I'm going to have to add to the other voices down here in the comments, your wire organization and layout is very nice. I would like to think this is how I would do it but there's no way. I'd get half way through and then it would become, "well if its safe and works." thanks for taking the time to film you and your project.
I come here to learn and Learn I do! Thanks Dave! Everything you do is very important to the Off grid DIY builders and fans! Our Little system is chugging along great! We even had a shut down. All BMS's turned off. We saw zero Voltage from the Smart battery. Our Outback FM80 would not charge as it did NOT detect a Battery voltage. I jumped it for 3 seconds with a 12v Lawn mower battery. Poof! System woke up and it sky rocketed back up to 48v and began charging. The BMS ( all 6 ) did there job protecting the system from low voltage and disconnected locking up the bank until we forced some power on it from our DC Solar side. If we hooked up to a Generator it would of popped a relay and also started the charge cycle. ( No generator for now.) BMS's are a must when building. Protection they provide is crucial!
You continue to mesmerize me with the superb grasp of knowledge you have and the way you apply it to every video. To not only be self taught, but also comprehend and apply you learned knowledge in a clean and impeccably organized manner makes you a standout among your peers.
I believe that stripped lug on the breaker would be a manufacturer defect... in other words, a call to the warranty center for a replacement is in order.
Have you been paying attention to the arms on this guy? David I'm sorry but you may need that torque wrench at arms distance my man, at all times. LMAO.
I know this video is old, but the first time I watched this I forgot to tell you that I love the purple spray, IV Ben using it is since 2004. SMILEY FACE
I did my bus bars differently, i bought some thick walled copper pipe, flattened the ends to bolt the cables to them, then put 2 layers of shrink wrap over it all, then i used the nylon conduit hangers that ratchet closed to mount it to the wall of the enclosure.
Agree - its so much *FUN* to produce local power, it's just exciting that its one of the DIY things that can actually be accomplished with real benefit and $ savings. Another great video - thank you sir!
WOW! 4 years already as we start the last week of 2024. I am curious when you mentioned the “Relay” and it’s purpose wasn’t stated here, but often used to A/C line power in to disconnect when lights or local power comes on, or connect when power goes off. Interesting as similar but yet different, big boats that connect to shore power and have internal batteries. One for the boats essentials and one battery for each engine. But service entrance uses a neat little metal shuttle door at the main. It is manual but to switch, you moved and it had no choice but to disconnect one, then flip the other breakers to one. So, regardless it was foolproof as to battery or shore power. My worry on panels in Central East Nebraska, is hail damage to panels. A perhaps they move from glass to plexiglass or similar to address concerns such as mine. God bless & thanks kindly for sharing. DK.
The relay I mentioned was a unique setup I was trying to build, but it ended up not working out. As for hail, I think UL-listed panels are tested for 1" balls of hail, but sometimes you could get bigger. Panels are made with tempered glass, which is very strong.
@ I hope so! The pan handle of Nebraska has a 7” hail stone on record with the national weather service. I heard on AM radio when headed to Sioux Falls, SD to teach two day classes back to back. The news reported a national weather tech was head toward the black hills to measure a hail stone of 8”. That will leave a mark!
A simple tip for others: rather than using a Forstner bit to countersink the nut head use a third piece of Delrin or equivalent, as thick or thicker than the nut head and drill a clearance hole right through. Fit the main insulating, non drilled piece at the back, the clearance hole piece in front of that, then the bolt hole piece in front of that. Simples! I would at least have tried: a) a warranty claim b) a repair of the "expensive" breaker before going down the less slick bus bar route. But then I'm tight and hate spending money I don't have to, until I REALLY have to! 🤔😲🤣🤣🤣
Those temperature probes are suppose to be in the battery packs to shut things down if the cells get to hot. They do the same thing in drill battery packs and laptop packs. their designed to disconnect the cells if temps go to high during charging or discharging.that would likely be caused by some sort of cell failure or internal short. If those cells get too hot and are not disconnected the internal chemistry will cause them to vent likely causing a fire. Also If you are ever wondering about what wire gauges are large enough for the load you can also lookup ampacity charts online that will tell you what amperage can be safely carried without overheating.
I've followed along from the start and although I follow most of what you've done, I bet some would appreciate a video detailing the entire system. Wire sizes and shunt sizes and how you figure out if a copper pipe or a chunk of aluminum will work for the given potential AMPs. Nice work. True that it's never really done, but kind of sad when the bulk of the lift is done so no major things for us watchers to look forward to but at least you get to stop spending so much money! Suspending the spend will certainly make you glad it's done.
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT MAN THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS!!! I got to run 2 loads of wash off-grid today. Made for a happy Bobby!! hehehe Now I am at the spot where I do not know if next I go to 48 volts or buy more batts!! God bless brother..
Looks good, but my concern is the copper lugs (ring terminals) connecting to Aluminium which is a no-no as it will cause corrosion due to electrolytic action between the two dissimilar metals.
Great information, thank you,, , I'm amazed I did to my travel trailer with solar and batteries, with a charge controller I called manufacturer to see what a t105 battery was to be charged at , lol I live in Arizona golf cart land and 12 volt wasn't the right charge, any way love the videos .
Looks great, but I wouldn't run the 24v shunt trip coil at 48v when you actually hook it up, because then the coil produces four times the heat. The datasheet for your breaker should list the coil resistance. If you put the same value resistor in series with the trip coil, it should form a voltage divider to drop the 48v to 24v. You wouldn't want anything to burn up if the coil is gets powered continually for some reason. Stay safe, and good luck!
Good job. It will be about 2 months to get all my parts in. I'm looking forward to the SMA inverters coming in. Of course, I'll use the tractor to mount them. (Gorilla biscuits are hard to come by)
I may use dielectric grease at the joins with different metals... (basically,, all of then... and use DC current HALL sensor, not shunt... (2 current sensor to btw).
Nice work David! I was looking forward to seeing you continue this project as I've two two Si6048's as well. Just about to order 4 SMA SB inverters which will AC-couple in offgrid situation. Have to order that ABB breaker... so have to be careful on the torque so not to strip it. Good tip there. Cheers!
@@DavidPozEnergy You wouldn't happen to have the model/brand of grey wire troughs you are using to run your cables in? Local electrical wholesaler are idiots.
I would be concerned about bolting dissimilar metals together such as steel and aluminum you could get an electrolytic reaction. A better option I think would be stainless steel
If you are referring to my DIY busbars, the bolts/nut are stainless. They looked black because of the staining from the roof they were on. And the bolts I used to secure the ring terminals to the bus bars are also stainless steel. I also sprayed the aluminum down with a anti-corrosion.
@@DavidPozEnergy maybe, I don't pretend to be an expert but one of the things I learned in the Navy was dissimilar metals are bad. I was not particularly concerned about the bolts and washers and nuts as I was the aluminum pieces that you used. I hope it's okay.
@@chrissnyder2091 A boat is floating in an Ocean of electrolyte. Mixing metals is ok on land "more resistance to ground". Also I believe the active corrosion protection from the salty water uses electricity on board Navy vessels. If David uses something like "NoLox" then problem solved. However you have to check the connections ever 6 months for loosening (copper bus & copper clad bolts are best). I most definitely would NOT mix metals on a steel ship in salt water unless it was a temporary fix for a very short time (months) also weekly inspections would be priority for it as well.
I realize it is still much safer to have all the cable physically and electrically protected through the conduit, but NEC wise, can you use welding cable through a conduit attached to a building?
6:30 David, you may be able to find and old 3 bolt it breaker panel to pull the copper buses out of & also all the industrial breakers I have ever dealt with have an amp rating for A/C & D/C voltages. Another reliable source of Amp ratings would the UGLY book. I've noticed Home Depot selling them in the electrical department or you most likely will find one on Ebay, Amazon or just find your closest Electrical supply dealer they'll have a lot of stuff there you might useful. Good luck.
@@DavidPozEnergy I meant to say an "old 3 phase bolt in breaker panel" jeez that word prediction thing on phones makes my life hard.... lol ..... I should have read what I typed.
It should also be possible to use two 75mV shunts in series, use the centre tap for the BMS and the series tap for the full 150mV. Not really a big deal, but slightly more efficient to have less resistance I suppose.
I just happened to have a 250' spool of 2/O ultraflex in the shop. Its been a few years since I bought it, can't remember what I paid for it, but I bought old stock before everything got manufactured overseas.
David, I have watched a few of your videos and would be interested in having a look at the diagrams of your Whole House Solar battery system. You seem to be very safety conscious and have incorporated a lot of good ideas. Also would be interested in any ideas on how you would improve your design if you were to do it now or may incorporate in the future. How can I get ahold of you? Thank David Henderson of El Paso, Tx
Hi you have nice projects i want to built one in Haiti for my house Also I have a question for you about batt which difference between Nissan leaf and ess Samsung which one better
Both will work fine. Whatever you are able to get shipped to Haiti. If both are available, then I'd go Samsung, but only because the early Nissan Leaf batteries have a reputation for being very degraded.
Do you have a video on how to connect your solar inverter to the house breaker box if power goes out? Like power went out flip a few switches to connect to the solar inverter and power a few of the 120v circuit in the house? Hope what I asked make sense.
I bought 2 of them without the temp sensors and current sensor. I only use one for my lithium battery. And after a few hours. It restarted.(no AC power). Do I have to have the temp sensor?? Thank you
Hi David, than you for your well documented process, any chance you can share the model and where you purchased these SMA inverters, Kind regards from Ontario
Aloha David, Great job on the videos! I just picked up two Sunny Island 6048US models. Question: When you installed and calibrated the shunt how did you handle the installer password? Is there a standard password that the unit comes with? Or were you able to get the password from the original installer? Thank You!
I used the password to do the calibration. I found the password in one of the manuals, but I can't remember what the password is off the top of my head. Edit: Just did a quick search and found the password formula on page 88 in the US manual.
The only real way is to remove the breaker assembly from the box and replace the lug like you described in the video. There is no other way that I'm aware of.
Thanks for the suggestion. Next time I do an update on the SMA inverters I'll include a diagram. I don't know what you mean by the "Sunny Boy Island box". I don't have any Sunny Boys.
@@DavidPozEnergy sorry I meant to put SunnyBoy/Island box. SMA do both and I wasn't sure if you had one, the other or both. I also thought the Island units worked as a hub, communicating directly with Sunny Boys. In the UK (and most of Europe IIRC) We tend to have SERIES connected PV that feeds 180v plus into the grid tied inverters we have so much lower cost on the cables and simpler wiring, with the downside that they do not get fitted with voltage/output monitors individually so any problems with a series element makes it a bitch to resolve. Also, although fitted with Bluetooth comms, my unit, fitted in our loft (flat!! Not vertical - against install advice!) is not easy to access or maintain or modify! Main issue with grid tied sytems here is NO OUTPUT is usable in case of total power outage! Bummer!
Excited to see you test the SMA inverters. Great videos sir. More power and God bless. By the way, where's your 6k watts AIMS inverter? I wish to buy it from you.
Hey bro, can you help me with a Sunny Island inverter connected to e flex 5.4 batteries? It's a new install but it has error codes and it turns off. Fortress helped with a little troubleshooting. Technician hasn't followed up for a long while.
Maybe a better option for apocalypse situation. 80ft solar catamaran. 6 million. Lol, if only I could afford it. Be kind of interesting converting one cabin into a welding, electrical workshop.
So what happened to your 6kwh Chevy Bolt lgchem battery?... I have 4 of the 3kwh 1p14s wired in paralell in service at this time for 12kwh... Need to get some more.. did they not like getting charged with the LiFePo4?
No, nothing like that. I took down the LG battery and used it in bench testing the Sigineer : ua-cam.com/video/tldNxN4HUj4/v-deo.html The LG battery is still sitting on my bench waiting for me to get my butt in gear and hang it back up. LOL
7:25 I may have missed it in another video, but how come you didn't tap the copper? It would make this step a whole lot easier. You wouldn't need to get a nut connected from behind. Also, shouldn't you be using brass/bronze bolts instead? Anything else usually causes electrolysis and corrosion EDIT: I see you used brass/bronze at 9:38 on a different connection 😉
I made the copper buss bars by flattening copper pipe, and layering that up. So it's not a solid piece of copper. But if it was solid you are correct, that tapping it would be a lot easier. I wish I knew more about tapping soft metals (copper and aluminum). Like thread count per inch. I think soft metals need courser threads? I need to find a good guide on that info. As for the bolts, the shunt came with brass bolts. Any bolts I added to my own DIY bus bars are stainless steel.
@@DavidPozEnergy Ohhhh, ok! gotcha. I had forgotten that was multi-plated copper :P I wouldn't try tapping it as it wold just strip out anyways. In a block of copper it'd be the same as doing steel, but you just want course thread not fine. I have found that even with SS and copper, there can still be some electrolysis and corrosion. Not sure why. You did mention you were going to coat the aluminum bracket, perhaps do the same with the SS bolts to keep oxygen out and slow or mitigate issues. It's amazing how much just spray on clear nail polish works for things like these 😉 just don't tell the wife you're borrowing it
On this system I have to install the yellow covers on the inverters, but I found the conduit interferes slightly, so I have to grind off one corner. I also have to calibrate the shunt of the BMS. I have to install a relay between BMS and breaker. And then some plywood over the front of the battery rack to keep my daughter from grabbing the wires.
Your breaker will not trip if it has an over current condition. You can't run positive and negative together as the current will cancel itself out. At best you only have a disconnect switch the way that you have it wired. Also the bms shunt wires are backwards. Black should be on the right side instead.
Hi what about eddy currents positive cables going through a hole cause eddy currents there should be a slot from plus hole to negative hole to inverters if metal as they will get hot As eddy currents will form around holes at high currents like your programs
Eddy currents are only created when the current through the wires is changing (ie AC not DC). That said, I agree it would be better practice to run them through the same hole if possible.
Hi David, I have been trying to duplicate your setting. I move over to Batrium for the BMS with LifePo4. How did you setup your battery thresholds ? I believe for Lithium Ion/LifePo4 to be supported by the Sunny Island, you need to have your BMS connected to the Sunny Island through the CAN Bus. I do not believe that the Chargery has a CAN bus. The documentation on Lithium Ion support for the Sunny Island is not very good. I was wondering if you were able to have more information than what is on the manual of the SMA ?
You are right that the Chargery didn't support this. I've never tried Batrium. I ran my SMA's in VRLA (valve regulated lead acid) mode for a long time. I turned off equalization, and turned off temperature compensation.
Dave, how about removing the *motion* from your next video, ie just saving the best-focussed still from each zoom. The long shots with camera on tripod are fine, it is the hand-helds that are making me dizzy (more dramamine, Mom!!). Anyway it would be an interesting experiment.
I'm using LiFePO4 batteries, arranged in a 4p16s configuration. My battery bank is about 24kwh capacity. I have several videos on my channel about building my battery bank, but they start with this one: ua-cam.com/video/i_V8v4APT60/v-deo.html it's an OK battery bank, but not perfect. I'm working on expanding it. There is a black communication wire between the two SMA inverters. This allows them to keep in sync with each other. I have mine setup to be out of phase, so that I can get 120/240v power.
Not right now. The SMA inverters I'll probably be keeping a while. They have been powering my house flawlessly for a month now. Never even seen the lights flicker.
Hello, this dc circuit breaker you used how much the voltage rating, it’s 48V ? And can we use dc circuit breaker with higher voltage ratings like 550V or 1000V for system batteries 48V can be efficient in high current or faults?! Thank you 😊
If I have a grid tie inverter where will that be connected to?. Can I have any LiFePO4 connected to sunny islands?. I am planning to order 150Kwh batteries from china to make a three phase sunny island project. Thanks for the videos, very useful.
Hi David. Excellent videos. This my first DIY Solar. I’m having some issues hopefully you can help me out. I’m using a Midnite 150 classic charge controller I have everything wired per the specs of the controller. When I tie in 1 sunny island 6048 inverter it lights up for about 5 seconds and then trips my 2 24v battery/EVO tied into series to create 48v batteries. Why does the inverter trip the breakers on the battery packs?
I don't know, but possibly check these things: The SI6048 inverter can surge pretty high. I'm trying to remember off the top of my head, but I think it's 7,000W for 30 minutes. If that's the case, and your battery is lower in voltage then the amps would be bigger than the battery can handle. For example, 7,000W/46V=152A. Personally, I'd have more battery capacity. But, a way to check is with an amp-meter.
It hurts my brain as a electrical engineer when i have to watch sleeves that are not crimped at these currents. And btw... the small cables for the shunt have to have sleeves too when screwed in at the inverter!
Everything I have read says using solar battery power is much more expensive then grid tied solar power because the batteries eventually die/ loose capacity and when you go to replace them all your savings vanish. Have you calculated how much your electricity costs/ kwh usign a battery vs using grid tie? It is very cool to have independent electricity, but is it economical for someone to do this? I have installed my own grid tie systems and now that used electric car batteries are about $100/kwh I am trying to figgure out if adding a battery system is worth it for a 10kw array
You are Right that grid tie electricity is going to be the cheapest. The batteries will eventually die and that pushes out the ROI I have not done a calculation for my payback. I'm doing this also for the power outages so it's not so much about ROI as it is energy independence and being prepared for emergencies.
I personally would of replaced the lug, yes it would of been a little bit of work to do but better safe than sorry. Then you could resume with the original wire design. Them buss bars seem a bit sketchy but as long as it works then might as well use it for now.
The Chargery BMS and shunt never showed correct amps from the box. Then I tried changing some settings, but made things worse. LOL. I really have to do the full calibration, just need the time. I wanted so badly to just start using the solar power that reading the amps on the BMS is less important to me. And the breaker is an ABB S5N. rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575553304&toolid=10001&campid=5338624228&customid=&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2380057.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.XABB%2BS5N.TRS0%26_nkw%3DABB%2BS5N%26_sacat%3D0
I don’t know why david doesn’t, but typically when you run copper, inside out of the weather, and farther than 3 miles to the ocean it usually isn’t needed. With aluminum all that goes out the window.
Hi David, which battery configuration did you choose in the SMA software? The BMS is not connected to the inverter, or is it? Can you choose the Lithium battery configuration if the BMS is not sending any signals to the inverter?
@@DavidPozEnergy thanks for the fast reply! Did you experience any issues regarding the VLRA profile? Does the inverter do some kind of pulse charging or something like that, which is good for lead acid, but would decrease the lifetime of LiFePO4 batteries?
@@DavidPozEnergy thank you. I think I'm going to build the same system with the sma sunny island. It sounds promising for long term operation with a huge diy battery pack (>20kWh).
Love the videos very educational. I have and off grid cabin that use 3 140 ah AGM batteries with a 3500 watt inverter for power. 350 watts in solar to charge batteries. 12 volts of course. Looking to up grade to a better setup. Any suggestions. Thanks
I can't really suggest anything unless I know what your loads are, and why you are not happy with your current setup. But, generally speaking, I prefer 48v.
@@DavidPozEnergy thanks for the reply . My biggest draw is my 1/2 HP well pump or when the wife uses the electric frying pan 1800 watts . All lights are led small fridge. I can go all weekend as long as it's sunny and not run the generator. I am going to be building a power house for the generator and hopefully the solar and wind turbine. AGM batteries don't like the cold . I'm looking for a bit more storage and something that can handle the cold weather of up state ny.
For cold weather you have a few options. Option #1 is my preffered. This is where you build in systems that control temperature. This would mean an insulated shed to house the batteries, with an automatic thermostat and heater. Always maintaining a minimum 50°F in the shed. Option #2, Use LTO batteries because they can work well below freezing temperatures without any harm. I have a few videos on LTO on my channel. Option #3, I know of this one battery (Kilovault) that includes a built-in heater, pretty nifty. www.altestore.com/store/deep-cycle-batteries/lithium-batteries/kilovault-lithium-solar-battery-p41011/#KLV3600CHLX
Sorry, no I don't. I haven't used that product since my solar array is ground mount. I'd suggest calling Alt-E. I buy things like that from them and they help me pick the right model. www.altestore.com/store/
I'm going to have to add to the other voices down here in the comments, your wire organization and layout is very nice. I would like to think this is how I would do it but there's no way. I'd get half way through and then it would become, "well if its safe and works." thanks for taking the time to film you and your project.
I come here to learn and Learn I do! Thanks Dave! Everything you do is very important to the Off grid DIY builders and fans! Our Little system is chugging along great! We even had a shut down. All BMS's turned off. We saw zero Voltage from the Smart battery. Our Outback FM80 would not charge as it did NOT detect a Battery voltage. I jumped it for 3 seconds with a 12v Lawn mower battery. Poof! System woke up and it sky rocketed back up to 48v and began charging. The BMS ( all 6 ) did there job protecting the system from low voltage and disconnected locking up the bank until we forced some power on it from our DC Solar side. If we hooked up to a Generator it would of popped a relay and also started the charge cycle. ( No generator for now.) BMS's are a must when building. Protection they provide is crucial!
Thanks for the update. Good job getting it going again.
Thanks David! Such a great teacher! Thank you for being a great person. Hope you and your family are safe and well!
You continue to mesmerize me with the superb grasp of knowledge you have and the way you apply it to every video. To not only be self taught, but also comprehend and apply you learned knowledge in a clean and impeccably organized manner makes you a standout among your peers.
Thank you for such a kind comment.
I just bought two Sunny Islands. These videos are very valuable to me! Please keep it up...
I believe that stripped lug on the breaker would be a manufacturer defect... in other words, a call to the warranty center for a replacement is in order.
Have you been paying attention to the arms on this guy? David I'm sorry but you may need that torque wrench at arms distance my man, at all times. LMAO.
I know this video is old, but the first time I watched this I forgot to tell you that I love the purple spray, IV Ben using it is since 2004. SMILEY FACE
I did my bus bars differently, i bought some thick walled copper pipe, flattened the ends to bolt the cables to them, then put 2 layers of shrink wrap over it all, then i used the nylon conduit hangers that ratchet closed to mount it to the wall of the enclosure.
@ 175 Amp Dose It Get Warm ? what it takes Inverter To Make About 5kw AC
Agree - its so much *FUN* to produce local power, it's just exciting that its one of the DIY things that can actually be accomplished with real benefit and $ savings. Another great video - thank you sir!
WOW! 4 years already as we start the last week of 2024. I am curious when you mentioned the “Relay” and it’s purpose wasn’t stated here, but often used to A/C line power in to disconnect when lights or local power comes on, or connect when power goes off. Interesting as similar but yet different, big boats that connect to shore power and have internal batteries. One for the boats essentials and one battery for each engine. But service entrance uses a neat little metal shuttle door at the main. It is manual but to switch, you moved and it had no choice but to disconnect one, then flip the other breakers to one. So, regardless it was foolproof as to battery or shore power.
My worry on panels in Central East Nebraska, is hail damage to panels. A perhaps they move from glass to plexiglass or similar to address concerns such as mine.
God bless & thanks kindly for sharing. DK.
The relay I mentioned was a unique setup I was trying to build, but it ended up not working out.
As for hail, I think UL-listed panels are tested for 1" balls of hail, but sometimes you could get bigger. Panels are made with tempered glass, which is very strong.
@ I hope so! The pan handle of Nebraska has a 7” hail stone on record with the national weather service. I heard on AM radio when headed to Sioux Falls, SD to teach two day classes back to back. The news reported a national weather tech was head toward the black hills to measure a hail stone of 8”. That will leave a mark!
I was told when I was young that cranking on it too hard would make me go blind... clearly it just strips threads and messes stuff up lmao!
As always, your cable management is spot on and clean AF!! 😎♻️🔌💯🌞 I use two sets of those 'L' feet lugs myself!!
Not So Sure
A simple tip for others: rather than using a Forstner bit to countersink the nut head use a third piece of Delrin or equivalent, as thick or thicker than the nut head and drill a clearance hole right through. Fit the main insulating, non drilled piece at the back, the clearance hole piece in front of that, then the bolt hole piece in front of that. Simples!
I would at least have tried:
a) a warranty claim
b) a repair
of the "expensive" breaker before going down the less slick bus bar route.
But then I'm tight and hate spending money I don't have to, until I REALLY have to! 🤔😲🤣🤣🤣
Those temperature probes are suppose to be in the battery packs to shut things down if the cells get to hot. They do the same thing in drill battery packs and laptop packs. their designed to disconnect the cells if temps go to high during charging or discharging.that would likely be caused by some sort of cell failure or internal short. If those cells get too hot and are not disconnected the internal chemistry will cause them to vent likely causing a fire. Also If you are ever wondering about what wire gauges are large enough for the load you can also lookup ampacity charts online that will tell you what amperage can be safely carried without overheating.
still very nice to see you evolve !
I've followed along from the start and although I follow most of what you've done, I bet some would appreciate a video detailing the entire system. Wire sizes and shunt sizes and how you figure out if a copper pipe or a chunk of aluminum will work for the given potential AMPs. Nice work. True that it's never really done, but kind of sad when the bulk of the lift is done so no major things for us watchers to look forward to but at least you get to stop spending so much money! Suspending the spend will certainly make you glad it's done.
Good idea to do an overview video. And, yes. I'm very happy to not have to order more big ticket items.
OK thanks David now I understand why two shunts. This is a nice job. Well done an God Bless you an your family. M
Thanks!
Your welcome, thanks for watching.
That was a very informative video I feel better actually watching you Do the install and explaining as you go.
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT MAN THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS!!! I got to run 2 loads of wash off-grid today. Made for a happy Bobby!! hehehe Now I am at the spot where I do not know if next I go to 48 volts or buy more batts!! God bless brother..
Thanks for checking out my videos Bobby. I enjoy watching your huge progress as well.
Label everything, because next week you will be wondering what you did. Love this, and thank you for sharing.
Do you have a favorite label maker?
@@DavidPozEnergy At work we had good luck with the Brother's name brand. But don't have a specific model number anymore. Sorry.
Hi I’m a inside wiremen. I always but ain’t croesion on threads of luges to keep it from stripping it works every time
If you don't have the ferrels you can wrap nickel strip around the wire, it works well with atleast two wraps,
Looks good, but my concern is the copper lugs (ring terminals) connecting to Aluminium which is a no-no as it will cause corrosion due to electrolytic action between the two dissimilar metals.
Great information, thank you,, , I'm amazed I did to my travel trailer with solar and batteries, with a charge controller I called manufacturer to see what a t105 battery was to be charged at , lol I live in Arizona golf cart land and 12 volt wasn't the right charge, any way love the videos .
Looks great, but I wouldn't run the 24v shunt trip coil at 48v when you actually hook it up, because then the coil produces four times the heat. The datasheet for your breaker should list the coil resistance. If you put the same value resistor in series with the trip coil, it should form a voltage divider to drop the 48v to 24v. You wouldn't want anything to burn up if the coil is gets powered continually for some reason. Stay safe, and good luck!
Good job. It will be about 2 months to get all my parts in. I'm looking forward to the SMA inverters coming in. Of course, I'll use the tractor to mount them. (Gorilla biscuits are hard to come by)
If you have tractor, might as well use it. I'd love to see that video.
Keep the good work.....solar rock's my bill for electricity is now 12-15€ two years back was 150-230€ in april month...👍
Awesome stuff Dave. Keep vids like this coming. Always very insightful!
another detailed informative yet entertaining video.
Very cool setup. You've made a lot of progress on this build, keep it up! :)
Good stuff there is always a work around in solar so problem solving is a must.
Nice video as always. You can use any shunt that 75mv or lower for chargery, you just need to do the calibration.
How do I calibrate, need assistance and willing to pay.
I may use dielectric grease at the joins with different metals... (basically,, all of then...
and use DC current HALL sensor, not shunt... (2 current sensor to btw).
heya I know I'm looking the vlog back words but that is a real nice setup for your house that is something that I want to work to myself
Nice work David! I was looking forward to seeing you continue this project as I've two two Si6048's as well. Just about to order 4 SMA SB inverters which will AC-couple in offgrid situation. Have to order that ABB breaker... so have to be careful on the torque so not to strip it. Good tip there. Cheers!
After I stripped it I asked an electrician about it. He told me "Half of them fail" if you actually go up to the spec. LOL. The breaker is an S5N
@@DavidPozEnergy You wouldn't happen to have the model/brand of grey wire troughs you are using to run your cables in? Local electrical wholesaler are idiots.
5.30.20 Good video. Been watching for awhile now. Like your tests. Like how things are explained. Thanks for your time.
Thanks for watching.
Brilliantly put together good job
I would be concerned about bolting dissimilar metals together such as steel and aluminum you could get an electrolytic reaction. A better option I think would be stainless steel
If you are referring to my DIY busbars, the bolts/nut are stainless. They looked black because of the staining from the roof they were on. And the bolts I used to secure the ring terminals to the bus bars are also stainless steel. I also sprayed the aluminum down with a anti-corrosion.
@@DavidPozEnergy maybe, I don't pretend to be an expert but one of the things I learned in the Navy was dissimilar metals are bad. I was not particularly concerned about the bolts and washers and nuts as I was the aluminum pieces that you used. I hope it's okay.
@@chrissnyder2091 A boat is floating in an Ocean of electrolyte. Mixing metals is ok on land "more resistance to ground". Also I believe the active corrosion protection from the salty water uses electricity on board Navy vessels. If David uses something like "NoLox" then problem solved. However you have to check the connections ever 6 months for loosening (copper bus & copper clad bolts are best). I most definitely would NOT mix metals on a steel ship in salt water unless it was a temporary fix for a very short time (months) also weekly inspections would be priority for it as well.
The aluminum also has a lower ampacity than copper.
@@ranger175a2w You don't mix metals on aircraft either, or, buildings.
I realize it is still much safer to have all the cable physically and electrically protected through the conduit, but NEC wise, can you use welding cable through a conduit attached to a building?
Looks great, nice work!!
Thanks.
As always your videos are very informative. Thanks you
6:30 David, you may be able to find and old 3 bolt it breaker panel to pull the copper buses out of & also all the industrial breakers I have ever dealt with have an amp rating for A/C & D/C voltages. Another reliable source of Amp ratings would the UGLY book. I've noticed Home Depot selling them in the electrical department or you most likely will find one on Ebay, Amazon or just find your closest Electrical supply dealer they'll have a lot of stuff there you might useful. Good luck.
Thanks.
@@DavidPozEnergy I meant to say an "old 3 phase bolt in breaker panel" jeez that word prediction thing on phones makes my life hard.... lol ..... I should have read what I typed.
I would have loved to see the installation and connections on the AC side of this system, I'm installing 2 Sunny Islands in my home right now.
It should also be possible to use two 75mV shunts in series, use the centre tap for the BMS and the series tap for the full 150mV. Not really a big deal, but slightly more efficient to have less resistance I suppose.
Great job. Nice and clean as always. Keep it up 👍🏻💪🏻
I just happened to have a 250' spool of 2/O ultraflex in the shop. Its been a few years since I bought it, can't remember what I paid for it, but I bought old stock before everything got manufactured overseas.
Nice. I wish we were neighbors, I would have bought some from you.
Very good project
David, I have watched a few of your videos and would be interested in having a look at the diagrams of your Whole House Solar battery system. You seem to be very safety conscious and have incorporated a lot of good ideas. Also would be interested in any ideas on how you would improve your design if you were to do it now or may incorporate in the future. How can I get ahold of you? Thank David Henderson of El Paso, Tx
Hi you have nice projects i want to built one in Haiti for my house
Also I have a question for you about batt which difference between Nissan leaf and ess Samsung which one better
Or email me the answers at
Antoinejeron5@gmail.com thanks
Both will work fine. Whatever you are able to get shipped to Haiti. If both are available, then I'd go Samsung, but only because the early Nissan Leaf batteries have a reputation for being very degraded.
Ferraz Shawmut, or Erico make distribution blocks for just this purpose.
Do you have a video on how to connect your solar inverter to the house breaker box if power goes out? Like power went out flip a few switches to connect to the solar inverter and power a few of the 120v circuit in the house? Hope what I asked make sense.
Make it according to your original plans! Disconnecting every thing is better. It is not like you have rushed to complete this project.
I bought 2 of them without the temp sensors and current sensor. I only use one for my lithium battery. And after a few hours. It restarted.(no AC power). Do I have to have the temp sensor?? Thank you
Hi David, than you for your well documented process, any chance you can share the model and where you purchased these SMA inverters, Kind regards from Ontario
model is SI6048, I bought them from Ebay.
Aloha David, Great job on the videos! I just picked up two Sunny Island 6048US models.
Question: When you installed and calibrated the shunt how did you handle the installer password? Is there a standard password that the unit comes with? Or were you able to get the password from the original installer?
Thank You!
I used the password to do the calibration. I found the password in one of the manuals, but I can't remember what the password is off the top of my head.
Edit: Just did a quick search and found the password formula on page 88 in the US manual.
@@DavidPozEnergy awesome!
Thank you. Love the videos and learn a lot from you.
The only real way is to remove the breaker assembly from the box and replace the lug like you described in the video. There is no other way that I'm aware of.
Nicely done...pity about the stripped connector lug.
Great, Keep the videos going.
Put on Your safety glasses, David. Your eyes are most important, to keep.
you should use the AL ox compound.
Love it. Good job brother.
A wiring/circuit diagram or even block diagram would be useful too. Plus where is the Sunny Boy Island box?
Thanks for the suggestion. Next time I do an update on the SMA inverters I'll include a diagram.
I don't know what you mean by the "Sunny Boy Island box". I don't have any Sunny Boys.
@@DavidPozEnergy sorry I meant to put SunnyBoy/Island box. SMA do both and I wasn't sure if you had one, the other or both. I also thought the Island units worked as a hub, communicating directly with Sunny Boys. In the UK (and most of Europe IIRC) We tend to have SERIES connected PV that feeds 180v plus into the grid tied inverters we have so much lower cost on the cables and simpler wiring, with the downside that they do not get fitted with voltage/output monitors individually so any problems with a series element makes it a bitch to resolve. Also, although fitted with Bluetooth comms, my unit, fitted in our loft (flat!! Not vertical - against install advice!) is not easy to access or maintain or modify!
Main issue with grid tied sytems here is NO OUTPUT is usable in case of total power outage! Bummer!
thank you so much for this video
Excited to see you test the SMA inverters. Great videos sir. More power and God bless.
By the way, where's your 6k watts AIMS inverter? I wish to buy it from you.
Hey bro, can you help me with a Sunny Island inverter connected to e flex 5.4 batteries? It's a new install but it has error codes and it turns off. Fortress helped with a little troubleshooting. Technician hasn't followed up for a long while.
Is the direction into the breaker important since it Will run both ways? You Said earlier that the inverter had to go from the bottom of the breaker.
Hello! How did you ground/earth your Batteries? Thanks for the easy to watch videos!!!
I didn't. I grounded all metal parts, conduit and such, but I didn't ground the posts of the battery.
Maybe a better option for apocalypse situation. 80ft solar catamaran. 6 million. Lol, if only I could afford it. Be kind of interesting converting one cabin into a welding, electrical workshop.
Looks fantastic
vare vare gooooooood mesta thankyu
So what happened to your 6kwh Chevy Bolt lgchem battery?... I have 4 of the 3kwh 1p14s wired in paralell in service at this time for 12kwh... Need to get some more.. did they not like getting charged with the LiFePo4?
No, nothing like that. I took down the LG battery and used it in bench testing the Sigineer : ua-cam.com/video/tldNxN4HUj4/v-deo.html The LG battery is still sitting on my bench waiting for me to get my butt in gear and hang it back up. LOL
7:25 I may have missed it in another video, but how come you didn't tap the copper? It would make this step a whole lot easier. You wouldn't need to get a nut connected from behind.
Also, shouldn't you be using brass/bronze bolts instead? Anything else usually causes electrolysis and corrosion
EDIT: I see you used brass/bronze at 9:38 on a different connection 😉
I made the copper buss bars by flattening copper pipe, and layering that up. So it's not a solid piece of copper. But if it was solid you are correct, that tapping it would be a lot easier. I wish I knew more about tapping soft metals (copper and aluminum). Like thread count per inch. I think soft metals need courser threads? I need to find a good guide on that info.
As for the bolts, the shunt came with brass bolts. Any bolts I added to my own DIY bus bars are stainless steel.
@@DavidPozEnergy Ohhhh, ok! gotcha. I had forgotten that was multi-plated copper :P I wouldn't try tapping it as it wold just strip out anyways. In a block of copper it'd be the same as doing steel, but you just want course thread not fine.
I have found that even with SS and copper, there can still be some electrolysis and corrosion. Not sure why. You did mention you were going to coat the aluminum bracket, perhaps do the same with the SS bolts to keep oxygen out and slow or mitigate issues. It's amazing how much just spray on clear nail polish works for things like these 😉 just don't tell the wife you're borrowing it
Thanks. Mostly done. What is next? Like 485.
On this system I have to install the yellow covers on the inverters, but I found the conduit interferes slightly, so I have to grind off one corner. I also have to calibrate the shunt of the BMS. I have to install a relay between BMS and breaker. And then some plywood over the front of the battery rack to keep my daughter from grabbing the wires.
1:40 no crimping?
Your breaker will not trip if it has an over current condition. You can't run positive and negative together as the current will cancel itself out. At best you only have a disconnect switch the way that you have it wired. Also the bms shunt wires are backwards. Black should be on the right side instead.
I wired the ABB circuit breaker in accordance with the ABB instructions for DC.
Hi what about eddy currents positive cables going through a hole cause eddy currents there should be a slot from plus hole to negative hole to inverters if metal as they will get hot
As eddy currents will form around holes at high currents like your programs
Eddy currents are only created when the current through the wires is changing (ie AC not DC). That said, I agree it would be better practice to run them through the same hole if possible.
Hi David, I have been trying to duplicate your setting. I move over to Batrium for the BMS with LifePo4. How did you setup your battery thresholds ? I believe for Lithium Ion/LifePo4 to be supported by the Sunny Island, you need to have your BMS connected to the Sunny Island through the CAN Bus. I do not believe that the Chargery has a CAN bus. The documentation on Lithium Ion support for the Sunny Island is not very good. I was wondering if you were able to have more information than what is on the manual of the SMA ?
You are right that the Chargery didn't support this. I've never tried Batrium.
I ran my SMA's in VRLA (valve regulated lead acid) mode for a long time. I turned off equalization, and turned off temperature compensation.
Nice video
nice job done
Can you please review the schneider inverter /charger? I would like to buy one, but not sure if it is the right choice.
Dave, how about removing the *motion* from your next video, ie just saving the best-focussed still from each zoom. The long shots with camera on tripod are fine, it is the hand-helds that are making me dizzy (more dramamine, Mom!!). Anyway it would be an interesting experiment.
What batteries and bms are you using with these sunny islands? Tell me more about the RS485 communications. Thanks.
I'm using LiFePO4 batteries, arranged in a 4p16s configuration. My battery bank is about 24kwh capacity. I have several videos on my channel about building my battery bank, but they start with this one: ua-cam.com/video/i_V8v4APT60/v-deo.html it's an OK battery bank, but not perfect. I'm working on expanding it.
There is a black communication wire between the two SMA inverters. This allows them to keep in sync with each other. I have mine setup to be out of phase, so that I can get 120/240v power.
do you have a partnumber for the ABB breaker
Do you have any of the inverters that you have reviewed or used on your channel in the past for sale?
Not right now. The SMA inverters I'll probably be keeping a while. They have been powering my house flawlessly for a month now. Never even seen the lights flicker.
Hello, this dc circuit breaker you used how much the voltage rating, it’s 48V ? And can we use dc circuit breaker with higher voltage ratings like 550V or 1000V for system batteries 48V can be efficient in high current or faults?! Thank you 😊
You can use circuit breakers with higher DC voltage ratings, but it must be DC rated.
Did you use CanBus to interface the Sunny Island with the BMS ?
If I have a grid tie inverter where will that be connected to?. Can I have any LiFePO4 connected to sunny islands?. I am planning to order 150Kwh batteries from china to make a three phase sunny island project. Thanks for the videos, very useful.
I use my Sunny Island inverters with LiFePO4 cells. They work fine, but the SOC is a little off. I have to adjust it once in a while.
Hi David.
Excellent videos. This my first DIY Solar. I’m having some issues hopefully you can help me out. I’m using a Midnite 150 classic charge controller I have everything wired per the specs of the controller. When I tie in 1 sunny island 6048 inverter it lights up for about 5 seconds and then trips my 2 24v battery/EVO tied into series to create 48v batteries. Why does the inverter trip the breakers on the battery packs?
I don't know, but possibly check these things: The SI6048 inverter can surge pretty high. I'm trying to remember off the top of my head, but I think it's 7,000W for 30 minutes. If that's the case, and your battery is lower in voltage then the amps would be bigger than the battery can handle. For example, 7,000W/46V=152A. Personally, I'd have more battery capacity. But, a way to check is with an amp-meter.
@@DavidPozEnergy Thank you. I will check that.
It hurts my brain as a electrical engineer when i have to watch sleeves that are not crimped at these currents.
And btw... the small cables for the shunt have to have sleeves too when screwed in at the inverter!
Amen. Drove me nuts watching this
Everything I have read says using solar battery power is much more expensive then grid tied solar power because the batteries eventually die/ loose capacity and when you go to replace them all your savings vanish. Have you calculated how much your electricity costs/ kwh usign a battery vs using grid tie? It is very cool to have independent electricity, but is it economical for someone to do this? I have installed my own grid tie systems and now that used electric car batteries are about $100/kwh I am trying to figgure out if adding a battery system is worth it for a 10kw array
You are Right that grid tie electricity is going to be the cheapest. The batteries will eventually die and that pushes out the ROI I have not done a calculation for my payback. I'm doing this also for the power outages so it's not so much about ROI as it is energy independence and being prepared for emergencies.
Do you know how to run inverter in off grid mode ?
I personally would of replaced the lug, yes it would of been a little bit of work to do but better safe than sorry. Then you could resume with the original wire design. Them buss bars seem a bit sketchy but as long as it works then might as well use it for now.
Thank you man!
Very nice again David!
Can you tell me the part number of the ABB breaker?
Was the Chargery shunt not calibrated from stock!
Ciao, Rik
The Chargery BMS and shunt never showed correct amps from the box. Then I tried changing some settings, but made things worse. LOL. I really have to do the full calibration, just need the time. I wanted so badly to just start using the solar power that reading the amps on the BMS is less important to me. And the breaker is an ABB S5N. rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575553304&toolid=10001&campid=5338624228&customid=&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2380057.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC1.A0.H0.XABB%2BS5N.TRS0%26_nkw%3DABB%2BS5N%26_sacat%3D0
What AMP rating is the ABB breaker and how did you calculate ?
It is a very nice system, however, why are you not using De-ox on your connections? Great vid, I watch all of them, thanks.
I don’t know why david doesn’t, but typically when you run copper, inside out of the weather, and farther than 3 miles to the ocean it usually isn’t needed. With aluminum all that goes out the window.
Thank you David,
Hi David, which battery configuration did you choose in the SMA software? The BMS is not connected to the inverter, or is it? Can you choose the Lithium battery configuration if the BMS is not sending any signals to the inverter?
I set the SMA inverters to VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid).
@@DavidPozEnergy thanks for the fast reply! Did you experience any issues regarding the VLRA profile? Does the inverter do some kind of pulse charging or something like that, which is good for lead acid, but would decrease the lifetime of LiFePO4 batteries?
The SMA inverter does not pulse the charging. It works OK, but the SOC algorithm is a little off.
@@DavidPozEnergy thank you. I think I'm going to build the same system with the sma sunny island. It sounds promising for long term operation with a huge diy battery pack (>20kWh).
Love the videos very educational. I have and off grid cabin that use 3 140 ah AGM batteries with a 3500 watt inverter for power. 350 watts in solar to charge batteries. 12 volts of course. Looking to up grade to a better setup. Any suggestions. Thanks
I can't really suggest anything unless I know what your loads are, and why you are not happy with your current setup. But, generally speaking, I prefer 48v.
@@DavidPozEnergy thanks for the reply . My biggest draw is my 1/2 HP well pump or when the wife uses the electric frying pan 1800 watts . All lights are led small fridge. I can go all weekend as long as it's sunny and not run the generator. I am going to be building a power house for the generator and hopefully the solar and wind turbine. AGM batteries don't like the cold . I'm looking for a bit more storage and something that can handle the cold weather of up state ny.
Also low maintenance bc not always able to get up there in the winter.
For cold weather you have a few options. Option #1 is my preffered. This is where you build in systems that control temperature. This would mean an insulated shed to house the batteries, with an automatic thermostat and heater. Always maintaining a minimum 50°F in the shed.
Option #2, Use LTO batteries because they can work well below freezing temperatures without any harm. I have a few videos on LTO on my channel.
Option #3, I know of this one battery (Kilovault) that includes a built-in heater, pretty nifty. www.altestore.com/store/deep-cycle-batteries/lithium-batteries/kilovault-lithium-solar-battery-p41011/#KLV3600CHLX
@@DavidPozEnergy so I would be looking to build a battery box like your buddy in Vermont.
nice super David cheers
Hey dude, I am planning to set up an AC coupled system with micro inverters. Do you have any idea on the type of Soladeck I must buy?
Sorry, no I don't. I haven't used that product since my solar array is ground mount. I'd suggest calling Alt-E. I buy things like that from them and they help me pick the right model. www.altestore.com/store/