Can You Power Your Entire House With This Ultra Cheap Solar System??
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- Опубліковано 31 лип 2022
- #RENOGY #SOLAR #HOMESTEAD
lets find out if we can run my entire house and homestead on this simple and cheap 1,200w solar system!
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Solar parts used:
60 amp Charge Controller:
amzn.to/3zPjQGw
1/0 Battery cable:
amzn.to/3PNcFnE
Renogy 100w Solar panel:
amzn.to/3oRhUGU
6,000 watt signeer power inverter 24 DC volt
amzn.to/3PVfdjG - Навчання та стиль
Nice to have a system that will start everything BUT the more power you use the faster the battery will empty. Discipline in power consumption is still your best friend.
@ SEYMOUR....VERY TRUE!
I do an Apollo 13 amp inventory every time the grid goes down. I want the batteries to last for a while.
Absolutely right, that is the key. Induction stoves, led bright bulbs, not wasting the energy stored in your batteries (use Lifep04) etc.
Wisdom... turn your top load freezer off overnight when nobody is opening it. Adding insulation is doable as well.
That's like saying you can save your way to riches.
2 items to consider when doing a project like this..
1. Your system should have a manual interlock or auto transfer switch to ensure you do not accidentally connect your system and the utility. This could cause a big boom. Also. If power is lost, transformers wok backward. You could be powering up the line on the ground or be slipping your neighbor just enough power to get hurt.
2). They make "soft start units" that can limit the large current draw associated with large mtors starting. These might save you system from big current draws on start ups.
Hope that helps someone.
Even worse than harming his neighbor, he could absolutely KILL a lineman working on a repair. Transformers are just as happy to step it up as they are to step it down and a lineman could encounter 10,s of thousands of volts on wire he thought had been deactivated. At least get a mechanical interlock for $20 and rearrange your panel so the interlock can be installed. This makes it legal in most jurisdictions. What he is doing is extremely illegal and extremely dangerous.
I too want to see an interlock switch on that panel.
@@ericbraun4652 I hope that the guy in the VID has checked on this? Certainly Hope that HE or the WIFE READS all of the comments and takes MASSIVE amounts of NOTES! Thank You!
Yes, have already installed a mechanical interlock device. (it wasn't here yet during filming)
Yes, have already installed a mechanical interlock device. (it wasn't here yet during filming)
I’ve learned more watching this video than I’ve learned watching tons of others solar videos. I like the practical approach. This makes it doable
I needed a unit ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y that I could store in my home when I wasn't running, so it being light and running on propane were key requirements. I can store the propane tank/bottle outside yet store the generator in my home when it's not in use as I will never put any gas in the engine. It is so light, and on echo mode, which I expect is how it will be used most of the time, it is pretty darned quiet (certainly compared to all the generators I hear in my neighborhood after each power outage).Many of the previous reviews had me concerned that it would be difficult to start on propane, but I have to say, I had absolutely no problem at all. I primed it first using the choke...3 pulls, heard the engine want to start, flipped it to propane, and one more pull and she started. I ran it for 2 hours the first time and plugged it in my fridge. And when I was done, I put the propane tank away and carried the generator to my basement for next time.I could not be happier.
This is the EXACT video I needed and now I'm a subscriber! I appreciate folks like yourself that share a cost effective away and not all the bells and whistles. Thank you so much again.
This was really interesting. It actually surprised me the price of some of the stuff as far as it being reasonable. I only have a fridge and a small freezer , lights and a tv so wouldn’t need the kind of power you need. Definitely going to look into this more as I thought it would be much more expensive. Great video and looking forward to all the new stuff you have coming 👍
thanks! check out the internet for bigger and even used panels! I used these 100w renogy ones just because i already had a few on hand
Panels floting at 40 to 50volt and 320watt is not more then 120 dollar max
This is the first video I really liked, appreciated and enjoyed regarding solar power. Awesome!
May 2024 ,,,The month of freedom,and a vlog every day, Cleetus Garrett Mitchell McFarlane says , yesterday was EPIC, thanks BigAl California
month of freedom!!!
Will Prowse's channel, website, and forums are a tremendous resource for DIY Solar. He has great links for used panels that are an incredible deal as well as recommendations of batteries, components, and panels from every price range.
I have seen a 6 room cabin that was off the grid, operated by a system entirely salvaged from a wrecked camper. 12 volt fridg, small well pump powered by a single separate solar panel from the system. The pump ran to an elevated tank and provided good pressure. Everything worked super fine. Total cost under 300 dollars.(except for the fridge)
Would love to see a UA-cam about that project. Built of adobe, to be under $300? Still have to wonder what the roof was made of.
Get limiter to clean up the surge when your big compressors come on. It would save you more wattage. Good job, I like what you're doing 👍👌
Great point!
Nice set up. Thanks for showing that split phase inverter. I hooked one up also, it work great for my 220v stuff.
It will be interesting to see how this hobby-grade solar setup compares to the larger one you have coming.
Great video man! So the thing with Lithium vs Lead Acid is you can cycle them from 100% to 0% if needed and you wont destroy them. Normally from 90% to 10% so there is more usable energy. You cant do that with LA. Plus they will last many more years!!🤘
Great video. Love to see you expanding your solar system further. 👍
Thank you for the information! We will check back. We are doing similar, way out, and hour or so off pavement.
Great video brother! You got straight to the point and covered lots of great information. This was presented very well.
thank you!
Interesting and pleasant video, thanks!
Had some sketchy stuff happening to our wind turbine as well. Steel piping and steel anchor cables at the top under blade level helps 99% but that last 1% is always an issue.
Awesome solar setup sir, working on mine at the moment too.
strong wind builds up a resonance with certain items. A hollow pole in the ground is one of those tuning forks for the wind resonance. Hence the 1% is all it takes to start a chain reaction and then the result is the same.
I really enjoyed the video and you got a subscription out of it. I like your DYI approach! That is what got a sub and the fact that you showed us everything that you did on your own!
Thanks for making this video. I'm replacing the cable's inside bushing on a 2004 F150, which looks the same as the bottom one in your video, and I learned which piece in the 14057 pkg to use and how to install it. So thanks again.
Thank you SO MUCH for this practical and useful information! I have been researching an alternative power system for a long time, and have watched dozens of videos, and read numerous websites, which left me no clearer on what it will take to power my homestead - with two fridges, three freezers, and a well pump 😉 Now I at least have a starting place. I very much appreciate it💜
it's a good start, but i will need more panels and batteries if i wanna run full time on the system
You will be shocked at how quickly even a medium size fridge eats up one of those so called Solar generators. Seriously you can find new panels easily for fifty cents a watt. Charge controller under $65.00 , li ion batteries or lipo batteries not cheap, a 3kw inverter all for less than a “ Solar Generator” . I even hate the name Solar generator idiotic , pay good money for seriously nothing.
Check out Sun solar Miami . Check out battery hook up. I use both companies very happy with their sincerity and honesty.
@@ytSuns26 I despise the words Solar Generator. I built my 9th unit, a pretty big one. I call it a ''Sunshine Compressor''.
@@kimmer6 that’s much better! Generator gives the wrong impression. What pusses me off is the hype of these next to useless units to people that will find out too late how expensive ignorance is. Panels are solar energy generators that’s it. I just built 4 kw li ion power pack MPPT controller $70.00 , year old wrecked EV batteries $500.00 , BMS thinking like $69.00 . I have 60 Vdc 4 kw hours ready to plug into an inverter . I found several 60Vdc inverters seems like 3000 watts will cost $400.
Add that up ! A very real power source capable of 6,000 watt peaks for what $1,200 dollars ?
I bought panels years ago paid a lot , now I am looking at .50 cents per watt. So 3 kw costs $1,500 plus mount .
Still not at $3,000.00 , look when shtf you had better not only know about solar you should be good at.
Your almost there! Ok a few of your points I'd like to make clarifications on. Let's start with batteries. Your AGMs are good starters (so was mine). But LFP batteries will give you the best value long term. For a quality 200Ah LiFePo4 battery with BMS you are talking around $700. A 200Ah LFP battery puts out MORE than twice the power of a 200Ah lead acid (AGM). So a 200Ah LFP battery is more power storage than a 400Ah lead acid AGM. AGM batteries have a 3 year average lifespan (more if used lightly). LFP batteries can last 2-3 decades. So $50 for a used 100Ah AGM would need to buy x4 the batteries ($200) to match the storage of a single LFP 200Ah ($700). The LFP is $400 more still. But you gotta look at how the batteries age out. The used AGM will last 1-3 years before needing replacement. Where as the LFP will last 2-3 decades. Over the course of 20 years your looking at roughly $4,000 replacement cost for used AGM compared to $700 for a LFP battery over the same time. Long term costs LFP is the way to go!
As far as your hardware that AIMs inverter is one of the best you can get! Renogy hardware is so-so OK. But Renogy is not the best quality and not the best price for what you get. For someone wanting to shift their house off grid over time I would recommend buy "two" grid supporting MPP Solar inverter/charge controllers all in one (one inverter for each AC 240v leg) or a Sol Ark (best inverter money can buy but expensive). The reason I would go this route is these inverters will use your solar/batteries to efficiently power your house. When the batteries get to a programed discharge level that you program (usually %50-%80) the inverters will auto switch and let the grid power through until your batteries recharge back up from the solar. This is the most seamless way to build up your solar piecemail while offsetting your electric bill in the process. In this setup the incoming grid will go to your inverter. Then your your inverter will power your breaker box. The inverter will seamlessly do all the switching.
Lastly solar panels are the cheapest part of this buildout. There are SO many solar builds/projects out there right now! This means there are TONs of used/surplus solar panels out there on the market. I drove 300 miles with my pickup to Buffalo where I bought 340 watt new surplus commercial solar panels $100 each. You'll likely have to travel to a big city to get these kind of prices. But if you plan to buy 3000+ watts you will save SO much money doing it this way. At these prices you can easily over provision (get more solar than your charge controller supports) and you will have more power on cloudy days.
Hope you find this information helpful! :)
yes! I agree with everything you have said here. It's a starter system for sure, but i do plan expanding just about like you have said here. for now it can be emergency back up for freezers and some lights. Thanks for the comment!
Gene you should do consultations for people doing their first system?
ok im brand new here and i must say i have been watching off grid related videos for past few years and i like the simplicity of what you have shown here thank u i liked it well enough to become a new subscriber and gave a big thumbs up thank u sincerely
Awesome, thank you!
Thank you for sharing this. I see many practical ideas on UA-cam but this great and will save money. SF
Nice one. For sure these power systems are the future for our homes. I'm going to do 48v just for the efficiency and because you and have double the solar input for the same price of the core 24v system. And less efficiency losses across longer cables too. Looking forward to building it.
Sounds great! i recommend doing 48V. I only went 24V because that was the equipment i already had
Great vlog Justin .
I love solar power . I’ve already built an RV / camper van that we use a lot for off grid .
It’s got 2 panels on the roof 460 watts charging 3 210ah AGM batteries. We very rarely run out of power .
I would love to build a new house with so much solar . Ground source heat pump for heating / cooling etc .
Wind turbine for winter back up .
We are currently being robbed blind here in the uk . For GAS ELECTRICITY AND FUEL FOR VEHICLES DIESEL AND GAS . $10.50 per gallon for gas / petrol .
Now the big companies are going to carry on paying dividends to investors.
Mmmmmmm I’m off before I really vent .
yikes the fuel costs are out of control over there! i highly recommend becoming independent from everything!
@@LifeofLind I'm in the UK too but don't think that it's possible to run a home with normal domestic appliances 24/7 off grid. We just don't get enough sun, especially during the Winter months. I'm moving to a home that's already got 4kw of solar panels on the roof, will look into adding batteries and inverter but I can't see that we could cut the connection to the grid for good. Anyone in the UK actually done it? Advice welcome.
Hello, I am in the UK too. I live on a narrowboat. Spent several years running a ten yr old 230W panel on 3x100amp wet leisure batts. It ran my lights (oldr led and some halogen), 12v fridge and water pumps for supply and shower. Also a netbook/laptop and phone. It meant I rarely ran my engine for power 6 months of the year (including mains powered fan in summer) had a 1000W cheap Chinesium inverter for 5 years.
I have changed boats and upgraded. 400W panel, 2x 130amp batts. Lots of USB. Ran everything fine for 8/9 months of the year. Still using engine an hour a day in winter. But no fridge yet.
Have just added a second 400W panel and increased batteries to 6x130amp agm. Intend to run a small freezer.and also want to add a 400w wind turbine on a mast I can raise and lower.
There are so many 12v led lights and lamps for 'normal' house use that you can run stuff 12 direct. Lighting is a biggy in houses and you soon get into the habit of switching them off when you leave a room.There is very little you actually need mains for but, we have an, older, Victron 1000W inverter. Also have a 3000W Chinesium for a couple of heavy draw tools. Our lights are 12v led downlighters if need Bright lights. Otherlise we have USB LED lights and lanterns. Lots of warm whites or multicoloured ones. (My son put up a set in his ordinary house run off a USB adaptor. Plenty of light to walk around with using milliamps rather than megawatts!)
Most folks suggest that the average house uses a max 6Kw and so an aray of 8-10KW is what you need for off grid. As I say we use far less. It is all about getting the balance right between generation, storage and usage. I certainly think that a couple of 400W Wind turbines adding a few amps 24/7 should be part of the mix. Hope this helps.
@@steveclark.. I
@@lauriestlyon8773 Yes, very good, more folk are having to live on water or in vehicles now I know, I have a camper myself and run low wattage, few items.
Most people in houses have washing machines/most powerful kettles etc, unless you have a farmer's sized field to fill with solar panels and a big enough battery bank, it's just not possible to run such stuff 24/7 off grid.
Unless you add a combustion engine generator of some sort.
@@steveclark.. With the increased efficiency of modern 500W solar panels putting Megawatt on the roof is easily done. If you then run Lithium batteries you can have huge storage in a small space.
There WILL be places and situations where it just will not work but I would suggest not as many as there used to be.
I do agree that you may have to take 5 instead of 2 minutes to boil a kettle and you will have to (shock horror!!") have to switch stuff OFF instead of leaving it all on standby. However, it is certainly easily doable compared to even 5 years ago.
I agree that a genny as back up is a good idea. I have one but, we have not used it in a couple of years and that was to charge a starter battery when we had an alternator fail one winter BEFORE the upgrades.
The thing is, if you want to go off grid, you will have to make lifestyle changes. Not even, necessarily, sacrifices but, changes. Of course to "have it all" still requires deep pockets.😁
This is cool. It’s obvious that the system was only intended for the shop but it’s cool to see you can run the house in need. Few additional batteries and whatever else it would be cool dual use system
Awesome set up and appreciate your knowledge and ingenuity !
Great job! That's amazing!
thanks for watching
Definitely, those agm batteries are a great starting investment. I used 8 agm batteries from sasktel when I first started my off-grid system. I did invest in 64 new 150ah golf cart batteries wires in a 24 volt configuration, I use between 2 and 5% of the batteries at any given time, powering my home, shop tools etc. I do have a small wind generator that is ok for trickle charge. I use both signeer and aims inverters, love them both. Now my panel system is 4kw that is designed in 4 individual systems that works perfectly. Awesome video. 👍
great set up! can't wait to expand mine
64 batteries ! woa
How much did that all cost?
@@dingdongchingchong8659 I believe I paid 150$ per battery.
Amazing!! I'm buying my solar tomorrow and this was all the information I really needed!! Thank you 😊!
Glad it was helpful!
Nice job showing the capabilities of a reasonably priced system
The prices on LiFePo4 batteries are coming down significantly (Amazon has 200ah batteries as low as about $620 now.) With those lead acid batteries, you're only going to get about half their rated capacity in actual usable power. By switching to LiFePo4 batteries, if you get them with the exact same rated capacity as your lead acid batteries, you're actually doubling your capacity.
Bro... you can build your own for about $130 ! Kwh or about $150 for a 12v 100ah if you want to think of it that way. You can also find deals on lightly used lifepo4 cells for $80-$100 a kwh. I am building 3 24v 180ah regular lithium 18650 batterie packs. I bought these cells new(they where sold as unused ring door bell packs and modem packs that had defective bms and the cells where perfect and new) I paid $70 a kwh and that was 2 years ago and I'm finally building those packs now. So for about $1150 I have 14kwh of battery capacity once I add in the bms and nickel strip. You can find such good deals in packs. Like last month there was a 80kwh(more than big enough to completely power a large home without compromise completely offgrid) for $8,000! I honestly was tempted to buy one! That was 80kwh of lifepo4 so you know that pack would have lasted 15+ years. When I build my final offgrid system it will be out of raw prismatic lifepo4 cells. I want 70-80kwh of battery and 10,000w-15,000w of solar. We have winters here that drastically reduce solar so I need a system large enough to compensate for that.
@@randybobandy9828 Lithium ion 18650's will degrade much faster than LiFePo4. In 20 years, LiFePo4 will degrade about as much as lithium ion will in 5 years.
@@christopheraaron8299 I know that.. lmao. Quit trying to explain to me the obvious.
@Christopher Aaron I love how you completely disregard all the other info I said about liefpo4 batteries and how to get them for cheaper and just reply and try to "educate me" on how lithium isn't as lasting as lifepo4. Most people who would read my post would know I'm clearly aware of the differences between lifepo4 and li ion. I literally listed a few different ways to acquire for cheaper cells vs Amazon and ensure you actually have a SAFE battery because those cheap lifepo4 packs on Amazon are questionable in quality considering I watch a channel that buys those Amazon packs and dissects them to see the shortcuts they take to keep the price down. They aren't all the same.
As for the wind powered generator.. Add more guide wires one set about 18 inches from top and a second set about a third of the way up from ground.... To make more efficient use of the head of the generator make the blades longer and make sure they are perfectly balanced.. A.K.A. replicate the same look as the giant ones you have all around your property....That is CRUCIAL to maximize the efficiency of the system
sounds like a plan! I'm definitely going to add more wires!
Very interesting setup! Definitely take advantage of all that wind too, a huge plus on those cloudy days or night
Straightforward and simple explanation, thank you!
i found that for the wind turbine pole, if you connect at 2/3 of the distance up you don't get any vibrations....
For full house use, as opposed to cabins, you probably want to eventually get to about 5KW of panels, 48V based system, LiFePO4 batteries and at least 4k split phase inverter, especially with your well pump.
Looks like you have a good start to build on!
Timers on freezers and fridge might be helpful to manage power usage.
48V? is this enough to run a full 240V system?
Thats the bare minimum. When I build my system I want atleast 10kw of solar and a 50-80kwh lifepo4 battery with 2 10kw inverters for 120v and split phase 240v. I want no compromises. I want to run minisplit heat pumps and electric stove/oven and heatpump hot water tank. I want to be able to weld and use shop tools as well.
Lifepo4 is the biggest scam I've seen in years. Why do I have to pay 300 to $350 for 112 volt battery? When I can get a pair of 9 amp batteries for $24 made for a power tool but still have a BMS inside of them? And I've been using them at least 2 years before the lithium craze hit last year. Instead of building these giant battery Banks you need to cut them down to about the third the size and put a couple capacitors in there. And 5K of solar panels is just ridiculous. You know how much radiation they're giving off because of the crystals nuclear decay? Solar panels suck. Go to the junkyard by yourself an alternator out of a car for 20 bucks and then put two magnets on it and buy a small electric engine with couple pulleys and make 3K Watts for about $40
It would be nice to see more house hold products can run on 48v dc power source directly as well as 240v ac, electrical items such as computer, TV, Air conditioner, USB chargers, lights, vacuum cleaners, charging EV, power tools, etc。。。Let there be a new power source standard.
@@tjward2370 do you have videos of that setup?
Great video. You the man to have around. Electrical genius.
Nice job man. True freedom comes with self reliance. The well is a good goal to hit.
Nice setup u have there, seems very efficient too, Im surprised how well it powers the house and all those loads over such a distance, but Ti doesn’t seem to worry it at all. Inverter does do a great job for its size. Ur right of course that 48v is the way to go if ur serious & more efficiencies to boot, in Australia we run on 240v, so we get some more efficiency there too. Good score with the batteries. Im currently setting up a few systems 24v & 48v for house, shed, bus, and possibly with a view to an EV in the not too distant future. I am using Lifepo4 304A prismatic cells which are coming down lately & while they are pricey, are very nice cells that will last many years to come. i am using All-in-one systems as they have so many cool features all built in for the price point and super easy to set up + they have variable charging algorithms with high charging outputs, so are a very easy way to go nowadays. Good vid and info, you have done a great job for what u have spent on this setup,works well. Sub’d Cheers from Australia
thank you! I do want to expand the solar and install better batteries, but these will do for a few months while i save up!
@@LifeofLind screw lifepo4-shit, you can rejuvinate agm's, maybe add some more so the discharge won't be so big on them
In a pinch you could install a small window AC in the house and only cool one room, and you could also install small fans that run directly from solar panels to help keep the rest of the house cool, granted they only run when the sun is hitting the panels, but you also don't need to involve your batteries
yes smaller loads would need to be used to make this work full time!
Thanks for sharing! We've been thinking about a solar system for our homestead and you had a lot of good info. 👍
Glad it was helpful!
Also remember that 1.5 PV systems may be a better option.
When the sun is shining, you pump water to the holding tank and power the "active solar" hot water system. Excess from that can be used to help charge the batteries. At night, you live off the water tank and hot water tank.
Active solar hot water systems do a far better job of making hot water on a cold day than the passive ones will and also don't require any pressure on the antifreeze in the panels.
Good vid.
As an aside, I like the way you planted your corn.
To measure voltage drop properly the meter leads go across the load. You were measuring voltage across incoming line. Still impressive to have 120v on a run that long. Wonder what you started with at the shop? Note: On the lights volt drop is not a big deal. On the motors 10-20% drop is ok but makes them inefficient. Less than that you'll burn up motors.
You might consider putting a soft start on your AC unit to mitigate the compressor's locked rotor amperage when it first kicks on. This will prolong the lifespan of your inverter since it won't be seeing the initial inrush of power from the compressor. You can get soft starts for well pumps too.
Never heard of soft starts I’ll be looking into thanks
I don't understand the techno jargon, but I do understand free electricity. Great job.
I was thinking about doing solar for just my garage, just to see how it does. I just might try it now
definitely worth a shot!
I've been planning on doing the same thing myself. I only have 400w worth of panels, but I'm thinking it'll self sustain my shop with a battery bank. I have skylights in the shop and led fixtures so my energy usage out there is generally pretty low. I at least want to give it a whirl to see if it'll work out.
Well done, thanks👍
Thanks for watching!
i Install off grid systems for a living. You did an awesome job!!!
Thanks for your descriptions. We are grateful to learn more. We have a cabin in rural BC and need power for lights, smal fridge, occassional vacuum. Simple yet powerful. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
i have since upgraded to lithium about 3k
I have 2kW of solar panels feeding 10kWh of FLA batteries (5kWh usable; 8x6V golf-cart batteries just like in this vid), for a well pump. It's enough for the pump, but the RV AC drains those batteries in a couple hours.
The next build will be going to 8kW of panels and 20kWh of LiFePO4 batteries (18kWh usable). Mini-split AC is the way to go.
You don't realize how much electricity it takes to run a 'normal' life until you try to go solar. Use propane everywhere you can... that would be heat, range, oven, on-demand water heater, washer/dryer.. otherwise ALL of those consume WAY too much electricity to afford with solar.
I just bought an acre and a quarter of land and the only thing that has on it is a small building and a little deck out in the middle of the property with a roof. I plan on putting a big RV next to the deck and solar panels on the roof of it which is probably about as big as what you have on your solar panels outside. I hope to be able to get as much off grid as possible when I retire in a couple years hopefully. My question is is how much did all that cost you? I'm still learning about solar panel power. The video finally completely unlocked where I can watch the rest of it you answered my question about price you have a nice setup.
i think for an Rv it would work great except for long term AC use. maybe a well insulated room in the shed wit ha mini split??
@@LifeofLind yeah I'm just kind of trying to toss ideas around. When I went to Sturgis and I set up my Campsite in Deadwood I was thinking to myself with all my solar lights that I had out there that I carried on my motorcycle along with everything else I was thinking to myself if I can just do this on a bigger scale it would be great!
Thank you for sharing.
Really enjoyed the video.
Appreciate the explanation of how it works.
I will look forward to the next one.
I plan to design and install my own solar power to my home.
Beautiful home too, BTW.
thank you so much for the comment!
It feels great when you first fire them up and the feeling dont get thin...welkdone fella ..i just have my panels flat .i get better input in the morning and evening
Thanks for the tip. and yes i can't wait to expand the system now and really put it to the test!
You probably already know this but I'm just throwing it out there, don't forget to file your IRS Form 5695 when you file your taxes next year so you can get your 26% tax credit for the purchase of solar panels; you'll also have to list the tax credit in Section 25D of the 1040 also and you might want to get some sort of receipt from your friend you traded for the batteries just in case of an audit. Also, if you have any excess electricity from your solar panels, your local power company has to buy them from you, so that's more money back in your pocket.
Great video as always and looking forward to the next one. 👍✨🔥💥
Thanks John! I actually didn't know how to go about this Tax credit. thanks for the tip! Also thanks for reporting the scammer on here!
@@LifeofLind No problem, glad to help. 👍
I tried to get my tax credit since I did all the work myself, and my tax accountant said the only thing I could write off was the taxes on the purchase? That didn’t make any sense to me, but perhaps because I didn’t go through a lot of regulatory permits. 🤔
@@benjones8977 My advice is to shop around when it comes to tax preparers, they're not all created equal. When I was in the Merchant Marines I was eligible for exemptions and such that H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, and other garden variety tax prepares weren't familiar with. My coworkers recommended some who did specialize in Merchant Marine tax law and it made a huge difference and saved me quite a bit of money.
I don't know the specifics about solar taxes, but it's worth the effort to get a second opinion to be on the safe side.
@@JohnFourtyTwo
That was years ago, I don’t know if I could even get the benefits now. Probably waited too long. 🖖
Just a heads up, Hyundai currently do 400w panels (somewhat larger than those 1719 x 1140mm) but in the UK are around £250/$270 which is around 68c per watt with a 25 year warranty.
Larger panels are probably cheaper than smaller ones.
agreed, I've found used units for very cheap as well
Efficiency is a little higher for Hyundai's vs Renology.
got 2 400 watt panels. heavy ass heck!
You made this so interesting to watch I have subscribed, best wishes from the North Norfolk coast England UK 🇬🇧
welcome abroad !
Impressive project. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
PS: If you are using around 1500 kw/hrs (1,500,000 watts/hrs) on your electric bill each month that equates to around 50,000 watts per day usage. If you figure average sun in your area (it averages 6 hours per day year round here where I live in Texas) you would need to divide the 50,000 by 6 = 8333 watts of solar generation capability. Most downsize their use during emergency or upsize their battery bank for short term grid down situations. Those that have that type usage and design for solar as the means of production spend a fortune to produce all they need. And the payback is not there. The cost to buy the system, installed will never be offset by the production savings before major components fail and need replaced. So keep in mind that solar is not feasible for total usage, all the time. I've done the math. Now large solar farms being set up across the country will produce enough to pay for themselves if fed directly into the existing grid. Interestingly, Elon Musk is working on large storage modules to offset community grid down scenarios. With tax incentives he claims he will be able to produce such large storage modules and make a profit. In some future setting, it might be possible to produce solar at your location and sell it to the community storage module then used to provide power back to users when needed.
Dustin, SOK 12V 206Ah LiFePO4 Battery Bluetooth&Built-in heater $1,200.00 retail ($600 per 100Ah). Just an FYI. This may change your 'used battery' calculation slightly. By the way, there are many other solar panels on the market, for a lot less money (Renogy is overpriced) that will give you more output than the Renogy. Love the videos, keep 'em coming. From a fellow Coloradan and RV owner.
Or EG4-LifePower4 Lithium Battery | 12V 400AH for $1,500
I agree, i went with this set up as i already had a few panels from doing rv solar systems
@@LifeofLind
Santan solar gives the best deals for PV panels. It’s the shipping that kills you!
Definitely saved this great informative video in my Favs! New subbie here, Fam! 🙋🏽♀️
imagine where this tek is gonna be in 5 years , more people are investing into it now and its already this good . Nice video mate very informative
One thing is for sure, wind power is still going to suck.
Another good clip, just love your down to earth style. Oh and is it just me or are you getting more grey in the beard lol.
yup the days are catching up with me! hahah
@Engineer775 here on youtube recently showed some kind of an addon for AC units that is a capacitor that reduces the impact somehow when starting up AC units...
I haven't gone solar but may want to add it eventually.
i have seen the soft start caps used before, tend to be expensive but might be worth it if you need it
@@LifeofLind I'm sure one could probably develop a cheaper solution if it were required, it's just the initial start that usually needs the extra juice.
Your system has convinced me I should revisit doing this at my place, was considering just getting a propane generac.
@@LifeofLind Oh, I found the video here - they're called "MicroAir Soft Starters"
ua-cam.com/video/YLL-btKh9DI/v-deo.html
@@ilikenwf in the rv world people often changed capacitors to help the ac to start when running 2000 watt Honda inverter/generators. My son bought a kit from microair that is supposed to be the hot setup for that issue but it still didn’t work with his 13,500 ac and Honda 3000 generator. His honda isnt the super quiet eu3000 series is more of a combo between open frame and inverter. I think the running watts is 2600. He went to an 4000 champion and it works even at elevation.
It’s similar with inverters. I tried to run a 10 cu ft magic chef residential fridge in my rv with a 12 v xantrex inverter but it couldn’t handle it so i went to a 2000 watt running on four GC2 6 volts and 1000 watts of panels. The resi fridge pulls .5 amps which is 5 amps DC on the inverter but the compressor lra is the issue. Too small of battery cables can also cause an invert to trip when it’s size should be large enough for the appliance
@@JR-of5hp Excellent insights, thank you!
I went with the Drip Irrigation system on my Garden it made a GREAT Difference compared to Regular sprinkler heads
Looks like you have got some things going right for you on getting that power for a shop and the house .... great job...
You were actually testing the load capability of the battery bank, not the solar panel. The battery bank is most likely limited on how long it will provide power, using it faster than the solar panels will be able to charge them.
@ TOM....Thanks for Your input! A GOOD explanation for what is going on!
true, it works to power the house, we need better batteries and more solar to run full time
@@LifeofLind i recoment server rack batteries 1.6k for 5kw.
Check out
Diy with will prowse.
Dude will help you change your life.
You can add sufficient Solar to equal or exceed consumption.
@@jackrodgersjr Except at night...obviously. Having enough power banked foe evening usage or during cloudy days is the challenge.
"sine" is pronounced like "sign". Running an inverter is good for those things that need to be mains AC powered. You can also run some lights off the 12 or 24V directly and get a bit more efficiency in the result. Gear from the automotive area is a good idea.
Since you seem to have the room a desiccant based air conditioner may be a good idea. I will explain how it works in general terms. Motors work blowers and move desiccant from place to place to make it all work.
-- There is a solar oven where heat is used to dry out desiccant.
-- There is shaded sealed cooling room where the hot dry desiccant cools off.
-- Desiccant is used to dry out air.
-- Drying air heats it up so there is a "cooling" chamber
-- This "cool" dry air is spit into two paths.
-- (1) path 1 air gets a lot water added making it cooler very wet air.
-- (2) if "heat exchanged" with (1) to make cooler dry air
-- some water is added to the (2) air to make it normal humidity.
There are ways to add more steps to get even cooler air if needed. Splitting the cool dry air into 3 paths will get you some of this.
Just remember that 12/24V DC lights and appliances are only more efficient when you have short cable runs, because lower voltages lose more power per meter/foot of wiring than higher voltages. In this case if the batteries were left where they are in a different building, it would almost certainly be less efficient to run the low voltage DC power back to the house for LED lighting. However if you had batteries in the same room as the lights so the cable runs were short, then keeping it at 12/24V would indeed be more efficient. I only mention it because a lot of people just assume an inverter wastes power, but really you have to calculate it with Ohm's law because in this particular situation, running the inverter and sending higher voltage over the long wiring run between buildings will be significantly more efficient than sending 12/24V over the same distance.
@@Berkeloid0 Higher currents can be compensated for with heavier cables. At large distances, the larger cables become too expensive and unwieldy but for many people it is a viable option.
@@kensmith5694 That's very true, but at some point it becomes a trade off between spending money on long runs of thick cable and dealing with the inevitable voltage drop, or an inverter and a long run of much thinner cheaper cable. It's always worth doing the sums to work out what the best option is for each situation.
@@Berkeloid0 Yes, most of engineering is about selecting the least bad trade off.
Many years ago I did a design for a sine wave inverter where the priority was for it to be small and light. The resulting design was expensive to produce. It hit the efficiency and quality of the sine wave numbers easily. The custom magnetics were a killer.
This is the content i was looking for thankyou. Love this solar content
thanks!
Great job and a really nice setup!
A $1400 48v 100 amp hr LiFePo4 is equivalence to 4 of those 12v 100 amp hr AGM batteries in watts. You would need 24 of those AGM batteries to equal the power of six 48V LiFePo4. When considering that a LiFePo4 should last 10 years or more under heavy use, they are considerably cheaper than AGM or flooded cell batteries, new vs new in the long run. LiFePo4's are a big investment upfront but payoff several times over in the long run unless you can keep getting such a great deal on those AGM's you have.
Exactly, also you don't want to discharge the AGM batteries lower than 50 percent. So you actually need twice that number.
FYI - Regarding the “Sine Wave Inverter”, Sine is pronounced like the word sign. Same as stop “sign”. Sine is a math function.
My God... thank you so much.
getting used battery is the best way to go. i got some batteries free from the phone company they were already ten years old it took a week of charging to bring them back to 12 volts so that my solar system would recognise them and they lasted me 3 years. I like how you had your volt meter there as proof of system capacity. i got a great deal on two 4k with 8k surge inverters. ive used one for each leg of my system.Disorganized wire make for a better system my wires looked worse that yours. now that i have tidy up does not work as good.i used 4 cheap charge controlers so that if one breaks my system does not completely stop.my plan is to do 48v for my master bedroom addition so that i can power the solar a/c that i am buying.
You did a great job with the system.
Nice job! Please tell us the size of your well pump, I'm struggling with what size inverter to get...
Also, can you run washer and/or dryer? Dryer electric or propane? Not an emergency item but...
Thanks for putting this together. BTW, I would suggest you leave turbine up that high, just add another set of guy wires higher up.
not sure on the exact size of the pump, it's a 1" line placed at 280 feet down and has a 20 amp 220V breaker for it. I could for sure run the washer. but i wont even attempt the dryer. to much load over that distance makes for hot wires. plus i could always just hang my cloths over the wood stove.
@@LifeofLind our well is 550' deep. Need to put a multimeter on it and make it startup! Thanks again for the video.
I use an Aims inverter with same specks. My well pump is a 1 HP jet pump over 1/4 mile away. We have 8gauge 2 wire direct burial buried to the lake then under water and underground to the well. It pulls a few more amps than it should but operates within acceptable parameters.
I utilize several low voltage relays to drop luxury loads as the batteries get lower to prevent a total shutdown after a few cloudy days.
I recommend that you visit DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse. He does reviews on solar LifeP04 batteries. He will show that you can get good batteries much cheaper. I highly recommend him.
nice i will check it out
Will is awesome and explains things in detail. I have learned a lot from his channel!
Thank you for posting your video. I am going to look into purchasing this unit for our off grid use in Nevada... the only thing we will be powering on our property is a 50Amp service to our RV while we build. We already purchased a Conext SW4048 prewired unit but I think this would be a great unit to have as backup when we need more power as we build. The Renogy Charge Controllers with our (12) Q.PEAK DUO L-G5.2 390 (390 watt) may provide all the power we need for the coming year.
Enjoyed the vid, lots of good info and personality... liked and subscribed
I like Renogy (I have their stuff). I love them actually. Good price for great products.
But my main complaint/warning is... their "complete" kits don't come with enough fuses.
So if 1 panel dies/is damaged, and all your other panels combined dump their current into that panel (8-10amps * by each string in parallel). Now you have a dead panel that is ALSO hot as fire and will probably burn your house/shed/field down.
Sure, any "pro" knows to put a fuse on it. Except... they advertise their product as this easy quick-snap installation. Well then they should ship with a couple more easy quick-snap fuses that can go in line :D
Anyway, awesome setup btw. I like seeing everyone's work.
Did u look at how much 1 costs, bet its cheaper than the palladium o a converter
Why not add a big can half full of water to the pole to counter the resonance?
Why not add longer wires to stabilize the tower?
There are better options than shortening the pole.
Both lengthening the poles and adding two sets of guide-wires would drastically improve charging and reduce swaying.
Great info, you gave me food for thought. Thanx😀. Tom
Great job sir. Thank you for the inspiration.
So, what you were trying to show us is that you can power your whole house with 1200 watts of solar power. You showed us it is possible, but with your setup only for a short time. Your $2000 dollar inverter makes that possible but you are vary limited on reserve power for it. You can buy 300 watt used 72x38 solar panels for $99 to $125. About 12 of them would supply that inverter all day. Batteries are just a buffer for appliance startup in this case. You will need a way bigger charge controler like a 2000 watt or even bigger. I am just saying you will need to make changes/ upgrades to keep up with the battery power loss to your inverter if you want to run your house and other stuff on solar all day. Lastly , don't waste time and money on your wind generator. Unless you have an industrial one you will need 10 of them to make the same power as a solar panel. Spend your wind generator money on your solar panels. Wind generators are not worth the time and trouble for 300 watts if it even makes that many watts.
I’m with Bruce on this one, ditch the wind, sell pickle rick and buy more solar…
yeah it needs to be expanded, thats why i spent the money in the right areas first. i can add better and bigger panels and batteries in the future
I was first!
nailed it!
Ha...I had an RV off grid. Solar on top, battery bank, generaror... It was fun learning what could be run or not on solar w battery. As You flipped equipment on...i was watching Your volt meter like a hawk...when it wasn't dropping below 121...it was like TOUCHDOWN! After each new load....Ha. Solar n all the little games like storage, inverting, flipping on load....is like being in Vagas n getting the cards You need when You need them... That was fun cause it took me back...
Thanks a bunch! Love your presentation 😎
Your wiring of the solar power into the shop AND from the shop to the house is both illegal and very dangerous! It must be mechanically impossible to have both systems able on at the same time!!!
Marking the breaker panel isn’t acceptable!
If you know this, why are you showing it on UA-cam?
In addition, if you EVER have any accident involving electricity, your homeowners insurance is void because of your illegal wiring. This includes, if your house catches on fire, your insurance is voided!
If you don’t understand why it is so wrong, illegal and dangerous, call a licensed electrician and let him fix it, then repost a new video on UA-cam or your insurance company attorney will never allow a claim!
In the mean time, I suggest you immediately remove this video so no one else follows your dangerous installation method.
Good luck. I’m a retired inspector. I’ve been involved in past litigation. Do some research
Not everybody lives where there is zoning and codes.
Yes, you are correct however what you have misunderstood is everyone has homeowners insurance and you and they will be crushed by a devastating loss by fire and you or they will receive nothing! You or they will loose everything and you still owe your mortgage! You or they may kill their own family members!
How can you feel comfortable directing people towards devastation?????
If you still don’t understand or want to change your course than you are an evil man and you have no compassion for others!
Yes, you are correct however what you have misunderstood is everyone has homeowners insurance and you and they will be crushed by a devastating loss by fire and you or they will receive nothing! You or they will loose everything and you still owe your mortgage! You or they may kill their own family members!
How can you feel comfortable directing people towards devastation?????
If you still don’t understand or want to change your course than you are an evil man and you have no compassion for others!
@@grdelawter4266 i think that you need to calm down. It isnt my video Sir. Just because he showed you the panel in his garage has nothing to do with the panel in his home which you did not see. I have a separate panel in my garage as well. As far as you know he has the appropriate transfer switches on his main home.
I need to settle down? You’ve just proven you don’t understand!
He said he had this panel directly connected to the panel in his house!
You have no idea what you are talking about except your feelings!
Electricity kills people all the time. You don’t understand the danger!
How many people have you actually seen killed by stupidity?
Calm down my ass!
Nice a clteetus hat,kool , thanks BigAl California
I've heard that we might be harnessing electricity from a Tesla system that will be free or dramatically reduced in cost. You're a patriot, awesome! God bless you too bro! 🙂
put a massive hinge joint at the bottom of the windmill pole, use a winch to raise and lower it, makes servicing easy(er)... you can use a bolt to lock the hinge when raised or lowered... good luck.
Great job. Please keep up the good work.
My van is a rolling power supply. I use a Renogy 3k pure sign inverter under a commercial grade Canadian Solar 275 watt panel on the roof and a 50 amp charge controller with 4 LT16 and 2 m27 interstates to absorb the hard start stuff like my table saw. When the power goes out i plug in the mini house and the camper 10 -12 hours down to 60%. Genkit takes over after that.
that is a great idea!
Very nice setup, and excellent, video, great job!!!
Nice set up. My garden didn't do so well. It started great but then work hours hugely picked up and wasn't able to give them enough attention and what little yield I was going to get the deer came along and finished the job. So in the long run I'm trading my veggies for a deer I'm going to drop as soon as season starts hah.
You could get a soft start for your ac system making it surge power like a light bulb turning on with no big initial power draw from the battery bank
Thank you for the information. Also great beard.
I have a truck yard next to where I am that sells and fixes second hand trucks,, they are always replacing batteries as trucks come in,, a good proportion of the ones they pull out are good to use as they always put a new battery in the trucks,,
West of the Springs and just found your channel 👍👍👍.
Welcome aboard!
Greetings dustin , great show and know video . You dont actually need a shorter wind tower. Just a second set of 3 upper guide cables and larger amounts of concrete base ballast. and a collar system that does not slip . I put up many wind towers and solar systems in the 80's and 90's . Tower tech is pretty old school , simple. The tower portion of the video speaks for itself. Lower the tower height , proportionally lowers watt output . The scrubbing effect of buildings, vegetation and any trees.
Thanks for the info!