A simple, inexpensive, yet powerful solar storage system

[Chuckanut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset My Bluetti 150 was a lot cheaper than the video guys. I paid $800 and it's like this Doing on my phone so may mess it up. https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/..._AC_SY580_.jpg

I notice that solar panels are not included. Does anybody know what that setup cost?

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut I notice that solar panels are not included. Does anybody know what that setup cost?

You could back out the cost by itemizing the individual components, but my take is that he spend more than necessary as he doesn't know much about electricity.
A cheaper and better approach would be the way NW has done it - buy some big a$$ used solar panels, a controller, inverter and some less expensive Chinese lithium batteries. That high efficiency window AC was a good find.

[ncbill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover You could back out the cost by itemizing the individual components, but my take is that he spend more than necessary as he doesn't know much about electricity. A cheaper and better approach would be the way NW has done it - buy some big a$$ used solar panels, a controller, inverter and some less expensive Chinese lithium batteries. That high efficiency window AC was a good find.

The guy in the video I posted was already buying $60 used solar panels.

Using a power station eliminates all the wiring/fuses/etc. required by the above approach, and is portable.

I'm sure NW's system is much more powerful, but also more expensive and more hassle.

For just a room I'd use a cheaper window-mount A/C instead and just plug loads into the power station directly (no hardwiring, sub-panels, etc.)

When I win the lottery I'm putting this unit in between my meter & panel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOmOj0O_gkk

Plus buying 30kWh of rack-mount LFP batteries for the ultimate whole-house UPS.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncbill ..........Using a power station eliminates all the wiring/fuses/etc. required by the above approach, and is portable...........

I said it was less expensive not more convenient. And the guy in the video wasn't looking for portability.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbet Just charge phones in the car. No need to go someplace or even run the engine while you're doing it. Heating water with electricity generated with solar sounds unnecessarily complicated. Why not solve that issue with a simple propane burner ($29.99) and old fashioned percolator? A 20# propane cylinder will last a long, long time just used for that. I'm not suggesting that getting involved with solar is a bad idea. Just saying that the reasons you mention are really easy and convenient to solve using your car and propane. When we're dry camping (I'm assuming this would be similar to your remote, off-grid cabin) we don't bother with solar despite many of our friends going to elaborate systems. We run the fridge, furnace and stove on propane. We power the the lights, furnace blower, vent fans and computer/phone charging off the house battery. When the house battery runs low, we charge it from the truck via jumper cables. If we aren't using the furnace, once a week does it. The furnace blower does have a significant draw, so in cold weather we might need to charge the house battery every other day. I'm likely going to get some solar going before we leave for Florida next January just for the experience of learning the ins and outs. But we don't expect to be able to do anything with it we don't do without it now, at least as far as dry camping goes. Great information in this thread!

I'm with you... sort of... in fact I just ordered a percolator for use on the propane stoves today. Back in February we went to the Everglades camping. DW made the reservation. So we get to our site and the first thing that I always do is find the water and electrical posts so I make sure to put the trailer far enough away so the slideout doesn't hit anything. So I'm looking and looking and guess what... no water or electrical hookup! It was just for a few days and I had water in the onboard water tank so we limped along on one 12v marine battery for a few days and I recharged the battery by plugging it into the truck a few times. Lesson learned though.

We're planning another trip to a number of national parks so I'm now looking into using solar to keep the batteries charged. Today, I also ordered a two battery box and a set of cables to wire them in series. I already have a one-year old 24DC EverStart Marine battery that is doing good and will probably just get another one.

Our travel trailer is already wired for solar via a Zamp sideplug (and I know that the Zamp plugs are "backwards")... from what I read the pre-wiring is just basically wiring from the side plug to the battery.

I'd like to get a solar panel, controller and wiring to keep the two marine batteries charged for lights, water pump, slide, awning, electric jack, etc. We'll use propane for the fridge, hot water and cooking and go without tv (we are camping after all). From what I read somewhere 140W would be the most that I would likely need.

One option I'm looking at is a 100w panel kit from Harbor Freight on sale for $170 but I'm very open to buying a higher quality kit or a panel, controller and wiring separately if I can get better quality even if I end up spending more. OTOH, I'm not interested in spending the $800 for a Zamp 140W kit. Another posibility is a $400 120w kit from Northern Tool that includes a Zamp connector so it would be pretty much plug and play.

https://www.harborfreight.com/100-wa..._q=solar+panel
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...4290_200854290


Any suggestions?

I'm not planning on having an inverter as I don't care to mess around with my trailer wiring.

Sugggestions?

[ncbill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover I said it was less expensive not more convenient. And the guy in the video wasn't looking for portability.

Here's what the approach you mentioned entails:

Complete 48V Offgrid Solar Power System

More powerful, but a lot more hassle.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncbill Here's what the approach you mentioned entails:........ More powerful, but a lot more hassle.

You don't need anything nearly that extensive to duplicate what the guy in the video did. All you need is a lithium battery, a controller and an inverter, plus the solar panels. All of which would fit in a box the size of a cooler (except the panels)


Example

https://www.amazon.com/LiFePO4-Batte...f=sr_1_1_sspa?

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Charge-Controller-Compatible-batteries/dp/B07G1PL1B9/ref=sr_1_3?

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-1000W-Solar-Inverter-Cabin/dp/B07JMQ27WJ/ref=sr_1_5?

[pb4uski]

Question that will show that I have no idea what I am doing and just winging it.

I stopped in at Walmart to buy a second battery to convert my one-battery RV set-up to a 2-battery set-up.. Unfortunately, I hadn't noted the detail specs of the Walmart battery that I already had before going to the store.

The battery that already have that I bought about a year ago was 24MS, 675 MCA similar to this:

The one I bought today that I intend to use with the one that I already have is (actually it says 24XMS but same 1000 MCA):



Is using these together in parallell going to work ok?

[NW-Bound]

Even when the battery sizes are mismatched, they will still work OK when wired in parallel for applications with low drain currents.

However, an older battery may have a higher self-discharge, and it may end up draining the newer battery and ruining it. You may want to keep an eye on this.

Before wiring them together, charge them up independently. Then after a rest period of a few hours, measure their voltage and see if they are the same.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbet Just charge phones in the car. No need to go someplace or even run the engine while you're doing it. Heating water with electricity generated with solar sounds unnecessarily complicated. Why not solve that issue with a simple propane burner ($29.99) and old fashioned percolator? A 20# propane cylinder will last a long, long time just used for that. I'm not suggesting that getting involved with solar is a bad idea. Just saying that the reasons you mention are really easy and convenient to solve using your car and propane. When we're dry camping (I'm assuming this would be similar to your remote, off-grid cabin) we don't bother with solar despite many of our friends going to elaborate systems. We run the fridge, furnace and stove on propane. We power the the lights, furnace blower, vent fans and computer/phone charging off the house battery. When the house battery runs low, we charge it from the truck via jumper cables. If we aren't using the furnace, once a week does it. The furnace blower does have a significant draw, so in cold weather we might need to charge the house battery every other day. I'm likely going to get some solar going before we leave for Florida next January just for the experience of learning the ins and outs. But we don't expect to be able to do anything with it we don't do without it now, at least as far as dry camping goes. Great information in this thread!

[/QUOTE]I have found a faster way to percolate my coffee, since my solar system is too weak to cook coffee and do the other stuff.

I put the coffee pot on the burner full blast without the guts. Once it is boiling in about 5 minutes, I take it off the heat and drop in the pipe add the prefilled basket and top.
Put it back on the stove at low heat and coffee is ready in 5 more minutes .

[retire to nature]

Dang! I wrote a long post for a question, and i didnt know the check mark for old post, and it is gone.

so long story short.

I have 300ah liFePO4 battery. 2200w inverter. I didnt know how big the capacity was. I just bought for roadtrip and just charged at campsite. but got total loss, so battery was just sitting.

so this time I bought 60a controller and 4x 100w solar panel connected series because I wanted to start small as this post suggested.

Enjoyed learning and but must have missed a few things.

I connected all but failed, error msg is input PV voltage is low . I was wrong remembered about battery as PV input upto 900w. but after I bought 60a controller I checked the battery manual, it was >900w. And now I figured out controller manual PV input max is 720w.
so thats why it is not working?

I was gonna doing this just small, but now due to 300a, i have to make a scale big? no plan to live here long just few year for now. my shingle is not so good. not so bad either. my bill is not so high from $30-100. Since the inverter size I cant get HVAC running which is the most part of my bill. haha. What would you do?

[Sunset]

Is it a single 300AH liFePO4 battery. or three 100AH liFePO4 batteries ?

How did you try to charge it ?? "I just bought for roadtrip and just charged at campsite."

What size of wire are you running from the 4x 100Watt solar panels and how far are you running that wire to the controller. (always hook controller to battery first)

[retire to nature]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset Is it a single 300AH liFePO4 battery. or three 100AH liFePO4 batteries ? How did you try to charge it ?? "I just bought for roadtrip and just charged at campsite." What size of wire are you running from the 4x 100Watt solar panels and how far are you running that wire to the controller. (always hook controller to battery first)

It is single 300ah battery. I bought an ac charger for the road trip. So when I go to campsite get a electric option and charges there. I think mine is only 15a too long time to charge so asap get there plug in and plug off when I leave. The panel instruction was saying 12 awg so I bought 10awg. Wasn't sure if series the wire should be thicker.

I bought 8awg but didn't use. And using 10awg from battery to stopper haha,I almost burnt my house haha. I smell some burning yday so checked it and was ok. And today due to the Canadian smoke everywhere smelly smoke too.

Later I was using boiling water it. Burnt the wire. Haha. Yes I am a bit crazy. Haha

I had camping with 40ah battery so kinda knew the concept for years. So it is working with battery and converter but not solar generating due to the wattage issue said earlier.

Oh, the distant is very short 5ft? Less than 10ft for sure.

Actually one more important question is where to install. The best place would be the basement. Googling says some guideline but I didn't want all lines around so I decided in the kitchen(well not supposed to) . I made wooden box for battery(not enclosed) and I installed the inverter and controller outside wooden box and i have very well vented cover in front and top is like flat board. I learned cement board can block fire. So I have some pieces I was gonna put it inside the second cover for prevention.but have to googling if safe breathing. If not I was gonna paint fire block paint.