consume electricity when you use it instead of constantly. Something to consider.
I just grabbed a 12v transfer pump, small lead acid battety, pwm controller, and a 50w panel. I wired the pump and the lights to a switch by the door so when I turned on the lights the water system through the propane heater pressurized.

Back before I hard plumbed in the shower and propane heater. Worked well.
 
Temu sells crap, even lower quality than wish.com. If your goods are still within the return window I would advise you do so at once.
Totally agree. And then educate oneself and don't buy anything until you have a complete plan.

Another thing don't let sales be a deciding point on a purchase this will likely end up costing you more in the long run trying to build around this so called deal.

If you really wanna buy something solar related let it be on something educational one of my first purchases was this book listed below I did quite a bit of research and read a bunch of reviews and it has been an invaluable asset there are many other books out there including Will Prowse's book.

1727590426709.png
 
Y'all are super helpful! It's making a ton more sense now thankfully.

So since I do have the setup I believe all of it now here for the panels even though it's not the land or the house would it be worth setting up here if I'm going to be here another couple of months or would it not be worth it? It would be more or less just getting a hands on idea of how it works or would it be more of a hassle than to just wait?

If I'm able to have at least a working outlet to recharge a phone when needed or to charge a light if I need then for now it'll work as far as absolute necessity.

This was a ton of points that were exactly what I wasn't understanding.

So one of the components I believe the charger will stop putting the power in so the batteries aren't over charging correct? Does inverter will stop drawing power when the batteries drop to low but before they completely run out? I'm a little worried about those because the batteries are what I can't ruin.

The math makes a lot more sense now because I was wondering where the extra loss would come in ir if it was already a factor.

These heat pump things I've heard about for heating and I assume that's the same as was mentioned for the hot water are those something that's worth it ? Would it take a ton of power? I'm not sure how those work exactly or are they like dual purpose? This might not be the exact place for this question but if someone knows I'd love to understand it better because I have also heard they're great for Heating but it kinda just doesn't make sense....

So after hearing all the information thus far I'll likely either stick with just what I have for the moment or maybe get a little more for it and then move to a 48v if I can afford it or at least go to a 24v.

I'm considering the way I want to set things up and if smaller individual systems would work better or just 1 larger one. I'm sure there's not any benefits of doing the smaller ones though unless it's just for upgrading and just adding a system.

It looks like a 3:1 on panel w battery watts is a pretty rough estimate for what I am seeing in most systems would that be a fairly reasonable assumption ? Like as for energy usage/storage upkeep?

The next goal in the solar system is the ac. I am definitely going to try to keep it to a minimum of running but do my best to prepare to run it a lot. So plans are to start looking for affordable panels and batteries and see how much the 48v would cost to start with a small system that I can just add to hopefully.

Can all types of panels be connected as long as they're the same v and w?

How about the batteries? Does the brand matter? The ah? Volts I assume have to be the same and ah but what about the size? Can I get smaller ones and then add larger ones later but use the smaller one? I don't want to limit what I can use to much later but I also do have to go within means.

With the ones I have if I added some panels (fingers crossed 🤞 I open these panels tomorrow and they're what I think they are) would it be safe to say I'd be able to run a couple fans and a small refrigerator? I'm assuming it'd take roughly 3 more batteries and like 6-9 more panels... maybe. I'm brainstorming some possible ideas of how to make sure I can keep the animals that need it cool in the summer in case I can't get the ac able to run before then.

I would prefer these be on a ground level if possible does that have a huge negative impact? I'm sure it has some but I really would like the easiest accessibility if I need to fix them. If it's super significant then I'll go ahead and put them on the roof.

I'll open these panels and such tomorrow and try to take pics of labels on them. I know the 2 panels that are here are pretty heavy but I'm not sure what all is in it either. I've had some good luck with lots of things on there but I've had some bad ones too. I've found lots of things just don't have a name brand on it and is identical to others. The return policy is also pretty good that's why I almost want to set it up but I really have tons of othe things to do as well. I've got high hopes for this but I'm always waiting to laugh. I did get tiny little windmills.... I definitely laughed... I didn't know what to expect but I figured for the price it was worth the giggle.

If these work and it teaches me to not use any electricity hardly at all and I make it through the winter it was worth what I paid for it all after all the cash back I probably paid a maximum of $200 but in reality likely way l way less. I do need to figure it out though for the sake of cost vs efficiency to see if the expense and buying it cheaper was actually cheaper or more expensive in the end. That's part of the reason I really hope that it's what I ordered so I can hopefully compare it to another and see if it was indeed worth it or not. I would also love to know if it lasts as long as others wven if it only powers the light in the outhouse haha.

O about the panels and if they need to be the same brand I've heard wiring I'd different or something? Does that matter or if it's different can they be changed or just spliced together somehow? I would assume so but is it something costly and massively time consuming? I'm just trying to be sure before I just think I can match some things that can't be matched.
 
Lots to unpack here but I can throw you some quick answers...


So since I do have the setup I believe all of it now here for the panels even though it's not the land or the house would it be worth setting up here if I'm going to be here another couple of months or would it not be worth it?

It'll be a good experience to see how things will go together when you get your new place. Make the panel frames out of wood & screws so you can disassemble and move it later.


If I'm able to have at least a working outlet to recharge a phone when needed or to charge a light if I need then for now it'll work as far as absolute necessity.

From what I remember of your system, you'll have more capability than just a light bulb and charging your phone. 😁👍


So one of the components I believe the charger will stop putting the power in so the batteries aren't over charging correct?
Yes, that's part of its job.


Does inverter will stop drawing power when the batteries drop to low but before they completely run out? I'm a little worried about those because the batteries are what I can't ruin.

Yup, they all have low voltage cutoffs and even if for some reason it were to keep trying, the BMS would eventually stop sending power to protect the cells inside.


These heat pump things I've heard about for heating and I assume that's the same as was mentioned for the hot water are those something that's worth it ?

There are heat pump water heaters, but as a general guideline we say "Anything But Solar" for anything that needs to make heat like water heaters, stoves, wall heaters, etc. They take a lot of wattage for a long time to be effective which means lots of battery. Depending on your climate heat pump water heaters may or may not be cost effective.

On the other hand, a heat pump is usually an air conditioner or an aircon/heating unit. The advantage is that they're very energy efficient, but you still need a lot of system to run. We can go deeper into the theory and all but Youtube has lots of videos that can explain it.




So after hearing all the information thus far I'll likely either stick with just what I have for the moment or maybe get a little more for it and then move to a 48v if I can afford it or at least go to a 24v.

If you're going to start small and jump up later, plan on going straight to 48v. Lots more capability and 24v is kind of the red headed step child of the solar world.


I'm considering the way I want to set things up and if smaller individual systems would work better or just 1 larger one. I'm sure there's not any benefits of doing the smaller ones though unless it's just for upgrading and just adding a system.

Ultimately a single large system tends to be more cost effective and simpler, BUT having a 12v system operating now is better than a 48v system you might have in a couple years. Later the smaller system can be used for things like a shed system or greenhouse or anywhere you need to run a little power that would be a PITA to run a wire to.


It looks like a 3:1 on panel w battery watts is a pretty rough estimate for what I am seeing in most systems would that be a fairly reasonable assumption ? Like as for energy usage/storage upkeep?

That's about where things tend to end up, especially with medium size and smaller systems.


The next goal in the solar system is the ac. I am definitely going to try to keep it to a minimum of running but do my best to prepare to run it a lot. So plans are to start looking for affordable panels and batteries and see how much the 48v would cost to start with a small system that I can just add to hopefully.
Aircon is a beast and eats batteries alive so plan on having a LOT of panel and battery to run it for any amount of time. Even a decent quality 12k BTU heat pump will draw 800wh / 80 amps per hour, so just over an hour on a 12v 100ah battery. Roughly. You'll have to math that out but napkin says 6 hours @ 800w = 4800wh which is basically a 48v rackmount battery on its own.

Can all types of panels be connected as long as they're the same v and w?
All panels can technically be connected, but what you're looking for is the Vmp (working volts) and Isc (maximum amps). When you start mixing & matching panels, things go to the lowest common denominator. So, say you had 3 panels at 40v, 50v, and 20v with 5a, 4a, and 10a respectively. Each panel is 200w, but if you put them together in series they would all go the lowest on each spec, so your 600w worth of panels would be nerfed down to 20v (lowest voltage) and 4a (lowest amperage) resulting in 80w of usable panel. (Someone might correct me on that one). So, try to match your panels. Mixing a 37.2v, a 38.1v, and a 37.6v together isn't going to make a noticable difference.


How about the batteries? Does the brand matter? The ah? Volts I assume have to be the same and ah but what about the size? Can I get smaller ones and then add larger ones later but use the smaller one? I don't want to limit what I can use to much later but I also do have to go within means.
As long as it's the same chemistry and voltage, you can mix & match capacities all day long. There are a couple little things but it'll work just fine to put a 100ah battery and a 300ah battery together.


would prefer these be on a ground level if possible does that have a huge negative impact? I'm sure it has some but I really would like the easiest accessibility if I need to fix them. If it's super significant then I'll go ahead and put them on the roof.

A lot of us are fans of the ground mount system. Easier to get to, easier to build, easier to disassemble, cheaper to build.


Ok, hand is cramping up. Stylus on phone adds up. Someone will be along shortly to pick up where I left off. 😁
 
I would prefer these be on a ground level if possible does that have a huge negative impact? I'm sure it has some but I really would like the easiest accessibility if I need to fix them. If it's super significant then I'll go ahead and put them on the roof.
If you have the space & shading isn't an issue, ground mount is the way to go. this thread will give you plenty of ideas.
 
I've found lots of things just don't have a name brand on it and is identical to others.
A Brand-X 100w 10BB panel and a Brand-Y 100w 10BB panel will usually have the same specs, or same enough. The important numbers are the Voc, Vmp, and Isc. However a 3ft × 5ft panel can be wildly different specs than another 3ft × 5ft panel depending on age and specs, so look for the data specs. Super cheap scam panels at times don't have spec stickers. If that's the case you'll need some digital multimeter skills to figure out what they really are.


I did get tiny little windmills.... I definitely laughed... I didn't know what to expect but I figured for the price it was worth the giggle.
As long as you have fun with it, no complaints. 😁👍


If these work and it teaches me to not use any electricity hardly at all and I make it through the winter it was worth what I paid for it all after all the cash back I probably paid a maximum of $200 but in reality likely way l way less. I do need to figure it out though for the sake of cost vs efficiency to see if the expense and buying it cheaper was actually cheaper or more expensive in the end. That's part of the reason I really hope that it's what I ordered so I can hopefully compare it to another and see if it was indeed worth it or not. I would also love to know if it lasts as long as others wven if it only powers the light in the outhouse haha.

We call that "Tuition", the money we spend learning. If nothing else, $200 is cheaper than a community college course and more valuable. Being able to see in the outhouse is a pretty important thing though.


O about the panels and if they need to be the same brand I've heard wiring I'd different or something? Does that matter or if it's different can they be changed or just spliced together somehow? I would assume so but is it something costly and massively time consuming? I'm just trying to be sure before I just think I can match some things that can't be matched.

See above about specs and mixing panels. The charge controller will determine how many and how you can connect panels.
 
Things I need to power:
Double split ac/heater
Refrigerator
2 outlets
1 instant water heater
1 light
With your 3 x 100W PV panels you can plan to run the lights and outlets, maybe a small fridge during good solar periods.
The heatpump mini split will take more energy than a 300W array will bring in (as will the HWT) those will have to wait for a larger system as Rednecktech pointed out.
 
So one of the components I believe the charger will stop putting the power in so the batteries aren't over charging correct? Does inverter will stop drawing power when the batteries drop to low but before they completely run out? I'm a little worried about those because the batteries are what I can't ruin.
Yes the charger won't overcharge the batteries if configured correctly. You will have to learn a bit about setting it up. As for low voltage protection, most inverters have it by default by you'll also have to check it and configure it so the batteries won't discharge more than what you want them to.
 

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