Be careful, I started out with a couple panels like that and a couple years later my entire home is now running off solar 24/7. It was an investment but Uncle Sam was so happy with me, he gave me some of my money back that he took last year. Didn’t get a Christmas Card from the utility company though. DIY Solar really is a game changer for folks living or playing off grid and the costs are finally affordable. Thanks for educating folks on the benefits. Early channel subscriber from TX!
Well done, Wilson! Don't be dismayed by the (inevitable) haters, they can't help it, they're just sad and miserable, so need to take it out on others. Now you can build that off-grid cabin and keep the batteries topped up for the E-chainsaw! Cheers from your solar-powered neighbor to the North.
Merry Christmas. I learn a lot from your channel about taking care of my land and trees. You teach while remaining as humble as your students, a rare combination of traits. Thank you.
You’ve really stepped up your solar game over this last year Mr. Wilson! Remembering your 100W panel with one old lead acid battery you had less than a year ago! Wow!
Power goes out often here, northern BC. Over 50hrs one time this fall. Internet for communications as there's no mobility here, and freezer/fridge.. everyone has a generator but, solar is my next step.. having wood heat, and gravity fed water makes all the difference.. great videos, Merry Christmas ⛄
What I did was make a solar setup that runs my fridge and some lights indefinitely. When the power is working it still saves me money, but when the power goes out I got a nice reserve to tap into and I know my essentials will keep running. No worries about having an interconnect or transfer switch. The fridge, kitchen and hallway light, and two outlets in the house marked "Generator" just run off solar forever. (I'll move other stuff to the generator outlets during the summer and spring months to make better use of the higher generation) Because I did it all myself the payoff period is something like 10-15 years, so not only do I have a backup for emergencies, it's going to pay itself off in due time outside of emergencies.
@@chaon93 From experience as a long time off-gridder: The solar panels are paid off fairly rapidly if you use the bulk of it during peak production. Usage over night, doesn't have a return on investment, ever! Batteries are a constant expense over a long time. By the time they're paid for, you need new ones. The newer LiFePo batteries are finally competitive with the lead acid, and that's the route I will now go.
@@blaydCA A solar battery system actually can break even now, especially for high cost of electricity areas, and even with moderate cost of electricity if the system is DIY. lifepo4's lifespan is a game changer. Obviously if it was just solar it would pay off in like 1/3 the time, and would have a longer lifespan on top. If i consider interest that could have been made on the battery money then... yeah, it doesn't pay off, it just gets close. If my electric cost considerably more it would, but my electric prices are decent. I sorta went at this in reverse, I wanted a power station at first to have a backup in outages, but needed more capacity. and once you have enough capacity to run your essentials for a few days, adding solar on doesn't add much to the cost and helps pay down the initial investment. I also got a propane generator "just in case" but it's not seen any real use outside of maintenance cycles.
So if I where to do this this is the route I'd go, a Portable Power System, don't need to worry about anything else, just purchase this one item and plug in the Solar Panels, period, end-of-sentence, thank you, this greatly simplifies the process!
I did the hard way. Bought all the components and eventually got it right. Happy with end result. Look forward to your struggle putting all your components together.
Excellent explanation. I realized while watching YOUR video that I don't need separate batteries and can just run off the power station. That will save me HUNDREDS of dollars. Thank you
Ideally, the best performance will come from panels that are 90 degrees to the sun. So it helps to adjust the tilt of the panel throughout the seasons. Tilt the panels lower in the winter season where the sun is. Higher tilt in the summer.
Nice video! New subscriber here. I live in north Texas and get plenty of solar to put up panels and what not. I am considering starting out with a solar backup for outages like we had here in February 2021. I am leaning toward starting small and scaling it up (more panels, batteries, etc as we go on). 😂We have all electric for heat and cool which would not be the way to heat in the colder climates like Minnesota where I grew up. Again, nice video hitting the high points on power stations vs. DIY with components. I look forward to your detailed video. All the best from north Texas!
Love it! I have solar battery banks already and I don't really want to deal with battery's and all the controls. Brain cells are old and tired.😊 Thank you Mike, Merry Christmas
I've been thinking about it and you really made it simpler than what I thought, which was not that much more complicated but, still, I thank you for that. Around here, solar panel prices have gone down dramatically. There's this "big box store" (different brand from whatever you may find in the US) which usually has low prices that used to sell some similar solar panels for about 175€ (a bit more if you think in $) and since a few months ago they are at 75€ each. I had to look twice as I thought I might had not seen the 1 in front of the rest of the number. I'll take a look at those "all in one". Thanks!
the one negative of power stations is if any part of it fails.. it all fails.. but if you separate the items.. you just need to replace one item instead of the whole thing.. yes it is more complicated when you set up the solar/charge controller/batteries/inverter.. we have both like you.. we have a Bluetti AC180 with 200w of solar.. but we also have 800w of solar with 4-100amp Lipo batteries.. 100/40amp solar controller.. and a 2000w inverter.. good thing about separates is you can add more power down the road as needed by just switching a few thing out.. more flexibility per say..
Good good ! Just watch those plugs on the back of your panels ' they like to melt down . I eventually cut tbem all out and soldered everything permanently once I was sure how I wanted my setup to stay .
I need the pannels to charge my unit up. I have the ecoflow units. No one sends me toys to use... I do run solor lights in the shop and out side. they do good.
Nice flexible setup. You are well on your way with both the discrete gear and the power stations. Definitely stay with series solar configurations, particularly with large residential panels due to the amperages they can put out. In terms of scaling up over time, start thinking of going with higher voltage on the discrete battery gear, it will make the charge controllers far more effective and you can carry far more power with the same cable size. If you want to experiment, try wiring the discrete batteries into a 24V configuration instead of 12V, reconfigure the charge controller for the 24V configuration, and then feed the 24VDC battery bus into the power station's solar input, assuming it can handle the voltagel... most mid and large power stations can. 24V LiFePO4 charges to 28.4V so if the power station can take 30VDC on its input, the batteries can be plugged right in with just a 20A or 25A inline fuse. That will "trickle charge" the power station from the battery bank, while the solar goes into the battery bank and serves as a relatively large energy buffer. The advantage of going with a higher voltage battery bus is that you scan scale far more solar using the same charge controller(s). 45A @ 12.8V = 576W. But 45A @ 25.6V = 1152W. Many people go all the way to 48V (51.2V nominal), but if your intent is to also integrate power stations a 24V battery system is generally more compatible, easier to deal with, and trickle-charges the power station(s) much more quickly. If you do come to like the higher battery bus voltages but are still using 12.8V batteries, you will need a whole battery balancer to keep the 12V segments balanced against each other when constructing a 24V, 36V, or 48V bank. Most people just get native 25.6V and 51.2V LiFePO4 batteries to avoid having to get the whole-battery balancer... but since you already have the 12V gear, no reason to waste them. If you have the solar going into the discrete batteries, you can unplug the portable power stations and use them without interfering with your energy gathering from the solar panels since that will go into your battery bank. -Matt
I barely have to adjust the angle on my SoCal High Desert panels from peak summer to peak winter. My Southeast Oregon property is an absolute nightmare, because every month tree shading changes big time! I have one bald area on the hilltop that is one heck of a wire run which is windy, so will have to massively secure them. Remember...Big panels make HUGE wind sails! Extra heavy bolts and piers to secure them!
Additional Notes: DON'T rapid disconnect those panels under load! AC current travels with less loss over distance. Avoid long DC runs regardless of higher voltage. Increase wire size for DC for longer runs. I up size over recommended size.
Additional Note Number 3 Critters just LOVE to chew on buried cables. EMT would be a good idea! Plus if those thin wires catch on fire, the fire will be contained inside the EMT.
Additional Note Number 4: Micro inverter is a possible solution, but expensive option for that long run. Have to reconvert to DC to charge batteries though.
Look into microinverters if you have all your panels in 1 string. Enphase IQ8 are the current gold standard. It minimizes loss due to shading on individual panels, so each panel outputs as much as it can, without being bogged down due to another panel shading it out.
Great video thanks for the information. I'm going to build a new pump house next summer and want to include a back up power system for when we have power outages here.
Make sure you use bear deterrent on the panels and wires, we have the best luck with bacon grease, honey, and sweet anise oil. Coat every thing down thoroughly 😂. Merry Christmas, and happy New Year!
If you hook them in series you double the voltage but the power in watts do not change do not double if you hook the parallel then the voltage stays at around 36vdc but wattage adds together.
If you are suggesting wattage does not change, are you suggesting if I take a 400 W panel and add another 400 W panel it's going to stay at 400 W? If that was the case there would be no reason to have more than one panel.
You should mention that if you put panels in series, that whole batch will output less power when (only) one panel is (partly) in the shade. With parallel wiring that is not the case - all (other) panels will output normally.
Yaae I made it to the end. 😅 First time I ain't had an 8 year old in my face in two days. At 70 I didn't think I would be intertaning at this level. But that's what makes the holidays fun right?lol😂
I have heard a lot of good things about synthetic rope but I don't use it. Main reason being it would be very difficult for me to keep it out of the dirt. From what I hear dirt will wear them out quickly.
How critical is angle of the solar panels? As the sun moves across the sky it arcs up in the middle of the day and gets closer to the horizon in the morning and evening. Does repointing the solar panels to account for this make much difference? I am actually wondering whether a powered solar tracker makes much difference?
I had old garage doors that I stripped out the aluminum rails and edging. When I built my Leanto onto my shed I allowed 2' of treated 4x4 posts to be above the roof slope. I put 2x4 angled Braces on each 4x4 post. Then I attached Horizontally 3 runs of the Garage door aluminum rails. I mounted 4 120watt panels on these rails. They are wired just like yours. The wire they attach to go into the shed to a 1000 watt Grid tie inverter that needs 20Vdc to Operate. My major problem is 2 trees on my Property that give partial shade during the day. Less during the winter than summer. Maybe one of these days I will own a Power station. Out of my retried budget range under bidenomics. Maybe under Trumpnomics I can afford 1. ;) The wire I used was #12 Braided copper wire from the panels to inverter. About a 25ft run so loss is minimal. This run of wire also has 4 #12 braided in it. So i have a spare set to use when I can add more panels. Merry Christmas & Have a Blessed Happy New Year. 2025 is gonna be a year Of BIG Changes! Hallelujah!
@@JosEPh-zy3yr If you're running 480 watts at 20 volts DC, you're pushing 24 Amperes through 12 guage wire rated for 20 amperes. Major resistance loss there, and a fire risk. There's charts online for correct wire size and distance losses. .
Your negative splice at the panels needs to be insulated because while it is "negative" it is not at ground potential. For fun put your voltmeter between that splice and one of the T posts.
Ok i have to say it hahaha here goes, where I live the black is live and the white is neutral just saying :-) sorry had to do it. other than that. i think it shows just how simple solar can be and the wattage per SQ foot has certainly increased that is good, nicely done.
@@davebloggs DC - Black is negative, A rainbow of other colors for positive depending. AC 120/240V - White is Neutral, Black or Red are Hot, Green is ground.
If your inverter power-thingy can accept 160V then you should put all panels in series for lower loss in the line. There is a lot of magic in the PV inverter searching for the optimal power conversion of your panels under the current conditions. This is why you don't want to mix panels from a different lot on the same string, all the panels need to behave nearly the same.
Mr Wilson finally saw the light.....and put it to good use.... I'm just here for the sawdust. I like the nice woodworking you did on those stumps to support the frame....
Find you a place protected from wind and mount the panels on a gimbol. That way, you can track the sun's apparent movement. Set your angle of inclination at your mean latitude and you can use just one motor tracking on either a chain or worm gear drive.
@@WhatDadIsUpTo so here's a question: if your system is making all the electricity you need, do you go out and spend hours and money trying to get it to make more? right now his investment in the mount is about $13.27, and his yield is 100% of his electricity needs. you are suggesting he increase his financial investment by a minimum of 500% and probably closer to 1000%, to make his power system hit its full charge shutdown point 10% sooner.
@kenbrown2808 As for me, I like to tinker. I don't chase after money. I live debt free. As to him, I don't give a hoot. I offered a different method, is all. Your comment sounds almost like an idigtement from the Internet Police.
OMG is this guy funny! Love it! So I know jack diddle about electric and power. I just want to know how long the two Aferiy power stations will run an average frig on a full charge? And how long it takes to recharge using your average portable solar panels? That's all. Nothing special. Just trying to prepare for the end of the world here.
In the video you mentioned Series doubling the Voltage, and Parallel, doubling the Wattage. Parallel actually doubles the Amperage, the Wattage stays the same. Actually, Wattage will always stay the same in the solar math.
@@danamoroso-xjq This is an incorrect and dangerous statement. Yes, adding two fixed 425W solar panels together, you will get 850W. However, when wiring panels in series vs. parallel, it is extremely important to understand what gets doubled! One could destroy your equipment, and the other could melt the wire and burn down the house! All solar panels and batteries come in a fixed wattage. When wiring power sources (solar panels or batteries) in, Parallel - Amps are added together, and Volts stay the same. When in Series - Volts are added together, and Amps stay the same. Each panel: 425w / 40v = 10.6A Two in Series: 850w / 10.6A = 80v Two in Parallel: 850w / 40v = 21.2A
I have a Energizer Arc5 lithium power bank, it doesn't have a main shut off switch and I accidentally bumped a button activating it and it drained till it died and it won't recharge, it's now a $500 paper weight. I'll never buy one of these units ever again unless it has a main twist nob disconnect switch like the lead acid power banks have.
@blaydCA All the connections were proper when I tried charging the power bank with the house adapter , it has the charge input clearly marked. As I said, the buttons were bumped and it turned on and drained beyond critical percent.
@@mrMacGoover It may need a Wake Up charge. Plug in for a few minutes. Then unplug, let sit a few, then plug in again. Evidently this is a common issue.
@blaydCA I did what you said and the display would flash 0% and immediately shut off, after doing that a few times with same results I took the top and face display off and put 12 volts @ 2 amps to the main soldered battery terminals with a car battery charger and the display lit up and stayed lit. The display showed 72% charge which was surprising to me because it flashed 0% like I said before. Anyway it's all back together and topping up it's charge. I made a short video explaining what I did before reassembling it again, I'll post it to my channel soon.
@mrMacGoover Maybe the Battery Management System is defective? I'd be calling their consumer support number and requesting a new unit! Unfortunately, when you opened it up it probably voided the warranty. Hopefully just a one time glitch. That's a lot of money for a portable battery.
That would be the smart move if the controller is rated for it. Some of the Victon controllers will handle 250VOC. Not sure which Victon model he had there. His feed wire 6 guage is too small in it's current configuration.
PLEASE run that power through a proper penetration point! That steel door on the container WILL eventually close tight enough to crush wire internally or even worse...short creating a fire
It's only in the container for the moment temporary. The metal on the door doesn't even touch the wire. Opening and closing it every day for the last month the lettering on the wire looks the same as it did when it was new. Not even a scuff.
If you think about electricity and its usage, you soon realize that in order to use it, some sort of source has to be working. That source could be an active generator, as with house current and the commercial power company (grid) or storage batteries or . . . I don't use either. My battery is 2,000 gallons of compressed air, sourced from photovoltaic directly driving compressors or from wind turbines that pump air. When I need electricity, I make it. I can direct-generate almost any voltage a.c. or d.c. I homestead alone in Texas and I like to build stuff. I'm autistic.
I use anderson connections sb50 on some 12v battery terminals . Then the output can be swapped out or added to a low need situation. I pull 600 watthour plus into my EF delta pro to keep freezers running whole night
This is what we have started to lean towards for the sawmill shed. We would be powering the hoist for turning the logs, lights, and some miscellaneous stuff. Now all we need is a sponsor! (haha) What are you going to be using your power for?
What about those damned bears? Aren't they going to come in and mess with everything and bite up all your wires?! Seems like it would be a lot better to put them up on a roof where they can't get at them... PS - Not bad for a "D" student!
My wife is willing to work for another 5 years if needed. Are we in good shape? Will we be okay if I begin withdrawing from Social Security when I'm 41 and my wife is 40? Should we hire a financial planner to help us navigate this?
These are crucial questions for a financial planner. I met mine at a NYSE summit, and with her help, my wife and I reallocated our $1.7M portfolio between a traditional IRA and a brokerage account. She's been making investments with our approval and has helped us recover twice our losses. We're holding steady and carefully navigating more markets
Them torches might just come In handy. Please don’t do a video,, you standing on a ladder shining on sad panel…with scarf made old boots and kamel, sokes, try explanation for that,, any way happy Xmas , love you Chanel 🇬🇧😳😳
I use a free app called sunspath If you select AR it will show the hourly position overlaying the offending branches. Has allowed me to tweek production with specific branch trimming
Be careful now... that hillbilly wiring will get ya canceled... the way it used to be, you might find a bare wire in your wall... now you need a certificate and degrees and such... 'they' don't want people to know that you can, in fact, drive on the other side of the line.
Since the power station wants a lower voltage you are decreasing your power output from the panels by putting them in series. You have cut your current in half. You should wire all of the panels in parallel.
Power output from the panels remain the same regardless of wiring configuration,... Excepting some loss from resistance from lower voltage. There's a formula/charts for proper wire sizing and resistance over distance and guage.
@@jimprice1959 As a rule of thumb: Higher voltages most often equal higher efficiency. That said: Individual brands will have different electronics and battery management systems as well as battery quality. If it's not on a specification sheet call the customer technical support number to get an answer. Personally, these Power stations aren't suitable for my requirements. They're good for those that want short term power in a rare situation.
Be careful, I started out with a couple panels like that and a couple years later my entire home is now running off solar 24/7. It was an investment but Uncle Sam was so happy with me, he gave me some of my money back that he took last year. Didn’t get a Christmas Card from the utility company though. DIY Solar really is a game changer for folks living or playing off grid and the costs are finally affordable. Thanks for educating folks on the benefits. Early channel subscriber from TX!
Well done, Wilson!
Don't be dismayed by the (inevitable) haters, they can't help it, they're just sad and miserable, so need to take it out on others.
Now you can build that off-grid cabin and keep the batteries topped up for the E-chainsaw!
Cheers from your solar-powered neighbor to the North.
Merry Christmas. I learn a lot from your channel about taking care of my land and trees. You teach while remaining as humble as your students, a rare combination of traits. Thank you.
You’ve really stepped up your solar game over this last year Mr. Wilson! Remembering your 100W panel with one old lead acid battery you had less than a year ago! Wow!
Thanks for the simple explanation of your solar system. Especially thank you for showing the input from the solar panels when it’s foggy or cloudy.
Power goes out often here, northern BC. Over 50hrs one time this fall. Internet for communications as there's no mobility here, and freezer/fridge.. everyone has a generator but, solar is my next step.. having wood heat, and gravity fed water makes all the difference.. great videos, Merry Christmas ⛄
What I did was make a solar setup that runs my fridge and some lights indefinitely. When the power is working it still saves me money, but when the power goes out I got a nice reserve to tap into and I know my essentials will keep running. No worries about having an interconnect or transfer switch. The fridge, kitchen and hallway light, and two outlets in the house marked "Generator" just run off solar forever. (I'll move other stuff to the generator outlets during the summer and spring months to make better use of the higher generation)
Because I did it all myself the payoff period is something like 10-15 years, so not only do I have a backup for emergencies, it's going to pay itself off in due time outside of emergencies.
@@chaon93
From experience as a long time off-gridder:
The solar panels are paid off fairly rapidly if you use the bulk of it during peak production.
Usage over night, doesn't have a return on investment, ever!
Batteries are a constant expense over a long time. By the time they're paid for, you need new ones.
The newer LiFePo batteries are finally competitive with the lead acid, and that's the route I will now go.
@@blaydCA A solar battery system actually can break even now, especially for high cost of electricity areas, and even with moderate cost of electricity if the system is DIY. lifepo4's lifespan is a game changer. Obviously if it was just solar it would pay off in like 1/3 the time, and would have a longer lifespan on top.
If i consider interest that could have been made on the battery money then... yeah, it doesn't pay off, it just gets close. If my electric cost considerably more it would, but my electric prices are decent.
I sorta went at this in reverse, I wanted a power station at first to have a backup in outages, but needed more capacity. and once you have enough capacity to run your essentials for a few days, adding solar on doesn't add much to the cost and helps pay down the initial investment.
I also got a propane generator "just in case" but it's not seen any real use outside of maintenance cycles.
So if I where to do this this is the route I'd go, a Portable Power System, don't need to worry about anything else, just purchase this one item and plug in the Solar Panels, period, end-of-sentence, thank you, this greatly simplifies the process!
That is a good video. You did a good job, explains everything. Thanks
Shockingly electric content. Merry Christmas! 🌲
I did the hard way. Bought all the components and eventually got it right.
Happy with end result. Look forward to your struggle putting all your components together.
Nice lesson on Ohms law!
Merry Christmas
Excellent explanation. I realized while watching YOUR video that I don't need separate batteries and can just run off the power station. That will save me HUNDREDS of dollars. Thank you
Ideally, the best performance will come from panels that are 90 degrees to the sun. So it helps to adjust the tilt of the panel throughout the seasons. Tilt the panels lower in the winter season where the sun is. Higher tilt in the summer.
Nice video! New subscriber here. I live in north Texas and get plenty of solar to put up panels and what not. I am considering starting out with a solar backup for outages like we had here in February 2021. I am leaning toward starting small and scaling it up (more panels, batteries, etc as we go on). 😂We have all electric for heat and cool which would not be the way to heat in the colder climates like Minnesota where I grew up. Again, nice video hitting the high points on power stations vs. DIY with components. I look forward to your detailed video. All the best from north Texas!
Having the old discrete component setup means you can still have that array charging something when you do take off with the integrated unit. Cool
Love it! I have solar battery banks already and I don't really want to deal with battery's and all the controls. Brain cells are old and tired.😊 Thank you Mike, Merry Christmas
I've been thinking about it and you really made it simpler than what I thought, which was not that much more complicated but, still, I thank you for that.
Around here, solar panel prices have gone down dramatically. There's this "big box store" (different brand from whatever you may find in the US) which usually has low prices that used to sell some similar solar panels for about 175€ (a bit more if you think in $) and since a few months ago they are at 75€ each. I had to look twice as I thought I might had not seen the 1 in front of the rest of the number.
I'll take a look at those "all in one". Thanks!
the one negative of power stations is if any part of it fails.. it all fails.. but if you separate the items.. you just need to replace one item instead of the whole thing.. yes it is more complicated when you set up the solar/charge controller/batteries/inverter.. we have both like you.. we have a Bluetti AC180 with 200w of solar.. but we also have 800w of solar with 4-100amp Lipo batteries.. 100/40amp solar controller.. and a 2000w inverter.. good thing about separates is you can add more power down the road as needed by just switching a few thing out.. more flexibility per say..
Good good !
Just watch those plugs on the back of your panels ' they like to melt down . I eventually cut tbem all out and soldered everything permanently once I was sure how I wanted my setup to stay .
High amperage is the problem!
I heard you created a solar system. How many planets did you use? LOL! Merry Christmas!
I need the pannels to charge my unit up. I have the ecoflow units. No one sends me toys to use... I do run solor lights in the shop and out side. they do good.
Nice flexible setup. You are well on your way with both the discrete gear and the power stations. Definitely stay with series solar configurations, particularly with large residential panels due to the amperages they can put out. In terms of scaling up over time, start thinking of going with higher voltage on the discrete battery gear, it will make the charge controllers far more effective and you can carry far more power with the same cable size.
If you want to experiment, try wiring the discrete batteries into a 24V configuration instead of 12V, reconfigure the charge controller for the 24V configuration, and then feed the 24VDC battery bus into the power station's solar input, assuming it can handle the voltagel... most mid and large power stations can. 24V LiFePO4 charges to 28.4V so if the power station can take 30VDC on its input, the batteries can be plugged right in with just a 20A or 25A inline fuse. That will "trickle charge" the power station from the battery bank, while the solar goes into the battery bank and serves as a relatively large energy buffer.
The advantage of going with a higher voltage battery bus is that you scan scale far more solar using the same charge controller(s). 45A @ 12.8V = 576W. But 45A @ 25.6V = 1152W. Many people go all the way to 48V (51.2V nominal), but if your intent is to also integrate power stations a 24V battery system is generally more compatible, easier to deal with, and trickle-charges the power station(s) much more quickly.
If you do come to like the higher battery bus voltages but are still using 12.8V batteries, you will need a whole battery balancer to keep the 12V segments balanced against each other when constructing a 24V, 36V, or 48V bank. Most people just get native 25.6V and 51.2V LiFePO4 batteries to avoid having to get the whole-battery balancer... but since you already have the 12V gear, no reason to waste them.
If you have the solar going into the discrete batteries, you can unplug the portable power stations and use them without interfering with your energy gathering from the solar panels since that will go into your battery bank.
-Matt
I barely have to adjust the angle on my SoCal High Desert panels from peak summer to peak winter.
My Southeast Oregon property is an absolute nightmare, because every month tree shading changes big time!
I have one bald area on the hilltop that is one heck of a wire run which is windy, so will have to massively secure them.
Remember...Big panels make HUGE wind sails!
Extra heavy bolts and piers to secure them!
Additional Notes:
DON'T rapid disconnect those panels under load!
AC current travels with less loss over distance. Avoid long DC runs regardless of higher voltage.
Increase wire size for DC for longer runs. I up size over recommended size.
ADDITIONAL NOTE NUMBER 2:
6/2 Wire size WAAAAY to small for that run!
Ouch!
Additional Note Number 3
Critters just LOVE to chew on buried cables. EMT would be a good idea!
Plus if those thin wires catch on fire, the fire will be contained inside the EMT.
Additional Note Number 4:
Micro inverter is a possible solution, but expensive option for that long run.
Have to reconvert to DC to charge batteries though.
Look into microinverters if you have all your panels in 1 string. Enphase IQ8 are the current gold standard.
It minimizes loss due to shading on individual panels, so each panel outputs as much as it can, without being bogged down due to another panel shading it out.
Great video thanks for the information. I'm going to build a new pump house next summer and want to include a back up power system for when we have power outages here.
1.7 kilowatts?? Great Scott!!
I was about to leave the same exact comment when I decided to scroll down just in case someone beat me to it. Ha ha
The average hairdryer used around 1.4 kilowatts or 1400 watts on high heat.
Make sure you use bear deterrent on the panels and wires, we have the best luck with bacon grease, honey, and sweet anise oil. Coat every thing down thoroughly 😂. Merry Christmas, and happy New Year!
I haven't thought of using those as bear deterrent. Thank you that's a great tip. 😂
You did great.
Happy Holiday, Michael (that should keep Mum happy)
If you hook them in series you double the voltage but the power in watts do not change do not double if you hook the parallel then the voltage stays at around 36vdc but wattage adds together.
If you are suggesting wattage does not change, are you suggesting if I take a 400 W panel and add another 400 W panel it's going to stay at 400 W? If that was the case there would be no reason to have more than one panel.
You should mention that if you put panels in series, that whole batch will output less power when (only) one panel is (partly) in the shade. With parallel wiring that is not the case - all (other) panels will output normally.
I would take some 2 inch panduit and bolt it to all the wooden supports and you can easily hide the wires and connections in it
What part of temporary did you miss?
@@jimputnam2044 Hey jimmy the clown, this comment was intended for the final assembly
@@davecalvo6418 LOL Right on Davey Boy.
Thanks for the tip. It would be good to have them hidden.
Yaae I made it to the end. 😅 First time I ain't had an 8 year old in my face in two days. At 70 I didn't think I would be intertaning at this level. But that's what makes the holidays fun right?lol😂
Solar is the way to go - off grid setup.. I am wondering your view on synthetic rope for logging?
I have heard a lot of good things about synthetic rope but I don't use it. Main reason being it would be very difficult for me to keep it out of the dirt. From what I hear dirt will wear them out quickly.
How critical is angle of the solar panels? As the sun moves across the sky it arcs up in the middle of the day and gets closer to the horizon in the morning and evening. Does repointing the solar panels to account for this make much difference? I am actually wondering whether a powered solar tracker makes much difference?
Put them on the roof of your container. It will give you better sun exposure and keep it away from critters.
And a very short low voltage run.
Mind doing a video about those storage shipping containers? Like cost, shipping, getting them onto the land, foundation, etc?
That's going to be location dependent.
Fair warning, they're a magnet for break in hoodlums.
I had old garage doors that I stripped out the aluminum rails and edging. When I built my Leanto onto my shed I allowed 2' of treated 4x4 posts to be above the roof slope. I put 2x4 angled Braces on each 4x4 post. Then I attached Horizontally 3 runs of the Garage door aluminum rails. I mounted 4 120watt panels on these rails. They are wired just like yours. The wire they attach to go into the shed to a 1000 watt Grid tie inverter that needs 20Vdc to Operate. My major problem is 2 trees on my Property that give partial shade during the day. Less during the winter than summer. Maybe one of these days I will own a Power station. Out of my retried budget range under bidenomics. Maybe under Trumpnomics I can afford 1. ;) The wire I used was #12 Braided copper wire from the panels to inverter. About a 25ft run so loss is minimal. This run of wire also has 4 #12 braided in it. So i have a spare set to use when I can add more panels. Merry Christmas & Have a Blessed Happy New Year. 2025 is gonna be a year Of BIG Changes! Hallelujah!
@@JosEPh-zy3yr
If you're running 480 watts at 20 volts DC, you're pushing 24 Amperes through 12 guage wire rated for 20 amperes.
Major resistance loss there, and a fire risk.
There's charts online for correct wire size and distance losses.
.
Appreciate the content.
Your negative splice at the panels needs to be insulated because while it is "negative" it is not at ground potential. For fun put your voltmeter between that splice and one of the T posts.
Ok i have to say it hahaha here goes, where I live the black is live and the white is neutral just saying :-) sorry had to do it. other than that. i think it shows just how simple solar can be and the wattage per SQ foot has certainly increased that is good, nicely done.
@@davebloggs
DC - Black is negative, A rainbow of other colors for positive depending.
AC 120/240V - White is Neutral, Black or Red are Hot, Green is ground.
Hello, can you test the capacity of that aferly and see if it's accurate? I would sure appreciate it. These prices are too good!
Before watching this I didn't know watt I was getting into but now I feel like I con-duit.
If your inverter power-thingy can accept 160V then you should put all panels in series for lower loss in the line. There is a lot of magic in the PV inverter searching for the optimal power conversion of your panels under the current conditions. This is why you don't want to mix panels from a different lot on the same string, all the panels need to behave nearly the same.
His inverter only handles 150VOC.
Mix and match panels should be wired parallel only for best results.
Around $1500 dollars, is not bad.
Mr Wilson finally saw the light.....and put it to good use.... I'm just here for the sawdust. I like the nice woodworking you did on those stumps to support the frame....
Find you a place protected from wind and mount the panels on a gimbol. That way, you can track the sun's apparent movement.
Set your angle of inclination at your mean latitude and you can use just one motor tracking on either a chain or worm gear drive.
the big question is: is the gain worth the effort? for that matter, is the gain from moving the panels back 6 feet worth the effort?
@kenbrown2808
Effort is a moot point for me. I make my own electricity, so no effort = no gain.
@@WhatDadIsUpTo so here's a question: if your system is making all the electricity you need, do you go out and spend hours and money trying to get it to make more? right now his investment in the mount is about $13.27, and his yield is 100% of his electricity needs. you are suggesting he increase his financial investment by a minimum of 500% and probably closer to 1000%, to make his power system hit its full charge shutdown point 10% sooner.
@kenbrown2808
As for me, I like to tinker. I don't chase after money. I live debt free.
As to him, I don't give a hoot. I offered a different method, is all.
Your comment sounds almost like an idigtement from the Internet Police.
@@kenbrown2808
The difference is:
Occasionally using it versus full time off-gridder where every electron counts.
How does that power station handle the 80 Volts from the panels?
OMG is this guy funny! Love it!
So I know jack diddle about electric and power. I just want to know how long the two Aferiy power stations will run an average frig on a full charge? And how long it takes to recharge using your average portable solar panels? That's all. Nothing special. Just trying to prepare for the end of the world here.
Current flow in wires happens mostly at the surface. Stranded wire of the same gauge, provides better current conduction.
...just sayin'
if you can sit on it, doesn't that make it a power seat?
What a deal,too confusing for me ,you done good thanks
In the video you mentioned Series doubling the Voltage, and Parallel, doubling the Wattage. Parallel actually doubles the Amperage, the Wattage stays the same. Actually, Wattage will always stay the same in the solar math.
it's literally the same: with the voltage staying the same, doubling the amperage means doubling the wattage
@@danamoroso-xjq This is an incorrect and dangerous statement. Yes, adding two fixed 425W solar panels together, you will get 850W. However, when wiring panels in series vs. parallel, it is extremely important to understand what gets doubled! One could destroy your equipment, and the other could melt the wire and burn down the house!
All solar panels and batteries come in a fixed wattage. When wiring power sources (solar panels or batteries) in, Parallel - Amps are added together, and Volts stay the same. When in Series - Volts are added together, and Amps stay the same.
Each panel: 425w / 40v = 10.6A
Two in Series: 850w / 10.6A = 80v
Two in Parallel: 850w / 40v = 21.2A
@@danamoroso-xjq I have to side with @ChrisSgaraglino on this one. 2+2=4 2+4 will never = 4, it's not the same
@@danamoroso-xjq I have to side with @ChrisSgaraglino on this one. 2+2=4 2+4 will never = 4, it's not the same
@@danamoroso-xjq I have to side with Chris on this one. 2+2=4 2+4 will never = 4, it's not the same
I have a Energizer Arc5 lithium power bank, it doesn't have a main shut off switch and I accidentally bumped a button activating it and it drained till it died and it won't recharge, it's now a $500 paper weight. I'll never buy one of these units ever again unless it has a main twist nob disconnect switch like the lead acid power banks have.
@@mrMacGoover
Did you check everything connection wise?
Did you try and do a Wake Up charge?
@blaydCA All the connections were proper when I tried charging the power bank with the house adapter , it has the charge input clearly marked. As I said, the buttons were bumped and it turned on and drained beyond critical percent.
@@mrMacGoover
It may need a Wake Up charge.
Plug in for a few minutes.
Then unplug, let sit a few, then plug in again.
Evidently this is a common issue.
@blaydCA I did what you said and the display would flash 0% and immediately shut off, after doing that a few times with same results I took the top and face display off and put 12 volts @ 2 amps to the main soldered battery terminals with a car battery charger and the display lit up and stayed lit. The display showed 72% charge which was surprising to me because it flashed 0% like I said before. Anyway it's all back together and topping up it's charge. I made a short video explaining what I did before reassembling it again, I'll post it to my channel soon.
@mrMacGoover
Maybe the Battery Management System is defective?
I'd be calling their consumer support number and requesting a new unit!
Unfortunately, when you opened it up it probably voided the warranty.
Hopefully just a one time glitch.
That's a lot of money for a portable battery.
Why just 2 x 80 volts?
Why not put hem all in series and use 160 Volts.
I assume your controller is MPPT.
That would be the smart move if the controller is rated for it.
Some of the Victon controllers will handle 250VOC.
Not sure which Victon model he had there.
His feed wire 6 guage is too small in it's current configuration.
Later on in the video he had a Victon 150 45.
Max is 150VOC.
Oh well. LoL
It’s only temporary unless it works- unknown Wise Man.
@@aliesenfelt
15 years later...
In my case! LoL
Moving the panels appears easy. Moving the stumps might be more difficult.
@@MaxTricks739
Difficult but not impossible!
There will probably be a future video on how to move a stump.
I cheat and use my seven ton Tonka toy.
I know what to do with tress blocking the sunlight.
PLEASE run that power through a proper penetration point! That steel door on the container WILL eventually close tight enough to crush wire internally or even worse...short creating a fire
It's only in the container for the moment temporary. The metal on the door doesn't even touch the wire. Opening and closing it every day for the last month the lettering on the wire looks the same as it did when it was new. Not even a scuff.
If you think about electricity and its usage, you soon realize that in order to use it, some sort of source has to be working.
That source could be an active generator, as with house current and the commercial power company (grid) or storage batteries or . . .
I don't use either. My battery is 2,000 gallons of compressed air, sourced from photovoltaic directly driving compressors or from wind turbines that pump air.
When I need electricity, I make it.
I can direct-generate almost any voltage a.c. or d.c.
I homestead alone in Texas and I like to build stuff. I'm autistic.
Sounds interesting..
I use anderson connections sb50 on some 12v battery terminals . Then the output can be swapped out or added to a low need situation. I pull 600 watthour plus into my EF delta pro to keep freezers running whole night
This is what we have started to lean towards for the sawmill shed. We would be powering the hoist for turning the logs, lights, and some miscellaneous stuff. Now all we need is a sponsor! (haha) What are you going to be using your power for?
What about those damned bears? Aren't they going to come in and mess with everything and bite up all your wires?! Seems like it would be a lot better to put them up on a roof where they can't get at them...
PS - Not bad for a "D" student!
The 🐻🐨's are on the way to make some "final adjustments"..
@@OutbackCottageOz 😂
I'm glad you made this video it reminds me of my transformation from a nobody to good home, $34k monthly and a good daughter full of love
$75k biweekly changed my mindset and behavior, my goals, my family and I've to say this video has inspired me a lot!!!!
wow this awesome I'm 41 and have been looking for ways to be successful, please how??
No one likes market risk, but without longer retirement, taking on risk is often a necessary evil to compensate for inflation
My wife is willing to work for another 5 years if needed. Are we in good shape? Will we be okay if I begin withdrawing from Social Security when I'm 41 and my wife is 40? Should we hire a financial planner to help us navigate this?
These are crucial questions for a financial planner. I met mine at a NYSE summit, and with her help, my wife and I reallocated our $1.7M portfolio between a traditional IRA and a brokerage account. She's been making investments with our approval and has helped us recover twice our losses. We're holding steady and carefully navigating more markets
Them torches might just come In handy. Please don’t do a video,, you standing on a ladder shining on sad panel…with scarf made old boots and kamel, sokes, try explanation for that,, any way happy Xmas , love you Chanel 🇬🇧😳😳
I use a free app called sunspath If you select AR it will show the hourly position overlaying the offending branches. Has allowed me to tweek production with specific branch trimming
Simple is only for the can , simple is for the can not , ⚒️⚒️
Is it simple enough that a lumberjack can do it?
I will have to finish later . Got and 8 year old in my face . Every time I pick up my phone X mas 😂
You have to use duct tape to wrap gifts, so rip and shred takes longer!
Be careful now... that hillbilly wiring will get ya canceled... the way it used to be, you might find a bare wire in your wall... now you need a certificate and degrees and such... 'they' don't want people to know that you can, in fact, drive on the other side of the line.
Was this a sponsored video? Did you get that power station for free?
Since the power station wants a lower voltage you are decreasing your power output from the panels by putting them in series. You have cut your current in half. You should wire all of the panels in parallel.
The power station accepts up to 160v doesn't it? This configuration is about 98v VoC so that should be pretty optimal unless I'm misunderstanding
Power output from the panels remain the same regardless of wiring configuration,...
Excepting some loss from resistance from lower voltage.
There's a formula/charts for proper wire sizing and resistance over distance and guage.
@@blaydCA Yes, but how efficient is the power station in accepting different voltages? I didn't see any specification on that.
@@jimprice1959
As a rule of thumb:
Higher voltages most often equal higher efficiency.
That said:
Individual brands will have different electronics and battery management systems as well as battery quality.
If it's not on a specification sheet call the customer technical support number to get an answer.
Personally, these Power stations aren't suitable for my requirements.
They're good for those that want short term power in a rare situation.
Sock's, shoes and battery salesman. Not a saw in sight... This is going downhill.
Just make sure you am for the clouds…. 🥹