Who has solar panels?

[johnElarue]

Thanks again xpc,

I can get a 15A mppt for 100$ or a 20A for 150$, the killer is regular controllers are like 20-40$

 

[johnElarue]

So I wound up getting the 15A MPPT for about $75.00 , in testing everything is fine. Using a single AC Delco Voyager 115AH marine battery. Seems like I can only get it charged to 12.62V, which is approx 92%, which is fine with me. Running some Cfl's now and it's down to 12.58 or 88% give or take. Still need to make a wiring board and cabinet for it as well as insulated battery box.

 

[murphysranch]

This is all greek to me, but interesting that someone can converse intelligently about it.

If we were going to be able to stay here for 15 years, heck maybe even 10, then I would put in solar. But unfort we cannot afford to stay long, so maybe the next home I'll jump into the wealth of knowledge about solar then.

 

[xpc]

So I wound up getting the 15A MPPT for about $75.00 , in testing everything is fine. Using a single AC Delco Voyager 115AH marine battery. Seems like I can only get it charged to 12.62V, which is approx 92%, which is fine with me. Running some Cfl's now and it's down to 12.58 or 88% give or take. Still need to make a wiring board and cabinet for it as well as insulated battery box.

Does you controller have any smart settings like bulk, float, or equalize? can you set them for different voltages?

I have read that not all systems will consistently charge to 100% and may need a quality 120vac charger like an Iota to be ran on them from time to time, also read that a standard car battery charger won't do it either. I have also heard that anyone new to off grid systems will almost always destroy their first battery bank because of not charging them right - I guess it's a lot more complicated then it first seems, I know I did and will need a new battery.

 

[johnElarue]

If we were going to be able to stay here for 15 years, heck maybe even 10, then I would put in solar. But unfort we cannot afford to stay long, so maybe the next home I'll jump into the wealth of knowledge about solar then.

Yeah, I know what you mean kinda. I wish we'd done this from the start when building, .... "if I knew then, what I know now "

xpc, thanks for the advice on the controller. It has a float charge, but doesn't have an equalization charge, or bulk . But isn't bulk the same as regular charge?

I plan on putting the Morningstar charger on the battery bank when I get a wind turbine setup. The Moringstar has programmable charging. It will be used as a dump load when the wind turbine is hooked up. Maybe I can get it to equalize, hopefully without overcharging.

 

[johnElarue]

The panels are all installed and have been making power for about 2 weeks, not running many loads but it's all set up. Here is the new wiring box.

 

[cathunter10]

I was able to Pick up four 160 panels that had been yoused four $200.00 at a auction last week looks like I will be putting my sytem togeather 1 piece at a time.
Bill

 

[cathunter10]

Well here it is monday and two of the panels are on my deck roof and mouted ,it took me awhile to figger out how I was going to mount them and make the ajustable but it is done the other two should be easer.
Bill

 

[Niele da Kine]

For the first six or seven years we lived here we only had four 150 watt panels on the roof, I forget the brand. There is a charge controller, I forget the brand. It feeds into a battery bank of twelve deep cycle 6 volt batteries wired series to get the voltage up to 24volts and then in parallel banks to add up the amp hours. I think they are golf cart batteries we got from Costco. The battery bank feeds a Trace DR1524 inverter which is old school now. It does have a really nice charging system built into it, apparently the "DR" on the model name meant "Dominican Republic" where they only had several hours of grid power a day so during those hours the inverter would be charging up the battery bank. It is only a modified sine wave, though instead of a pure sine wave but it's been running just about everything in the house. There is a back up generator in case the sun doesn't shine for several days or if we want to use a lot of power for something.

When we only had four solar panels, we had a propane refrigerator. It was using a five gallon tank of propane about every seven to ten days so that was getting expensive when the price of propane went up. No natural gas in Hawaii, so we didn't have that option for the refrigerator. The stove is gas as well as the water heater. It would take a HUGE photovoltaic system to run a water heater or electric stove. We were running lights, power tools, computers, radios, TVs, VCRs, table top incubators, washing machine with a gas dryer although we mostly hang the clothes out on a line to dry, an electric blanket, etc. although all the lights were fluorescent or CFLs and we keep a real tight watch on energy use. All power outlets have a switch to turn them off so no ghost loads are possible. Most of the system was powered by solar although we still ran the generator during the winter for several hours a day. We got four more solar panels and we had to upgrade the controller when we did that. We've switched over to an electric refrigerator and have a small freezer now, too. We rarely run the generator now.

If we were to get a new system, we would look at an Outback system, they make good stuff. We'd also get a pure sinewave instead of modified if we could and probably add in a small wind generator, too. One of those Airex types. We are completely off the grid even though there is an electric pole for our neighbor up back more or less in our front yard so it at least looks like we are connected to the grid. The electric folks even give us notice when they are working on the power in the neighborhood.

Oh, if we move, we are taking the photovoltaic system with us! From the main circuit breaker on, the house is wired just like any other house (well, except for those walls switches above the outlets which the electronics are hooked into. Basically our photovoltaic system replaces the electric companies meter, everything else wiring and appliances wise is the same as all the other houses around. We do have a meter to look at to see if we have enough power for whatever we want to do. If the power is low, there's a switch to turn the generator on and off. So far, we don't have that automated. If we were getting a new generator, we'd probably opt for a propane one - natural gas if we were somewhere that it was available.

 

[rubyluise]

I have Atlantis solar panel which is very good brand for solar panel and integrated photovoltaic products. It can also produce the custom solar glazing and roofing system which include the materials which are made by shingles,sky lighting and curtains walls. It can offer many more product regarding solar power.