My exact approach to my HOW TO PLAY ON GUITAR videos. No lead in no yackaty yack just say what needs to be done and get to it then back fill at the END of the video but tell people "That is it for instruction. I will be doing back story and talking now."
No shit. I’m sick of the intros and music and the dumb stills of them throwing their hands in the air with some sensational word on the screen. Make the video and shit the fuck up. 👍
People do it so people will watch it for watch time meaning their video get recommended to more people and they want like for the same reason previously said. And ads for money.
you're welcome. i've been using this setup with 2 to 4 batteries for over 13 years now. only thing i've done is replace the batteries every few years. they typically last about 3 years at a time. same inverter, same charge controller, same panels.
Dude, this is the simplest video on how to set everything up for a small system. I am building my own panels and researching everything as far as balance of system gear but you have done what no one else has done and actually hooked everything up in 1 short video leaving no questions unanswered. Thank you. Well done.
ive commented before and ill comment again. this is the best explanation of how to get started with a basic solar system ever. so many videos or explanations are complete crap and somehow confuse everything. it really isnt that complicated but just takes someone actually showing the steps with common sense.
This by far is the most straightforward solar panel hook up video I have ever seen. Bravo sir, I wish most youtube videos concerning electronics were like this.
I'm moving into my SUV, so I'm planning to set up solar power. I've spent a lot of time researching over the last week, but nothing was as simple and helpful as this video. Thanks!
Alex June Hey! I did move into my SUV and lived in it for 379 days. However, I decided against modifying my car. I just did what I had to do to endure the heat and cold without it.
This is the simplest, but most informative video I watched, that really showed it as a simple hookup. I am gonna get this setup in the next 48 hours. I feel SO MUCH more prepared now. One of us is a diabetic, and keeping the meds cool has concerned me forever. Thank you so much.
1. Solar panels go into charger controller 2. Charge controller goes into lead battery 3. Lead battery goes into invertor for AC 4. Lead battery can be paralleled with other batteries.
There are also inverter/solar charger hybrids. 1) solar panels go into hybrid inverter. 2) hybrid inverter go into battery. 3) hybrid inverter go into outlet
I want to throw this out there and see if anyone is a nerd on this kind of stuff . what about using a battery bank to run into and inverter to power and electric motor which will run the turbine of a generator which produces power to put a charge back into the battery bank which in turn keeps the batteries charged to run the inverter to run the electric motor and do away with the solar panels would it work?
@@dickydewpodcast If you think of electricity flow like a water in a plumbing system, things may become more clear to you. It's always good to think about things and maybe you might be the next Tesla to challenge and change the world for the better. Always, try to understand your environment and give away as much as possible to humanity while maintaining your dignity. Everything has loss from one type of conversion to the other. Add that to wire, friction, gravity and connector losses. Then there's loss due to corrosion and not having a perfect connection. Add this to heat loss of the various conversions to run systems. Motors and generators have their own unique losses and can also be calculated. There is startup, running, load and no-load situations. Everything can be calculated and there is no free lunch (free energy). We all want a free lunch so we don't have to pay for energy. In a perfect world, which does NOT exist on Earth, your idea may work, but not as is today. Maybe losses in space will be a lot less due to no gravity and extreme cold. I can't speak to small nuclear energy plants, but they look promising. I have real world experience. I maintained backup battery systems for over 30 years and now designing my own solar power system. Looking for setup ideas is the reason I'm here.
Thank you so much, ppl like you share green knowledge without charging anything. Your share knowledge will help ppl save money, live a better and greener life, thanks and hope you keep it up!
thanks. my goal was to show how easy it is to set these systems up - and to take the 'mystery' out of it. all items needed can be found at local stores and a person can set the system up in one afternoon. can easily be expanded to 3,4,5... or more batteries. a good rule to follow is to have one battery for every 2 to 6 amps that your panels generate and remember to buy a charge controller that can handle the amps and you're all set.
this is the best tutorial video on how to get started with back up solar power. I do have a couple of questions. 1)what gauge wire do I use when wiring between the charge controller, the battery to the inverter, and the battery to battery (parallel ) 2) where to put my inline fuses and what size fuse? I will be installing a 100w 12 v single solar panel, 2 deep cycle batteries, 30a charge controller, 1000w pure sine inverter. I'm a complete novice at wiring but with a little help from the green community, I feel confident I can get my feet wet with a small system and go big later on down the road, again, great video....
I’ve been looking at setting a small solar system up for myself, and was wondering if I was missing something, as this seems deceptively simple. The way you’ve explained it here makes perfect sense, than you very much for the wonderfully clear, to-the-point explanation!
you're welcome. i'm glad it helped. i made this video specifically to take the "mystery" out of it and to show how easy it is to do. plus with every passing day it seems like the prices continue to drop on the items needed. you can now set up a whole system for about $300 - maybe less ...and all the stuff needed is easy to get. 👍 i've been running my system for 12 years now.
thanks. yes it takes one full day of sun to charge this system from empty to full (10-11 hrs). in brief: each batt. is rated 101ah (202ah total). Remember though that the “usable part” of a batt. is only about 1/3 of it's total capacity. in this case 34ah or (68ah total). the panels, in full sun produce 6 amps (over 11 hrs equals 66ah). note: after you remove about 1/3 of the "juice" from batt. bank the "low voltage alarm" will sound and inverter will shut off (to protect the batts from damage)
I'd look online as I did six years ago (in UK), there are lots of small alternative energy companies and individuals who can advise you, they use a chart to work out your power size needs and you take it from there. Buy the best you can afford and shop around, and build it up if necessary. Understanding how it all works is a good start. Good luck!
Let me tell you. I've been looking for easy instructions and this by far is the easiest to understand. Thank you sir. I want to build a compact one to put in an ammo box. Now I have the basic understanding. Thanks again!!
This is exactely how I run my system at home. 1 x 100w panel, 2 x 110ah heavy duty leisure batteries, 1 x MTTP solar controller and a 1500w inverter, job done. Thanks for sharing.
@@Philipbuono77 My original system was run on x2 leisure deep cycle batteries, but I have now invested in x1 100amp Lifepo4 lithium battery. It is much better and offers better power delivery 👍. I personally would not use standard car batteries.
This is a good explanation of how a solar system is put together and works. I would like to add some very important information anyone wanting to go solar or have a solar back up. It is important to know what size inverter you would need to operate what you want to use. Inverters are rated for continuous loads and start(peak) up loads. Example: 2000/4000 watts. To find out what size inverter you will need. I am going to use for a full size refrigerator. Look inside the refrigerator for the small metal plate, it will have the amps listed that is required to run. Multiply the amps by 120 ac (alternating current) voltage ( your household electric) , will give you the watts needed for continuous run load . Since refrigerator, freezers, air conditions and pumps cut off and on they require higher peak load than the continuous run load requirements. For refrigerators and such mentioned you will need 3 to 7 times the continuous run load to cover the peak surge use to start up the motors in these things. Example you have a freezer with a continuous load of 4 amps and the start up load of 12 amps or more will be needed. Multiply 4 amps by 120 volts equal 480 watts of continuous power needed. Now multiply 12 amps by 120 volts equal 1440 watts needed for a start up load. You will need an inverter with surge/peak rating of 1440 watts or more just to handle this one appliance. For a complete household you will need to find out what everything you want to run off the inverter requires. That will determine the size inverter or inverters you will need. For example a normal coffee maker will draw about 800 watts of power. If you have a 500 watt inverter you can't run that coffee maker.
Love the video, very nicely done and simple to the point to understand. I have a similar system I got six years ago from a major auto parts store. It is four 15w panels, and 8 amp charge controller and a seperate 800w inverter. I got four deep cycle batteries from the same parts store. It ran my lights and old printer in my rural tow yard till about 2am every day. I never had fancy monitors for battery charge, but they lasted five years or so. I still have it on my shop. Thanks, good job.
Awesome video. My first time hooking up a bigger solar system ( I bought a small all in one for lights to start out). I bought a 200 watt system and 2 batteries. Best video I found. I did one step at a time and got it. Thanks!!
it's modified sine wave. you could hook up a pure sine wave one to the same system. i've been looking at some of the xantrex prowatt models. fairly inexpensive and some even have built in lighted voltmeters
I have been looking for some one like you for ages. This is the best explanation of how to set a system up. I am not saying others are bad, I just think people get to carried away. Keep making videos like this please :)
hey ,if anyone else wants to uncover design your own solar power system try Magonsi Solar System Expert (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some unbelievable things about it and my friend got excellent results with it.
yes, as others have said, this video is head and shoulders above many others because it takes what is actually a simple topic, and puts it into simple, straightforward terms that make sense and can be followed by the average person trying to get started. i watched several vids that act like they are for total beginners, and it's just gibbering overcomplicated nonsense in a haphazard manner that probably doesnt even make sense to people who know electronics terms, and thereby basically useless.
WOW the simplest and most easy to follow video yet Thanks for that I liked it. I can go to all the other guys for the tech bull but come back here to make it in common sense
THIS IS THE FIRST VIDEO I'VE SEEN THAT BREAKS THE HOW TO DOWN IN SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND INSTRUCTIONS RE: HOOKING THE PANELS TO THE BATTERIES! IT DOESN'T SEEM OVERWHELMING NOW! THANK YOU 👍👍😊🙏
@@desertsun02 FYI - I purposely listened to the ads so that hopefully you'll get commission; additionally, 1 of the ads was re: cosmic scopes. They looked mil quality & i got their pkg of 3 offer! Hope it helps you.👍👍🙏
Great video !!! I run my whole house just like this except with 10 batteries and a 5000 watt inverter wired to the existing fuse box in my house..making all the switches and plug ins work correctly. .9 watt bulbs glowing all over the house..works outstanding and can go a week or better with no charge..DO TRY THIS AT HOME !!!!
Bless you. Don't know why people won't explain things simply like you just did. They throw a sit tonne of calculus at you, then don't explain how to hook up the battery array, lol.
yep. i mentioned in the video that it is optional but it is a great thing to have hooked up. i find it very helpful to know the state of charge of battery bank at all times
Finally, a simple and accurate explanation of how this works and how the connections should be made. It was really nice the way your video showed the connections from start to finish, in that order. Your the only person who had enough sense to simply followed the wires back from solar panel in order from connection to connection. I am not sure how the the other video makers even got their stuff to work based on what they were trying to explain, so thank you for getting it right, making sense and putting and end to cycle of stupidity I had to endure.
Hello, thank you it helped me quite a lot. Before the video I was clueless what I need and how to hook stuff up. It doesnt seem complicated but if you have never done it before you simply dont have an understanding.
Good Lord, now how hard was that? I'm not a smart guy (memory problems), so every video I've watched on how to put together a system has boggled my brain. Thanks for making such a clear teaching video. A while back, I watched too many videos where the guys were rattling off so much superfluous scattered information, using unfamiliar terms, that I figured it must just be too complicated for me to understand. With these latest disasters leaving people without electricity, it seemed like a good time to take another look at getting a solar system together. I'm glad I landed here. Thanks.
Needed, not always. Strongly recommended, absolutely. A charge controller will stop the solar panel from killing the battery. Basically a battery requires you to push a certain voltage into it to charge it (12v batteries for example usually require a little over 13v). If the solar panel pushes too much into the battery, it'll kill it.
Thank you!! Finally someone who didnt me all cornfused with ohms and flux capacity!! Just bought my first Harbor Freight 100 watt panel kit and was wondering how to set the thing up. Now I know!
Thank you so much. This is so simple and straight forward that anyone can understand it. You have given me confidence to set a system up in my campervan.
making Luke (below) words, mine: "Straight to the point! No stupid intro, no obnoxious music drowning out your words" and no narcissist faces all the time! Thanks for a great video !!! Have one question though: - how do I set the leader battery ? This is for kids project. thank you!
@@desertsun02 how you hook up; from charge controller to yourLEAD BATTERY. is in your video position 1:34 . how to i decide which one is the lead battery? can they be different makers? thank you
@J. Walker they should all be the same type of battery. the batteries are basically just lined up in a row. (the first one in the row is the lead battery) 👍
Great video. Just 1 question. Will the batteries overcharge and die at a point? Also, can this hook into your home to lessen your electricity bill or is it only a stand alone system? Thanks again
How durable and weather resistant are these panels? How long could you leave them outside before they start to "weaken" strange question but I'm curious. Also what kind of matinance do these setups require
Josh O'Connor hi. there durability is equal to any standard solar panel designed for home use. i've had these panels for 8 years. they've endured high winds, heavy rains, golf ball size hail and lots of high heat and still work/look perfect. they're mean't to be left outside permanently. with regards to "weakening" the panels are designed to meet the industry average (which is that they will still put out no less than 90% of rated max. at 10 years and no less than 80% of rated max. after 25 years). note that most panels will not degrade this much. (many solar panels that are 20-35 years old now are being tested and are still putting out up to 97%). in terms of maintenance, other than checking the fluid level in the batteries from time to time (and adding distilled water if it's low) there is no maintenance required. for reference on the last point, my personal experience with the fluid level being low is that i've never had a low fluid situation in 8 years of using these types of systems. (and that is charging and discharging the batts almost everyday for the life of the batteries (typically about 1000 charge cycles))
Thank you! My only thing holding me back is it seems like you would require an absurd amount of solar panels to power a house, somthing like 500 square feet
Josh O'Connor powering entire house does take quite a few panels. (consider building up the system in increments. saves you from having to fork over one big lump sum all at once). that's what i did originally. (my oldest/first video shows my original system. that system was built in 4 stages (one battery + one 3 panel set) purchased at 4 separate times. as your building it you'll have a "solar assisted" house.
Entheogin913 hi there. without knowing the specific wattages of each item it's hard to say but in general i'd say a system about twice as big as the one in this video (my first video post shows a system about that size). ran that one for 6+years.
hi there. i would go with a smaller solar panel. any panel over 140 watts is generally not a '12 volt panel' and is not designed to be used with a battery bank. with a 2 battery system, i would either use two '3 panel sets' from harbor freight or buy one 100 watt panel from amazon or ebay ($150 to $180). i would use a 200 watt or larger inverter (that will give you plenty of power for what you want to run). get a charge controller that can handle at least 7 amps. 100w panel produces about 6 amps
+mark oshields each battery is rated at 105 Ah with a voltage of 12V. 105 x 12 = 1260 Watt hours, running 100 watts 1260/100 = 12.6 hours. There are 2 batteries so around 25 hours on a full charge.
Nice video!!! I myself started with 1 HF kit and one DCM battery.... Now I have 4 sets on the roof and 5 batteries.... Used to have 4 more car batteries but they could not handle the deep cycling.... Just a couple of ideas for ya sir... 1) I seen many vids with people having a half dozen batts spread across the floor, workbench , shelf.... Waste of space in my opion... I stack mine vertical in milk crates... 2) Get a better charge regulator... HF has a 30 amp one for about $80...
*With the ever increasing costs of living and global warming, there should be better time when we stop throwing money out the window and save some by starting to generate our own electricity*.
Your video is the best one I have seen on the net (and I have seen a lot!) Not a bunch of BS, just what we need to know. Thank you for posting. I am watching your channel now.
how much power can you store in 2 car batteries is it enough to run appliances(fridge,toaster,microwave etc not all at once obviously) and fans at a camp for off the grid living anybody can help me out with this ps: the fridge and fans are the only thing constantly in use
+Ray RayRay don't know if anyone answered you or not, but you do NOT use car batteries. You would use deep cycle batteries like what is used for a trolling motor. It's a design difference, car bats are meant to drop a bunch of power quickly to start up the car, deep cycle are a measured amount of power coming out over a longer time period and the battery being discharged further and not destroying it.
The best ones you can get are golfcart batteries. I suggest trojian t-105 re but remember these are six volt sou would need to buy at least two and run them in series
@@rwjedi and Ray RayRay, correct, but in an emergency, you can run appliances off an idling car engine, via its battery hooked up to a 1000 W+ inverter and through a heavy duty (10 ga) extension cord running from the inverter into the house. For 110 V refrigerators, ACs, even water heaters, one might cycle the inverter on for 20 minutes and off, for 30, to give the car battery time to recharge and/ or rest.
hi there, the panels you have are for grid tie applications. i would not try to hook them to a battery bank. panels that are designed for battery banks are generally 12 volts and the largest are about 140 watts.
Yeah, I second that. The leads coming from the panel should be tightened together with more than just the copper strands through the ring terminals, or else the junction will not conduct power from each panel equally. Good informative video though; simple yet covers all the bases.
I like the way you explain how to wire solar panels you make look so Izzy . you know how to teach it thanks' for teaching me how its done you are the man with the master plan !
When 12 volt systems are charging they read as high as 14.4 volts. When the system is completely charged it will go into "float charge" mode. At this point they will read around 13.5 to 13.8 volts. Just means the battery bank was fully charged. Once the sun goes down the battery voltage will drop to 12.7 to 12.9 volts. 12.7 to 12.9 volts is a fully charged battery. When the sun comes up the voltage will once again be 13.5 to 13.8 volts.
hi there, it is 100% safe to keep them indoors. there is no danger of them exploding at all. batteries do put out a VERY minuscule (small) amount of hydrogen when in the final stages of charging. it's a tiny amount that easily dissipates in a room. (the air in an average room of a house is completely exchanged with outside air every 4 hours or so just from air entering around windows doors etc...) ...if you had 100 of them in a small room then i would say you might want to "open the window"
thanks. yep, you can add as many batteries as you want. what size charge controller you need depends on how much power the panels produce (not how many batteries you have). example: the charge controller i have is 25ah (amp hour). as long as solar panels don't produce more than 25A then i can keep using the same controller.
hi there. to be clear, any panel over 140 watts is generally not a "12 volt panel" and is not designed to be used with a battery bank. to make sure you have enough power, i would use 4 batteries (if they hold 75ah each) and 2 100 watt panels.
Love how simple you explain things! My stepdad and I share ideas back and forth all the time but now that we live States apart your videos make what I'm trying to share easy for him to understand what I'm saying
you can use any 12 volt 'deep cycle' batteries. walmart sells good ones. cost about $75.00 per battery. they tend to last as long as any other battery. i usually get 3 years out of them (or approx. 1000 charge cycles).
varies widely. prices in my area: batteries: $75.00 each. inverters: 400 watter $19.99/1000 watter $59.99. charge controllers $15-$40. harbor freight panels: $100 used/$140 new. as an alternative consider buying a single 100 watt monocrystaline solar panel. amazon sells a great one (by Renogy) for $179.99 (free shipping). that's only $1.80 a watt.
Hi thanks for taking the time to do your video....Im going to put 90 watts of HF panels up on the house, but Im going to need 50 feet of wiring to reach the garage ..What gauge of wiring do you recommend ..
We need a revolution on UA-cam, of people who just want to make video's, and don't want to be star's. Thanks for a good video mate.
My exact approach to my HOW TO PLAY ON GUITAR videos. No lead in no yackaty yack just say what needs to be done and get to it then back fill at the END of the video but tell people "That is it for instruction. I will be doing back story and talking now."
And people that don't add unnecessary apostrophes to words when making them plural.
No shit. I’m sick of the intros and music and the dumb stills of them throwing their hands in the air with some sensational word on the screen. Make the video and shit the fuck up. 👍
It’s coming
We really need a viable youtube alternative. It’s a monopoly.
Straight to the point!
No stupid intro
No obnoxious music drowning out your words
Thanks for a great video 👌🏽👍🏽
People do it so people will watch it for watch time meaning their video get recommended to more people and they want like for the same reason previously said. And ads for money.
ty fr
Hands down the most concise, no nonsense instructional video. Excellent in it’s simplicity
hi and thank you very much! that was the goal (to keep it super simple and straight forward)
This video is 9 years old and still the most simplest and best explained video on this setup...thanks bro.
you're welcome. i've been using this setup with 2 to 4 batteries for over 13 years now. only thing i've done is replace the batteries every few years. they typically last about 3 years at a time. same inverter, same charge controller, same panels.
this is the most straight forward explaination out there To many people go WAYYYY to deep and get lost in their explanations .Thank you
Dude, this is the simplest video on how to set everything up for a small system. I am building my own panels and researching everything as far as balance of system gear but you have done what no one else has done and actually hooked everything up in 1 short video leaving no questions unanswered. Thank you. Well done.
ive commented before and ill comment again. this is the best explanation of how to get started with a basic solar system ever. so many videos or explanations are complete crap and somehow confuse everything. it really isnt that complicated but just takes someone actually showing the steps with common sense.
Yep, great simple talk thru video!
Agreed. After watching this I have no idea why all the others do such a shitty job of explaining.
This by far is the most straightforward solar panel hook up video I have ever seen. Bravo sir, I wish most youtube videos concerning electronics were like this.
I'm moving into my SUV, so I'm planning to set up solar power. I've spent a lot of time researching over the last week, but nothing was as simple and helpful as this video. Thanks!
Were you able to do it? How did it turn out if you did?
Alex June Hey! I did move into my SUV and lived in it for 379 days. However, I decided against modifying my car. I just did what I had to do to endure the heat and cold without it.
@@maxleveladventures so you didn't implement a solar panel system?
Alex June Correct.
@@maxleveladventures thank you.
Probably the most straightforward video I've seen on the subject. Thanks!
i agree
yeah, ive watched about 5 terrible videos in comparison. this one was cream of the crop!
Yeah I liked that! No lead up, no drama, no bullshit, short and straight forward, my type of dude! lol!
It's in my top 2
I saw another not as short but on target for straightforward on the subject
Both very rare in UA-cam today
Indeed, great video. Clear, concise with useful info and easy to follow instructions. Well done. Thank you.
This is the simplest, but most informative video I watched, that really showed it as a simple hookup. I am gonna get this setup in the next 48 hours. I feel SO MUCH more prepared now. One of us is a diabetic, and keeping the meds cool has concerned me forever. Thank you so much.
@eoinf2773 don't know but he's batteries was only showing 13v & he had two hooked together Lol 🤣
@@officialmysteriousrider130 he’s only getting a reading from one battery.. the ‘Lead’ battery
He wired the batteries in parallel, so the voltage remains the same but the capacity increases.
Best video on a basic solar system I have come across while building my van. Somehow most videos leave people confused and mentally beatdown.
That was EXACTLY the info I was looking for, straight forward and simple. Thanks for taking the time to make it and post it up. Much appreciated !
The best explanation ever. Short, concise and straight to the point. Thank you for the video
1. Solar panels go into charger controller
2. Charge controller goes into lead battery
3. Lead battery goes into invertor for AC
4. Lead battery can be paralleled with other batteries.
Was that really the correct order? or battery goes to charge controller prior to panels?
There are also inverter/solar charger hybrids.
1) solar panels go into hybrid inverter.
2) hybrid inverter go into battery.
3) hybrid inverter go into outlet
I want to throw this out there and see if anyone is a nerd on this kind of stuff . what about using a battery bank to run into and inverter to power and electric motor which will run the turbine of a generator which produces power to put a charge back into the battery bank which in turn keeps the batteries charged to run the inverter to run the electric motor and do away with the solar panels would it work?
@@dickydewpodcast If you think of electricity flow like a water in a plumbing system, things may become more clear to you. It's always good to think about things and maybe you might be the next Tesla to challenge and change the world for the better. Always, try to understand your environment and give away as much as possible to humanity while maintaining your dignity.
Everything has loss from one type of conversion to the other. Add that to wire, friction, gravity and connector losses. Then there's loss due to corrosion and not having a perfect connection. Add this to heat loss of the various conversions to run systems. Motors and generators have their own unique losses and can also be calculated. There is startup, running, load and no-load situations. Everything can be calculated and there is no free lunch (free energy).
We all want a free lunch so we don't have to pay for energy. In a perfect world, which does NOT exist on Earth, your idea may work, but not as is today. Maybe losses in space will be a lot less due to no gravity and extreme cold. I can't speak to small nuclear energy plants, but they look promising.
I have real world experience. I maintained backup battery systems for over 30 years and now designing my own solar power system. Looking for setup ideas is the reason I'm here.
@@dickydewpodcast Perpetual motion doesn't work. Sorry.
Thank you so much, ppl like you share green knowledge without charging anything. Your share knowledge will help ppl save money, live a better and greener life, thanks and hope you keep it up!
thanks. my goal was to show how easy it is to set these systems up - and to take the 'mystery' out of it. all items needed can be found at local stores and a person can set the system up in one afternoon. can easily be expanded to 3,4,5... or more batteries. a good rule to follow is to have one battery for every 2 to 6 amps that your panels generate and remember to buy a charge controller that can handle the amps and you're all set.
this is the best tutorial video on how to get started with back up solar power. I do have a couple of questions. 1)what gauge wire do I use when wiring between the charge controller, the battery to the inverter, and the battery to battery (parallel )
2) where to put my inline fuses and what size fuse?
I will be installing a 100w 12 v single solar panel, 2 deep cycle batteries, 30a charge controller, 1000w pure sine inverter. I'm a complete novice at wiring but with a little help from the green community, I feel confident I can get my feet wet with a small system and go big later on down the road, again, great video....
I don't know much about electricity, but that was the most understandable explanation I've seen here. Pretty straight forward. Great video Sir! :)
I’ve been looking at setting a small solar system up for myself, and was wondering if I was missing something, as this seems deceptively simple. The way you’ve explained it here makes perfect sense, than you very much for the wonderfully clear, to-the-point explanation!
you're welcome. i'm glad it helped. i made this video specifically to take the "mystery" out of it and to show how easy it is to do. plus with every passing day it seems like the prices continue to drop on the items needed. you can now set up a whole system for about $300 - maybe less ...and all the stuff needed is easy to get. 👍 i've been running my system for 12 years now.
Where do I find a cheap charge controller?
thanks. yes it takes one full day of sun to charge this system from empty to full (10-11 hrs). in brief: each batt. is rated 101ah (202ah total). Remember though that the “usable part” of a batt. is only about 1/3 of it's total capacity. in this case 34ah or (68ah total). the panels, in full sun produce 6 amps (over 11 hrs equals 66ah). note: after you remove about 1/3 of the "juice" from batt. bank the "low voltage alarm" will sound and inverter will shut off (to protect the batts from damage)
I'd look online as I did six years ago (in UK), there are lots of small alternative energy companies and individuals who can advise you, they use a chart to work out your power size needs and you take it from there. Buy the best you can afford and shop around, and build it up if necessary. Understanding how it all works is a good start. Good luck!
Let me tell you. I've been looking for easy instructions and this by far is the easiest to understand. Thank you sir. I want to build a compact one to put in an ammo box. Now I have the basic understanding. Thanks again!!
This is exactely how I run my system at home. 1 x 100w panel, 2 x 110ah heavy duty leisure batteries, 1 x MTTP solar controller and a 1500w inverter, job done. Thanks for sharing.
Are those regular car batteries?
@@Philipbuono77 My original system was run on x2 leisure deep cycle batteries, but I have now invested in x1 100amp Lifepo4 lithium battery. It is much better and offers better power delivery 👍. I personally would not use standard car batteries.
23 fancy videos later and I find exactly what I need. Thank YOU SIR!!
hi there. i know what you mean and Glad to help 🙂
This is a good explanation of how a solar system is put together and works.
I would like to add some very important information anyone wanting to go solar or have a solar back up.
It is important to know what size inverter you would need to operate what you want to use. Inverters are rated for continuous loads and start(peak) up loads. Example: 2000/4000 watts.
To find out what size inverter you will need. I am going to use for a full size
refrigerator.
Look inside the refrigerator for the small metal plate, it will have the amps listed that is required to run. Multiply the amps by 120 ac (alternating current) voltage ( your household electric) , will give you the watts needed for continuous run load .
Since refrigerator, freezers, air conditions and pumps cut off and on they require higher peak load than the continuous run load requirements.
For refrigerators and such mentioned you will need 3 to 7 times the continuous run load to cover the peak surge use to start up the motors in these things.
Example you have a freezer with a continuous load of 4 amps and the start up load of 12 amps or more will be needed. Multiply 4 amps by 120 volts equal 480 watts of continuous power needed. Now multiply 12 amps by 120 volts equal 1440 watts needed for a start up load.
You will need an inverter with surge/peak rating of 1440 watts or more just to handle this one appliance.
For a complete household you will need to find out what everything you want to run off the inverter requires. That will determine the size inverter or inverters you will need.
For example a normal coffee maker will draw about 800 watts of power. If you have a 500 watt inverter you can't run that coffee maker.
Love the video, very nicely done and simple to the point to understand. I have a similar system I got six years ago from a major auto parts store. It is four 15w panels, and 8 amp charge controller and a seperate 800w inverter. I got four deep cycle batteries from the same parts store. It ran my lights and old printer in my rural tow yard till about 2am every day. I never had fancy monitors for battery charge, but they lasted five years or so. I still have it on my shop. Thanks, good job.
Awesome video. My first time hooking up a bigger solar system ( I bought a small all in one for lights to start out). I bought a 200 watt system and 2 batteries. Best video I found. I did one step at a time and got it. Thanks!!
it's modified sine wave. you could hook up a pure sine wave one to the same system. i've been looking at some of the xantrex prowatt models. fairly inexpensive and some even have built in lighted voltmeters
Can I ask why all electrical appliance must be connected to only one battery ? Thanks.
Where did you get your voltage reader meter?
Why can't all UA-cam DIY be this straightforward?
I have been looking for some one like you for ages. This is the best explanation of how to set a system up. I am not saying others are bad, I just think people get to carried away. Keep making videos like this please :)
nice
Finally some one who can actually explain and simplify a difficult process, excellent video excellent demonstration.
There should be educational systems everywhere teaching this stuff. Thanks for sharing your knowledge so people can learn better ways to do things.
hey ,if anyone else wants to uncover design your own solar power system try Magonsi Solar System Expert (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? Ive heard some unbelievable things about it and my friend got excellent results with it.
William Kidd Jr.
I was just thinking that
My husband passed away and I had to do this all on my. Own. Your instructions and follow up article helped me so much... Thank you!
hi there. sorry to hear about your husband. i'm glad the video helped you. 🌞
If only every UA-cam instructor had your foresight and attention to detail.
yes, as others have said, this video is head and shoulders above many others because it takes what is actually a simple topic, and puts it into simple, straightforward terms that make sense and can be followed by the average person trying to get started. i watched several vids that act like they are for total beginners, and it's just gibbering overcomplicated nonsense in a haphazard manner that probably doesnt even make sense to people who know electronics terms, and thereby basically useless.
WOW the simplest and most easy to follow video yet
Thanks for that I liked it. I can go to all the other guys for the tech bull but come back here to make it in common sense
thanks. my goal was to show how easy it really is to set these systems up ...and to take the 'mystery' out of it.
You didn't flap, you didn't change your mind on information just give. You were clear and precise and for that I thank you.
THIS IS THE FIRST VIDEO I'VE SEEN THAT BREAKS THE HOW TO DOWN IN SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND INSTRUCTIONS RE: HOOKING THE PANELS TO THE BATTERIES! IT DOESN'T SEEM OVERWHELMING NOW! THANK YOU 👍👍😊🙏
sweet! - i'm glad it helped. yep, it's super easy. i made this video to take the 'mystery' out of setting it up.
@@desertsun02 FYI - I purposely listened to the ads so that hopefully you'll get commission; additionally, 1 of the ads was re: cosmic scopes. They looked mil quality & i got their pkg of 3 offer! Hope it helps you.👍👍🙏
Great video !!! I run my whole house just like this except with 10 batteries and a 5000 watt inverter wired to the existing fuse box in my house..making all the switches and plug ins work correctly. .9 watt bulbs glowing all over the house..works outstanding and can go a week or better with no charge..DO TRY THIS AT HOME !!!!
coreymoore1000 How many panels and what size?
coreymoore1000 hi.. does your washer and dryer work with dat as well???
Learn grammar you fool, dat should be that...fool.
how much your setup coast
how much your setup coast
Bless you. Don't know why people won't explain things simply like you just did. They throw a sit tonne of calculus at you, then don't explain how to hook up the battery array, lol.
Thanks for the simple explanation of how to set everything up!
yep. i mentioned in the video that it is optional but it is a great thing to have hooked up. i find it very helpful to know the state of charge of battery bank at all times
a great simple video with no bull shit.thanks
Very easy to understand solar demonstration to get you started using FREE ELECTRICITY! Nice work man !
hi. thanks brother.😎
Finally, a simple and accurate explanation of how this works and how the connections should be made. It was really nice the way your video showed the connections from start to finish, in that order. Your the only person who had enough sense to simply followed the wires back from solar panel in order from connection to connection. I am not sure how the the other video makers even got their stuff to work based on what they were trying to explain, so thank you for getting it right, making sense and putting and end to cycle of stupidity I had to endure.
Hello, thank you it helped me quite a lot. Before the video I was clueless what I need and how to hook stuff up. It doesnt seem complicated but if you have never done it before you simply dont have an understanding.
Awesome pretty quick and to the point, no life stories LIKE THE OTHERS lol.
Good Lord, now how hard was that? I'm not a smart guy (memory problems), so every video I've watched on how to put together a system has boggled my brain. Thanks for making such a clear teaching video. A while back, I watched too many videos where the guys were rattling off so much superfluous scattered information, using unfamiliar terms, that I figured it must just be too complicated for me to understand.
With these latest disasters leaving people without electricity, it seemed like a good time to take another look at getting a solar system together. I'm glad I landed here. Thanks.
Ive seen a lot of these videos. Yours is clean & simple to the point. Thanks.
Needed, not always. Strongly recommended, absolutely. A charge controller will stop the solar panel from killing the battery. Basically a battery requires you to push a certain voltage into it to charge it (12v batteries for example usually require a little over 13v). If the solar panel pushes too much into the battery, it'll kill it.
You made this video so simple that I ( an Okie with very little education and even less teeth ) can understand it.
Lol okie here too. Check my channel
WOW.. ATLEAST this one is straight forward and nice picture quality..
They're "EverStart" 101ah deep cycle batteries.
So this is a 12volt battery bank yes?
Thank you!! Finally someone who didnt me all cornfused with ohms and flux capacity!! Just bought my first Harbor Freight 100 watt panel kit and was wondering how to set the thing up. Now I know!
Thank you! I will be using this info to make my own for my off grid bus!
Thank you so much. This is so simple and straight forward that anyone can understand it. You have given me confidence to set a system up in my campervan.
you're welcome
making Luke (below) words, mine: "Straight to the point!
No stupid intro, no obnoxious music drowning out your words" and no narcissist faces all the time!
Thanks for a great video !!!
Have one question though:
- how do I set the leader battery ? This is for kids project.
thank you!
hi. i'm glad you like the video. i'm not sure what you mean when you say, "how do i set the leader battery". can you elaborate.
@@desertsun02 how you hook up; from charge controller to yourLEAD BATTERY. is in your video position 1:34 . how to i decide which one is the lead battery? can they be different makers? thank you
@J. Walker they should all be the same type of battery. the batteries are basically just lined up in a row. (the first one in the row is the lead battery) 👍
Thank you very much for such a great video! You make it look so simple. Thank you!!!!!
People really try to over complicate solar. Thx for making a good and simple video that’s easy to understand.
you're welcome ✔
Simple yet informative.
Thanks for sharin with us!
Dude best explanation I've heard. Simple yet encompassing explanation.
Great video. Just 1 question. Will the batteries overcharge and die at a point? Also, can this hook into your home to lessen your electricity bill or is it only a stand alone system? Thanks again
Buildin_N_Preppin Get yourself a good controller, it will cut off when the batteries are full and stop them draining back into the panel at night.
+Steve Westcott which one do you recommend?
BY FAR the BEST explanation I've seen yet on the net! Very easy to understand! Thank you so much!
explicitly well explained, thank u so much!
that is the coolest of all videos on the subject, no promotion and straightforward and really helpful. Thanks
How durable and weather resistant are these panels? How long could you leave them outside before they start to "weaken" strange question but I'm curious. Also what kind of matinance do these setups require
Josh O'Connor hi. there durability is equal to any standard solar panel designed for home use. i've had these panels for 8 years. they've endured high winds, heavy rains, golf ball size hail and lots of high heat and still work/look perfect. they're mean't to be left outside permanently. with regards to "weakening" the panels are designed to meet the industry average (which is that they will still put out no less than 90% of rated max. at 10 years and no less than 80% of rated max. after 25 years). note that most panels will not degrade this much. (many solar panels that are 20-35 years old now are being tested and are still putting out up to 97%). in terms of maintenance, other than checking the fluid level in the batteries from time to time (and adding distilled water if it's low) there is no maintenance required. for reference on the last point, my personal experience with the fluid level being low is that i've never had a low fluid situation in 8 years of using these types of systems. (and that is charging and discharging the batts almost everyday for the life of the batteries (typically about 1000 charge cycles))
Thank you! My only thing holding me back is it seems like you would require an absurd amount of solar panels to power a house, somthing like 500 square feet
Josh O'Connor powering entire house does take quite a few panels. (consider building up the system in increments. saves you from having to fork over one big lump sum all at once). that's what i did originally. (my oldest/first video shows my original system. that system was built in 4 stages (one battery + one 3 panel set) purchased at 4 separate times. as your building it you'll have a "solar assisted" house.
Entheogin913 hi there. without knowing the specific wattages of each item it's hard to say but in general i'd say a system about twice as big as the one in this video (my first video post shows a system about that size). ran that one for 6+years.
desertsun02 What type of wire with amp did you use to connect the controller to the battery and to connect the batteries together ?
hi there. i would go with a smaller solar panel. any panel over 140 watts is generally not a '12 volt panel' and is not designed to be used with a battery bank. with a 2 battery system, i would either use two '3 panel sets' from harbor freight or buy one 100 watt panel from amazon or ebay ($150 to $180). i would use a 200 watt or larger inverter (that will give you plenty of power for what you want to run). get a charge controller that can handle at least 7 amps. 100w panel produces about 6 amps
great video short n sweet right to the point thank you man
Love how simple this is and how you can adapt it to almost anything.
i agree. this can be used in all sorts of ways
Once the sun has gone down and the 2 battery's are not charging, how long (hours) can you use 100 watts continuously?
+mark oshields each battery is rated at 105 Ah with a voltage of 12V. 105 x 12 = 1260 Watt hours, running 100 watts 1260/100 = 12.6 hours. There are 2 batteries so around 25 hours on a full charge.
You can't run it down to zero. Maximum 50% so half 12,5 hours maximum else your battery life will not last long.
12.6 years punk
The 2 battery is enough to power up 2 fan 2 light for next 12 hours.. if you want to power up whole house go pay the bill!! Lol
The best simplified solar video on youtube. Well done!
How that's inverter working out? I once bought a inverter from Harbor Freight and it broke two weeks later.
Nice video!!!
I myself started with 1 HF kit and one DCM battery.... Now I have 4 sets on the roof and 5 batteries.... Used to have 4 more car batteries but they could not handle the deep cycling.... Just a couple of ideas for ya sir...
1) I seen many vids with people having a half dozen batts spread across the floor, workbench , shelf.... Waste of space in my opion... I stack mine vertical in milk crates...
2) Get a better charge regulator... HF has a 30 amp one for about $80...
*With the ever increasing costs of living and global warming, there should be better time when we stop throwing money out the window and save some by starting to generate our own electricity*.
Your video is the best one I have seen on the net (and I have seen a lot!) Not a bunch of BS, just what we need to know. Thank you for posting. I am watching your channel now.
how much power can you store in 2 car batteries is it enough to run appliances(fridge,toaster,microwave etc not all at once obviously) and fans at a camp for off the grid living anybody can help me out with this ps: the fridge and fans are the only thing constantly in use
Ray RayRay also whats the ratio on panels for batterie
+Ray RayRay don't know if anyone answered you or not, but you do NOT use car batteries. You would use deep cycle batteries like what is used for a trolling motor. It's a design difference, car bats are meant to drop a bunch of power quickly to start up the car, deep cycle are a measured amount of power coming out over a longer time period and the battery being discharged further and not destroying it.
The best ones you can get are golfcart batteries. I suggest trojian t-105 re but remember these are six volt sou would need to buy at least two and run them in series
+Alderaan Acres So we can use marine batteries right?
@@rwjedi and Ray RayRay, correct, but in an emergency, you can run appliances off an idling car engine, via its battery hooked up to a 1000 W+ inverter and through a heavy duty (10 ga) extension cord running from the inverter into the house. For 110 V refrigerators, ACs, even water heaters, one might cycle the inverter on for 20 minutes and off, for 30, to give the car battery time to recharge and/ or rest.
hi there, the panels you have are for grid tie applications. i would not try to hook them to a battery bank. panels that are designed for battery banks are generally 12 volts and the largest are about 140 watts.
Yeah, I second that. The leads coming from the panel should be tightened together with more than just the copper strands through the ring terminals, or else the junction will not conduct power from each panel equally.
Good informative video though; simple yet covers all the bases.
stevehmi how would you tighten it more than just that?
Succinct, to the point, and SHOWS more of what I need to see! I am looking at the same things that you are showing me and it is perfect.
hi there. i'm glad that you found it very helpful!
I like the way you explain how to wire solar panels you make look so Izzy . you know how to teach it thanks' for teaching me how its done you are the man with the master plan !
When 12 volt systems are charging they read as high as 14.4 volts. When the system is completely charged it will go into "float charge" mode. At this point they will read around 13.5 to 13.8 volts. Just means the battery bank was fully charged. Once the sun goes down the battery voltage will drop to 12.7 to 12.9 volts. 12.7 to 12.9 volts is a fully charged battery. When the sun comes up the voltage will once again be 13.5 to 13.8 volts.
hi there, it is 100% safe to keep them indoors. there is no danger of them exploding at all. batteries do put out a VERY minuscule (small) amount of hydrogen when in the final stages of charging. it's a tiny amount that easily dissipates in a room. (the air in an average room of a house is completely exchanged with outside air every 4 hours or so just from air entering around windows doors etc...) ...if you had 100 of them in a small room then i would say you might want to "open the window"
Thank you so much! Used this because of the super typhoon here in the Philippines
you're welcome. i'm glad it helped. 🙂
Thanks for the simple how to video. So many videos smother you with technical stuff you can't possibly follow all details.
hi and thanks! i know what you mean.
Dude thank you very much for making this video!! Right to the point with no unnecessary info
hi and thank you!
thanks. yep, you can add as many batteries as you want. what size charge controller you need depends on how much power the panels produce (not how many batteries you have). example: the charge controller i have is 25ah (amp hour). as long as solar panels don't produce more than 25A then i can keep using the same controller.
Thanks. I been looking on UA-cam for a couple hrs for this and yours is the most simplisted one to follow. Thanks again.
You're welcome!
Thankyou. Simple and to the point. Solar isn't so scary anymore to someone like me with no electrical experience
hi there. i'm glad it helped 🙂
hi there. to be clear, any panel over 140 watts is generally not a "12 volt panel" and is not designed to be used with a battery bank. to make sure you have enough power, i would use 4 batteries (if they hold 75ah each) and 2 100 watt panels.
thanks so much for that quick and no beating around the bush video...THANKS MAN!
Love how simple you explain things! My stepdad and I share ideas back and forth all the time but now that we live States apart your videos make what I'm trying to share easy for him to understand what I'm saying
Thanks for making it simple to understand. It can be so confusing trying to figure it out and some of the videos can cause more confusion. Good job.
We are forever grateful for this great video. Now we old folks can do it too... Suzan
Just went off grid with my family, have a basic 500w 5 battery bank going now, thanks man.
that's great!
you can use any 12 volt 'deep cycle' batteries. walmart sells good ones. cost about $75.00 per battery. they tend to last as long as any other battery. i usually get 3 years out of them (or approx. 1000 charge cycles).
Anyone else that needs to see this video needs to see this video. Great video!!
varies widely. prices in my area: batteries: $75.00 each. inverters: 400 watter $19.99/1000 watter $59.99. charge controllers $15-$40. harbor freight panels: $100 used/$140 new. as an alternative consider buying a single 100 watt monocrystaline solar panel. amazon sells a great one (by Renogy) for $179.99 (free shipping). that's only $1.80 a watt.
Hi thanks for taking the time to do your video....Im going to put 90 watts of HF panels up on the house, but Im going to need 50 feet of wiring to reach the garage ..What gauge of wiring do you recommend ..
Thank you.
I need to do this.
Living n my F150 homeless.
You gave me hope lol