Expanding Our Solar Array For *Almost* Free (We're Going To Tell You How)
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- We're expanding our solar array from 2250w to 7175w and we are doing it for almost free. We'll explain how we are offsetting our costs!
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You remind me of my parents who 1929, sold their home in Mpls, MN. They purchased a 80 acre land with nothing built or any prior improvements. They built a house barn, purchased animals and developed it into a dairy farm. They had no power equipment, everything was dug by hand, trees cut with hand tools. Keep improving your farm, rewards are awesome.
Your place is really coming along. I’ve been watching since you cleared the land. I think people dream about owning land and building on their own but don’t realize how much work it is. One has to be a Jack of all Trades to do this. Having a partner that works well with one another is a big plus. 😊
I know it's too late to help now, but our Amish friends showed us a couple of tricks they use to keep untreated lumber from rotting out. They'll cut V-Notches on either side of a post on the bottom so you end up with 4 "legs" on the bottom of your posts giving air a way to flow under the middle of the post and moisture to drain out, preventing water from standing underneath a post and rotting it out. (I have some videos of how we did it when building our porch around the house. ) And as long as you give the lumber a way to dry out after getting wet, it will last for decades. (We built our home using board and batten style from rough cut lumber and it's working great.)
Damn, that mill must have paid for itself at least 100 times over by now. Thanks for sharing.
As a woodworker, I can’t help but drool over some of that lumber you often mill. Enjoying your videos and all the work you guys do. Your place looks amazing!
You guys are hard workers, it awesome to see the amount of work you all do on a daily basis.
A suggestion. Cover the panels with a tarp, so that you can roll them up and vice versa, roll them down. The reason is that when it starts to snow, they can have the solar panels covered, and when you want to remove the snow, you just have to shake the tarps so that the snow will slide and fall, without being worried about damaging the panels, you know what I mean just an idea.
Warning: you don't have near enough bolts and washers to hold down those panels in a high wind. Don't over tighten them or you will stress the glass causing it to shatter in time. That is why panel mounts are larger to distribute the pressure and they should not be over tightened even then.
I think it would be a good idea to lock em down from the back screw em together and clamp onto wood .also I would do some strapping over t the foundation blocks and even two or 3 tie downs from the high side pegged into the rock
I don’t think u would get a lot of wind from the back but would hate for u to lose any after all that hard work just my opinion not being there I am just guessing
Interesting how everyone with a key board becomes an expert.
@@Kb3164-t3z I live off grid, have lots of experience with people out here getting their panels destroyed because they don't mount them correctly. Why are you so negative? Do you think I am wrong?
I was surprised that you didn't use some sort of weather proof deck sealer to treat your wood frame on your new solar panels. We had solar panels installed on our roof in 1980 by guys who thought 2x4's would make a good frame. Squirrels loved their idea.
Thanks for video and explanations of “what’s-what”, that helps this 71 yr old stroke victim. Glad it’s doing what you need, you two deserve the best for all your work, congratulations !!!
Stephens little voice is so sweet.
He sure thought he should be let into the house.
Hi Katie and Greg. I enjoyed seeing this project come to completion for you. You have both waited so long for it and I was glad to be able to tag along with you for it. Little Steve is such a character. I laughed out lound on those clips of him jumping off the deck. That is a pretty good heigth for him and he was without hesitation. He must be a lot of fun for you guys. Thanks for sharing and bringing me along with you today. Have a great week and I'll see you on the next one. Larry, Central Valley, Ca.
Lmao! Between the goat smiling or when you said "the sketchy shit Greg does" I don't know which was funnier 😂
🐓🐐🐶🐾So you can run the dishwasher - washer & dryer - vacuum cleaner - freezer & fridge - water pumps - all the lights - t.v. to watch movies - all at the same time & not worry you are overloading - congratulations🐓🐐🐶🐔🐾
Hi, We've been watching for a couple of years and love your progress. We have a similar system, only with EG4 Inverters, 550 watt bifacial panels, and 6 of the rack style EG4 batteries. Same style system, just different labels. Your panel rack looks very stout, and handsome as well. One thing that you might consider... The bottom board that you have might stop the snow from sliding off. We live in Colorado and after a good snow, just enough solar gets through to warm the panels and the snow just slides off by itself most of the time. BTW we ordered some of your T shirts and are of really good quality. We boondock 6 months out of the year and wear them all over the country. This spring we also added a solar mini split in our living room and it works great to cool things off. We will have to see this winter how well it heats the area, but the air conditioning was worth it all by itself. We got the EG4 12,000 BTU and I'm pretty sure the Canadian version would be available too. Anyway, we love watching your channel. Dennis & Wendy
Gregory we have been trying to beat the same heat, Greg you have accomplished so many projects I was thinking about it, Fence, bank shed, goat barn, vegetable garden, Katie leaves to go on 3 vacations well deserved, new water pump and upgrade for just whatever reason I can say Greg and Kate you should be proud of yourselves. Thanks for letting us watch we do appreciate your hard hot work. See you guys soon. Bye.
I hope those washers or the panel edges won't fail you during a big storm or something.
Again some very beautiful images, congratulations for the enthusiasm you put into your work. There is one of the 2 employees who does not have the right safety shoes. Please take great care of your feet, they are difficult to repair.
Looking like home sweet home!!! Love Greg’s can do it attitude… he always figures out a way to get it done!! 😎
I wish a video every day would make my day! So relaxing your progress in any project you do. Can't wait for the next house expansion project to begin.
I was about to write, a video a day then I saw yours. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I would just been keeping the spare solar arrays or just mount them up to. Look at Erin and Josh from Wild Wonderful Off-Grid,
they have so they get 2.5k watts even on cloudy days so they dont have to struggel when there is overcast for 2-3 weeks strait. (Josh is a ex Electrician so think he has preaty good controll on a good wattage for a house. Not sure how big that array is but i think around 15 000 watt of pannels. they also bought a full pallet.
Looks Good though!:)
Looks cherry Bro, nice Solar stand!!🔧🛠️🔨🤙🤙add 3 diagonals on those rear posts and thats yur shear strength in the wind. Congrats on all that power, WOW!🏁🏁🏁. Stay cool❄️❄️, be blessed. It finally got down to 90F or so here in Idaho. 46-49F in the mornings , so feels so good early . 🙏🙏
Looks good ,I know you all tired with the heat every day. Love the high views now you can see the house and other things.
Having solar power is wonderful especially low cost. I can’t imagine no shade working on the solar. Nice job cleaning up the property! 🙏🙏🙏Blessing’s
We are pulling in 487w at 6.30pm in the UK. We have a 5.6kw system on the roof. We made 15kwh today and it’s not been that sunny. I love getting paid back from the power company after our battery is Full!
The new solar array turned out super slick. Very nicely done. And shout out to Steve, The smile making machine!
Congrats on the big power boost. When they start making affordable 500w or 600w panels, you can upgrade your old array. Until then, I think you made the right move sticking with the old for a little longer. Now, go buy yourselves some split systems to cool the home. You deserve it and have the power to run them!
I like your thought process. You guys know what works best for you and your location. I enjoyed this video. I love the fact that you produce 99% of your lumber.
Y’all are doing a great job with the new upgrades. You manage to overcome every obstacle,& make it work. Well done Greg,& Katie!!💯👍🏾😀💕🫶🏾💜✝️🙏🏾🇺🇸
Katie and Greg, I am so happy for you on all the power you are going to be getting.
🎉🎉 do you realize how tan and strong both of yous have gotten since we've been watching it's like you've went through a change way more jacked keep up the great work❤❤❤❤❤
What a way to have lunch on a Sunday watching your new released video thank you for sharing
Slowly but surely your getting things set up the way you want, the new solar panels look great. Hoping the rest of the build goes well.
cleaning the panels is exactly why i decided to build our solar grid like you did.
You are both such hard workers. Glad you got some rain and relief from the heat. The new solar panel set up looks great!
There's always a method to your madness! You two are very skilled people at what you do. I love the invocative ways you've gone about building your homestead!
This is interesting I must have missed something in the wiring installation. If all of those are in series the voltage should be more than 52 or so. The voltage multiplies and the amps remain the same. Negative to positive is series. Positive to positive negative to negative parallel. voltage is the same amperage increases. Higher voltage means you can run smaller wire, save BIG MONEY. If you are interested there is a video on UA-cam that explains this in detail it is a funny one. It is done by "Tin Hat Ranch". We have been running 103 to 108 here in Central Texas, maybe next month it will cool off. God Bless you two in all things.
Please add some 45’ braces to keep it from lying down in the wind!
Love you guys!
Excellent job with the solar setup! And Katie, there is no such thing as wasted 6×6 wood. They make great blocks for everything from lumber stacks, to helping with car jacks...😂😅 Greg, I tried to holler at you about the panels, but I guess there's to much air between Florida and Canada. 😊 Love ya'll ❤️
What is the lonesome panel at the top for? Toaster? lol. Great work guys, you never stop amazing me. Your next winter will be a lot more confortable with this add on and once you have completed the porch, you will be ready for cold weather. You have worked a lot this summer but it will benefit you and animals greatly.
I'm in the Carolinas and it's been miserable. 95 to 100 degrees farenheit. You guys are doing great!
i’m in florida and it’s been bad here too
Yes I do we have had 100 plus temps several days here in west Tennessee. And now it is cooling off we are very thankful for cool and rain.
Enjoy you guys so much.Did your neighbor get that bulldozer to run yet .Thank you for your videos? I love it when Katie laughs.Ed from Michigan
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Hell yeah!
Congratulations Greg and Katie, you deserve all goodness 🙏🏽🙏🏽🤩
Amazing progress and hard work, every one needs a day off.
Love your idea about buying in bulk and selling the rest, it’s very apparent that what ever you do a lot of thought and planning goes into it.
Love little Stephen’s antics so cute. And on the heat the biggest mistake is to try and work through it, heat stroke kills. That’s why in hot climates they take a break during the hottest part of the day. I live in the mountains of Northern California and it gets really hot. During the summer I’m up really early and get as much done as possible. I take a long break during the heat of the day and focus on indoor projects and when it cools off go back out and finish up for the day.
Love watching your place come together you are an awesome couple on how well you work together 😊❤️
Save those cut off pieces for cribbing blocks you may have use latter.
I would advise against selling the rest of the panels in that pallet. You may feel the need to upgrade your system in future and finding panels with same wattage will be next to impossible especially when the rest of the world is already using 550w panels. All the best ! ✌
Bravo to both of you I think you're doing an excellent job
That has got to be the smartest thing I've ever seen someone do so far with the tractor putting that wood on top that makes it so much easier and also now you have head protection from those limbs in the trees hitting you in the head you should carry longer more often like that it makes life easier🎉💙✨🤠🤠🤠🤠
Steven is such a cutie and Katie totally love the sketchy stuff Greg does .... Only in Canada ❤️🇨🇦
Yay!!! Congrats on the new solar array 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
GOOD JOB, MEGA POWER , WELL DONE GREG and KATE . Greatings from Sweden 👍👍👍👍👍
Come to Scotland and we'll show you what rainy weather is like. This Summer was in May and since then it's been a complete wash out.
Looks great. Power!
Now to clean up the spare woods from the project.
you need a log/lumber trailer for the tracker.
Congratulations. Nice job on the solar array stand. I agree with Katy about "no goats in the house".
You showed how-to and How-not-to in one video. I love watching you do these things together. You are a great team..
Awesome upgrade to your solar system, between the power house equipment & New Panels, your system appears to be VERY sufficient ! Great work !
@ 3:40 tarp hack / mostly in large cities, but the billboards are made of vinyl tarps so when replaced you can go to an "outdoor advertising company" and buy the vinyl tarps at a reduced price / great to cover wood piles and all else !!!
Greg that one hell of a wife you have. Hard working and what looks like a great partner in all your endeavour.
Donde ustedes viven es un paraiso natural y muy hermoso como poco a poco han ido transformando su casa., Saludos desde Alberta Canada
Wow, what a nice sound track right here in the video. Thanks again Katie and Gregg..
Wow wow wow completed solar panel arrays what a great completion Way to go🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Always work to be done but its all good and beneficial for both and great improvement for homesteading life in the future. Keep up the high sprites cause thier always room for improvements. Good job 🎉🎉🎉.
Congratulations on getting the new solar panels up, big project 👌💯Happy you are getting some relief with the rain 💚 LOVE summer rain! and we don't get it in the summer where I live.
I so love watching...very nice addition to solar panels... Stephen is so stinking cute❤ all the goats are so cute❤ everything coming together so well... the shop/goat barn looks great too... it all does... keep sharing we'll be here watching ❤
He is STINKING cute. We just banded him so he isn't going to be a stinky little billy
😮 wow so glad you have the bonus of rain. Solar project looks amazing. So glad for you now done before winter ... the 40° is not pleasant to work in great you took day off on the lake you guys deserved that break. Mind you in WA oz rain n more rain cant wait for summer. Just hope your winter is not too bad and solar holds up for you
well, clever build. the snow won`t fall down.
I am going to build a16 panel aray in Dec. was going with steal until I watch you and now I am going with wood A lot cheaper and if I can build it half as strong as yours it be ok. Thanks for all you do you help people more ways then you think THANKS
Greetings from Germany. ❤
@ 15:15 on this episode you made me laugh so hard " City Billy" ( a UA-cam channel out of Ohio ) always did out takes and bloopers at the end of his videos I think "Sketchy Shit Greg Does" should be in every video you post LMAO many times
The sawmill shuffle dance.?Katie
that why Greg get Katie to cut lol
Thanks Katie I now have a new acronym to add SSGD!! =s Sketchy Sh_t Greg Does. Love the hard work both of you do to make This Off Grid Life.
Go team. Looking good. Enjoying the channel. Tks for sharing.
And in Ireland it has been the opposite. Spring started off cold days and colder nights. So when it came to planting vegetable seeds carrots and parsnips, carrots I had to set more after waiting for 3 weeks to germinate and some parsnip seeds failed so more seed planting. The summer was hot cold wet and more wet. Last year we had 30° plus not all the time but we had a good summer. In the 70 years of my life I have never seen a spring and summer out of sync. So climate warming send it our way?? ☘☘☘☘☘☘☘Great job on the solar panels 500 W
Im afraid you are correct about the weather and heat. I live in western NY about 2 hours east of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres. We have been in the 90s F since the end of June with very little rain. For some reason the storm fronts swing northeast just before getting to us.
I get out at 7 a.m. to do anything outside. By 9 a.m. we are back inside.
Thank God for taking care of us all
Greg you made that look easy and that was like fitting a knats ass over a fence post lol
I feel you on the heat this year. I’m in AZ and it has been a brutal run of days.
I think Greg and Katie are doing a fibulas job, keep plugging away, GOOD LUCK with future projects.
Greg you said that sometimes you take the rounds and cut 2x4's out of them. I would like to see you do that.
Looks great! I can't wait to start tackling solar power. Learning a lot, thank you! And the filming is fantastic. I love all the fantastic shots you get!
Nice solar array!!! Glad you got it done! ☀️☀️☀️💕🔥
Love your videos. The scrap wood pile behind the mill is stacking up lol. ❤❤
WOW Great job you guy's! Your place is beautiful! God Bless y'all
I'm sure you appreciate that your battery storage capacity needs to be increased significantly to achieve year round power independence. In UK we need 4 to 5 days capacity to be able to survive. This theory was developed by Tony Seba of RethinkX
Looks extremely functional. Great work.
With all the wildfires up there, my next project would be to build a fire-proof safe room. Make it big enough to grab your critters and run into it.
Great job ! That mill has helped you out so much :) Good set up on the hill with your solar array 👍I'm 100% off grid but only have a few panels as long as you have good storage you won't have to worry about a shortage of power to run the homestead :)
HELLO AGAIN I COMMENTED EARLY TODAY, KATIE DID GREGORY GET A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE , WHEN I SAID 3 VACATIONS. ÀLL AND THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING SO FAST THAT MADE ME FEEL APPRECIATED YOU BOTH HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT AND I DID ONLY WANT TO GIVE YOU BOTH A LAUGH ALWAYS PLEASE MY COMMENTS ARE IN JEST TO MAKE YOU SMILE AFTER A HARD DAY OR WEEK IN THE HEAT. BYE GUYS
Lots of hard work but your place is looking awesome. Looking forward to the final hookup and a sunny day read out. Hugs from Santa Barbara 🤗🥰🌹🍷😎👏🐐
cross bracing is needed...if the wind comes up and it's not braced it will be air born.
Great video you two are doing awesome. God Bless from your Canadian Friend.
I continue to be impressed with what you have been able to mill using the LT10. Clearly not what would be used for a production milling situation, but for a home builder, hobbyist, farm situation, likely great value for $$$. I must admit that I would be working out how to use both the old and new sets of panels, not just the new panels.
The Back siding (the side facing the workspace/goat barn) need to be done... winter is coming quick... plus its long sleeves n tights (summer tights).. mosquitos and flies out in force.
Yes, you sure did "grow" a new slab pile.....solar array lookin good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Proverbs 3: 3-7
Good to see the progress on the solar panels.
You guys are amazing. I too have not enjoyed the heat and I live in a mountain town.❤️
Hello Katie and Greg, Glad to see you were able to get those panels done! Nice job on the construction. Also happy you are getting some rain and cooler weather. Enjoy it