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Offline Sammconn

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Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« on: April 30, 2017, 03:34:22 PM »
Ok, it appears I didn't start this yet so here we go.

My cabin is on an island in the middle of a fair sized lake.
Which means no utilities at all.

We've been running as it was when we bought the place until last fall.
I purchased 1 kW of solar panels, charge controller, inverter and other bits.

The original was a hybrid of a 12 volt battery, 120v modified sine wave inverter, generator, windmill and some solar (40 watts). 

Now as of this morning I have an even more hybrid setup.
I have opted to keep a 12 volt system, as we have 12 volt lights, and he windmill is only for 12 volts, so it would be a lot of work to decommission it right now.
Then there is the new 24 volt system. It is tied to the 1kW of solar panels, 50 amp MPPT charge controller, a 3000 watt pure sine wave inverter and a 24 volt smart charger. (Charger not connected yet, as I need to re run some dedicated generator circuits.

It was an adventure splitting everything out so as to not ties anything together.
Spent some time looking at how it was wired, and found the source cable, and it was easy from there.

I'll have to sort out my pictures at home. Signal is poor at best today so no uploading.

I'll find them from back at digging the trecnch, to today.

FWIW, did a little test once it was up.
Ran the 1400w microwave and coffee maker, along with the normal loads.
No issues at all!
Was in the 26xx watts, with 122.3 volts on he display!

More to come when I have time and signal.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2017, 12:48:49 PM »
So this all began last summer, I purchased all the parts I needed.

Batteries: Trojan T-105, 6 volt golf cart cells X4
Inverter: Samlex PST-3000-24
Remote: Samlex RC-300
Connection Kit: DC-2000-KIT
Charge Controller: ProVista 50 amp MPPT
Charger: Lester Electric 24 volt 25 amp
Panels: 265 watt X4
« Last Edit: May 01, 2017, 02:18:54 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2017, 12:52:18 PM »
Late last summer, I planted the cable and built the panel stand.

I had the cable in the ground, but not totally buried back, and we had some snow...



As the day progressed, the snow went away, and the mud came out.
I put the basis of the panel stand up.





Brought the underground up to the junction box area.


« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 08:29:07 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2017, 12:55:41 PM »
With the stand built, the panels were added.
They are large.
The rack is around 14 feet wide and 5 feet tall.







Then connected up the panels.
I am running two in series, parallel to the other two.





And have reversed a small breaker box as the panel combiner.


« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 08:30:12 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2017, 12:58:55 PM »
With the outside work done enough for now, I ran the cable into the cabin, and into a fused disconnect.





Tied in the charge controller.



And powered up to see what we have.
This is the input from the panels:


« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 08:31:02 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2017, 01:00:11 PM »
I had test ran everything in the garage, was a bit of a hoakie setup, but wanted it all proven before it left home.






« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 08:31:38 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2017, 01:37:51 PM »
I completed hooking the system up...

Here is the inverter output cable.
It is running to a 100A panel.



Charge connections made to the 12 volt bank.



Connected and turned on.



Panel input to charge controller.



Not a lot of load, as the generator was likely running and charging the bank.



The panel.



« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 08:32:37 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2017, 01:45:18 PM »
Fast forward to this past weekend.
It was the perfect time to work on this again, for a few reasons.
The temperature was in the mid to high 30's, so the attic was good for splitting circuits.
I happened upon another set of batteries, ask me no questions, I tell you no lies... :cool:
We have a couple weekends left this winter to prove the system out before HH6 moves there for the summer.
And there wasn't anything else pressing.

I started by getting the batteries charged up on one of the 12 volt chargers I have. They took 25 amps for about 40 hours...
Like I said, happened upon them...

I prepped the jumper cables for joining them into a 24 volt bank.



The cable came with the inverter connection kit, I maybe could have found some, but as a kit it had everything I needed.

Set the bank on a boot tray for the time being. I'll need to build a much larger battery box this summer to hold all of them.



Installed the jumpers, and did a voltage check. at this point they had been off charge for a couple hours, and were holding. This was a factor that troubled me, as when I got them, best battery was at 2.35 volts.


« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 08:33:31 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2017, 01:47:05 PM »
Then it was on to the inverter connections.

This little block, is a 200 amp fuse, part of the reason I opted to buy the install kit, I'd have never got anything like that for the money.



Inverter connections.



And all hooked up and tidied for now.

« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 08:34:12 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2017, 01:53:33 PM »
Then it was into the attic.
Didn't take phone, so no pics, I just split the cabin into four separate circuits.

The benefit to running on a 2000 watt inverter generator, is you only have 13.3 continuous amps, and one big daisy chain is ok.
Now, with 3000 watts continuous, 25 amps is available, an not so good on 14/2.

To my surprise, within four feet of where I brought the four feed into the attic was the main splitter! That made for quick work of splitting it up.

Into the panel, the four new circuits are connected.



This little display was also an add on. Has all the info from the inverter, as well as a remote on/off switch. The power button, is just that, turn on, or off by pressing.

Here is the cabin load, this is the cell booster, satellite receiver, tv, and a few other little things. 1.24 amps is quite small.







Electronics and small load makes for horrible power factor!



« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 08:35:23 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2017, 01:58:24 PM »
In the WDYDT, I had mentioned I had a hybrid setup.
Here is the control panel for it:



This is on the 12 volt system. All of it is replaced by the new system.
I am going to maintain it, as there are 12 volt lights in the cabin, as well as the 12 outlets for charging phones etc.

The voltmeter is obvious.
Silver switch is the inverter remote on/off.
the black switch on the left is the windmill control switch, on, off, and lock off, it ties the output and somehow locks it up so you can safely approach if needed.
The black switch on the right, is the generator/inverter selector.
On-off-on, so the two cannot be tied together.
The light switch is to turn on/off the 12 volt charger.
and lastly the 7A solar charge controller.

It was a real mess in back of it, and still is...
« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 08:35:42 PM by Sammconn »
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #11 on: May 01, 2017, 02:10:15 PM »
And with that, the new system is up and running.

I don't have a generator feed for the 24 volt charger as of yet.
I need to wait for the snow to go, and the water under the cabin to dry up so I can add a feed in from underneath.

So the first thing Connie asked was "will it run the microwave and coffee maker at the same time?"
To which I asked why? Her reply led to the test... "When Joan is here she just starts stuff..."
We have grown accustomed to one appliance at a time, her girlfriend just turns stuff on. So more than once last summer Connie had to go out to restart the overloaded generator.

So I fired up the microwave with a bowl of water, then turned on the coffee maker. No problem, 2660 watts, still had room for more!

Later on, it was time to vacuum, and after about 7-8 minutes, the batteries were holding their own at 25.7 volts, and going strong.

It appears that they weren't damaged by their neglect, but time will tell.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2017, 07:59:32 AM »
Well, we made it through the weekend off grid.
Did not need the generator at all.
We're certainly self sufficient for the summer at this point.

I would like more storage, but space and cost will keep me in check I suspect.
There was no issue with battery capacity, I just don't know how many cloudy days it would take.

Now having said that, vacuum, tv, etc could be limited also.

At one point I saw 1053 watts in, 1060 watts of panel, so everything looks great.
This seems to be a good investment for us.
HH6 asked, so am I going to need the generator this summer?
She lives there all summer and the generator is a pain for her. 
Looks like no was the answer. She's happy.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Wilbur

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #13 on: May 08, 2017, 08:38:24 AM »
That's really great. Do you every get a week of rain or something similar? Good to have the generator as backup for sure. But nice to know when the suns out that much current flows.

If you had no sun how long would the batteries last? I wonder if you could run the generator a couple of hours a day to top off the batteries to give you x amount/hours of capacity?

I like reading about your progress. Thanks for sharing it!

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2017, 09:10:46 AM »
Generally we don't get the week long rains.
Battery capacity is on my list of things to assess.

I do have a 24 volt charger to hook up at some point, I now know I can wait for summer and not crawl in the mud and ice underneath right now.
My worst case scenario is an extension cord from the old system that has a generator feed, but I wasn't needed.

Static load (cell booster and inverter powered) is under 1 amp, so technically it would last a considerable amount of time if nothing else was used.

The big test so far was tv, stereo, booster, microwave and vacuum.
26xx watts, it would run that for a while (30 mins to an hour??) but I don't know for sure.

I'm pretty happy with it so far.

As a side note, the ceiling fans are dead silent on this inverter, way better than the Honda generator, and no comparison to the modified sine wave inverter of the old 12 volt system.
Pure sine wave inverter, likely unnecessary, but totally awesome.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline JR

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #15 on: May 09, 2017, 02:56:45 AM »
Sounds like you setup a good system for your needs. Did you vent the batteries at all? They can build some nasty gas up.

I would only worry about the gen when you get to 50% capacity. Batteries will last far longer that way. Does the windmill top them off at all?
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Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #16 on: May 09, 2017, 07:22:31 AM »
Windmill is 12 volts. It's helping maintain the other bank while I figure out what to do with all that stuff.
It will be a headache maintaining a bank with no purpose.
Maybe I'll find one of the other cabin families in need...
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline KensAuto

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #17 on: May 13, 2017, 07:46:21 PM »
Man, Mr Sam that's awesome. Maybe someday I'll need to fall back on this thread, if the Mrs. and myself  make our way to Alaska and agree on living away from the city. It might be a tough sell.

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Offline Bob Smith

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #18 on: May 13, 2017, 08:50:42 PM »
Ken, are you saying you are thinking about taking  your wife away from the warm/hot desert to a rain and snow soaked wilderness area and she will be happy? Just where is she from, and how long do you expect to last up there?

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #19 on: May 13, 2017, 09:44:40 PM »
Hey Bob, it doesn't hurt to dream! I'm pretty sure I could handle being off grid, just not sure if I could handle the cold. My body hurts badly when it's cold. My wife absolutely loves the cold and wet, but not being cold and wet, if you know what I mean.
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Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #20 on: May 13, 2017, 11:15:02 PM »
Well I have a cabin family in need of my 12 volt stuff!
They both are retired and retiring this year.

They are living to their cabin...

The cold, you get used to it. Just like me and heat...

I always laughed seeing folks in the southern states wearing 'winter type' clothing when it was 60's-70's. We went to Vegas, Grand Canyon etc one summer (bad idea for me...sheesh it was wicked hot 90's for night time lows in Vegas I think).
By the end of the two weeks, setting out by he canyon, mid to high 70's, chilly by the fire, sweater and all.
Me and the missus are in the process of deciding how 'home' we are going to go.
It is a thought we've both for after retirement.

As the summer goes on, I'll know more on how this all works out.
I know my battery capacity is too low for off grid, no generator, but need to work out the smaller details of how much we actually need. But as of right now it appears to be sufficient for spring to fall.
I may even be content with three season off grid, it will certainly be cheaper than adding more battery, at least initially.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline stlaser

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #21 on: May 13, 2017, 11:46:12 PM »
Hey Bob, it doesn't hurt to dream! I'm pretty sure I could handle being off grid, just not sure if I could handle the cold. My body hurts badly when it's cold. My wife absolutely loves the cold and wet, but not being cold and wet, if you know what I mean.

As someone who did cold & wet winters I can tell you it is no fun if you have to be somewhere earning a living. I'm not sure I could do Alaska full time, maybe western Montana in retirement. Then again I always liked KY & it's winters are much milder plus cost of living is cheap.
Living in the remote north hoping Ken doesn’t bring H up here any time soon…..

Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #22 on: April 16, 2018, 08:27:05 PM »
So, been a while, and it is time for an update.

I think I burned a whopping 6 or 7 gallons of gas in the generator since October.
This system is solid for my needs.
I supplemented my batteries adding a second bank.
8 x Trojan T-105 now.
Through the dog days of winter I some days needed a couple hours charging off the generator.

This past Saturday, seasoned and smoked wings in the ELECTRIC smoker.
Yes, I have that kind of surplus on any given sunny day.

I might add I’ll be smoking wings again.
No pics, I was hungry and they vanished before I thought...

I know...
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline EL TATE

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #23 on: April 17, 2018, 10:47:40 AM »
That's pretty amazing Sam. I'll be looking into some solar once I get the remodel done. Oh wait, still dragging permits. (stupid waterfront rules).
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Offline JR

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #24 on: April 18, 2018, 12:49:43 AM »
Glad the system is what you need. I am about to add another 4k to mine. I miss about 40% of the sun with my setup and the new one has a direct output when the grid is down.
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Offline Flyin6

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #25 on: April 18, 2018, 08:55:29 AM »
I really like all this Samual!
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Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #26 on: April 19, 2018, 09:20:16 PM »
I’ve got a prime rib roast for this weekend...
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #27 on: April 19, 2018, 09:58:53 PM »
That's a big smiley right there!

Hope the roast tastes just that good!
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Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #28 on: April 19, 2018, 10:13:55 PM »
No clue how I made it big... but it fits.

I’ll take pics this time. It’s just a small two pounder and change.
Just me and HH6 so small is the flavour of the day.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

Offline Flyin6

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #29 on: April 20, 2018, 10:50:38 AM »
No clue how I made it big... but it fits.

I’ll take pics this time. It’s just a small two pounder and change.
Just me and HH6 so small is the flavour of the day.
Have an LZ nearby??
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Offline Sammconn

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Re: Off grid cabin. Solar setup.
« Reply #30 on: April 21, 2018, 04:02:16 PM »
No clue how I made it big... but it fits.

I’ll take pics this time. It’s just a small two pounder and change.
Just me and HH6 so small is the flavour of the day.
Have an LZ nearby??
Yes there’s enough room to call it an LZ.
Civie pilots no beuno, but bush or armee gtg.
I just don't want to wind up missing a digit or limb.  I can sometimes get in a hurry to get results.
Sam

 

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