Before the big solar upgrade, I have to fix this!
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- This is the final preparation work before the rest of the solar panels are being installed on the roof. This cable mush needs to be addressed and FIXED! Far too many cables and conduits are merging in this location of the PowerWall and causing a major headache. But, I have an idea how to fix it and make it neat and tidy. Functionality is still the priority here, of course.
The electrician comes back tomorrow. I hope he likes it...
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I don't care if it's " S h i t " still the first thing I do when I tune in is Hit That Like Button! Then sit back and be entertained and even learn a thing or three or four....
Thank you very much. Keep doing this and I'll make sure I do my part and pump out more videos!
As a retired Electrician I am quite sure that Andy is an Electrician in his former life in Germany. Keep up the good work Andy and you are really educating us how to make a proper installation of low voltage equipment. You are also a star in showing how to measure and test things. Every morning there is a new video from Off-Grid Garage the breakfast has to wait....
Thanks a lot for your kind words. I'm working with electronics and electrics since I was 5 years old. Always had the lights on in my Lego houses, powered by a 4.5V battery. It's my hobby and profession.
Andy, this is quite a channel you have here just wanna let you know I’m enjoying it very much. This is the only channel that I read most everyone’s comments. What a group.
Thanks a lot, JB. Great to have your here!
Check your pool pump hoses, they are like a vac hoses (at least in german baumarkt) but smooth inside and do not cause so much vacuum loss, I used them for 15m vac hose
All right, good tip!, I'll check this out.
Effectivement ANDY, cette modification de câblage est beaucoup mieux qu'avant, nous espérons la suite avec la suite de l'installation de l'équipe d’électricien de POWERMAT...👍
I don't know how you do it Andy..... One great video after another....simply awesome. Most certainly, you deserve AWARDS: video production (attention to detail is amazing), electrical and solar education (concise), creative, design and neatness (10/10), outstanding sense of humor..... Andy I can go on and on....i really APPRECIATE your content and commitment to channel.
Keep it up (though it's not easy) and well done.
Sorry to say but looking forward to the next video😂😂😂. Oh let me watch this one, once more, really enjoyed it.
Thanks a lot Francis. That is very kind of you. I'll better make another video for you then...
Thanks for the parts and tools link. I've bought so much crap before realizing you had the links to good affordable stuff. loving that clamp meter.
Nice, yeah, it's all on my website, Links are under all my videos.
Great job cleaning up that bird's nest.
Looks a lot better now! The sparky was impressed...
Andy and Marty T are my favourite GSD channels.
Yes, we wanna see the seplos verdict! I wanna get me one for X-mas (or no) - I m waiting with my PO until it gets your blessing! Go for it Andy!
It will be in the next few videos. I spend a while with the Seplos BMS on the weekend....
Sat here in the UK and I swear I can hear someone talking at me through a pipe... Weird, I'm just going to ignore it and have another beer.
Nooo, that was me!!!! Listen again... I'll send you a can through the pipe 🍺🍺
Awesome work Andy, as usual 👍
Thanks a lot, Dave.
Thank you Andy
Thanks Andy
True said Andy, that was definitely beneath your high standards! Your astounding ingenuity never ceases to amaze me. I hear by name you, the "Rembrandt of wiring". Me I'm a realist, I know for a fact watching your videos is the closest I'll ever get to having wiring standards as high as yours!!!
It was an unfinished work, The electrician just pulled all the cables in this area first but wasn't finished with it. So I thought I'll make a suggestion before they come back. He was impressed.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia I'm sure he was impressed, as am I.
Finally removing some junk lol! Cable management is super important to make a project look neat and tidy, I do admire your efforts Andy in rectifying mistakes.
The sparky and I looked at this mess for a while and said we attend this later. Needed to be done.
It is so exciting to see you using proper connectors Andy!
I'm learning 😊
More progress and looking tidy as always. Curious to see what the next video will be about.
Love the videos Andy! I remember back before you got your first big order of Lifepo4 battery cells! Its been a few years now, and look how far you have come! Now you will have many Kw of solar coming in and hopefully you will keep adding more and more capacity to your battery bank. Can't wait to see everything in place and pumping in all the new solar and we will see the next project! You did a great job with that jumble of wires coming in. Maybe next after this we will see you build a new battery with the 304Ah Eve cells. Looking forward to the future for you and your awesome projects!
Yeah, sometimes, I'm just standing in my garage and staring at the Powerwall and battery shelf and can't believe this myself. I should do this more offen and just stop for a moment and appreciate all of that.
Heaps more to come. I'm already working one some other very cool stuff...
Nice job.
Thank you.
Whe ARE HERE TO GET SHT DONE ❤
💪
7:24 - Haha perfect 😅
You're a Legend Mr Andy!
Hay Andy hope things are going well what to your Installers I take it they coming back next week to finish up can't wait to see the finish layout but I still think you would have do a better job. I must say we have been doing solar for a long time now but when we running to a problem I always tell my tech's to watch your videos and they do and learn something new every time so I must say thank you for all your great work and videos keep well.
Thank you, Warren.
Yeah, they will come back soon and finish the job. I would have done some things differently, for sure. But considering the high incentives for this setup and installation, I could not deny it.
It MAY not be a fashion channel, but you ALWAYS look good Andy!!
-Thanks for the optimistic outlook you always have. I always get in a good mood and enthusiastic about working on my own setup after watching you. PS: love when you sometimes after the video is over, you have some sort of final aftercomment. It always makes me laugh. (BTW: dont forget to seal the hole in the roof)
-Here I am, wandering around all Saturday and wondering what the problem is? Come nighttime finally, I click on your video: "Yeah, Yeah, this is ecxactly the problem! Look at this shit!" Finally - thanks!! I now watch you solve THE problem and my day got way better! FUNNY! - I also learnned that clouds are 'white shit'. LOL
If you look hard enough through that portal hole there, you may see me standing waving for you on the other side of the world in the light, in Denmark! Moin moin and prost!
Thanks heaps, John. That's a very nice and funny comment. I'm really glad that so many people enjoying my videos. So many viewers all over the world are watching now, commenting and being part of this great community. And I'm doing this all in my garage, very hard to imagine that this has such a huge reach. Thank you for being part of this!
All the best to beautiful Denmark. 🍺
@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thanks for addressing the precharge of inverter in a fixed installation. I use the same switch as you, but only 3 ways: 1, Off, 2. Switching my inverter from my main battery bank to backup-battery and was wondering the excact same thing as you. BTW: I use the same clamp meter as you. I find the results a bit off. Just saying you may want to test the accuracy since I saw you draw a conclussion based on the reading when comparing some cheaper solar controllers. (BTW: Sent you something to eliminate the thirst after you get done vaccuming ;)
@@jbjensen11 Thanks for your financial contribution, John. It's hot down here so 🍻 it's much appreciated.
There are some information online on how to calibrate the meter. Mine is not too bad, I found. I have 5 or 6 meters and they all show a different result, so you have to trust one 😊
Good evening! I hope you don't have a big voltage drop when the power comes from the other side of the world!
😂
I'll keep the current low to avoid that 😉🍺
When the sh*t hits the fan it gives an good opportunity the get is fixed! Keep up the good and steady work!
Thanks Edward. I'm keen to get this all installed and ready now. So many projects are still waiting...
Andy, you very nearly invoked the "Right Said Fred" clause with your intro. Maybe you could do a catwalk strut for us next time you're up on the roof. Cheers!
I need to google that😂
End of Gewürge 🙂 Looking forward to fully paneled roof . Good luck!
You are not a bit vain of clothing - but on cunduits, combiner boxes and ducts.
Yeah, hahaha, everything needs to be as best as possible. My shirts not so much (my wife thinks differently).
It is Gewürje where I come from in Nordhessen 😉
Thanks for the great content you create!!
Thanks a lot for your support, Bjorn. That is fantastic, I much appreciate it!
Other options would be: cutting off some excess thread of the cable glands; or use a 2nd piece of duct next to the existing so you can poke the flexible pipes in then cut holes so the cables can slowly bend but still be covered, cut off excess pipe. Right-angles are bad. End flaps to close ends as you did, stick what's loose, seal gaps when needed.
Thanks, Tim. Great tips and thinking here.
I thought about the excess thread but the cables are very flexible and didn't bend too hard. Doubling up the duct is a great way to create more room.
When I look at your Grey tubes, they are nearly completely full with 2 solar cables and and the earth cable... in my country you can't fill a tube past 30% of it space, to dissipate Heat.
If the other side of the world for your mouse tunnel is China, it could make shipments faster and cheaper as long as they fit in the tunnel. :)
I need a bigger tunnel then so they and send the batteries quicker 😄
Heya, that is a really nice fix
Given all the wires would not be cheaper and more benefitial to have a single string with a high voltage (400V)? You can use the Victron RS series to handle the voltage and save a lot of wires and space?
He has a series/parallel panel setup, it has been designed for best output in undesirable & or shady conditions, from what I have observed (shade wise) at different times of day on the rooftop, I believe he has configured this setup to perform as good as it can under these conditions, ie: it is designed to perform in his shady conditions without trimming any trees, and it works.
The RS controllers are not very efficient unless you run higher string voltages (not DIY any more!).
There are several reasons to do it like this:
- we're off-grid, AC string inverters are hard to implement
- shading, lots of parallel strings are more efficient than one large string
- redundancy, if one fails it affects only this one string/roof
- unlimited power, with DC MPPT charging, I can parallel as many as I want
- proof of concept, I want to test, proof and share my experience with such a system for others in similar situations
Spectacular undertaking. Great job
A little off topic but I didnt want to email you.
Whats the plan for testing the micro inverters?
Thanks, Ed. All in the pipeline and coming at some stage. I just have far too many projects to take care of atm...
You probably already caught it, but sometimes things get overlooked on a project like this one with multiple people working on it… several of the wires in the combiner box are touching the distribution bar.
Do you have some sort of agreement with the solar company that they are responsible up to roof penetration and you are responsible for all interior work? Here in the US electricians would be tearing out all your work and doing it over so they know for a fact that it is all done to their specs since they will be legally liable for any fires or other damage.
The cabling in the combiner box has been completely redone by the contractor. They will be responsible for all the work they did, on the roof, the cabling and also breaker connection inside the combiner boxes. They have checked all the other cabling and recommended or upgraded any necessary changes. Like the installation of the ground fault alarm.
@@OffGridGarageAustralia That’s more inline with my “Americanized” expectations 👍
I hope you will not see any water coming in running along your mice tunnel when it's raining outside. Did you close any slit there with silicone?
ANDY when are the solar panels installation will be finished by the contractor?????? I really like see you smile when all the arrays finished up and you have the greatest content on youtube. 🇺🇸 your friend from up and over lol the mitten state
When u are checking the VRM portal, u see that it’s already done since Tuesday.
Everything is online and pumping! Videos are coming soon...
@Off-Grid Garage Glad to hear that you're up and running. And you have the best video.
I am thinking of doing the same on the solar array I am thinking of 48 445 watt
To run 24kw low frequency inverters
60kw battery bank. It's my goals 😍.
@@cjtroutt8092 that is a huge system your planning to install, wow!
How are the Jägetmeister bottles fixed to the wall?
Hard drive magnets. It seems the whole garage has been put together with these magnets 😂
It does look better. Surprised your installer didn't just want to use a solodeck or combiner box on the roof. Then you just feed 1 line in instead of all the strings. US requires all those DC runs inside to be in metal conduit. Oh how nice would it be to use plastic for that.
Where is the DC disconnect? I thought in a previous video you had to have a disconnect on the outside for the panels before wire went inside?
No isolator needed on the roof any more. Thank heavens. The isolator needs to be within 3m of the inverter, so my elec told me. To work on lines to isolator, we just undo a mc4 on each circuit.
Yeah, thankfully the days of isolators on the roof are over. It took them 15 years to realise that most fires on the roof are being caused by these switches.
Threaded adaptors.
Did you use a diode to connect strings in parallel to prevent current flow back through a shaded or faulty string?
No, not necessary.
Hi Andy , does your Multiplus II make a humming noise when on? because mine does, and I don't know if its normal, thanks.
No, mine doesn't. Is it running the latest firmware? I know a few people had this issue and Victron fixed that with a software update.
I thought you were showing the vacuum hose to run as conduit for a moment. Not my finest hour.
Great idea... 😂
Is it okay to use 2*200A BMS' with 2*105Ah cells in one bank and 1*105Ah cells in the other for expansion or do I have to get to get seperate BMS' which are more expensive?
On the topic of upgrading, can you make a video on the MC4 connectors? I see IP67, and IP68 and that they are not compatible. I thought all MC4 connectors were standard connectors, but I'm reading that there is no spec between manufacturers that guarantees compatibility, so if you buy panels with MC4 connectors already installed, how do you find the mating MC4 connector? Maybe I bought IP68 MC4 connectors or I bought IP67 ones. If you only upgrade part of your PV setup, is it possible that those new MC4 connectors on the panels won't mate with the existing MC4 connectors on your garage?
I have not heard or read about an IP68 MC4 connector. The new panels have the EVO2 MC4 connectors which allow for higher sting voltage but have the same IP67 rating as the old MC4 connectors.
I'm not sure if it is a good idea to submerge these connectors in water when connected to high voltage DC. Then that's the only difference between 67 and 68.
Do you get called “Handy Andy” much? Maybe you could trade in Andy2 for a Handy Andy when Andy2 is giving you trouble. Good job & vid as always & some nice tips too. I do like the clean look of the enclosed conduited cabling compared to the tonged type that you can pull out wires anywhere & possibly vents heat better, but can also ingress a bit of dust and insects, while the other takes a bit more work to do & may get a little hotter internally. Do you have a preference of the two types for any particular reason? Cheers
Thanks for your kind comment. The decision between the slotted or normal duct is basically driven on how many cables are leaving the duct in a specific area. Behind the shelf it was a no brainer. It is hard to reach and would be almost impossible to drill new holes. I will keep it clean and vacuum it off from time to time (saying this now so we have it in written for me to remember 😊).
But for everything else, the normal duct is perfect.
What is the max wattage you can get from each of your inverters
They have 10kVA and 6kVA peak power.
You are very Good.
I am going to use higer volt for my building ,because i am going to have it on the groun. 2 strings with 500 volt insted off putt upp extra cabels mm and use one off grid converter.
Is it regalations to have lover dc input in Australien, I live in Sweden. Best regards Stefan Ivarsson
Nope - can have whatever DC voltage the controller supports. Andy keeps several short strings due shading he can't (or doesn't want to ) do anything about. Councils don't like people cutting down trees & most people like to keep them if they possibly can.
It's not a regulation, it's more an experiment.
There are several reasons to do it like this:
- we're off-grid, AC string inverters are hard to implement
- shading, lots of parallel strings are more efficient than one large string
- redundancy, if one fails it affects only this one string/roof
- unlimited power, with DC MPPT charging, I can parallel as many as I want
- proof of concept, I want to test, proof and share my experience with such a system for others in similar situations
hi can you help me I bought this here Victron Energy smartsolar mppt 250/100-mc4 I have 5 solar cells of 460w they have a voltage of 50v, that is 250 volts
can I put them together 3 pcs and 2 pcs to keep the voltage down to 150 volts
3 solar panels 150v
2 solar panels 105v parallel connection
Hi, I've got your email as well. The Victron MPPTs have one solar tracker, so strings with different voltages cannot be connected in parallel to the MC4 connectors. Please refer to the manual of the controller on page 10 ongoing.
🦥 I knew it, there’s a sun in the earth 😂
Really? I thought it's on the other side...
Oooooooooohhhh!
I also want to have an …. How do you call it?…. Miles Tunnel to the other site of the world. Because I am in the Austrian alps, so we can see us m :-) Maybe you can create a video how to build this?
Mice tunnel.....
We can probably exchange beer cans through the tunnel!
😀😀
Like# 5!
Piere is always first. You should ask him how he does it... 😉
@@OffGridGarageAustralia he has toothpicks holding his eyes open!
🎉
✌️♥️👍
Why do you use that many MPPT Chargers instead just one or two big stringinverters? Did you explain it somewhere? Looks all cool and is nice but cost efficiency drops a bit this way… Very very bad btw to watch your channel. Yesterday a seplos box arrive here in Germany and also my wife is not believing what is happening to our garage… I don’t follow a lot on UA-cam but I think to watch your videos like this is very dangerous 😅
it is much better to have more mppts for shading and when the solar panels are at different angles.
There are several reasons to do it like this:
- we're off-grid, AC string inverters are hard to implement
- shading, lots of parallel strings are more efficient than one large string
- redundancy, if one fails it affects only this one string/roof
- unlimited power, with DC MPPT charging, I can parallel as many as I want
- proof of concept, I want to test, proof and share my experience with such a system for others in similar situations
Andy... Ich muss dich enttäuschen.. Das lich am ende des Tunnels ist nicht am anderem Ende der Welt.. Jedenfalls nicht aus Deutschland.. Den hier wurde aus Stromspargründen das Licht abgeschaltet🤓🤐
Well, this is like it always goes. You work tidy and neatly, others are 'on a schedule' and FROG things up. Than you have to do their (with your money payed) job over again. I always say: "I need you to do it like you would do it at your mom's house, i demand a high standard installation, like it's being done by a proffesional, tidy snd neatly, If you will not i will pay less." It will be said during intake, and it will be on the contract too. Some go for the extra mile, others are being cut in percentages. This is a messy job too. Did they not know you have a youtube channel? Or... are they "not finished yet" ?
They are not finished yet
nice work, just got some old pannel at a very very good price, could not resist, what are you doing with your old panel?
I will mainly sell them. I will keep some of them for future projects. I guess, if I need more solar, I will buy new ones now seeing how efficient they are.
Oh Andy, I feel your pain. Today I have to design a fix for server 2.ooooo dear today. That is what I did with my cables 25 mm for the win mate.