xtry51
NES Member
I peaked at 10.8kW input today. As of noon 9.4kW added to batteries. I'll need to cut some small trees out on the east side to improve morning sun. I went out and took pictures this morning so I know which to thin out.
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Prep of The Day Thread
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![[rockon]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/020.gif "Rockon [rockon]")
xtry51
NES Member
18kW yesterday. 12kW today but it was cloudy most of day. I thinned out 20 birch and one large pine tree today to improve morning sun. I'll reassess in the morning how much more I need to do on the east side.
xtry51
NES Member
Got batteries to 99% with solar. Now top balancing each pack one at at time. By end this coming week my garage and all our critical items (freezers, fridges, furnace, well) will be full time off grid.
I also installed lightning/emp protection units on the solar and both on & off grid panels. Working on remote wiring of BMS shutoff switches so you can turn everything on/off at one location for ease of use and emergency shutoff.
Also we removed our water softener and replaced the tank and filter this weekend. We don't need the softener, I think they just installed it when the house was built as a default item. The only thing we have in our well is rust, which I have specific filters for.
Before
After
I also installed lightning/emp protection units on the solar and both on & off grid panels. Working on remote wiring of BMS shutoff switches so you can turn everything on/off at one location for ease of use and emergency shutoff.
Also we removed our water softener and replaced the tank and filter this weekend. We don't need the softener, I think they just installed it when the house was built as a default item. The only thing we have in our well is rust, which I have specific filters for.
Before
After
xtry51
NES Member
Someone will notice. Yes, I should have used a 90deg fitting on the inlet (right) of the filter to ease the plumbing route. I ordered a M to F 90 to change it.
Can I ask what fuel type furnace you’re running? How many fridges/freezers?
Did you utilize any tax incentive or rebate programs to update your system to this current setup? Do you have an ‘all in’ figure?
xtry51
NES Member
$45k-ish all in. I have to create an itemized list for tax filing as you get 30% federal tax credit for system cost.
Using an oil furnace. 1 large fridge in kitchen and 2 chest freezers in basement.
Note - I am not selling back to grid.
Wow, 30% is huge though!
Are there any advantages of not selling back to the grid?
Sorry for all the questions. I’m nowhere near where I need to be financially or in stage of home repair where I‘m considering an update like this any time soon, but definitely sometime down the road when I build a cabin up at the top of my mountain here in Kentucky.
xtry51
NES Member
The grid tie systems are a lot more expensive due to the cost of the inverters. I'm using (2) EG4 6500EXs, which are $1300-$1500 each depending on the sales. A grid tied inverter for 13kW would set me back closer to $12k and there is a lot of permitting required.
I don't have enough paneling to make a huge return even if I went that route. My location is not ideal for solar. North side of a small hill and while my property is 6 acres, only half an acre is cleared out.
I don't have enough paneling to make a huge return even if I went that route. My location is not ideal for solar. North side of a small hill and while my property is 6 acres, only half an acre is cleared out.
xtry51
NES Member
We are looking at KY for 5 years out when last kid is done with high school. That's another reason I built my system pretty modular. I can rent a box truck and move the whole thing. It would suck, but if we sell the house and thr new owners don't want it, I'm not leaving it here for them to waste.
If you have no kids and just a small cabin, Signature Solar makes half size versions of my inverters. You could have a 6kW 120/240 install for two people to power a 1200sqft cabin/house for probably $30-35k and never pay for power again.
The investment and install type really depends on how long you're planning out. If this was where we were staying forever, I'd pay to have an acre cleared and leveled, pour some concrete pads and mount all my panels on steel unistrut.
If you have no kids and just a small cabin, Signature Solar makes half size versions of my inverters. You could have a 6kW 120/240 install for two people to power a 1200sqft cabin/house for probably $30-35k and never pay for power again.
The investment and install type really depends on how long you're planning out. If this was where we were staying forever, I'd pay to have an acre cleared and leveled, pour some concrete pads and mount all my panels on steel unistrut.
That sounds awesome that you’ll be able to move it if you want! That’s the way I would have designed it too if I were planning on moving in five years.
I have a ‘flat’ on the smaller side of the mini-mountain behind my house that would make an amazing build site I think. It would get a hell of a lot more sun than my current location at the northern base of said mini mountain.
Problem is getting water up there, but if I can figure that out in 10-15 years, it’d be an awesome upgrade. Section off/sell the house I’m in now after I build the cabin piece by piece and pay off the loan.
The more the merrier down here in the land of unbridled spirit, and there’s more freedoms here than I even know what to do with! It’s genuinely awesome living in a place where I’m surrounded by like minded people. If you and the family ever want to check out my area, my place should be ready to accommodate more than a couple of guests sometime in the next year. Or just swing by for something on the grill and/or a mag dump off the back porch if that’s your thing
xtry51
NES Member
Thanks! We'll probably take a drive around trip this summer through eastern KY. We have some properties we've been watching as the market struggles.
For thread relevance, I spent my last two sundays building a compost pile of dry leaves and enough cow shit to gag a planet of maggots.
It’s about 6x6 and about 5’ high. I built it last weekend and turned it yesterday to add in more manure from the pasture and it’s getting nice and steamy in the middle even with the cold nights. Things that were frozen solid last week softened up while in the pile and should break down nicely soon if I get my green/brown mixture right.
It’s about 6x6 and about 5’ high. I built it last weekend and turned it yesterday to add in more manure from the pasture and it’s getting nice and steamy in the middle even with the cold nights. Things that were frozen solid last week softened up while in the pile and should break down nicely soon if I get my green/brown mixture right.
Duxprep
NES Member
Awesome. And I'll bet it took forever to decide how to mount the wiring and route the wiring (thats the fun part) Between the inverters are those t-class fuses handling your positive leads to your inverters?
xtry51
NES Member
Yes, they are 400A T-Class for each inverter. At 46V (my low battery cutoff) the inverters in theory can each handle 282A in rush for a short burst. 300A was too close for my comfort on that so I went 400A. I have redundant protection as it is. The inverters have cutoffs and the battery BMSs have cutoffs making this the 3rd protection point.
xtry51
NES Member
Got to clean snow off for the first time.
View: https://youtu.be/fbh3aH55TDo
Also added a battery bank switch panel next to the inverters.
And my first bank is top balanced. I pulled it too early. The remaining 7 banks took in 7kW more total. I should have waited another 2 days before pulling the first one. Would have saved me 3 days of top balance because I only had a small power supply. I bought two more power supplies to speed up the next banks.
View: https://youtu.be/fbh3aH55TDo
Also added a battery bank switch panel next to the inverters.
And my first bank is top balanced. I pulled it too early. The remaining 7 banks took in 7kW more total. I should have waited another 2 days before pulling the first one. Would have saved me 3 days of top balance because I only had a small power supply. I bought two more power supplies to speed up the next banks.
You should of left that bikini on that last panel!
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xtry51
NES Member
I have bank 2 charging and bank 1 will go back in service tomorrow morning.
Bank 2 is going to charge way faster. After setting it back up in parallel it was at 3.367V. My first bank I pulled and it was at 3.348V. I also now have 4 small chargers. Based on my data from bank 1, bank 2 should be done top balancing in <12hrs.
Closed in the new chicken coup run before the storm got here. The CF Moto pieces are shipping covers from my local powersports store. They throw them away, so I can get them for free, zip tie them up for winter and huck them in the spring. Closing in the runs keeps the chickens moving all winter instead of huddled in the coup for 4 months.
Bank 2 is going to charge way faster. After setting it back up in parallel it was at 3.367V. My first bank I pulled and it was at 3.348V. I also now have 4 small chargers. Based on my data from bank 1, bank 2 should be done top balancing in <12hrs.
Closed in the new chicken coup run before the storm got here. The CF Moto pieces are shipping covers from my local powersports store. They throw them away, so I can get them for free, zip tie them up for winter and huck them in the spring. Closing in the runs keeps the chickens moving all winter instead of huddled in the coup for 4 months.
xtry51
NES Member
Our grid power is out. Tree fell under snow load onto line that feeds our transformer. I've now escalated rewiring the panels. Grid is down, but I have internet and critical loads up on solar.
Nothing pushes prepping like nature reminding you who's in charge.
Nothing pushes prepping like nature reminding you who's in charge.
headednorth
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Is it possible to run a generator on a Solar System?
safetyfirst2125
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headednorth
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That tp. Big tube but looks thin on the paper
If you can isolate. I think most people use a generator to keep the batteries charged during low sun periods.
xtry51
NES Member
Yes. And yes.
My inverters have AC input. You can hook generators directly if needed. The manufacturers supply data on how "clean" the power must be to not harm the electronics of the inverter.
I've opted to us generator to charge the batteries using 48V chargers plugged into the gen instead. This is the safest way to prevent harm, and makes the solution portable.
I am using the AC In for grid backup. I can program voltage ranges for my batteries. If they drop too low and there is no solar coming in, it will charge with the grid automatically.
xtry51
NES Member
My current wiring adventure. New offgrid panel on left.
The main panel was a complete mess. I'm not sure who wired it, but I know he was a moron. I found a screw on 15A female plug, wired to 20A romex, wired into a 25A breaker, tucked up into the fiberglass on the cold side. Pretty sure from the guy who wired this house.
Also think he was related to Goldilocks somehow. 1/3 of the circuits too short, 1/3 too long mangling up the routing into a birds nest, 1/3 just right. House built in 1987.
The main panel was a complete mess. I'm not sure who wired it, but I know he was a moron. I found a screw on 15A female plug, wired to 20A romex, wired into a 25A breaker, tucked up into the fiberglass on the cold side. Pretty sure from the guy who wired this house.
Also think he was related to Goldilocks somehow. 1/3 of the circuits too short, 1/3 too long mangling up the routing into a birds nest, 1/3 just right. House built in 1987.
xtry51
NES Member
The guy who wired in the transfer switch didn't do the panel any favors either. Wires woven around randomly, instead of stacked in layer back to front or outside to inside. Removing each circuit is taking forever.
I'm leaving the electric stove and dryer on the grid.
I'm leaving the electric stove and dryer on the grid.
strangenh
NES Member
100%
The high-draw resistive loads are what we left off, too. I have a standalone single cooktop induction "burner" if I need to cook on electric (and induction-compatible cookery).
Nothing 240 is on our OG-capable panel, actually. It's just 120. Sort of except the well, which is on a mini panel past a 120-240 transformer.
Mind our system is about 12 years older, lead-acid cell based, and under half the capability of yours.
xtry51
NES Member
This is the most "vulnerable" state right now. Because this weekend I need to move the rest of stuff off the transfer switch before I can rewire the transfer switch to some quad outlets for the 48V chargers. I'll have probably 2-3 days where my transfer switch will be out of commission. Hoping we get some sunny days mixed in during that time and no more down trees.
I hate working in live panels. I have all the proper gear as I used to wire heavy equipment. It's just cumbersome to untangle everything with gloves on. If I do this again when I move to KY I'm going to just shut the house down for a week and kick everyone out so I can do it straight through.
I hate working in live panels. I have all the proper gear as I used to wire heavy equipment. It's just cumbersome to untangle everything with gloves on. If I do this again when I move to KY I'm going to just shut the house down for a week and kick everyone out so I can do it straight through.
Thanks for sharing this project with us. You've done an amazing job.
What about your air conditioning, will that still be on the grid?
