Solar Powered Lawn Care Setup; Why Not Just Buy More Batteries?
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- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- Why build an onboard solar powered charging system when you can just buy more batteries for your electric lawn care business?
I wanted to know the answer myself, so I built an all-electric lawn care business and solar powered trailer to keep my equipment charged up all day. In this video I show the overview of the system and explore some of the benefits of this type of setup vs just buying more batteries for my equipment, including costs.
Want to know what your theoretical solar panel setup might get in your area? I used pvwatts.nrel.gov/ Enter your location, then your system DC kW size (I used 1.2kw for my system) and make sure to set your tilt angle to 0° if you will be mounting them on the trailer, azimuth doesn't matter since they are laying flat. I then took the monthly potential output and calculated what I *should* get each day in each month. Not a perfect representation but gives you an idea.
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Signature Solar: signaturesolar.com/?ref=SOLAR...
This is where I bought my EG4 Inverter and Battery for my trailer. They have lots of off-grid options, great deals on 48V LiFeP04 batteries, Victron equipment, and off-grid mini split/heat pumps!
My Equipment:
200W 24V Rich Solar Panels: richsolar.com/collections/rv-...
EG4 3kw Off-Grid Inverter/Charger 3000EHV-48: signaturesolar.com/eg4-3kw-of...
EG4-LifePower4 Lithium Battery | 48V 100ah: signaturesolar.com/eg4-lifepo...
EGO Z6 Zero Turn Mower: amzn.to/45QKhZE
EGO 765cfm Blower: amzn.to/45t9NnW
EGO String Trimmer: amzn.to/3YXejIM
EGO Edger: amzn.to/45we2Pk
I get a small commission if you purchase a product through my affiliate links above.
If you are interested in purchasing a Tesla vehicle or solar product, please consider using my referral code!
ts.la/stephen61343
Building something really special, all contributions go right back into the channel and working on changing the landscape. (puns always intended) / solarpunksteve - Наука та технологія
NICE
Thanks so much! Your art is awesome!!
Awesome video. I only do yard work at my house, but I have switched completely to electric power on all of my lawn equipment and I am loving it. No more gas or the noise that it’s inherent with that type of equipment and on the long run it’s much cheaper. Again great video.
Has someone who used to spend $1,500 to $2,000 per month on fuel for my landscape company and who is now retired and heavily into solar power you are my new hero❤ just subscribed I wish you all the luck brother you are a trendsetter in a positive influence❤❤❤
Thank you Veteran! Means a lot, seriously.
This was something I really wanted to explore. On paper it made sense to me, but only so much you can do before you just have to go out and figure it out in the real world! My goal is helping others decide if it’s the right fit for their situation.
@@solarpunksteve Just watched both of your videos and subscribed. Nice work. I think a great idea for a future video (you’ve probably already thought of it) would be an expense comparison to traditional one-man gas based setups. I would think those setups would go through 5+ gallons of gas per day ($17@ $3.4/gal gas), so your solar payback might pay for itself in just a few mowing seasons.
@@solarpunkstevetotally, new technologies supercharging all kinds of professions
@@cgh7612 that is if the mower's batteries don't overheat and fail within that time period. As he said in the video the most expensive part is the batteries.
Even as a Tesla owner, I don't think I ever envisioned someone showing up to do lawn care in a Tesla until maybe the Cybertruck comes out! Your production quality and content for this video is top notch and you have one slick set up. It will probably slow you down for a while with customers wanting to check out how you are turning the lawn care business upside down. I have three out of my four neighbors converted to electric mowers with one loud obnoxious Toro to go - lol!
Haha i am on the electric conversion spree too.
I have a chain saw, blower, weed eater
However my lawnmower still works so why should i replace to electric.
Tough to justify $500/$600
When it breaks i will replace it with electric
@@danielt6810
less maintenance and thus cost, is the biggest reason to go electric in the first place.
i'm in the same boat currently, wanting to get a battery electric riding mower but ours works and is only like 5-6 years old.
our plan is to sell it and then make the change, most likely when these mowers go on a bigger sale because yea the upfront cost is pretty massive.
I switched to an electric mower with a working gas mower - I have no regrets. My Ego 21" self-propelled is a life saver, and the fact that it folds is really nice for my tiny shed.
That being said, if my mower wasn't 5 years old and literally the most bargain bin version of a mower, I maybe wouldn't have been so eager to replace it. It helps that I was in the ecosystem already with an Ego string trimmer. Now I have a mower, a trimmer, a chainsaw (which is so awesome, by the way) and a leaf blower. I'll never go back, even with $.36/KWh electric rates.
Love your video. Now I need tutn my shed electric and upgrade to electric yard equipment
Cybertruck will be a game changer for this bloke, pass through power from, the cybertruck and being able to tap into its huge battery atleast 100kwh+ battery,
I live with an off grid, solar system and watching your video made me smile and I think to myself why would people ever bother with gasoline for lawn maintenance purposes it seems so foolish, knowing that the exhaust gases are highly toxic and super noisy and the flammability hazard. Good for you man I like your set up you should franchise that idea and it would take off.
What I love the most about my battery lawn equipment is less noise and easier to push/use.
@@zippydastrange I have been driving my electric car for 12 years now and all I’ve ever done is replace the tires and brakes and the windshield wipers. Batteries are considered high grade ore and therefore are not put in the landfill. They are used to make the next generation of batteries. It is far better to transition to electric technology, then garbage gasoline engines. In my lifetime I have rebuilt all kinds of engines with carburetors and I am so sick of doing it. I won’t do it anymore. Gasoline is toxic and it absorbs into your skin and destroys your liver. Since my electric car is recharged with solar energy I don’t have to worry about a dirty energy source in some remote location. I know I’m ahead of everyone and it’s gonna be catch up for you.
Man, you should license that and franchise. So many people and lawn care companies would jump all over it. Brilliant idea my friend
Nice setup.
hey andrew
One of the most difficult things to do as a YT content-creator is to nail the content and the editing. This does both very well! Your channel should start to take off.
Can’t take off if I don’t give it wings! 😉 Thanks for the kind words, it means a lot!
You should look into charging the batteries on DC. There's a variety of ways to do that but it is pretty inefficient to convert to AC to just convert back to DC downstream.
I was thinking the same thing. The EGO batteries are nominally 56V, not too far above the nominal 48V of the EG4 5kWH battery. By using a DC-to-DC boost converter it should be possible to charge them, but the issue is battery management. I don't know if the EGO batteries have a built-in BMS (Battery Management System), but I suspect they do. If they do, then it would be easy. I tested one of my EGO batteries and it measured 57.4V without any load. Nominal NMC lithium cell voltage is 3.6V, so the packs probably contain 16 cells in series, and can be charged up to 4.2V. 4.2 x 16 = 67.2V, so a DC-to-DC converter outputting around 68V should work well. Of course doing this would almost certainly void the EGO battery warranty! Proceed at your own risk.
I came here to say the same thing. Converting DC to AC back to DC equates to a significant amount of power loss. Going DC to DC would make this system significantly more efficient.
Exactly, his calculations don't consider the efficiency losses of going dc to ac to dc
That would be ideal, but I'm sure the batteries/mower would not be happy, and any warranty would be void using unofficial chargers, and insurance would kill you if they found out you burned down 100kish of equipment to charge maybe 2% more an hour
@gregben Ego batteries are 51.8v Nominal (14s @ 3.7v) that EG4 lifepo4 is 51.2v nominal (16s @ 3.2v). The problem is the EG4 battery would need to be full to get the ego battery to charge to probably 90%. If the EG4 battery is at 70% then the Ego battery could probably only get to 60%. He could skip the eg4 battery and charge direct from solar to the ego batteries, but no sun means no charge, and his mentioned premium price for tool batteries.
I was pleased to see you using ferrules on your terminal connections :) While not needed for saddle-type screw terminals, an awful lot of screw terminals -- esp. the cheaper stuff -- still depend on the end of the retaining screw mashing into the stranded leads, and ferrules are a much more robust install practise.
After working on ships for 10 years, I can’t not use them! Too many things can go wrong with electrical connections in harsh environments.
@@solarpunksteveWhat were you doing on ships?
the european mind cannot fathom not using ferrules
You're going to succeed with anything in life if you put this much effort into it. Great work!
Aww thanks!
Wow Steve you have great camera work for a channel your size. I see massive growth in your future. Well done and great setup.
Nice solar setup my fellow 321 resident. Love that you took the idea and ran a business out of it. I hope you have lots of customers that are fellow EV owners.
I built the same setup but with the Growatt 3k-ES version inverter and 3k of panels. I use it to charge my Nissan Leaf and it covered 90%+ of my driving. If you add a second battery, don't forget to use a bus bar and a DC rated breaker and/or a T class fuse.
Steve, I do love what you have done. I have a 10KW ground mount system that feed 100% of my power to Georgia Power. We have had this system for 15 months now. I am in a program that allows me to use my Bi-Directional meter and average the power I use over the full month; I have no batteries in this system. I have had bills of about $4 to $15 over the last 5 months. Of course, during the winter, we have higher bills of about $40.00 because of the lower angle of the sun.
We are now building a Solar-Generator for the system. We use the same controllers you have but 2 of them are for 240 Volts and have 6000 kw service. We are using the same batteries but, again 2 of them, for 10Kws of storied power. This will be used as a “Whole House UPS” and give us about 24 hours of backup power.
I see you getting some negative feedback because of the TOTAL electric approach with even a Tesla. How limited of the view. I love my 2004 Tahoe and our 3002 Honda Accord. We use about $100 in gas/month. I use Natural Gas heat, Hot Water, Stove, and Dryer. This used the most economical power for the ‘Thermal Energy’ and allows us to use the Electrical power for lights, computers, TV, and the other loads in the home. Solar is expensive but we won’t worry about being without power during power outages and the sensitive electrical loads will have very clean power.
Being 75 years old, doing upkeep on gas engines like lawnmowers, weed eaters, and blowers is getting really hard. I love your setup and you can work for your landscape company with little noise to your customers and the upkeep of the equipment is much less work and less money.
Note: I love my Tahoe and Honda, but I envy your Tesla. I just don’t drive the miles to justify it.
Loving the clean lines and minimalistic look of your trailer solar setup. I'm still on the fence about what type of setup would work for my trailer but right now I'm leaning towards an ECOFLOW Pro battery generator which will simplify my look and is also transportable for camping, home usage, etc. Because of the equipment that I'm running, I see that our power requirements are different. Awesome video!
Ecoflow would be easier if you transferring between setups. Just have solar available and plug in then your good to go.
Thanks so much! I like the idea of the "battery generators" like an ECOFLOW and I completely recognize it's an easier "plug n' play" solution but personally I'm still not sold based purely on cost. I mean EGO batteries are basically $1000 per kWh (insanity), the ecoflow is about $888 per kWh (not terrible considering it comes with inverter and outlets ready to go), but the EG4 setup I have works out to about $409 per kWh and that's including the inverter. Figure a little more for breakers, outlets, wiring etc. but still. Anyway I can't wait to see what you end up doing and hope things work well for you! Let me know if you have questions. How do you like the Toro Grandstand Revolution?
If I had to do it all over again, I would go with the EcoFlow or other all in one system. But because I started transitioning to electric before that came out, I went the hard way of combining all the components myself. At the end of the day, both ways are about the same price.
What wire management product did you use to keep your PV wire so clean and neat to the side of the trailer?
@@OffGridEssentialsbyFirebear Just some square sticky-back cable tie things from home depot that have a screw hole in the middle. The stickiness wears off so I put small screws in each one into the plywood to keep them from moving.
Sweet setup! Good job on making every piece fit together so nicely inside the trailer. One more advantage to having the battery and the solar panels is that you can be "offgrid" even if you use all the batteries inside the tools. You don't have to start a noisy generator or deal with the customer for access to an outlet. It keeps the interaction with the clients at a minimum and you can do your job in peace, without long extension cords in the way running from some house.
Thank you! It takes a lot of time and effort but I can’t stand messy cables.
I was giving a quote to someone and after mentioning I used all electric equipment they said “I have some outlets around the back I guess you could use”. I had to chuckle a little bit, I said “nope I’m all good, sun is shining!”
NO NO NO. Do not coil DC cables ever. You will overload your cables fast. You will also loose efficiency. Just run the cables down and back in U shaped runs or cut them. I would also install a 60V DC marine grade cutoff switch because DC can jump small distance and stay alive so I don't trust the breaker style on battery as I have seen fires with those styles. Also do not bunch Any electric wire together as it causes heat to build and can cause wires to melt and lowers efficiency.
Wow this is next level.... way above what I imagined for a full electric lawn business setup SUBSCRIBED
*You are a rock star, dude!* Can we please never hear or smell another gasoline powered backpack leaf blower again? 🚀🚀🚀
I appreciate the bar graph and other info in this video. Very well made video, informtional to us who are interested in these systems. wish you well
Thanks for coming by! Stick around for the installation process in a future video!
@@solarpunksteve I'm currently looking at David Poz channel, he is making a new video soon on diy batteries. I'll definitely stick around!
Another small bonus to that solar setup is that in case of power outages or what not, you have a nice alternative to a generator for critical house systems and can keep working if reasonable.
This is so cool. Been thinking about starting up a small lawn care business and wanted to build basically exactly this. I love my electric stuff, but I also know the cons of charging time versus just refilling a gas tank. This solves it all-as long as you have enough batteries to be able to swap.
Love my ego 360 42". Their weed eater design is top notch! No more slamming the bump head, it automatically dispenses the line and reloading takes about one minute. So much physical effort spent on those bumpheads, especially yards with a lot of weed eating needed. So you gain more productivity and reduce fatigue.
Had this idea years ago. Glad to see someone playing it out! 👊🏻
Super smart setup Steve. Looking forward to following your continued success!
This is FANTASTIC, smart move.
Man, your cable management is beautiful. Well done!
Great walkthrough and all the juicy details I was hoping for! Fantastic setup!
Man, nice to see this! I've been wondering about the possibilities and realities of doing something similar for about a year now. Glad to see that it can work out well!
I was wondering about it too! And since I didn't see anyone else doing it, I figured why not find out for myself. It's been an interesting journey for sure, from leaving my previous job and starting a business to designing a solar panel/inverter/battery setup and now making videos on youtube. It's not without challenges for sure, and there's things I need to cover to help people understand what they might expect, and there's still many things I want to explore for myself. So it will be an ongoing adventure! Glad you like it so far and let me know if you have questions, I'm planning to address as much as I can in videos that way I have a wider reach, but always happy to try and get you answers directly too if I can.
Great job Steve.
Nice setup. I didn't want to run conduit and wires from my house to my shed, so I bought one solar panel, a 10 amp charge controller, a deep cycle battery, and a 1000 watt inverter to charge my Ego weed eater batteries, run a light, and provide power for a skill saw, or electric chainsaw. It's perfect for my once-a-week use. It was $300 and probably would have cost the same amount for wiring and conduit. I used the same setup to run my Christmas lights from sundown for 6 hours last year also. I now have two separate systems using lifepo4 batteries to run most of my house all the time now. The independence just feels great.
Hey yeah, it's amazing the solutions you can come up with when there are lots of options out there on the market for solar/batteries/inverters etc. I ran some Christmas lights from a battery and inverter in order to decorate a trailer for a parade and it looked great! No generator noise or fumes while everyone sat in the back and enjoyed themselves.
LiFePO4 batteries are where it's at! I'm excited for manufacturing to start taking place in the US in the near future as it's been strictly overseas for many decades now and with some patents/agreements ending, we should start to get it here too, which will further drive costs down and innovation up.
This setup is so sick!!! Well done and the cable mgmt is "chef kiss" good
So cool! Don’t forget to mention you are also helping the environment!
Nice, I had this idea 15 years ago, the tech wasnt their then, very cool! Congratulations
FYI, I found out doing a test.... I had 4 panels that produced 120v.... Connected to the EG4 3000.... But being at or just above 120v.... It seriously limited my wattage input... I should have seen between 8-900W, but was only seeing 300w... I imagine if I had even 1 more panel, bringing my voltage up just a little, It would have produced more.... I will be testing this theory more next week. Great Video!
Very interesting. I was worried about not making enough voltage with my 6 panels if I wasn't getting full sun, but so far they seem to produce that minimum 120V even when overcast or morning/evening etc (although it's not like I'm getting a lot of wattage). However I have yet to see the full 1200W from my panels. Closest I've gotten is 1000W briefly. I've talked with Rich Solar a little bit and will probably do some testing on the panels when I get some time, but for now they are still making enough power for my needs. I'm not surprised that they might be limited though, I mean we've had extreme heat these last few weeks, and they are mounted flat on my trailer and close to the roof so the venting could be a little better.
I'm interested to hear what results you get from your testing, let me know!
This is so cool, what an amazing build! I have all electric lawn equipment and a solar shed I built. I haven't had to deal with gas and pulling a cord in years. I'm NEVER going back to the pain, hassle, and maintenance of 2 cycle gas engine.
Very cool set up. I'm sure people appreciate the green-ness and lower noise as well.
Awesome setup! I think it is really terrible that you have to convert your 5.12kWh of DC battery into AC and then back into DC. There really should be a way to charge your eGo batteries off DC rather than AC. I sure hope eGo and other battery manufacturers offer a DC-powered charger dock. You lose about 5-20% of your 5.12 kWh battery converting from solar (DC) to battery (DC) to AC then back to DC to charge your eGo batteries. ARGH! Hope you can find a DC-powered solution to charge your eGo batteries.
Really all you'd need is the 48 volts from the EG4 (51.2 volts nominal, but depending on how you are charging it (between 3.5v and 4.2v per cell, 3.6v is probably ideal) a max voltage of between 57.6 volts and 67.2 volts) to your eGo batteries. I am betting you can probably take apart the eGo charger and find where the AC input is converted to DC output for the batteries. It's probably a full bridge rectifier in there to convert the AC into DC, and likely an inductor that reduces the 120v AC to somewhere 50-67.2 volts, providing a constant voltage / constant current output to charge the eGo batteries. I'm not sure if they are Lithium Ion or LFP.
Anyway, you ABSOLUTELY should be able to charge the eGo batteries directly from your EG4 rack mount battery. In fact you should not even need the inverter, other than for its MPPT solar charge controller, which you could get much less expensively than the LV6548 unit.
Granted, being able to power AC-only devices is epic, so not suggesting that. However you are losing some capacity from your solar and rack battery by converting DC to AC and back to DC again to charge your eGo batteries. Optimize FTW!
Steve, I have either worked for or owned a yardcare business since I was only twelve years old. About three years ago i took a temp job in the winter working at the Solar fields near my home and came up with this same idea. I had two different enclosed trailers and I rigged them both with solar. I was fascinated by this idea so I purchased some Greenworks equipment after trying a few other brands. Over the last few years I have come to use Greenworks and Toro Revolution equipment both. Toro HD21 is the best electric 21” walk behind. Greenworks 30” Commercial walk behind is the other and I use Greenworks 60v ride on. All have worked very well. You have done an awesome job with these videos! I ran into problems with my inverter and sometimes chargers overheating but other than that it has been an amazing shift. I’ll have to do some videos on it. Thank you for sharing this.
Yt algorithm brought me here, and i'm really surprised of your ingenuity. U got a new subscriber🙌, i'm definitely staying here for a while to see where it goes. Keep up the good work dude!
The algorithm works in mysterious ways! Thanks for checking it out! Hopefully I can keep you engaged 😁
I love this, thanks for validating it can work. My plan is to setup something like this for my home equipment at a smaller scale.
This is so cool, this makes me want to get into lawn care. Thanks for all the details and estimates!
This is so kind, thank you so much! Working on editing more today but of course technology is fighting me. I’ll get it sorted soon though.
This is an awsome video! Thanks for breaking it down in an honest and well made video.
Sweet setup man! Making sure you have the right parallel or series config with your solar panels or batt banks that fits your goals. Blocking/bypass diodes and proper fuse setup will help avoid disasters.
Awesome job on the installation. Very clean! Also, great job on explaining how everything works.
Thanks! It's a challenge but I like trying to make things easier to understand. It's a skill I've worked on a lot but there's always room for improvement! Let me know if there's anything you think I should cover in the future or expand upon a topic if I didn't cover it well enough.
@@solarpunksteve I think you did a great job being able to condense it down to 10 min. You did a better job than I do. I struggle to get mine shorter because I keep thinking “I gotta include this…”.
Looking forward to your next video.
I’ve had this thought randomly and pondered on whether it would be financially viable. Thanks for proving it.
This is amazing, can't wait to see more content.
This gives me so many good feelings. It's just so cool to see this done. I'd love some more "day in the life" type videos like your first one and also more like this video. I'm sure it's a lot of work and editing to do these! Great job
Nice setup. Thank you for sharing.
Super elegant. If E-Go isn't sponsoring you, they definitely should.
Thanks! They aren't a sponsor, and I will most likely keep it that way, hard to stay unbiased when someone is behind your equipment and financial "choices".
@@solarpunksteve Most virtuous and commendable. Fact is, few would guess E-Go tools are professional grade outside your channel, but you are proving it continually..👍 For the company, gold. Hard core fossil fuelers are going to start reconsidering mixing 2 cycle oil, carburetor issues and constant repairs. recurring fuel costs if they see you. (Towing with a Tesla is a cherry on the cake!)
awesome setup, and great that you're testing it out. it can only get better as now you know even more than you did before! I can foresee a new business venture where you outfit other lawncare services businesses with solar trailers....
This is a genius business model! Offering a standard service but with with a novel twist that you could even charge a premium for. Plus because everything is electric you drastically cut your operating costs... granted the startup cost I am sure was much higher, but I think it has the potential to pay off big in the long run. In all seriousness you could probably sell these setups as turnkey businesses or even franchise them.
Great job on the wire management inside the trailer 👍🏼 looks super clean
That’s an awesome set up. I appreciate having power available for everything, not just extra batteries.
I use mine to microwave my lunch. (or induction cook when I want something pan fried.)
FAN-TASTIC! This is awesome thinking for sure and very nicely done!! No more gas and oil and you get energy from the sun all day. If you find yourself needing a boost often I could imagine adding additional panels on one side of the trailer that could be pivoted up while parked. More complicated than the fixed mount panels but just a thought if needed.
I'm not a commercial lawn care guy but have dumped all my lawn tools for EGO. Overall, excellent stuff. I am working on a setup for my home to charge it all from Solar as well, some time before that project makes KWH though.
Thanks! It's been a really fun experiment and learning experience so far! It's not the perfect solution for every problem by any means and won't be something everyone can/should do.
In regards to the deploy-able solar, I love the idea and I've been thinking about it for a long time, but realistically it's not practical or scalable, not to mention just the complexity. I think what makes the most sense in my opinion right now is if I need it, charge the trailer at home after the day, if I need more then I install another onboard battery and double my storage capacity.
Great video. Well explained. I've been curious about this and another project. Thank you for your efforts
this video is even better. I love this setup. 🤩
your setup is amazing !!! very nice!
So inspiring you are love your work imma build my solar trailer business soon
New subscriber here. Excellent set up. Very well thought out and what a great service for your customers. I operate a all electric mobile dog grooming service called Lavish Paws and I also tow with a Model Y. It has been a great vehicle thus far and is our only vehicle. We have solar on the house and power the trailer with Ecoflow Delta Pros. Customers really appreciate that we are self sufficient. No loud gas generator or fumes. Anyway Ill be following along in your journey good luck to you sir all the best.
Incredible set up! Seriously cool!
Thanks Vin! I like building cool things and sharing that, more to come!
love your setup! inspiration
This is awesome. I'm really into the electrical part of it all being an electrician.
Awesome Setup !
I'm considering buying some EGO equipment for my new yard, about an acre. And installing a solar battery for going off grid.
This was pure inspiration! Thanks
Hey thanks! So far things have been working great, I would recommend it if you’re comfortable with the price. You could definitely get a fantastic gas mower for the price, but if you’re set on electric it’s a great option. I would check out the larger 52” mower, as I feel it’s a better value for the money since it actually comes with all 6 batteries and they are the 12ah ones not the 10ah. Anyway, if anything changes regarding my opinion of ego I will be sure to let you all know!
I’m very impressed with your solar☀️set up but much more impressed with your marketing and business savvy! I built a portable system with the exact same EG4 components⚡️and used solar panels for under $3000! We use it to power my house through my generator transfer switch for any power outages. I can assure you, once you get deeper into DIY solar, you’ll be buying lots more panels and batteries! 🤣. Great video! 🤠
YES!! I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS!
That's really well sorted
Love the content, just did something similar on my shed to charge my ryobi batteries for cutting grass.
Definitely nice job!! Next step would be to convert mower to run off EG3 battery instead of the OEM ones. You already know all the reasons why.😎👍💪
That's badass!! What a clean set up!
Thanks Danny!
Amazing video! I had the same idea that I was going to build out next spring. Very clean build.
Thanks so much! It's one of those things that I didn't see anyone doing (at the time) so I needed to find out for myself. Happy to be able to finally share some of my experience and hopefully others can learn what works/doesn't work from my adventures and apply those to what they would like to do for their setup. I'm working on more videos as fast as I have time for, but let me know if there's anything in particular you would like to see in the future or questions you want answered. Good luck if you embark on your build!
Very cool! the setup looks great and the I love the solar punk theme
LOVE This. Hope you inspire more people to do the same!
This is so rad. What’s nice about this too is the components are modular and if you want to upgrade the panels, or inverter, etc in the future you can. Good work. Sub’d.
Yeah and with having something like this, you can change to different lawn equipment too! There’s risks of course and who knows how long all this will last in this type of environment, but I’m willing to give it a shot!
You are doing great content Steve ! Keep it up :)
Really well presented and very informative.
Love your setup.
That’s a nice setup and you do a great job explaining it.
Excellent video!!!
Just awesome, very well done. Subscribed.
Brilliantly done. Brilliant.
Cool set up well done!
Super cool setup man!!!
Thanks so much Will! You helped me settle on an inverter and battery, thanks for all you do!
@@solarpunksteve oh no way!! Sweet 😁😁
You could also build your own battery pack using individual cells for a custom battery pack to best suite your needs. It’s cheaper but you their is a time component. If your looking to scale your business vertical integration might be a good option.
I thought about that too, and yes it would be cheaper to build them, but there's definitely a cost to my time. And I can make more out there on a jobsite than I would save by building a battery myself. Totally a great option for those on a budget, but best thing in my case is keeping things as simple as possible. I have plans in the future to build bigger and different systems so I might take the time to build the batteries myself at that point.
@@solarpunksteve id also be cautious of making your own pack due to insurance/safety purposes. I made my own DIY 48v/280ah pack for my house but in a mobile (shaking, rattling, etc) environment... warranty and UL/saftey is preferred in a business for sure - you did it the right way.
OMG you rock man...... i love this
Ty. And thank you for the easy to understand information 👍👍
Glad I could help! Hopefully it gets people thinking and then as I get more detailed content out there you can launch into your own endeavors if you wish!
Love it Steve!! Keep it coming brother!!!
Challenge accepted!
Thats such a clean and neat setup. I am actually in the process of finishing up something similar. 4 100AH 12v liPoFe4 batteries, 3KW inverter/charger. No actual solar panels (this is just in a station wagon) but just the convenience of charging powertool batteries and that on the go and not getting home with a bag full of dead batteries is worth it for me. (Not to mention forgetting to grab the charged ones the next morning. Been there done that it sucks!!) Just plug 1 extension lead in when i get home to charge it all back up.
I have been for a while just using one of those 2KWh solar generator type systems but often find it runs short by the end of the day. Especially if i run my microwave or air frier i keep in the car too. Got sick of paying for take out every day for lunch so just bring it with me now.
One day i will get a van and chuck couple of solar panels on the roof to go with it too.
A lot of views already for your two videos in less than a month. Just shows there’s a big audience for this kind of content. Your positive personality and presentation also helps in viewing. Keep it up and good luck with everything. I’m also a YLR owner and pull a similar size trailer as yours. In my experience, the range is cut to less than 50% with mostly highway trips. I’m hoping the Cybertruck will remedy the short trailer pulling range.
So, this is really cool. One problem I have is where you positioned everything. For example, that inverter and battery is heavy, move that to over your axel. The Tesla is cool and all, but you don't want your trailer out of balance on it because it'll yank the car around. Second, instead of wiring in a cable to charge your trailer, put a generator hook up on the trailer, so you can just plug an extension cord into it. Safer and you wont wear out your lugs from screwing them on and off. Lastly, look around for some bigger panels, get some good second hand 300 watt panels, those 200s are serving you well right now, but they're gonna age out and die. 300 watt panels will keep you going for longer, not just in terms of battery charges, but in longevity of your system. Nice work!
Very cool setup
rofl blowin' past the dinosaur coal roller @8:41
;)
I love the EG4 products. I use them daily.
So far I’ve been very happy with the operation of my equipment. Hoping they continue to perform for many years to come!
Just started out this year in the uk. Battery equipment is still rare, only hedge cutters and small blowers for most. I went full makita 36v for everything which had been successful so far. Dual charger and inverter in my tow car. Looking into a bigger trailer with a similar settup to this on board. Thanks for a well put together video just subscribed.
Hey awesome! I’ve been around a few areas in the UK, you’ve definitely got a challenge regarding space. Even towing with my car instead of a truck, it would be really difficult parking my trailer anywhere. I would imagine a van would be a great use of space? I’ve even considered it here if I could find an electric one. Congrats on being an entrepreneur trying to figure it out in your area! Let me know how it goes.
Great video! Very informative.
that's a cool setup! Kind of blows my mind that this is even possible
Fantastic setup.
Thank you! Took some effort but it’s paying off.
I like the editing style of the video.
Awesome setup mate! Modular, expendable... Keep up with best work!
Thanks! Glad you like it. Working on more content to show!
Pretty slick setup