What are /r/solar's favorite Products & Services?

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My concern for this setup would be how much do they weigh and what's the harbor freight ratchet strap rated for? In a crash that pack is going to go flying around like a cannon ball in there and crush whatever gets in its way. In a crash at 40mph a 180lbs person wearing a seatbelt will exert over 14000lbs of force. So do you think your rachet strap is up to the task?

Here's a cool calculator so you could plug in your packs actual weight to get a goo does what you need to strap it down. https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/car-crash-force

As you are discovering, it's somewhat tricky to run loads directly from solar panels with no batteries. It's especially tricky to make it work with reasonably good efficiency throughout the day.

The solution is to use a bit of electronics. There are devices designed for this specific application, usually called "current boosters". Here's one: 15A solar pump controller. The module optimizes the power produced by the solar panels, delivering maximum current to the pump. Running your panels in series will generally provide the best results with this.

More sky is falling the solar industry is doomed? I won't read it.

No one really knows what the outcome will be because not many are talking in public about, at least those who would make law out of tariffs - the Congress.

But for anyone who wants an opposing thought to all of the naysayers, here is one investor's thought. I wouldn't bet either way right now, but I find it hard to believe that lawmakers who will rely on economic conditions to get reelected will allow an industry with well over 250k jobs to tank because of price escalations. Image the press. "50k lose their jobs in 4 months...", or, "up to 100k jobs at risk..'" No one will get reelected with that in the public eye, unless they are in a district where other industries have boosted jobs.

From a cost and efficiency standpoint, you're better off just getting these lights. Not only is it cheaper than buying a panel and an inverter. But trying to convert to AC is going to have some decent inverter loss. These lights are all DC, so no inverter loss and it's all self contained, just string them up and you're good to go.

The alternative is to get a small solar generator kit like this. It's not waterproof or anything so it would have to be something you bring out and plug in when you want the lights.

The even more expensive alternative is to get a 200-300 watt panel, an MPPT controller with an inverter, and a battery. But you're now looking at a several hundred dollar setup.

I assume you are talking about this:

https://www.amazon.com/Inverter-Stackable-DC20-45V-AC90-140V-Output/dp/B07281BDDY

The description makes it sound like cheap Chinese rubbish that's gonna kill you, your dog, your family, and any linesmen working on your house :D

I'd be dubious about whether it can actually output 1000 watts of power. Basic MPTT charge controllers* are more expensive than this. And this supposedly has electronics that can also handle synchronising it with the AC power grid.

*EPEVER Tracer 40A (1000W at 24V) is $140 on Amazon

you could replace your emitters with "fan" spray type emitters - used in landscape watering. I think something like this (Amazon link) could work very well for your project.

> There was no mention of the voltage on the solar panel

It's right there on the label. 4th image on the amazon link. Open circuit 21.5 volts. Optimum power output at 17.6v.

You need a dc dc converter.

Here's one that takes up to 24v in, puts out 5V at up to 3A, and already has usb connector for connecting to the powerbank.

https://www.amazon.com/HOMREE-Converter-Voltage-Regulator-Standard/dp/B01MEF293V/

The red and black leads go to the solar panel. Red to the cable marked + and black to the cable marked - The plus and minus are stamped on the plastic housing on the backside of the panel where the wires come out.

it not you, its the dozen other companies that have tried to commercialize the solar shingle in the past and have failed to make it competitive. Most recently with Dow chemical shutting down its production.

I have worked for one of them 15yrs ago and I only see disadvantages. The main one being install cost being through the roof, no pun intended... well maybe.

read this article, I think it is spot on.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/4017478-solar-roof-dead-arrival-yet-another-reason-teslas-merger-solarcity-makes-sense

not a standard solar connector. Likely proprietary to the panel manufacturer, or some obscure 2-pin connector like this (https://www.amazon.com/iGreely-Industrial-Circular-Connector-Suitcase/dp/B07RXHF3GF). Likely corrosion, so I would squeeze and pull harder until it comes free. Should be able to clean the contacts and resuse

Your Modem and/or access point uses 300 Watts? 0.o I doubt it... but maybe? What sort of equipment you have there?

Honestly, since the access point, etc. are likely DC, I'd build a DC-DC power converter for them. Less lossy. You can get configurable DC-DC converters on Amazon for cheap as hell.

​

If you need a small 24 volt input inverter though, I recommend this one:

https://www.amazon.com/XYZ-INVT-Inverter-Converter-Generator/dp/B07ZKTJ1G9/

It's cheap, pure sine wave, and we've had one operating in... bad conditions... for over a year now and it's not let us down. :)

I'm not hardcore and can't speak to bigger items, but do like to dabble and it took my a while to figure out this setup for using solar to charge up battery packs to then charge phones, PS4 controllers, baby monitors other USB powered stuff.

(Through trial and error plus YouTube I learned that compact batteries in this Anker line charge up easier than larger batteries)

Battery: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0194WDVHI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_D8XB4E1S145FNQA9BJQF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Solar Panel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012YZXMZS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_QR6WH6DRZ9VR9M8A0V0M?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I have PVC pipes coming down from the gutters. The totes are connected with PVC connectors called Gator Lock (Coupler Cam Lock F 2in NPT Thread). I do have them sitting above a French Drain, and crushed rocks on top of cinder blocks. They will get very heavy when full, so you need to make sure they are level. I paid $40 for each tote, and maybe $90 for the crushed stones. I need to make my filters a little better, but I do have whats called a first flush, where a vertical PVC pipe fills up first, before it directs water to the totes. If you google rain water harvesting, you will find a ton of videos and info. I found these Snap N Strut 3" hangers on amazon to attach the PVC to the siding. Cleaned up the look quite a bit. Also you need to cover them from the sun or paint them black to prevent algae growing inside.

I see you have your answers, but if you want to see if power is going into or out of your meter directly, get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Connects-Electric-Metering-Burlington-Mountain/dp/B084T6HGNR/

Assuming you have a PG&E smartmeter, it should work. I got mine before I got solar to see how close I was coming to the limit of my 100A breaker. Now I use it to see when I am sending power to the grid or pulling from it.

https://www.amazon.com/250w-DC-ATX-Power-Supply-Supplies/dp/B00NB6U3TS

you can get 12vDC power supplies and run the PC from a battery so long as you have enough solar to maintain a proper charge. You can also optimize the computers hardware for less power consumption, lots of info about this from the days where people were putting whole computers in their cars.

So, I did two steps:

Step 1: Before activation, I could see it was very dirty. So I did a quick hose off. It looked clean at first, but after drying, it was still pretty dirty. Probably wouldn't just hose off in the future, plus I've learned it's not recommended especially with people with hard water as it can leave hard to remove stains on it that will negatively affect performance (I don't have hard water, so not a key issue).

Step 2: I got this squeegee/brush from Amazon. I already had a pole to use. Then, I got some outdoor window cleaner. I first sprayed it with the cleaner, then I brushed it, rinsed it, then I squeegeed it, then dried off with micro-fiber towel. I only have 15 panels, and easy access, so this was fairly quick. I think this routine is best if it is really dirty. Even after the first three steps of cleaning, once I started squeegeeing, I was still pulling a lot of dirty water off the panel.

You could get away with doing less and still see improvement. Just matters how easy access you have.

I did the full clean Last weekend, and just a week later they look pretty dirty again (got hit with another round of crappy air). But, I haven't seen a decline in production, so I would start with a baseline and then when you start to see 10%+ drop, start to consider a clean (if you don't have rain in the near future). Have to also consider, we're loosing daylight by the day, so that drop is gradually happening as well :) Below was my data before and after clean:

Before Clean: 21,337 Wh

After Clean: 24,794 Wh

Yesterday: 25,220 Wh

All "clean" air days (as clean as we're seeing in this current environment).

Bad Air Day (last week): 18,438 Wh

(Speaking in an unofficial capacity)

Great stuff! This is important for both the solar community and the general public.

I'd love to help, and have been a Wikipedia editor for 13 years (it's not hard, mostly just learning the basic syntax and some templates). To start, I've whipped up a quick Trello board to start organizing to-dos. How does that sound, or do you think there's a better way to collaborate?

Solar Wikipedia Updates: on Trello

(This will be a personal project on my own time. -Roger)

Ya know... you might try calling around to local companies.. see if they've got a spare, or extra, or one with a fairly scratched dome (they get beat up by lots of site assessors putting htem in and out of bags.) Then they get piled up in a forgotten corner of the warehouse.

That might be your best bet - ebay was running ~$300 (although currently one for $200, but that's still a lot) and craigslist - I tried briefly, but I'm not sure if there's a way to search all ofcraigslist at once... wait... I found this way to search all of craigslist at once, but it doesn't turn up anything current.. You could just do weekly checks on that.

Or there's this place called reddit, and someone on the solar "sub-reddit" there might have one for you, though I do not.

Good Luck!

Cost is described here as ~ $200 / kWh

See also this 3 kWh, 25 kg, 3U rack-mount Li-S battery specification

Cost is described here as ~ $200 / kWh

Cycles are specified here as 1,400+

I dont think its a real app from what I can tell. Looks like to me it just a "marketing image made to look like its an app" than a real one.

Even if it was real, I would seriously question the purpose of an AR solar "monitoring" app (AR = Augment Reality) other than to burn battery life faster.

​

Closest app that I can find to this is the SolarView app that allows a person to see what solar equipment would roughly look like on their home or where ever else you like.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.artv.solar

Although it's not a monitor app..

This would work for a charge on your MacBook and a couple phone charges.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MZLV3R8

And you'll need a panel to charge it as a backup

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T6M3C2T

About $300 for both. You can build something cheaper and better but plug and play that will work.

glad to hear you're being responsible. using an old fridge/freezer is still a good idea if the containers fit well. but yeah, if you can run an extension cord, that's going to be simpler.

buy a couple of THESE, you'll probably need 1-3, depends how insulated the old fridge is and how cold the shed is. you could also add a temperature controller for about $30-40, just make sure it goes down low enough, some only work at like 50-150F.

Sorry if I was unclear. The power station to run the fridge is one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-Solar-Charging-Tailgating-Emergency/dp/B0988916ZK/ There are many brands to choose from; we got our for free and it's a good brand but on the expensive side.

Battery systems to supplement the solar and keep your house powered when the grid goes down will probably double the price of your system at least. For a handful of times a year it's not the best use of your money.

If you're already running Ethernet out to each camera, maybe you could buy some PoE cameras and simplify it a whole bunch.

You could probably power the router / switch with a single larger panel then if you wanted to.

If you could do fold up ones, that were the size of your windshield and put them on like an ice/snow cover, w/ the handles inside the doors, clipped together, that'd be pretty cool :o

Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SZMFP2/ref=cm\_sw\_em\_r\_mt\_dp\_RHP20M1STBKRRNFCK447?\_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Something like this would do you fine. I would add an outdoor rated electrical access panel to the mix to put the inverter and charge control in. Also, I would move the battery out of the elements in extreme temperatures to ensure its longevity.

For 500 I would get this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087JNK9FC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_PMTZT59HAF6CYRYCR0C6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 spend the rest on a battery and inverter. Fridge is a lot to ask but charging phones should be no issue.

Nice. Thanks for the reply. The turbine I’m looking at does not have any leads for a dump. Would I need to add something to compensate for that?

YaeMarine Wind Turbine Generator, 400W 12V Wind Turbine Businesses 5 Blade Wind Controller Turbine Generator kit for Home/Camping, White, Black, Blue, Red, Green (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081RKZBY3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_N24W6FRWFWASC9CQTTER?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

You can use any sub-panel. BUT, need to consider what DC breaker you will use.

And, need to calculate Voc when coldest weather, because it will have highest Voc.

Even Voc 46.7V, if 0.25%/oC, when temperature is -20C, 0.25% * 20 = 5%. Voc will be 49V (even higher practically). and, 20% marginal value. you may need higher than 150V DC breaker.

if use 250V AC breaker, it will possible a temperature trip, but, no over-current trip. Unfortunately, DC breaker will not trip & burn junction box of solar panel or panel itself if there is a rapid short happen when shiny day.

Seriously, spend little more, MIDNITE is good but little expensive (box 150-200 + 20 per breaker).

https://www.amazon.com/ECO-WORTHY-Combiner-Breakers-Lightning-Arrester/dp/B01N96GJFT/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=combiner%2Bbox&qid=1619805302&sr=8-3&th=1

this one is cheaper and good, all included.

FYI for anyone wanting to do this, don't use screws as that voids panel warranty, there are clips made specifically for this situation. Edit: use clips that look like this, can probably find cheaper https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081P5B8QN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_tLIaGbMKJJ2DJ

Great. Here is an example regulator that will take 30-60V input and output up to 10A at 12V. You could run quite a bit on that. If your panel is vertical, but in direct sun through a window, you should be able to produce typically about half that current and run a 60W device. Alternatively, you could put in a small battery and a charge controller to power something interactive that takes more power.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0814MPXNB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_35Z9FbHQB7A60

Parameters: Input Voltage: DC 30-60V Output Voltage: DC 12V (FIXED OUTPUT) Output Current: 10A(MAX) Output Rated Power: 120W Efficiency: 97% (half load); 95% (full load) No-load current: <0.1V Ripple: 200mVp Line Regulation: ±0.2% Load Regulation: ±0.2% Voltage Accuracy: ±1.5% Enclosures: IP68 Case Operating Temperature: -40~85°C Weight: 288g

Unger Professional Microfiber Window Combi: 2-in-1 Professional Squeegee and Window Scrubber, 6" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F1AHQQE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_U9wUFb1ESD69T?psc=1

This is the one I went with

On the solar questions, it'd help to know what inverter system you have. You mention microinverters -- is it Enphase? If so, you can connect locally to "envoy" gateway unit -- you press a button on the front and it makes its own wifi access point, and you can connect with just a web browser or with the installer toolkit app, and that will give you realtime info on the system -- down to how much power each microinverter is producing, or if there are any issues reported. Other systems I don't know, but I imagine they have similar concepts.

&#x200B;

If the "perfect power box" is one of these, it certainly looks like a load of bullshit. You can get a whole home surge protector for much less, and it's not going to be a very effective line filter if in fact it does anything at all. Sorry you spent $1k on that part!

there are many dc buck converters on amazon https://www.amazon.com/GERI-Converter-Module-8-50V-Output/dp/B00W52N8XW/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1475791874&amp;sr=8-17&amp;keywords=dc+buck+usb

if you get an adjustable voltage one make sure to adjust it to the correct voltage

~~you could probably get an 8mm plug off amazon and wire it to that then just plug it in~~ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006IWM1AG/ref=pd_sim_267_17?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=RJZPF0PG9X28ZC4SMY0B

chop the white connector off and wire to converter

make sure when you wire it you get the polarity right!

22w folding panel should be enough for daily phone charging and occasional camera & tablet charging.

#1 seller on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anker-2-Port-Universal-PowerPort-Charger/dp/B012YUJJM8

large battery pack with an lcd display and pass-through charging: https://www.amazon.com/Intocircuit-26800mAh-Portable-Charger-External/dp/B01ASWX5PG/

in order to charge your chromebook and a more serious tablet you'll need a bigger solar panel and a bigger battery. /u/dij-8al's solution would be a better fit.

If you really want to understand your house energy usage and solar output, consider installing a Sense energy meter with the solar option.

I used to read the meter trying to get a feel for things, but the energy meter only shows if you are using more (or less). You probably want more detail.

https://www.amazon.com/Sense-Energy-Monitor-Solar-Electricity/dp/B075K51T9X/

This might be what you're looking for. It can only power things that are less than 1000W but would be great for an emergency.

https://www.amazon.com/Jackery-Portable-Explorer-Generator-Emergency/dp/B083KBKJ8Q/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2OPEVM9L5GEXN&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=jackery+1000&amp;qid=1602184212&amp;sprefix=jacker%2Caps%2C251&amp;sr=8-3

The cheap and easy way is to use a small battery like THIS ($14) and a cheap charge controller like THIS ($15). Attach the fan to the Load side of the controller, and set the Load to turn on around 12.8v, so it will always run when the battery is charged and the panel is getting sun, and it won't automatically deplete your battery when the sun goes down. Then, attach another 12v positive and negative from the Battery side to the fan with a switch so you can manually run the fan when the sun isn't shining. (put simple automotive fuses on both power runs)

If you wanted to get fancy with this you could make a switch that automatically turns off after a set time like 15 minutes so that you just give it one press, it vents for 15 minutes, and then turns off so it doesn't deplete the battery too much.

The only significant upgrade to what I have outlined above would be to convert over to Lithium, which would allow longer no-sun run time with from a given size and weight of battery (at greater cost and complexity).

The obvious answer is fill the roof 🤠

In all seriousness, you'll need roughly 200 watt-hours to charge up two laptops and two phones once a day. We don't know the wattage of your LED lights, but if they all add up to 20w and you use them 5 hours every evening, that's another 100wh. That means a 200w panel would only need 90 minutes of full sun to generate that, or several hours of cloudy weather. So yes, a 200w panel sounds good if those are your only needs.

The other thing to consider is how you are charging, if you use an inverter it can have a 15-30w constant draw, which adds up to way more power than all your other needs if you leave it on 24/7. You should seriously look into keeping all your regular loads to DC. The lights and phones will be very easy, 12vdc lights are super common, as are 12vdc USB phone chargers. If the laptops are newer with the USB-C/Thunderbolt charging, it shouldn't be too difficult, look at the reviews on "macbook car chargers" like this one.

Unless you have a DIY itch to scratch, you can buy pre-made solar+battery LED lights on Amazon for peanuts. Here’s one of many many many examples: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NS8YXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_m7BTEb3S11M50

its what they use in RV's....it uses a battery to maintain voltage.... charges with the sun... is off grid. Safer than taking apart everything... but to power something big like u want, ur going need a bigger one cause 400w at 12 v is 33 amps. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DNVTJHD

Amazon has the same Renogy setup with MPPT controllers:

• http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-100W-Mono-Starter-Kit/dp/B00BFCNFRM/
• http://www.amazon.com/200W-Mono-Starter-Kit-Controller/dp/B00BCRG22A/

But the PWM is a 30Amp, while the MPPT is a 20Amp; yet the MPPT jumps up the cost significantly.

Additionally, being my first dabbling in DIY solar, I'm a bit more interested in simplicity and cost than in efficiency.

Do you have any direct recommendations that wouldn't add significantly to cost and simplicity?

Amazon has them on sale right now (in the U.S.).
I know you said you were in a hurry, but two day shipping is pretty fast.
http://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-50022-Battery-Trickle-Charger/dp/B0006JO0TC/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1433796132&amp;sr=1-2

Depending on what you want to do outdoors, there may be options for you. I have found a ton of different outdoor options.

Here's one : LINK

Mr Cloggy -

Thank you for the prompt response, I have changed the diagram to match these suggestions: http://imgur.com/HFdse8L

Do you feel this is a better grounding scheme (one ground at the fuse box)?

Note that the new inverter is the Cobra 400w and it is also now connected through the fuse box: http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-400-Watt-12-Volt-120-Volt-Inverter/dp/B001RNOHBC/ Does connecting through the fuse box cause any troubles or should I keep with my original plan to connect through the 'load' on the controller?

The only thing that will be running off of the inverter will be the laptop and my phone for charging but it is good to save money wherever possible (hence the downgrade to the 400w)

Thank you for your advice on both the DC breakers as well as the connection order (battery first) in setting up the system.

The ground rod was suggested to me by a friend and I thought it was a cool idea, not sure if it is necessary though.

Best, Max

You probably just need to plug the light into a power filter, This powerstrip claims at least 20dB of EMI reduction at 100kHz-1MHz, the inverters use 144kHz so it should be pretty effective at reducing the effects of the light.

That company makes a lot of power filters that should be even better if you need it.

You could get one of these to monitor your consumption. I have CTs, but also had these before getting solar. It monitors total use and use of each circuit. Easy to install yourself. Only issue is if there is room in your panel. Mine was very tight, especially after I had solar installed.

https://www.amazon.com/Emporia-Monitor-Circuit-Electricity-Metering/dp/B08G37ML2R

It depends on what is or isn't allowed in your city/county/state. I am in Texas(DFW area), have a 200 amp rated panel, line side taps(where I would have otherwise needed an 80 amp breaker) and also have a 13KW backup generator. It's required that I throw my main breaker off before I am able to even flip my generator breaker on and that also simultaneously disconnects my solar. This little dodad is what's on my panel that prevents me from using my generator while the main breaker is on.

I forgot, you'll need a charge controller to charge the batteries from the panels. My preference is EPever. Another $250.

https://www.amazon.com/EPEVER-Controller-Voltage-Regulator-Backlight/dp/B085TBYP6G/ref=sxin_17_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa

So, there's a few things we'd need help clarifying before we can really help you.

When you say

>holds a total of 74 watts

Do you mean 74 watt hours? Like this battery? 74 watts is a measure of power, not of energy.

Can you share a picture or a link to the external battery you have for unrelated reasons? I'm having a little trouble picturing it.

Also, please understand the reality of the situation is that unless your electricity cost-per-kWh is astronomical, it'll take you longer than the expected lifespan of the laptop batteries to recover the cost of a 100Wh battery storage system with solar panels. You'd be doing this for fun, not for profit and definitely not to save money.

To me, it sounds like the closest commercially-available plug-and-play thing to what you _want_ is the Jackery Explorer 160 with a 60W panel. This will charge during the day when it's sunny, and will keep your laptop battery charged enough where you probably could, between the Explorer 160 and your laptop's own battery, be completely solar-powered for days at a time and only revert to the grid if you have several days of no sun.

There are other options available, but you probably won't be able to just plug your laptop's power adapter into a solar panel.

https://www.amazon.com/Connects-Electric-Metering-Burlington-Mountain/dp/B084T6HGNR/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1TR0UF8JJNFPI&amp;keywords=emporia+smart+home+energy+monitor&amp;qid=1668695139&amp;sprefix=Emporia+smar%2Caps%2C143&amp;sr=8-4

This is just one model I found on Amazon, but they have lots, as you'll see. https://www.amazon.com/PIKASOLA-Permanent-Generator-Windmill-Controller/dp/B0829NZFYP/ref=sr\_1\_5?crid=W493PALY0WX0&amp;keywords=family+home+wind+turbine&amp;qid=1668555848&amp;sprefix=family+home+wind+turbin%2Caps%2C85&amp;sr=8-5&amp;ufe=app\_do...

I use the Empoira Smart Home Energy Monitor and I really like it. I have that and the Enphase CTs so I can see what's specifically using power and how much power it's using.

Roof type: Composition shingle, 20 degree, single story.
Project scope - 20-25 350W 60 cell panels in two arrays with microinverters. Previous installation got 20 72 cell panels up in 8 hours with all mounting & electrical down to the panel.
Day 1 (Contractor doing all physical work with me giving plans and up on the roof with them confirming some details):

• (Me) Mark off rack locations
• (Contractor) Install racking.
• (Contractor) Install permanent ridge safety anchor (like this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000293COA/ref=ox\_sc\_saved\_title\_1?smid=A18EFURX5FEXSL&amp;psc=1). 2-4x to cover the existing arrays and new arrays.
  

Day 2: (Me doing all wiring prep, using the newly installed ridge safety anchors and safety harness. Hopefully this will make me hate it less)

• (Me) Mount microinverters on rails & connect to 240V branch wiring and MC4 extensions as needed.
• (Me) Mount cable management clips on rails
• (Me) Mount conduit for 240V home runs to combiner panel (2-3)
• (Me) Install conduit penetrations / pass-through junction boxes (1-2)
  

Day 3: (Me + contractor crew sharing work)

• (Contractor) Lift panels onto roof
• (Me) Connect panels to microinverters
• (Either) Secure panels to rails.

If you just want to track down where the power is going, you can use a $10 current clamp meter at your main panel. Clip it on, then turn on/off things on that circuit and record the results.

This does involve clipping on to wires in your main panel, so if you are not competent or comfortable doing that, pay an electrician to help. Should take something like an hour to do your whole house unless it's considerably bigger/smaller than average.

What are you powering?

You can wire these in, I'm assuming you are running 12v batteries, this one is for 24v. https://www.amazon.com/ISDT-Battery-Meter%EF%BC%8CLCD-Capacity-Balancer/dp/B07797N9BG I'm not able to find one for 4S but I'm sure there is one out there somewhere.

Please explain to me when i narrowed the discussion to a-Si? Thin film PV refers to a technology by which photovoltaic material is deposited on a substrate. Commercially available variations include a-Si,CdTe, GaAs, CIS/CIGS (Solar Frontier) and other direct bandgap III-V combinations. This is excluding tandem cells and emerging technologies that fall under thin film including dye-sensitized cells, organic cells and possibly quantum dot cells. Let me go back and reiterate that my argument on thin films is aimed at cost reduction POTENTIAL due to the nature of materials and manufacturing process. If you are not convinced, i dont blame you since on the commercial level economies of scale have driven c-Si costs down faster than we could have ever imagined. But on the core level, c-SI manufacturing is limited by its stochatic process and extremely high energy requirement for the reduction of Si from Ore. Thin films require much less energy, they can and will eventually be produced on a roll-to-roll basis (hundreds of meters per minute). Of course this may be irrelevant to your status as a present day consumer but once again, my advocacy for thin films is bound to its future potential, which is why we should support and further develop the technology. There is plenty of reading you can do on c-SI and thin film manufacturing, environmental impact and cost reduction potential it you are interested. Here is also a course on organic solar cells from the technical university of denmark which does give some insight on the topics weve discussed. cheers!

Time for you to talk to a mechanical engineer to see what the wind loading would be and if your roof can take the hit along with your mounting system. My bet is the roof won't support the wind load. You'll need an engineer to do that work. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Wind-Loading-on-Solar-Panels-at-Different-Angles-Shademan-Hangan/2d0ca12030a503a236e835c1445236313c41e44d for example.

Then you have all the added cost of the system you are proposing. My bet is adding more panels with standard railing and mounts will be less costly.

I am using an Emporia Energy monitor. I really like it. I don't have mine monitoring solar since Enphase does that for me so I just have it monitoring all my breakers so I can see what's on and how much energy it's using.

Try something like this - it's on the AC side, but DC power in = AC power out with a few percent for efficiency loss.

Can you post where exactly you are located in Ukraine? Are you near a border where hardware could be shipped? If you don't want to post this info, please consider sending it as a direct message.

Here is a link to a compatible inverter. Output is only 600 watts with surge to 1200 watts. This is enough to run a refrigerator. I don't think you can build an inverter for this price. My opinion, you would be better served by a 1500 to 2000 watt inverter, but the price goes up pretty fast for the size. Am I correct you need 230V output at 50hz?

https://www.amazon.com/AIMS-Power-European-Watt-Inverter/dp/B01MTVL1XY/ref=sr_1_1

Don't get a Nest thermostat just for that, a Nest thermostat is by far the worst thermostat on the market for smart thermostats.

Get an Ecobee thermostat and just be happy that you made the correct choice. Enphase will eventually work with IFTTT and that's all you'd need at that point. Or you could take it one step further and buy this Smart Home Energy Monitor which does work with IFTTT and link it to your Ecobee and do exactly what your wanting to do.

This is tremendously helpful, thank you!

The AIO systems look intriguing. I'm not opposed to assembling a modular system, but the form factor and function offered here is compelling. Would this be a potential option?

https://www.amazon.com/Sigineer-Power-Solar-Inverter-Controller/dp/B09283MTWR

I have yet to purchase a battery -- the only thing I have are the four 260w panels. Are there any obvious advantages to going 48v, besides lighter-gauge wiring? Trying to figure out if I should get a 24 or 48v battery, or connect multiple 12v units. My other concern is EMI/RFI emissions. I'm a ham radio operator, and it seems that cheap MPPT/PWN controllers and high-frequency inverters are notorious for generating spurious emissions.

Once again, thanks a ton for your input! There's a shitload to learn here.

>PWM charge controller

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R8TRJ8C
im going to try this... Im not 100% sure how these are rated...
but im 99% these old panels wont exceed 20amp.
so probably wont cause a fire...

I really have no clue what im doing.

Because the switch is so confusing, make a sign explaining the two positions and post it outside the switch. I have a sign for my generator cutoff, and my solar cutoff.

It's not just for you, but for the firefighter LOL.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRXBI11/

I also didn't have it installed and got a ridiculous quote to come back and install it.

I bought the Emporia Vue 2 and installed it myself in my breaker panel and I love it. Works great.

What about AC soft starts?

Ex: https://www.amazon.com/Hutch-Mountain-Microair-Easystart-Install/dp/B08H72RSD8/ref=sr\_1\_11?crid=1K8F58T01ZC2D&amp;keywords=soft+start+capacitor+for+rv+air+conditioner&amp;qid=1664775727&amp;qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjc3IiwicXNhIjoiMS41MyIsInFzcCI6IjAuOTIi...

https://www.amazon.com/DOKIO-Foldable-Monocrystalline-Inverter-Controller/dp/B075SZMFP2/ref=asc_df_B075SZMFP2/

It's cheap enough to get 2 with your budget...

My WEMO smart outlets don't turn back on or return to their scheduled state when there's a power outage and the power is restored. I must either manually power them on the old fashioned way or with the app.

While it's annoying for me, it sounds like it's exactly what you are wanting. I hope someone out there has a less expensive solution for you though.

I doubt you want to afford enough batteries to run the whole house for 2-3 days on battery and solar alone. You would be looking at roughly 4-5 powerwall batteries for that 2-3 days. That would be $52k-56k. FAR cheaper and more reliable to simply buy a generator and hook it into a natural gas line.

https://www.amazon.com/DuoMax-XP13000HXT-000-Watt-Electric-Generator/dp/B092CJQ51F

That runs on NG and has 8.5kw continuous output which should be plenty for a small to medium house. It would power your home as long as you want and all you need is a transfer switch to change from grid to generator during a blackout.

So the Netgear modem is an LTE modem?

Maybe you can get one with a bigger and directional LTE antenna and it will work. Something like this:

https://store.ui.com/collections/unifi-accessories/products/unifi-lte

with one of these to go with it: https://www.amazon.com/Long-range-cellular-antenna-Weatherproof/dp/B07NJNC3MV/ref=sr_1_27?crid=32A2Z2CDBMC7L&amp;keywords=RP-SMA+high-gain+directional+LTE+antenna&amp;qid=1663700112&amp;s=electronics&amp;sprefix=rp-sma+high-gain+directional+lte+an...

The Emporia is a great device/tool. If you've got no internet you're kinda outta luck with energy monitoring devices. Maybe you need something like this?

You should probably drop $2 grand on something like this system that has 2 LiFePo4 (LFP) 100aH cells, a 3KW sinewave inverter, solar panels and charger. Or something similar... I don't sell this stuff, so I don't have a dog in that race. I do own some LFP batteries.

LiFePO4 is far safer than most other Lithium cells (Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide), with good cycle life. Not cheap at first, but probably a better value in the long term.

Whenever I see "final assembly:" must be in the US, I think "surely the carmakers know how to get around this."

Because what's the minimum number of pieces needed to say something has to be assembled to complete it?

I used car washing soap and this brush Amazon Brush

I also have one outdoor faucet that’s connected to my whole home water filter and softener to prevent hard water stains. I use that faucet to wash my cars as well.

The only way to know for sure would be to have some sort of secondary monitoring system. Something like this would let you know based on energy in and energy out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CJGPHL9/ref=ox\_sc\_saved\_title\_2?smid=A2MZON57HPVTEJ&amp;psc=1

Here is my plan:

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10KW of panels @ 500V ( 20 Amps ) , 600 feet from cabin.

Aluminum 6-6-6 cable for transmission, 5% loss acceptable. Terminate with copper pigtails.

Use SEU cables like this:

https://www.amazon.com/6-6-6-Aluminum-Cable-Service-Entrance/dp/B07FQL3X1C?th=1

Leave the cable above ground.

Place a ground rod near the panels, and ground panel frames to it.

Thoughts?

On my current project i am using this:
https://www.amazon.ca/-/fr/gp/product/B0182BEVJY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

So the lower part of my water heater will heat straight dc. From amazon comment, it seems to be more around 1200 watt at 24 volt.
So if i would want to maximize a 10kw system, i could hook 10 of those in a water tank as my heat battery and diffuse the heat at night

It says MAX input voltage 28v. So you cannot series the panels , only parallel them. I bet you cannot go over 4 panels. Someone on Amazon said they are using 2 - 180 watt panels and still is not enough power to keep it charged up running a microwave. Renogy PWM controllers max like this, and they say not to go over 4 100 watt panels in parrellel. Also in parallel you cable has to be really thick , like 8 gauge to get max power out of it.

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https://www.amazon.com/BLUETTI-Portable-Station-Generator-Off-grid/dp/B095Y6ZTR1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2V4LDW3F30M8V&amp;keywords=Bluetti%2BEB70%2Bt&amp;qid=1660763200&amp;sprefix=bluetti%2Beb70%2Bt%2Caps%2C287&amp;sr=8-3&amp;th=1

Not an installer but if it's what im thinking it is..

When my installer was adding an Encharge 3 on top of the two 10's I already had, he routed them though this small breaker panel https://www.amazon.com/Square-Schneider-Electric-HOM612L100SCP-12-Circuit/dp/B00002N7MS (if it not "exactly it", it's pretty darn close to what's on my wall. Sorry if I dont know it proper name.)

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Would show a photo of my setup directly but Im not sure if rule 7 here "Images are restricted" apply to comments as well or just the original post.

this is the brush I just purchased. It was almost half off. It has soft bristles. This wouldn't be safe to use? it seems safe to use soft bristle brushes to gently clean the dirt and grime off the panel.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BH9PWJD/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o00\_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Dewalt makes a car charger for the 20v batteries. It takes car voltage 12-15v. The marine battery acts as an equalizer taking inconsistent power from solar panels, and gives a stable power supply to the dewalt charger.

Solar panels don't normally have the amperage for starting current. Batteries and/or large capacitors add the starting current for the panels.

The mppt controller prevents the marine battery from being overcharged.

On the plus side you can add a car power socket and run anything that can plug into a car.

Link for DeWalt car charger: https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCB119-12-Volt-20-Volt-Vehicle/dp/B0052MINWS

I get that you are in a hurry to install solar, but if you can wait, then rather than estimate usage, get a cheap energy meter and measure it.....the $100 investment might enable you to make informed decisions saving thousands.

Or, if you go ahead, make your best guess on the solar and check if it is easily added to later.

Well looky what we have here... power failure detector, email/SMS/local alerts, built in battery. If you wanted a stopgap while the big solar project is happening.

Ones like this you mean?

If you have solar in and battery out, it is a battery charger only, and you connect your load (lights, appliances, whatever) directly to the battery.

If you have solar in, battery out, and load out, the controller can turn the load off when there is no solar input and the battery is getting low.

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-Energy-BlueSolar-Charge-Controller/dp/B076N5PTBN This one for example. How does it work? I have noticed that some other charge controllers have input also for load whereas this one hasn't. What is the difference?

Here’s a cheap DC amphour/watt hour meter. I use them and they’re accurate but only measure amps moving in one direction. There are others for going both ways (coloumb counter).

https://smile.amazon.com/Digital-Multimeter-DROK-6-5-100V-Voltmeter/dp/B07KPXVNY5/

I’ve just read so much back and forth on Sense and its attempts at trying to identify loads. I feel like it will have several compromises. Have a look at the Emporia Energy system it puts CTs on all (or most) of your circuits so your not having to guess or wait for the system to figure out what is what, you can monitor each circuit individually.

https://www.amazon.com/Emporia-Monitor-Circuit-Electricity-Metering/dp/B08CJGPHL9/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3TXNVFA3VGIZT&amp;keywords=power+meter&amp;qid=1657973807&amp;sprefix=power+meter%2Caps%2C83&amp;sr=8-6

Ah! Got ya covered there. I use Emporia. It's cheap and easy to install yourself if you don't mind opening up your power panel. You can monitor power in, power out, power from solar and up to 16 different circuits if you like. It's great. https://www.amazon.com/Emporia-Monitor-Circuit-Electricity-Metering/dp/B08CJGPHL9

Where you place the Envoy is critical. You can't just plug it into any outlet :-).

The Enphase micro-inverters send a signal down the power line but it can get blocked by all sorts of things.

I only got my Envoy to stabilize by having the electrician wire it as close to the power coming off the panels as possible. I then ran an ethernet cable from the Envoy (mounted on the back of my place) to my ethernet hub since WiFi is also a problem with the Envoy :-).

[Disclosure; I have an older model of the Envoy, and the newer model may have addressed these issues]

As others have pointed out, even if the Envoy is reporting microinverters offline etc, you can have assurance that they are still producing power for your home (usually).

I added a Sense monitor to keep track of my house usage and my solar usage. I rarely look at the Envoy anymore, but it is still useful to make sure everything is working properly.

You'll have 2 options to figure that out.

First, find a label on the device/appliance that you want to run on a generator (or battery system, it applies to both).

Most of them will list what Amp and Voltage the appliance/device will need to run. Volts x Amps will give you the wattage (Some of them might be nice and tell you the wattage directly).

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2nd is to use a meter of some kind to see what the loads are:

For 120v appliances, You can use devices like Kill-a-watts to measure electrical power.

For 240v, I'd recommend an electrician to measure it with their clamp meters.

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Once you know the list of things you want to run, the power they need, and how many of those things you need (or want) to run at the same time... That's how you can tell how large a generator (or battery system) you need.

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For the bold part, don't plan on running absolutely everything on one generator at the same time unless you want an massive and expensive generator that can do that.

A reasonable size generator should be at minimum, based on your largest loads (could be a single appliance or maybe multiple appliances and devices) that you ever run at the same time.

(Like if you were actively managing your power usage while on a generator, you would think to not run an electric oven and electric dryer at the time.)

No.

I suggest buying something that separates the solar cell and the light, like this: https://www.amazon.com/JACKYLED-Outdoor-5500mAh-Capacity-Security/dp/B07S5HK3T9/ref=sr_1_12?crid=A1CXK1FBVSTQ&amp;keywords=solar%2Blight&amp;qid=1656380100&amp;sprefix=solar%2Bligh%2Caps%2C214&amp;sr=8-12&amp;th=1

Your call. Emporia is cheap though. I got the 16 circuit model but you don't actually need anything more than the absolute basic setup. https://www.amazon.com/Connects-Electric-Metering-Burlington-Mountain/dp/B084T6HGNR

Oh that increases your choices dramatically. You’d usually not be in a hurry then and actually prefer a smaller one.

I reviewed a ton of smaller but decent chargers for very occasional use and wound up with a Nico Genius 10A for $99 off Amazon. I’m quite happy with it for random charger needs. That might not suit your need because at 10 amps it’s really small and it has battery clamps vs bolt on lugs for permanent attachment but it accommodates AGMs.

If I was in your shoes I would probably buy Victron. I have great respect for their equipment. Here’s a Blue Smart IP22 12-Volt 30 amp for $202. That’s a decent price for a 30A charger especially one with Victron quality. It is completely configurable and it has Bluetooth and an app.

I got my big 60A ProNautica chargers before I knew about Victron.

https://www.amazon.com/PolyEnergy-Connector-5-5x2-1mm-Converter-Generator/dp/B08Y6BBSKD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=mc4+to+8mm&amp;qid=1655640599&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFRV0NGMkRBQVVaRlkmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAyMTkw...

Should work...

I am not positive on charging with the Ecoflow, but the Golabs solar panels do not have a charge controller built in. If you want portable panels, you need this, which has a built in charge controller to go directly to a battery. This setup also allows you to bypass the charge controller to charge your Ecoflow (or other portable power station). https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-RNG-KIT-STCS100D-SP-Monocrystalline-Controller-100W-Waterproof/dp/B01NADR1CI/ref=sr\_1\_1\_sspa?crid=2BQVLAQTO6YZO&amp;keywords=renogy+suitcase+solar+100+watt&amp;qid=1654725416&amp;sprefix=renogy+suit%2Caps%2C534&amp...

>BMS

Thanks so much. By the way do you know if I could string the Golabs panel with one of those 100W Renogy panels using the MC4 connectors? The Renogy are 12V but I can't figure out what the Golabs voltage is...

As long as you know the two numbers (solar production, and house consumption in kWhs), all is good :-).

Sense has taught me a few things, but in hind sight they were kinda obvious. First and foremost, AC trumps everything, unless you have an EV, or electric pool heater, or electric hot tub I suppose.

All the light bulb switch outs mean very little in comparison to AC usage.

You can learn a lot by using a Kill-A-Watt device.

idk why I thought bigger was better with a fuse... obviously it needs to be sized to the same amperage as what can be pulled. thanks, ill definitely rectify that oversight...

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as for the charge controller wrong terminology in my drawing i pretty sure I have an all in one

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSYGZGI?ref=ppx\_yo2ov\_dt\_b\_product\_details&amp;th=1