In 2012 I bought an electric car and I already had an off grid solar system so all I did was plug it into my Solar shop and I have been driving around for the last 12 years without paying for electricity knowing that it comes from my solar system is very rewarding. I hope this becomes hugely popular
For those of you that are retired or work from home, and can charge during the day, here is an option that will cost even less. You can build a similar setup without the costly batteries and connect your EVSE ("charger") to the 240v connection on the inverter. Next, like with my Tesla, you can schedule charging, so leave it plugged in and have it charge during sun hours. Here in Los Angeles, I have about 5.5 peak hours of sun. You must set your either your EVSE or your car's charge rate to 25 amps (this rate may slightly vary depending on the inverter power). I suggest sizing appropriately. If you only drive 20 miles/day, go with less panels. Calculate your line/inverter/panel losses. If you start small, you can add a few panels later. Ray has it down for most, but this is a great "cheap" option if you are home during the day!
Great way to save money! I'd look at this inverter if you want to do car charging without a battery(I still need to test this inverter): watts247.com/product/nhx-5kw-split-phase-120v-240v-outdoor-rated-grid-interactive-ul-listed-pv-inputs-to-500v-and-much-more/?wpam_id=133 The 6000XP might work without a battery but the manual doesn't recommend it.
This is a great video to show people that are getting started how simple and inexpensive it can be to power a car. The tax credits make it even easier. This is the same unit I want to get. I might add some lightning protection as well. Great job.
Great video!! Really like what you’ve done there, I would suggest getting a Bryant/Hubble 14-50 plug and not use the 14-50 plugs you find at the hardware store. Watch Sandy Monroe’s video on the EV charging, regular plugs you find at the hardware store catch on fire/melt. I installed a Bryant brand which is made by Hubble to charge two EVs and haven’t had an issue. This is Frank from California, you send me the foldable solar panel 👍
Great timing on the video. I have two small off-grid systems that run most of the house, but now I need to charge my plug-in hybrid. I'm doing 15 kwh of batteries and probably about 3 kW of panels, with a low frequency inverter charger to charge my Chevy Volt and be able to run my electric dryer which will get me closer to 100% off grid. Thanks for the video.
FYI- Im in Same area code, I’ve got 10x370w panels. I see usually 3200w peak. And between 22-26kwh per day. I also picked up a lifepo4 Tesla rwd. Great car, great battery. And affordable with $4k off at point of sale.
Also, I’d highly recommend getting the Hubble brand 240v plug. The $10 Home Depot leveton has been known to burn things down when used for car chargers. About $57 on Amazon. Industrial rated. 3x the weight.
Definitely upgrade the plug especially if you're charging at the highest amperage. The plug should also be torqued to recommended rates. Great setup. Gotta love the plug and play!
This is exactly the kind of approach anyone with a home should be taking, it is a no brainer right now to do if your willing to diy, who knows how long until it will make financial sense buying it from a company...In 5 to 10 years batteries will be so cheap we will see mass adoption and a system like this will be as common as any other home appliance to have. Free energy for the house and for the car where getting gouged by energy companies is a thing of the past. For the extra adventurous who want to do an even bigger system for less money you can buy and wire your own prismatic cells, very doable if your a bit handy.
Maybe invest in a welding machine and some structural steel for those panels. 😁 Anyway, for those of us who are poor: My leaf will charge from my 110 volt 4000 watt inverter. Since I'm retired and only drive a couple of times a week this is just fine. To go from 0 to full would take about 2 days, but I just bring it up to 80% after I take a trip.
Not sure what you are planning to buy but I would suggest the Ford F-150 Lighting with the onboard power outlets you could power your house off grid when outages and cloudy days
This calculation of what is needed to offer the option of EV Charging from Solar and a Battery Bank is tough: EV batteries are HUGE, compared to the relatively SMALL kwh capacity of even the Largest 'at-home' Solar output and Battery bank needed... so, this means that even if you have a seemingly sizable battery/battery bank, AND you have a very SIZABLE Solar capacity, you'll likely get the best CHARGING during the sun-light hours ONLY, when the Solar AND the battery can give you 'maybe' close to what you really need for daily or frequent charging - EVs consume a LOT of power: 240v @ 30amps for most EVSE units, although Adjustable units can allow you to dial BACK on that amperage, even down to 10/12/16 amps... I've considered all these numbers, and just can't make it work for my 100kwh battery TRUCK, even if I don't drive a lot. The cost of the infrastructure to make this 'solar charging' happen is just astronomical compared to the relatively mundane 'Utility Charge' per kwh, especially on my 'Time Of Use' rate plan. Sure, if you are OFF-Grid, this calculation takes into consideration your need for EVERYDAY whole-home needs, not just EVSE requirements, therefore skewing the numbers maybe more in your favor. If you are GRID-tied, to simply offset your Utility Cost, it 'might' be more palatable, but ONLY in areas of the country where your Utility allows for offsetting their power, or if you don't have ANY 'Time of Use' option. For those who are 'concerned' about having 'Power Outage' backup, most any Solar and Battery system is a very EXPENSIVE offset to those relatively unfounded and Very Infrequent needs... yes, it 'can' happen, but that's an expensive price for a possibility, when the PROBABILITY is much, much, less concerning.
I was contemplating bout getting the exact system you have with 6 , 400w panels . I also recently bought a 100kW electric vehicle. It seems easier enough for me to put together .
@diySolarPowerFunWithRay FYI the nema 14-50 u used is not recommended by many EV manufacturers including Tesla . You need the Hubbell 9450 one but since u charging at less than 25amps it might be just fine . Keep that in mind if you decide to add another 6000xp to double your inverter output.
please explain to all your peeps that the original setting of the time to charge was 60% for the day, you changed it to 80%, Daily needs are always changing. I charge at 7kw for 10% an hour to fill up my Tesla battery, 25amps is pretty high, I normally add 18 to 40 % daily so I would need 2 batteries but some charging would be done from the solar array coming in, gonna install a Chiko carport in the back yard or build it DIY with 7200watts. That will get our cars charged quickly and efficiently. We have 2.5 electric vehicles looking to add a used Tesla model Y as well.Thanks for the video Ray.
I am in a wait and see what comes next mode on EV vehicles. My system is only 5.44 kilowatts and upgrading is still a year away so the EV thing is not for me just yet. On a side note check out the GE profile 2 in1 washer dryer combo that I am probably going to look to get come black Friday to replace my Samsung stackable energy hogs. Planning on ditching the gas water heater for an electric and hoping the energy drain will even out with this particular washer and dryer all in one. Saw this on a Jesse Muller 18kpv install video or never would have known it existed. 🤷♂👍🏻👍🏻Great video Ray!
Depending on your cost of electricity. My electricity is pretty cheap. But it's really for peace of mind knowing that I can have power for my car. This could also work as backup power for my home
This is what I did in January except I used a few of the EG4 LLs rack mount batteries. If i did it again I'd pick the wall mount one you show here but it wasn't out yet. I set up a critical load panel like you said for my office, fridge, freezer, and a few other loads. And run a small AC unit during the hottest time of day when the EG4 batteries are close to 100%. Then I charge the car. I decided on a NEMA 6-20 outlet as it's close to the max 25 amps the 6000XP can output and I had the outlet already. I saved some on the wire size needed too. I don't mind waiting a little longer. The 14-50 though would be good for two 6000xp's running in parallel.
Why would you pick the wall mount battery, if you don’t mind asking? I am working on my set up and about to decide which battery to get. The EG4 rack mount I think will be better battery in case one of them dies and needs to be replaced.
@@lukimy2704 yes, from a redundancy standpoint the rack batteries are better. However I have very limited floor space where the system is located. One wall mount battery would take up far less space than 3 floor batteries and be a little cheaper as well. It's all about evaluating your available install space.
thinking of building something like this for the trunk of my chevy volt. too many times I get to somewhere that should have chargers and theyre all being used or broken, and I have to use gas on the way home. 200$ 240v single phase out (EU standard) 3kw, 24v inverter, has meh PV input (not mppt) and not the fastest battery charge rate 30$ 20mm ammo can 8x 280ah lifepo4 batteries, 55$ each lol, theoretically 8 of them can fit in a single 20mm can if you get the threaded (not stud) versions and stack them facing in, 2x groups of 4 (12v x2) just wont run BMS' since they cause so many fires unless you way over spend on them. ive been getting away with only using active inductive balancers instead and spending a lot of time top balancing first (2x 4s, one for each 12v stack). think im the only one who does this. and then use one of those j1772 240v to nema 15-20 e-bike chargers (30$) and cut the end of and wire it into the inverter, then i can charge it up with my ev charger at home or an ev charger I park at. im pretty sure I can wire it so that 240v from my charger can go into the range extender and charge batteries while it also outputs 3kwh 240v to my car with another ev charger. thats like 8kwh (~1 tank of gas) range extender for only about 700usd. Pretty sure i can attach the inverter vertically to the ammo can battery pack and have it not take up all my trunk space, and feed the charging cable out the window or hatch latch like i do for my micro inverter for my volts solar roof i installed (back feeds my rental house lol)
About 6 weeks. However I haven't been using it as an electric car charger because I don't have an electric car yet.... but I have been using the same unit to run my house for 2 months and is still running fine.
I have almost the same system. I got the same battery but got the outdoor model and the 18K inverter. Haven't installed it yet because I live by myself so not sure yet how to do this.
You're SO CLOSE. With solar batteries at 4 to 6 or more times the cost of EV batts pee kwh you could have 2 EV batts, devise a way to easily swap them outof car and connect to house on alternating days.Im rhinking a trunk mounted slide in gurney/trolley that rolls up to the house mains area, Then roll the other solar charged batt to the car. Would be best to have a hybrid ev so that a low battery(clouds,rain) doesnt limit your driving range.
Man I thought the Tesla's made better range than that, I just got a new 2023 Mach-e and have been doing about 295-305 miles on the 91kWh battery. And that's on the South Texas Coast, the winds here kill EVERYTHING'S mileage lol. I'm looking to do 3 of the indoor battery's and one 18kpv for my setup to start with, my biggest issue is the nearest LVL 3 charger to my house is 45 minutes away and it's a Tesla station, I have to have the adaptor to use it and Ford has not started shipping them yet (but I'm on the list so it's free).
As for range I think he is looking at the Tesla Model X which more which is heavier and focused on luxury , space and speed over range . The tesla model 3 or the model Y which is more comparable to the mach E gets north of 340miles per charge .
Yup. I was looking a heavier car and a little larger for my family. That sounds like a good setup. The 18k is more quiet than the 6000xp and would be nice. If you use my discount code, e-mail me your order number and I have some give-a-way Items still.
Thank you for making this great video. My question is at 100% load when charging Tesla how loud the inverter are? And my another question is I am also thinking of off grid power for my house so the max 6000xp can out put is 6kw, so I probably need to 2 6000xp or eg4 18k. To have the capability to charge Tesla and power the house. Which inverter will you suggest 2 6000xp or 18k. ? Thank you.
That is a very good question. The sound of the 6000 XP at full capacity is hard to describe. I don't have a decibel meter but it is louder than I imagined it would be. Two of them would be fairly loud and you would want to take that into consideration in where they would be mounted. It will definitely be cheaper to buy two 6,000xp's. But if you can afford it I would go with the 18K pv. The warranty is twice as long and I hear it is much more quiet. Hope that helps. 👍
Hi Ray, thank you for the video - it's detailed and informative. I tried setting it up similarly to yours but my Tesla Home Charger flashing red 2x indicating that it's doesn't have a ground. I did turn on the neutral bond option on the inverter itself. Do you have any tips on troubleshooting this?
I was getting the same error... I noticed the error in car's dashboard though. I enabled option 26 in the inverter and it started working. Are you sure you enabled option 26? The interface is kind of hard to navigate. You may also want to try restarting the inverter. Hope that helps
Hey Ray, I really appreciate your video! I wanted to chime in here to see your thoughts on using this exact setup for powering a camper + charging an electric truck when camping? Rather than a 14-50 plug, I'd wire in the Tesla universal wall connector. Is there any reason that this would be a bad idea? I'd most likely install this setup + charger on the ourside and give it it's own enclosure of some type for protection while driving/theft. Thanks!
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay I was originally thinking outside, on top of the front tongue area where there's room for a large generator but now I'm wondering if it would be best to mount it inside the camper and have a cabinet around it... Still thinking through this and very early in the idea phase
Do you have a 50 amp rv? I have done something similar to my RV but after doing that I really liked the idea and the Simplicity of just using a portable power station with a 30 amp RV plug. Add my solar panels on top of the RV will just plug into the portable power station. Have a couple videos on that.
If you backfeed to the grid, you definitely have to get a permit. there are many people that don't get permits when doing electrical work around the house. However I plan on getting a permit for my main house solar system.... just in case I need to file claims on my homeowners insurance. I had the inspector come and look at my trenches last week and they were very nice. I don't think getting a permit will be as hard as I thought. But I'll keep you updated. Hope everything goes fine
@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Sounds great. Thanks for the wonderful explanation. I learn a lot from your videos. I am looking forward to updates on the permit.
While it varies widely due to electric rates and even time of use rates I would be interested to see how long it would take to payback this system versus simply DIY the the 14-50 plug into your main panel and charging the car off the grid
My current energy rate is 15 cents per kilowatt hour and if I use 15 kilowatt hours every day to charge for 365 days a year, it comes out to be $821 of savings a year.
Long term doesn’t make sense. Also he did all the work himself. Getting a company to do this would be $15-20k. Most home solar stuff has a payback period of 15+ years and given inflation it’s just not worth it. Cool concept like if you live off grid but don’t do this to try to save any $
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRayin the video you said the system cost about $7,000.00 so if you divide this by $821.00, it will take you 15 years (considering interest on investment) to pay for the system assuming you use every drop if energy produced every day. Obviously you built the system for energy independence and environmental (assuming your grid power is not produced with renewables) reason and not economics.
Great video!! Wonder why included cables are aluminum?? Plan to get same inverter/battery but may ask signature solar for copper wiring hookups over the aluminum & would then use copper lugs for proper installation.
It looks like I was mistaken on that portion of the video. Someone corrected me on this. After looking into this further it appears they are correct and these cables are actually super fine tinned copper. The cables are actually very heavy. I will edit that portion out. Thank you!
Net metering is about the only way I can see that dilemma being resolved. I’m trying to come up with a way to run my AC off solar, as peak power production also coincides with hot weather.
One option would be to connect this inverter to your house electrical panel. I posted a video on connecting this to my house panel as well. ua-cam.com/video/nAJByNRCw0k/v-deo.html That would definitely use all your solar. Depending on how much solar you put out.
The problem with these systems is converting battery DC to AC split phase 240V into the car then the car converts it back to DC. Still efficient considering you got 42 miles, but still there has to be a better way, like feeding DC for home use, like superchargers.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Two companies sell EVSEs now that do this, basically meaning you could drop the inverter from your setup. Both are discussed here: ua-cam.com/video/UDJFFEXqKAU/v-deo.html
thanks. I think I'm going run mine down to 10%...Maybe zero not sure. 8000 Cycles is around 21 years. I don't think I need my battery to last that long. I think calendar aging will kill it before 21 years so I'm fine using a greater % of the battery. I think early they said 3 or 4000 cycles with 100% depth of discharge before they updated their doc's.. that's 10 years or so... and then they said we'll still have 80% battery capacity left. Thanks for the comment.
Question; you installed the ground from the outlet to the inverter, but you have no actual ground TOO the inverter from an actual ground. That is still needed I believe?
5k? Offset a couple years worth of gas and its paid for. Prices are coming down quickly too, probably 4k worth of kit in a year. If you have an EV seems like a no brainer IMO. Panels are dirt cheap too, maybe an extra 1k for 3kW. Avg 12kWh / day is 36 miles of range conservatively.
Panels are definitely dirt cheap right now. I'm not sure what the prices will do in the future with all the new tariffs they are planning on putting In place soon. there has been some talk that they will go up by 20% with there l these tariffs... But who knows.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Lets be honest the payback is in the learning experience. This is what life is all about, learning, growing and inspiring others to follow.
We are retired so home most days. Would it be possible to skip the battery and just charge directly to the car? Would that save significantly on this installation? I went to the link but all the components were bundled. Nice video, thanks.
That's definitely an option. And that would save you a lot of money. I think I will do a video on that. There are some inverters that can run just off solar and no battery.
One option would be to get a small battery and have solar do most of the work. This unit might be able to run off just solar but you may want to call and verify with signature solar to see if that will avoid the warranty. If you mention my name they may give you a discount... for I believe the discount code "Ray" still works.
Without an output transformer in that inverter to provide galvanic isolation, during a catastrophic failure of the H-Bridge circuit where the MOSFETs short to ground, you risk passing high amperage DC current through to you EVs onboard charger which can fry your charger and void your EVs warranty. I would never plug my EV into one of these transformerless inverters. There's an excellent video on UA-cam titled "catastrophic inverter failure" by Red Hill Labs that explains in detail, why you should never plug an EV into one of these transformerless inverters.
Please offer an alternative configuration or other constructive solution. I am tired of BOTs or other self-serving entities crapping on solutions and not offering any teaching moments.
After speaking with signature solar it sounds like this is their top selling off grid inverter.... Regarding the transformerless design: There are many brands that use this technology...Granted this is a newer inverter and who knows how it will do but the Sol-Ark 15k is also High frequency and people love that one.
Because it's inside I'm not too worried about lightning striking it. When I stick the solar panels on a rack I will connect those to a grounding rod though.
The battery cables are tinned copper.........not aluminum conductors! AWM is printed on the cable and Appliance Wiring Material (AWM) consists of stranded, soft annealed copper conductors insulated with Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
Here's a great video showing the purpose of the different types of grounding and what each does. ua-cam.com/video/P-W42tk-fWc/v-deo.htmlsi=kE-tBdY2-qsAdUOI
Many mistakes... 1- Never charge your EV battery to 100%, but 80-85% max except when you absolutely need a full charge. 2- Your NEMA 14-50 should NOT be the same as the one for appliances. You must use a better grade to avoid heat, risk of melting the outlet, fire, etc. You must be very careful with such advice abou the NEMA, people may experience a fire and claim you give them advice... Think twice...
Get an effing heat gun, first. Don't use miles with EV as there is too much variance between seasons, battery, weather, speed, etc. You'll not get comparable results with same car between Monday and Friday due to above.
@lasersbee Being rude and pointing out inconsequential things doesn't make you look good. What big equipment was being worked on at that point in the video? It's a freaking long video, and that's all you could get from it?
@@meilyn22 Stopped watching the Video when I saw the unprofessional foot protection while un palleting heavy equipment. If you can't see the total lack of safety used then you must think bare feet while working is safe. Continue your bare foot life... OR are you just a TROLL ?
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In 2012 I bought an electric car and I already had an off grid solar system so all I did was plug it into my Solar shop and I have been driving around for the last 12 years without paying for electricity knowing that it comes from my solar system is very rewarding.
I hope this becomes hugely popular
Shrink wrapping with a stove, this is real life DIY people, REAL LIFE. No fancy heat guns, no fancy torches. Great content!
I got a $7,500 tax credit for my Tesla. This system with solar cost about $8,000. Time to put that credit to good use.
For those of you that are retired or work from home, and can charge during the day, here is an option that will cost even less. You can build a similar setup without the costly batteries and connect your EVSE ("charger") to the 240v connection on the inverter. Next, like with my Tesla, you can schedule charging, so leave it plugged in and have it charge during sun hours. Here in Los Angeles, I have about 5.5 peak hours of sun. You must set your either your EVSE or your car's charge rate to 25 amps (this rate may slightly vary depending on the inverter power). I suggest sizing appropriately. If you only drive 20 miles/day, go with less panels. Calculate your line/inverter/panel losses. If you start small, you can add a few panels later. Ray has it down for most, but this is a great "cheap" option if you are home during the day!
Great way to save money! I'd look at this inverter if you want to do car charging without a battery(I still need to test this inverter): watts247.com/product/nhx-5kw-split-phase-120v-240v-outdoor-rated-grid-interactive-ul-listed-pv-inputs-to-500v-and-much-more/?wpam_id=133
The 6000XP might work without a battery but the manual doesn't recommend it.
This is a great video to show people that are getting started how simple and inexpensive it can be to power a car. The tax credits make it even easier. This is the same unit I want to get. I might add some lightning protection as well. Great job.
Great video!! Really like what you’ve done there, I would suggest getting a Bryant/Hubble 14-50 plug and not use the 14-50 plugs you find at the hardware store. Watch Sandy Monroe’s video on the EV charging, regular plugs you find at the hardware store catch on fire/melt. I installed a Bryant brand which is made by Hubble to charge two EVs and haven’t had an issue.
This is Frank from California, you send me the foldable solar panel 👍
Oh sweet!! I remember. That was a fun one to package up :). Thanks for the suggestion!
Do you have a link to the B/H brand plug Sandy suggested?
Great timing on the video. I have two small off-grid systems that run most of the house, but now I need to charge my plug-in hybrid. I'm doing 15 kwh of batteries and probably about 3 kW of panels, with a low frequency inverter charger to charge my Chevy Volt and be able to run my electric dryer which will get me closer to 100% off grid. Thanks for the video.
FYI- Im in Same area code, I’ve got 10x370w panels. I see usually 3200w peak. And between 22-26kwh per day. I also picked up a lifepo4 Tesla rwd. Great car, great battery. And affordable with $4k off at point of sale.
Also, I’d highly recommend getting the Hubble brand 240v plug. The $10 Home Depot leveton has been known to burn things down when used for car chargers. About $57 on Amazon. Industrial rated. 3x the weight.
Thank you for the suggestion, I will link to that one in the description. I've heard of that but couldn't remember what it was called.
Definitely upgrade the plug especially if you're charging at the highest amperage. The plug should also be torqued to recommended rates.
Great setup. Gotta love the plug and play!
I've had electric vehicles for 7 years and your numbers estimates sound pretty right on.
We're off-grid with an EV. The regular house plug works well for now, but we'll switch to 220v for the winter.
Thank you for this informative and educational video.
I don’t have an EV, but looking to set up an off grid system for home.
I am planning this exact build Ray, you beat me to it. I have used your code for other things twice so thanks for all you do.
Awesome, thank you!
That's what I call thinking outside the box. The stove has more then one use ❤😂
Stove?
This is exactly the kind of approach anyone with a home should be taking, it is a no brainer right now to do if your willing to diy, who knows how long until it will make financial sense buying it from a company...In 5 to 10 years batteries will be so cheap we will see mass adoption and a system like this will be as common as any other home appliance to have. Free energy for the house and for the car where getting gouged by energy companies is a thing of the past. For the extra adventurous who want to do an even bigger system for less money you can buy and wire your own prismatic cells, very doable if your a bit handy.
Thank You Everybody for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth....
Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste
🙏🏻 😊 ✌ ☮ ❤
Maybe invest in a welding machine and some structural steel for those panels. 😁
Anyway, for those of us who are poor: My leaf will charge from my 110 volt 4000 watt inverter. Since I'm retired and only drive a couple of times a week this is just fine. To go from 0 to full would take about 2 days, but I just bring it up to 80% after I take a trip.
Not sure what you are planning to buy but I would suggest the Ford F-150 Lighting with the onboard power outlets you could power your house off grid when outages and cloudy days
This calculation of what is needed to offer the option of EV Charging from Solar and a Battery Bank is tough: EV batteries are HUGE, compared to the relatively SMALL kwh capacity of even the Largest 'at-home' Solar output and Battery bank needed... so, this means that even if you have a seemingly sizable battery/battery bank, AND you have a very SIZABLE Solar capacity, you'll likely get the best CHARGING during the sun-light hours ONLY, when the Solar AND the battery can give you 'maybe' close to what you really need for daily or frequent charging - EVs consume a LOT of power: 240v @ 30amps for most EVSE units, although Adjustable units can allow you to dial BACK on that amperage, even down to 10/12/16 amps...
I've considered all these numbers, and just can't make it work for my 100kwh battery TRUCK, even if I don't drive a lot. The cost of the infrastructure to make this 'solar charging' happen is just astronomical compared to the relatively mundane 'Utility Charge' per kwh, especially on my 'Time Of Use' rate plan.
Sure, if you are OFF-Grid, this calculation takes into consideration your need for EVERYDAY whole-home needs, not just EVSE requirements, therefore skewing the numbers maybe more in your favor.
If you are GRID-tied, to simply offset your Utility Cost, it 'might' be more palatable, but ONLY in areas of the country where your Utility allows for offsetting their power, or if you don't have ANY 'Time of Use' option.
For those who are 'concerned' about having 'Power Outage' backup, most any Solar and Battery system is a very EXPENSIVE offset to those relatively unfounded and Very Infrequent needs... yes, it 'can' happen, but that's an expensive price for a possibility, when the PROBABILITY is much, much, less concerning.
I was contemplating bout getting the exact system you have with 6 , 400w panels . I also recently bought a 100kW electric vehicle. It seems easier enough for me to put together .
Nice, I think those panels will work in the summer but I think you might need four more for the winter with shorter days.
@diySolarPowerFunWithRay FYI the nema 14-50 u used is not recommended by many EV manufacturers including Tesla . You need the Hubbell 9450 one but since u charging at less than 25amps it might be just fine . Keep that in mind if you decide to add another 6000xp to double your inverter output.
please explain to all your peeps that the original setting of the time to charge was 60% for the day, you changed it to 80%, Daily needs are always changing. I charge at 7kw for 10% an hour to fill up my Tesla battery, 25amps is pretty high, I normally add 18 to 40 % daily so I would need 2 batteries but some charging would be done from the solar array coming in, gonna install a Chiko carport in the back yard or build it DIY with 7200watts. That will get our cars charged quickly and efficiently. We have 2.5 electric vehicles looking to add a used Tesla model Y as well.Thanks for the video Ray.
What's the 0.5 vehicle? I like the Chiko, but it is expensive compared to a regular carport.
I am in a wait and see what comes next mode on EV vehicles. My system is only 5.44 kilowatts and upgrading is still a year away so the EV thing is not for me just yet. On a side note check out the GE profile 2 in1 washer dryer combo that I am probably going to look to get come black Friday to replace my Samsung stackable energy hogs. Planning on ditching the gas water heater for an electric and hoping the energy drain will even out with this particular washer and dryer all in one. Saw this on a Jesse Muller 18kpv install video or never would have known it existed. 🤷♂👍🏻👍🏻Great video Ray!
Cool. I like his videos. I'll check it out. I didn't see that snippet.
With only a 5 KW array I imagine it will be cheaper to heat water with your gas setup.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay yeah reading about the specs I was pretty excited. Some folks have lint issues but there is a hack for that. 👍🏻 thanks
so, $5,000 minus panels, youd only have to drive 100,000 miles before you break even on the cost.
Depending on your cost of electricity. My electricity is pretty cheap. But it's really for peace of mind knowing that I can have power for my car. This could also work as backup power for my home
This is what I did in January except I used a few of the EG4 LLs rack mount batteries. If i did it again I'd pick the wall mount one you show here but it wasn't out yet. I set up a critical load panel like you said for my office, fridge, freezer, and a few other loads. And run a small AC unit during the hottest time of day when the EG4 batteries are close to 100%. Then I charge the car. I decided on a NEMA 6-20 outlet as it's close to the max 25 amps the 6000XP can output and I had the outlet already. I saved some on the wire size needed too. I don't mind waiting a little longer. The 14-50 though would be good for two 6000xp's running in parallel.
Why would you pick the wall mount battery, if you don’t mind asking? I am working on my set up and about to decide which battery to get. The EG4 rack mount I think will be better battery in case one of them dies and needs to be replaced.
@@lukimy2704 yes, from a redundancy standpoint the rack batteries are better. However I have very limited floor space where the system is located. One wall mount battery would take up far less space than 3 floor batteries and be a little cheaper as well. It's all about evaluating your available install space.
@@lukimy2704Cost per wh is better with these wall mounted unless you build your own batteries with raw cells.
I wish there were better solutions to charging via DC. Solar DC to battery DC through the inverter to vehicle AC to vehicle inverter to battery DC.
Amen
Ray, you read my mind. This is great.
13:13 inspect the terminals yearly if you can.
Charge your car with this set up and have a V2H charger hooked up to the panel via a generator plug for home backup
That's a good point. I didn't mention the battery could also act as a home backup
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay cheapest battery per kwh, especially if you have a second car
Will systems work without battery? I’ll be charging during the day.
I need to do this before I get my Tesla !
The discount code should still work
thinking of building something like this for the trunk of my chevy volt.
too many times I get to somewhere that should have chargers and theyre all being used or broken, and I have to use gas on the way home.
200$ 240v single phase out (EU standard) 3kw, 24v inverter, has meh PV input (not mppt) and not the fastest battery charge rate
30$ 20mm ammo can
8x 280ah lifepo4 batteries, 55$ each lol, theoretically 8 of them can fit in a single 20mm can if you get the threaded (not stud) versions and stack them facing in, 2x groups of 4 (12v x2)
just wont run BMS' since they cause so many fires unless you way over spend on them. ive been getting away with only using active inductive balancers instead and spending a lot of time top balancing first (2x 4s, one for each 12v stack). think im the only one who does this.
and then use one of those j1772 240v to nema 15-20 e-bike chargers (30$) and cut the end of and wire it into the inverter, then i can charge it up with my ev charger at home or an ev charger I park at.
im pretty sure I can wire it so that 240v from my charger can go into the range extender and charge batteries while it also outputs 3kwh 240v to my car with another ev charger.
thats like 8kwh (~1 tank of gas) range extender for only about 700usd. Pretty sure i can attach the inverter vertically to the ammo can battery pack and have it not take up all my trunk space, and feed the charging cable out the window or hatch latch like i do for my micro inverter for my volts solar roof i installed (back feeds my rental house lol)
Is there a way to make a direct DC charger for the Tesla?
Yes drive to a super charger. Use level 2 for home
@@myaccount__7269 so no because that’s not making one that’s driving to one
An average Tesla electric car uses around 34 kWh of electricity per 100 miles. 62 to 94kw to fully charge
I love this however my monthly charge for my tesla is $15 so it would take 44 years to pay for itself.
Great calculations
Thanks for sharing the video Ray. I'm planning the same setup here too.
How long have you had the unit installed and have you had any issues?
About 6 weeks. However I haven't been using it as an electric car charger because I don't have an electric car yet.... but I have been using the same unit to run my house for 2 months and is still running fine.
I have almost the same system. I got the same battery but got the outdoor model and the 18K inverter. Haven't installed it yet because I live by myself so not sure yet how to do this.
You're SO CLOSE. With solar batteries at 4 to 6 or more times the cost of EV batts pee kwh you could have 2 EV batts, devise a way to easily swap them outof car and connect to house on alternating days.Im rhinking a trunk mounted slide in gurney/trolley that rolls up to the house mains area, Then roll the other solar charged batt to the car. Would be best to have a hybrid ev so that a low battery(clouds,rain) doesnt limit your driving range.
Also I would trust the WARRANTY on an EV battery far more than that of even the most highest quality solar battery or firewall manufacturer.
Interesting... I wanna see one. :)
Man I thought the Tesla's made better range than that, I just got a new 2023 Mach-e and have been doing about 295-305 miles on the 91kWh battery. And that's on the South Texas Coast, the winds here kill EVERYTHING'S mileage lol.
I'm looking to do 3 of the indoor battery's and one 18kpv for my setup to start with, my biggest issue is the nearest LVL 3 charger to my house is 45 minutes away and it's a Tesla station, I have to have the adaptor to use it and Ford has not started shipping them yet (but I'm on the list so it's free).
As for range I think he is looking at the Tesla Model X which more which is heavier and focused on luxury , space and speed over range . The tesla model 3 or the model Y which is more comparable to the mach E gets north of 340miles per charge .
Yup. I was looking a heavier car and a little larger for my family. That sounds like a good setup. The 18k is more quiet than the 6000xp and would be nice. If you use my discount code, e-mail me your order number and I have some give-a-way Items still.
How did you get pv wires into garage to solar charge wallmount battery?
On the ground at first... Then I did it properly in this video: ua-cam.com/video/dl_8fBnIexk/v-deo.htmlsi=XabXY0HfuYEBOSvL
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Thanks Ray, watched it and learned a lot.
People please call your local soalr installer or licensed electrical contractor fire hazard is no joke and safety comes first.
What pv panels did you use? I assume older style without built-in microinverters.
No micro inverters at all
try and direct wire car charger a lot of the plugs go on fire as they are not made for constant use
Thank you for making this great video. My question is at 100% load when charging Tesla how loud the inverter are? And my another question is I am also thinking of off grid power for my house so the max 6000xp can out put is 6kw, so I probably need to 2 6000xp or eg4 18k. To have the capability to charge Tesla and power the house. Which inverter will you suggest 2 6000xp or 18k. ? Thank you.
That is a very good question. The sound of the 6000 XP at full capacity is hard to describe. I don't have a decibel meter but it is louder than I imagined it would be. Two of them would be fairly loud and you would want to take that into consideration in where they would be mounted.
It will definitely be cheaper to buy two 6,000xp's. But if you can afford it I would go with the 18K pv. The warranty is twice as long and I hear it is much more quiet. Hope that helps. 👍
I personally am going with 2 6000xp's for redundancy and cost.
Hi Ray, thank you for the video - it's detailed and informative. I tried setting it up similarly to yours but my Tesla Home Charger flashing red 2x indicating that it's doesn't have a ground. I did turn on the neutral bond option on the inverter itself. Do you have any tips on troubleshooting this?
I was getting the same error... I noticed the error in car's dashboard though. I enabled option 26 in the inverter and it started working. Are you sure you enabled option 26? The interface is kind of hard to navigate. You may also want to try restarting the inverter. Hope that helps
Hey Ray, I really appreciate your video! I wanted to chime in here to see your thoughts on using this exact setup for powering a camper + charging an electric truck when camping? Rather than a 14-50 plug, I'd wire in the Tesla universal wall connector. Is there any reason that this would be a bad idea? I'd most likely install this setup + charger on the ourside and give it it's own enclosure of some type for protection while driving/theft. Thanks!
So you're thinking of mounting this on the side of your RV camper? Or just at the RV site?
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay I was originally thinking outside, on top of the front tongue area where there's room for a large generator but now I'm wondering if it would be best to mount it inside the camper and have a cabinet around it... Still thinking through this and very early in the idea phase
Do you have a 50 amp rv? I have done something similar to my RV but after doing that I really liked the idea and the Simplicity of just using a portable power station with a 30 amp RV plug. Add my solar panels on top of the RV will just plug into the portable power station. Have a couple videos on that.
Cool
You make great videos. I live in Utah as well, and I plan to go solar when I buy my own house. Did you have to do permits to get your system in place?
If you backfeed to the grid, you definitely have to get a permit. there are many people that don't get permits when doing electrical work around the house. However I plan on getting a permit for my main house solar system.... just in case I need to file claims on my homeowners insurance. I had the inspector come and look at my trenches last week and they were very nice. I don't think getting a permit will be as hard as I thought. But I'll keep you updated. Hope everything goes fine
@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Sounds great. Thanks for the wonderful explanation. I learn a lot from your videos. I am looking forward to updates on the permit.
While it varies widely due to electric rates and even time of use rates I would be interested to see how long it would take to payback this system versus simply DIY the the 14-50 plug into your main panel and charging the car off the grid
My current energy rate is 15 cents per kilowatt hour and if I use 15 kilowatt hours every day to charge for 365 days a year, it comes out to be $821 of savings a year.
Long term doesn’t make sense. Also he did all the work himself. Getting a company to do this would be $15-20k. Most home solar stuff has a payback period of 15+ years and given inflation it’s just not worth it. Cool concept like if you live off grid but don’t do this to try to save any $
@@myaccount__7269 This literally took me an hour to put together.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRayin the video you said the system cost about $7,000.00 so if you divide this by $821.00, it will take you 15 years (considering interest on investment) to pay for the system assuming you use every drop if energy produced every day. Obviously you built the system for energy independence and environmental (assuming your grid power is not produced with renewables) reason and not economics.
@stanchorney9698 7,000÷821=8.5 years. But yes Freedom From The Grid and freedom to have energy is not really measured in terms or ROI.
Great video!! Wonder why included cables are aluminum?? Plan to get same inverter/battery but may ask signature solar for copper wiring hookups over the aluminum & would then use copper lugs for proper installation.
It looks like I was mistaken on that portion of the video. Someone corrected me on this. After looking into this further it appears they are correct and these cables are actually super fine tinned copper. The cables are actually very heavy. I will edit that portion out. Thank you!
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Good thing for you too as you don't have to remove wires/lugs to replace now. 👍😀
@@InVinoVeritas. yup :)
I want to get this set up but have a dilemma that some of the power generated from the solar panels will be wasted. How would you remedy this?
Net metering is about the only way I can see that dilemma being resolved. I’m trying to come up with a way to run my AC off solar, as peak power production also coincides with hot weather.
One option would be to connect this inverter to your house electrical panel. I posted a video on connecting this to my house panel as well.
ua-cam.com/video/nAJByNRCw0k/v-deo.html
That would definitely use all your solar. Depending on how much solar you put out.
can u charge the car with only solar panel?
They recommend you have a battery connected. But you could always purchase a really small battery and have solar do most of the work
What battery technology is the battery?
Lfp
Very cool
When I saw the title I flashed to Tesla diesel generators...
The problem with these systems is converting battery DC to AC split phase 240V into the car then the car converts it back to DC. Still efficient considering you got 42 miles, but still there has to be a better way, like feeding DC for home use, like superchargers.
That's a good point. I would love to see something like that.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Two companies sell EVSEs now that do this, basically meaning you could drop the inverter from your setup. Both are discussed here: ua-cam.com/video/UDJFFEXqKAU/v-deo.html
Great video. Are you going to adjust your formula for 80% DOD, or are you going to run it down to zero? That battery is rated at 8000 cycles at 80%.
thanks. I think I'm going run mine down to 10%...Maybe zero not sure. 8000 Cycles is around 21 years. I don't think I need my battery to last that long. I think calendar aging will kill it before 21 years so I'm fine using a greater % of the battery. I think early they said 3 or 4000 cycles with 100% depth of discharge before they updated their doc's.. that's 10 years or so... and then they said we'll still have 80% battery capacity left. Thanks for the comment.
That makes sense. I have been struggling with how to set up and manage the same configuration. (Although not charging EV, but running my home.)
Question; you installed the ground from the outlet to the inverter, but you have no actual ground TOO the inverter from an actual ground. That is still needed I believe?
Here's a good video explaining ground and a grounding rods. Very good video. ua-cam.com/video/JBpQ9Fodz_Q/v-deo.html
I noticed the same thing. It will have to have a “earth “ ground to pass inspection in my never humble opinion.
dude is dropping some serious coin
5k? Offset a couple years worth of gas and its paid for. Prices are coming down quickly too, probably 4k worth of kit in a year. If you have an EV seems like a no brainer IMO. Panels are dirt cheap too, maybe an extra 1k for 3kW. Avg 12kWh / day is 36 miles of range conservatively.
Panels are definitely dirt cheap right now. I'm not sure what the prices will do in the future with all the new tariffs they are planning on putting In place soon. there has been some talk that they will go up by 20% with there l these tariffs... But who knows.
at 7000.00 plus for the system it will take about 14 years to break even?
For the amount I drive and my price of electricity I think I figured it was 7 years. Basically 10% return on my money.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Lets be honest the payback is in the learning experience. This is what life is all about, learning, growing and inspiring others to follow.
We are retired so home most days. Would it be possible to skip the battery and just charge directly to the car? Would that save significantly on this installation? I went to the link but all the components were bundled. Nice video, thanks.
That's definitely an option. And that would save you a lot of money. I think I will do a video on that. There are some inverters that can run just off solar and no battery.
Thanks. I subscribed so will look forward to seeing that!
One option would be to get a small battery and have solar do most of the work. This unit might be able to run off just solar but you may want to call and verify with signature solar to see if that will avoid the warranty. If you mention my name they may give you a discount... for I believe the discount code "Ray" still works.
Without an output transformer in that inverter to provide galvanic isolation, during a catastrophic failure of the H-Bridge circuit where the MOSFETs short to ground, you risk passing high amperage DC current through to you EVs onboard charger which can fry your charger and void your EVs warranty. I would never plug my EV into one of these transformerless inverters. There's an excellent video on UA-cam titled "catastrophic inverter failure" by Red Hill Labs that explains in detail, why you should never plug an EV into one of these transformerless inverters.
Please offer an alternative configuration or other constructive solution. I am tired of BOTs or other self-serving entities crapping on solutions and not offering any teaching moments.
Great video. Are you going to adjust your formula for 80% DOD, or are you going to run it down to zero? That battery is rated at 8000 cycles at 80%.
After speaking with signature solar it sounds like this is their top selling off grid inverter.... Regarding the transformerless design: There are many brands that use this technology...Granted this is a newer inverter and who knows how it will do but the Sol-Ark 15k is also High frequency and people love that one.
You need to ground the system to a lightning rod
Because it's inside I'm not too worried about lightning striking it. When I stick the solar panels on a rack I will connect those to a grounding rod though.
Which state are you in?
Nvm I got it you said Utah
Why did you reduce the charge rate to 20 amps? Don't you have the ability to charge at 40 amps?
40A at 240V is 9600W and the unit is rated for 6000W.
Yup. What he said 👍
@@eugsmiley So 25amps Maximum
The battery cables are tinned copper.........not aluminum conductors! AWM is printed on the cable and Appliance Wiring Material (AWM) consists of stranded, soft annealed copper conductors insulated with Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
You are correct sir. Thanks for that clarification. I will edit that audio portion out.
Have you considered getting an actual EV LFP battery to power this system? A used Model 3 battery sells on eBay for about $4k.
I haven't considered that but I know there are some other UA-camrs that have used the Prius batteries I believe. David poz has some videos on it.
Your power bill will go down bc you’re not buying gas. Gas is part of your power need…
Except the whole thing is not actually grounded to earth.
Here's a great video showing the purpose of the different types of grounding and what each does. ua-cam.com/video/P-W42tk-fWc/v-deo.htmlsi=kE-tBdY2-qsAdUOI
Many mistakes... 1- Never charge your EV battery to 100%, but 80-85% max except when you absolutely need a full charge. 2- Your NEMA 14-50 should NOT be the same as the one for appliances. You must use a better grade to avoid heat, risk of melting the outlet, fire, etc. You must be very careful with such advice abou the NEMA, people may experience a fire and claim you give them advice... Think twice...
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@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay ok thanks please check
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay check it
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Get an effing heat gun, first. Don't use miles with EV as there is too much variance between seasons, battery, weather, speed, etc. You'll not get comparable results with same car between Monday and Friday due to above.
Why are the comments turned off on all your newer videos?
hmm... I'm seeing that they are all on.
@diySolarPowerFunWithRay apparently there was a glitch with my mobile UA-cam connection. I found out I couldn't comment on ANY postings.
Yeah... Love working with Heavy Equipment in my Bare Feet
What's this comment?
@@meilyn22 Use your Eyes and common sense... 0:02
@lasersbee Being rude and pointing out inconsequential things doesn't make you look good. What big equipment was being worked on at that point in the video?
It's a freaking long video, and that's all you could get from it?
@@meilyn22 Stopped watching the Video when I saw the unprofessional foot protection while un palleting heavy equipment. If you can't see the total lack of safety used then you must think bare feet while working is safe. Continue your bare foot life... OR are you just a TROLL ?
@lasersbee This is a DIY channel, not an electric company. What value do you add to the world? I don't see your videos helping us to do it properly.