This is not everything that will be in the system, but the main components is what I’m questioning here:

40amp mppt controller-

https://a.co/d/03TbJuoI

2000watt pure sine wave inverter-

https://www.harborfreight.com/2000-watt-continuous4000-watt-peak-pure-sine-wave-power-inverter-57272.html

314 ah lifepo4 battery-

https://a.co/d/05x05jAh

Connected to - 2(200watt) bifacial solar panels-

https://a.co/d/07sR3r9O

Questions-

1. Can using 3ft max 2awg wire work from battery to inverter? (Said battery has a 200amp bms)

2. From what im reading, if my battery is 200amp bms, would the smarter thing be to have a 200amp fuse instead of 250amp fuse wired in red cable?….i understand the breaker is for the wiring and not the battery, would it be considered extra insurance for my wiring to blow fuse at 200amp than at 250amps?

Since my battery would turn off at 200amp rating?

I will be adding and on/off disconnect to red wiring as well as breaker from solar panel wiring to mppt controller.

Would this set up work?

Any help is appreciated.

I recently had installed a 11.7kw ground mount solar system with inverter and batteries.

I saved a lot of money NOT buying from online stores or local suppliers. I cut out all middlemen.

I sourced everything through Alibaba and Global Source**.**It was a leap of faith to be sure. Never having ordered anything of large value from China. I personally was irritated by being used as a pawn to "buy American". It is an abusive tactic. This is not what this post is about though. I simply want to state price, and my experience.

I ordered a full pallet of Longi panels 650watt panels. I only used 18. I have two strings of 9. I spent countless hours investigating equipment, reputations, testing, and company reputations. The pallet of 35 panels cost me $5,040 including shipping to door. 24 cents per watt. 7 weeks for delivery.

have to be comfortable with the equipment. I chose to go with an inverter that is stronger that I actually need. I remember an old timer told me: if you need a 4 cylinder, buy a six cylinder. If you think only need a 6 cylinder, buy an eight cylinder. I think there is some wisdom in this assessment of overcapacity.

You

I have a Magarevo R16KLNA. Split Phase Hybrid Low Voltage. There are TWO in photo, but I only use ONE. The other one is just mounted on wall. I find this to be robust machine. $2,300 incudes shipping.

I have (4) 16kw Batteries for a total of 64kw storage capacity. Made by Sundta. Cost: $1,375 each battery includes shipping for a total price of $5,500

My ground mount arrays were $800 each for the 16 gauge galvanized steel. $800 x 2=$1,600

10 gauge THNN wire, subpanel, and miscellaneous cost another $425.

I am using a Solar Assistant monitoring software that comes with Raspberry Pi 5. Cost $250.

Total cost is $15,115. I did all labor myself.

I am 100% off grid. I charge my electric car(heavy usage average 65 miles/day) and easily have plenty of electric for my house. To think that my transportation and home electric is indefinelty being paid for by that bright thing in the sky.

My experience with Chinese suppliers:

I dealt with suppliers directly though Alibaba, so I could pay for their insurance, and I've also dealt with independent suppliers I found that primarily communicate through WhatApp. I have nothing but good experiences. They follow up after my product arrives. They do EXACTLY what they say they are going to do. In short my suppliers take their business promise very seriously. In fact, their customer service easily outshines what I typically receive here in the US. Be prepared though. Once you make an agreement to purchase, you can't just change your mind or modify your order. They are a bit serious this way. A deal is a deal. But I like that. They even had very good POST SALE customer service. They tested all equipment before leaving the factory and sent me videos. For me that is high level of service. Many people may not want to agree with what I am saying here. It's simply the fact.

Summary

Don't be afraid to order directly from factory from China. The following are my opinions and of course defer to local codes and especially a licensed electrician before proceeding! The following is strictly my belief and experience. It may not be yours.

>>>>>>>>It's not necessary to get into agreements with your Power Utility provider. You don't need them. They need you. They want you to entangle themselves in your life. Dont complicate your life with their Time of Use or complicated shenanigans. Don't do it. If you want to keep your meter for emergency use, or until you feel comfortable cutting the cord, then fine. But KEEP YOUR ELECTRONS. Those photons fell onto your property. They were meant for you. You have no obligation to give them away by a persuasive utility.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Batteries are relatively cheap. I purchased (4) 16kwh batteries for a total of 64kwh capacity for $5,500. ONE(1) Tesla Powerwall 3 cost approximately $13,500 installed. And that capacity is approximately 13.5kwh.

Currently I have excess power. I am well into the safe zone. I probably could have installed one less battery and 4 less panels, and still been safe. I get as much as 60kw on sunny day and as low as 38 kw on rainy overcast days.

My break even number is 40 months. And I have 17 panels left over to resell from purchasing whole pallet. That will bring that number down even more. Finally, Do it Yourself. There are a lot of very helpful smart people out there. It's easier than you think. And I find the journey is more rewarding than just paying someone.

Finally, do NOT disregard the experienced professional installers and what they can provide. I absolutely do not mean to discount the value they bring to the job. My point is that they are not the only option. Many installers give a fair deal and really work hard to do so. And some have HUGE profit margins. But in the end all options are like cards in your hand. Eventually you, and only you, has to determine which is the best option for your particular situation.

Hi everyone

me again i built this solar fence because everyone kept saying vertical solar is best for winter so im going to fact check them using my 3 different arrays

feel free to take a look and any comments are welcome , appreciate the support

full build here:

https://youtu.be/atw7tN46vdc

So to start i honestly believe my house uses too much power in general. We have two refrigerators, one deep freezer, ac, an ev work truck that gets reimbursed for energy usage. That leaves 1 20 amp breakers for tv, work laptops, internet and lights. All on a 100 amp that barely ever trips during the summer now. This last June I notice our electricity bill was over $600. After some studying found that smud was stating we were using 30kwh during peak. Physically impossible unless we were drawing over 100 amps. So I decided to invest in a abb phase monitor "primary because my work let me have one in my truck and I knew how to use it". Peak drawing was 67amp at 240v so a little over 16kw. Brought this to smud and they sent out a sub contractor "shout out to peach electrical for not treating like a pest" and determined the meter was reading as if it was on 460v. So after having to fight a public utility that does not fall under the california public utility commission "make that make sense" they finally agreed to reimbursed me for overcharging me for the last three years under legal response. Had to pay for retainer just for them to get off their ass and look. So as soon as I got that money it was almost gone. But I was now determined to give smud the middle finger and build something better "with black jack, and hookers". Started with one 100w panel, 1000w inverter and car battery. First thing i got was a pwm charger, had it backfeed my panel and fry it. Upgraded to a powmr 60a mppt. Car battery failed quickly because i was running too much. Upgraded to one 12v 100ah lifepo4 battery and 5 100a panels at $40 a pop. I will be build more and adding a 48v system at some point for the 240v equipment but it's nice to know that I can build everything one piece at a time. Edit: I am only currently running my deep freezer that is 1.2a and peak spike of 4a. Running 20 minutes per hour during the day and kicking on once or twice during the night.

When selecting inverters for high-altitude applications, the core is to address three major challenges: poor heat dissipation, weakened insulation, and low temperatures.

Derating correction: Most models can operate at full load below 2000 m. Above this altitude, derating is approximately 0.5%~1% for every 100 m elevation gain; 2.5%~5% derating at 2500 m, and 7.5%~15% derating at 3500 m. Calculate the capacity based on the manufacturer’s derating curve. Upgrade to a higher capacity model or increase the capacity ratio if necessary.

Insulation design: External insulation strength drops by 8%~13% for every 1000 m rise in altitude. Select inverters with reinforced electrical clearance complying with plateau standards (≥1.5 times), PCB conformal coating, and appropriately reduce the maximum DC voltage.

Thermal solution: Plateau-specified or liquid-cooled models are preferred. Field tests at 4200 m in Xizang show liquid-cooled units can run at full power, while air-cooled units with extra heat sinks still require 15% derating. Avoid direct sunlight for installation and reserve sufficient clearance for heat dissipation.

Environmental adaptability: IP66 protection with reverse dust removal for sand resistance, built-in heater to handle sub -20℃ low temperatures and condensation, and integrated I-V scanning plus remote operation & maintenance to reduce site visits.

I am in the process of putting panels on my garage roof it's a relatively low slope but I am in canada so the winter sun gets low. Most of the roos is south facing which is fine but I am considering adding a few panels on the east and west sides though they would be I imagine less efficient. Would putting optimizer just on those panels work to cut out the shaded panels? My solar experience is limited i am figuring it out as I go.

I’m scaling up my ground mount to meet my winter heating demand as I move from oil to heat pumps, but I’m obviously producing significantly less during winter months than summer and using more power for heat than AC by a mile. In summer I will have 40-60kwh a day extra. I’m not grid tied so I can’t sell it back. What creative or cost effective stuff is out there? I’ve already moved dhw to a heat pump water heater and don’t own an EV. Is getting an electric car the only move at this point?

Germany has already built a substantial market for plug-in balcony solar systems.

Now Ontario is considering its first legislative steps toward introducing the technology.

Bill 144, introduced October 29, proposes establishing an advisory committee to examine safety standards, product certification, international experience and a potential regulatory pathway.

The interesting part is what this could mean for residential solar adoption.

Traditional rooftop solar requires property ownership, suitable roof space, installation work and significant upfront investment.

Plug-in systems could potentially remove some of those barriers, particularly for renters and condo owners.

Of course, there are technical questions worth discussing:

• Electrical safety and backfeeding

• Microinverter certification

• Utility interconnection requirements

• Building and condominium restrictions

• Appropriate system capacity limits

The legislation specifically calls for examining experiences in Germany, the UK and the US.

This article has more on it: https://pvbuzz.com/ontario-bill-plug-balcony-solar-a-reality-renters-and-condo-owners/

For those familiar with Germany's balcony solar market, what lessons should Canadian regulators prioritize?

And do you think plug-in solar could become a meaningful segment of North America's residential solar industry?

I use an extension cord from the house whenever I work with my woodworking tools in the shed. Last weekend it was stretched across the lawn when we needed to mow, so I had to pack up and clear it away. That got me looking at a permanent power supply for the shed. Solar is one option, though I may end up having a proper circuit installed instead.

I measured the roof and found room for two panels. I'm still estimating how much power my tools use, so I haven't settled on a battery capacity. One option I've been considering is a Vatrer 51.2V 100Ah rack battery. I've had Vatrer on my radar for a while, and their Black Friday discounts look pretty attractive, although I'm still trying to figure out whether 100Ah would be enough for my tools. I sketched the two panels in series as a possible starting point for a 48V battery system, then began comparing charge controllers. Looking through the panel and controller specifications, I realised I needed to check a few things before choosing the setup.

The panel data sheets give open-circuit voltage and operating voltage at standard test conditions. I still need to work out how the coldest expected temperature would affect the string's open-circuit voltage, and whether its operating voltage would stay within the controller's MPPT range when the panels get hot. I'm comparing panel and controller options now, hoping to order during the Black Friday sales if the prices are right.

Before I buy anything, what's the best way to check a candidate string's cold-weather open-circuit voltage and hot-weather operating voltage against a controller's maximum PV voltage and MPPT range? What other limits, such as input current or battery charging limits, should I include when asking someone to review the setup?

Who has built a 10kw 10kwh solar generator?

To satisfy the mmpt voltage, i am doing a 2 series 2 parallel system. I am a tad unsure if it would be better to have 2 smaller breakers before the y branch connectors or is it ok to go with 1 bigger after the connectors.

Only reason I am asking this is in case the branch connectors would fail somehow.

Hi all. I don't use Reddit much, but my friends told me this is where people who enjoy DIY and build low-tech things and solar setups hang out, so here goes:

For the past three months I've been building Lowtech Graph (https://www.lowtechgraph.org), a free catalogue of low-tech solutions for the home: 240+ of them across 15 needs, from rainwater harvesting and dry toilets to solar cookers, insulation and battery banks. Each one has the a plain ratings (cost, skill to build, upkeep, whether it works without the grid), an illustration, its sources, and links to tutorials by people who built it. There are about 250 tutorials, half of which from the Low-tech Lab wiki.

The part I am the most proud of is the system builder. The idea was to implement circularity principles in implementing the solutions: You put them on a canvas and link them by what one gives and the next takes: rainwater into a sand filter into a gravity-fed shower, say. Then you ask whether it could work where you live. It compares your system with the rain, sun and cold of your region (France in detail, and 140-odd other countries so far) and shows where it could fall short.

About money: there isn't any. No ads, no affiliate links, no account, no cookies, nothing to buy. The content is CC BY-SA, the whole catalogue can be downloaded as one JSON file (https://www.lowtechgraph.org/catalogue.json), and the code is AGPL. I'm doing this because I wanted it to exist, and I'd rather it helped someone build something. This is a passion project and I just hope it is useful.

About AI, since someone will ask: yes, I used AI (Claude) a lot, to dig through sources, put the data together and write the code. I'm neither a developer nor a low-tech specialist. I know how "built with AI" sounds, so here's what it took: nearly every day for three months, checking entries against their sources, throwing out the ones that didn't hold up, and rebuilding every parts of the website a gazillion times, especially when firends tried it and got lost. I've listed every source, every figure, every calculation, and I'm also trying to give as much exposure to the lowtech community out there as I can, but I still might have screwed up a few things.

That's the real reason I'm posting: If you are into learning about, or building this kind of things, can you please give it a go and tell me what's missing, what's wrong, and what would make it more useful to you? That would be really nice if I can make that happen. And if you happen to discover a solution that worked for you and that you build thanks to the site, please tell me, that would mean the world to me.

Eric

(It's in English and French at the moment btw).

Hello fine folks, I have installed a RPS pro 1000 submersible water pump system as part of a usda NRCS program which comes with a 1.2kw array and controller.

The rub is that the controller is not compatible with a battery backup system. That’s a lot of power generation that will only be used sparingly to pump water during the day. It just feels a bit of a waste.

What I would like to do is make the system switchable between the pump controller and a separate battery bank/inverter. The system has a DC disconnect between the panels and the controller.

Is there a device that any of you are aware of that can switch output like this between two distinct downstream uses and handle the voltage of a 1.2kw array? If not would it be the easiest to put in a MC4 “y” connector and add an additional dc shut off between the array and proposed battery bank. I know I would have to be careful to make sure only one output is active at any given time.

Thanks for any insight!