Nice Job! My only recommendation is when building a frame Screw it! It allows for replacement in any failures down the road. It will also stop the Frequency shock to the Cells.
I got 2-100 watt Renogy with charge controller and cable hookup for 215.00 with free ship, then added 2 more panels later. I run a 24 volt system and doing the same. running lights, fan, computer, cell phone/tablet chargers etc. I would look into something other then the HF units. they might be fine for a battery charger but there are better ways to go if you want to power anything other then that. I got mine off EBay and am just starting to play around with it. Before it is over with I will be running the whole house/cabin off solar and wind power. Solar and Wind the way to go. Hydro if you have the means.
It would be really useful, if youtube had 2 separate comment sections - a separate comment section for people who downvote videos such as this one. so all the criticism would be gathered in a common section. Because when you're reasearching a topic such as this, constructive criticism helps pointing you in the right direction as well. Cheers.
If you bought the 3 HF solar kits on sale, this setup would have cost you ~$450 (@ $150 each for 45watts/kit), to yield you 135watts. I bought 1 kit in order to get me the voltage meter and 12v/5v outlets, then bought 4 100watt panels for $125 each from Renogy.So, now I've got 445watts for $650. That's 144% more in cost, but 330% more in production.
I would recommend a desulfator circuit for batteries in parallel wiring - this should maintain battery life 2 to 3 times longer than a maintenance or constant charge circuit and reduce your maintenance cost of the system.
Good solar setup, my solar setups are lower current / voltage , for outside security light , chargers / controllers for low car batteries. And the small Thunderbolt solar 1 watt for cell phones, players , GPS receivers, they are a lot of fun and handy. cheers !
The man just stated H.F. solar panels are no good. He suggests "Renogy" solar panels which according to him work much better than H.P. solar panels. I, however, have no clue who is correct, I'm just beginning to learn what and how is the superior way to go. Good luck.
Joseph Maximus A few excellent sources of information are the manufacturers websites (they are selling stuff ... but an educated consumer is the only one whose gonna drop the big coin, so they also do a pretty good job of educating), Wikipedia -- use it to look up terms such as polymorphous, amorphous, monocrystalline and so on. It's a free encyclopedia (well, guys like me pump a few bucks into it each year) and "Guide to Sustainable Living" by Ed Begley, Jr. Note: Ed's book is about sustainable living and will take you into a lot of areas you may not have considered, such as rocket heaters. Consider it a launching point, not a final destination.
Thanks guy. Listen do you have a video of just of your basic system. I mean batteries wires, hookups from the panels. I have to start from zero on the cheap. I am starting from the single hf solar panels kit. What do I need next, I just haven't found the right instructional video yet. I have to start simple because it I'm always broke and I need to step in carefully. I love your rig and your video is nice and clean you took the time to set it up for someone like me! Thanks dude
i started out with 10 of these kits. believe me your money ahead if you go with at least 100 watt panels. i now have 18 100 watt panels and 24 200 watt panels. i also have 4 wind turbines from missouri wind and solar for the winter when the wind is insane here. my next home will no be hooked to the grid.
HOT TIP . There is a product called Battery Equalizer I've been using that doubles battery life. I get 10-12 years on my deep cycles and 9-10 years on my car & truck batteries . A real money saver ...
Really appreciate your good advice and sharring your ideas with others. I have a problem with understanding how a system is put together and the name of each component, where to purchase the products and cost of each product. A diagram at the end of video showing each component and how it is connected together would be great. Really appreciate you.----THANKS
Good video I love things from Harbor Frieght and I have recently begun working on going solar a little at a time, I don't ahve the large panels yet but I have some solar lights and other things I am suing to charge things with.
@paidskn1488 Well lets just say... With 1 H/F kit, 1 battery and an inverter you could get started for around $300. and have enough power provide light for 1 night every night. Thats what I did and then cought the solar bug. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it :) Thanks for watching
just bought our second set from harbor freight the solar panels are framed in plastic around the panels and the frame they give you in the kit is a dam joke, but i can modify it and make it work well for just a few dollars.We are going next weekend and getting set number 3. I get them for 138.00 each kit so there cheap enough for my project soon ill be running my entire shed on solar 24 hours a day for free.
Screws for the frame will be a better choice, and paint or seal the wood before assembly for a longer life. I'd go with the AGM batteries if you want to use that indoors though, the off-gassing is not something you want to breath in.
@mhpgardener Well thanks for the kind words. I've learned that I will need much more than I thought. Around 300 watts worth of solar panels. 5 hrs of full sun at 300 watts is what we will need to run our freezer full time. We are saving up for larger panels now. Fun stuff to learn!
@chop98 I'll check that channel out. My next move is going to be the 100 watt panels. I think it could be never ending. It will be nice to have the ability to run what you need in an extended power outage. Thanks for the comment
Solar-electric dot com in Arizona is the place to go when you are serious. Use a 24V system instead of twelve volts. Plan to size for double max load. size. A house can use 3kilowatts easy. A hair dryer takes 1200 Watts. A vacuum uses around 800 Watts. A refrigerator uses about 500 Watts. A washing machine uses about 1200 Watts. So you need to plan for a 6 kilowatt system to meet your off the grid system. That Sunforce controller will be way too small to make the grade with clouds and power hungry refrigeration needs. But it is great for a single item to be powered. Like the pump I forgot to include in the list.
i like what your doing....sugestions move panels off the ground for ventilation ,and weed eating mowwing....battery storage should be keep in out building for your safty an not to mention your home owner insurance ...most electric codes do have some rules on the battery bank
The frame is a good idea, and you certainly did a good job at it. However, why did you use such large lumber? Simple 2x2’s would be more than enough to support those small panels even in the harshest wind or weather. If you're worried about them blowing over, sink or stake the legs into the ground a foot or two. Of course, screws into pre-drilled holes, instead of nails, would provide the most strength. Finally, I personally would raise the panels two or three feet off the ground to help keep mud, debris, and rodents off, and allow easier access without bending.
The Harbor freight solar kit is a nice option if you want a small and simple all in one system but there are better and more reliable options at a better price when you need more than one kit.
I have multiple panels from Harbor Freight also, I am thinking about setting something up like yours I have enouph panels to setup two sets, I will be moving, and will set them up at my new home. Will wire all lights in the house, and run a few items, like my ham/cb radios. TV.
It looks like we picked up the last of the metal frame h/f panels about the same time. Now they are all plastic - interesting enough we both have the same stanley inverter. As long as you have a 30 amp controller you might as well slab some crystalline into the mix - good luck. Can't remeber how I found this video - there may have been some tequila involved.
At 4:37 you mentioned angle of the frame. I read somewhere that whatever your degrees of latitude is is the degrees of tilt of your panels but then again the sun is at different angles during the day (from east to west) and from season to season.
Solarworld sw255 mono @ $265 plus Morningstar Solar SS-MPPT-15L controller (has lighting and load control and PC interface)@ $216 and come out way ahead! No toys!
Pepole sey why spend mony its cheeper other ways. But he built it. Its his pride and joy. Its part of american injenuity. Thats what makes america great. Great video thanks.
I use 4 kits from Harbor Freight into one hub with a TriStar 60 amp controller into a 5000 W inverter all with Buss fuses and emergency shut offs and Battery shut off. All my lights inside the house are 12-volt high output LED I can run my 50-inch flat screen all my DVD players freezer the only thing that I am on grid for is for air conditioning. I can show you where my utility bill every month in the summer in the south is $100 even last month which was July 2017 it was $98.82. yes I have a lot of money and solar but it's paying itself off quickly. I think Within maybe around a year it will be paid for but after that it's going to be all free energy. I will agree with you on this stay away from Harbor Freight controllers inverters but the panels are good. Most everything I have is TriStar except for the panels.
I like your ambition. It looks like you're using car batteries, and I'm sure they work. Especially great for sudden big draws? They are the opposite of what you'd want - made to be hit hard for a short time. You might rather have "a deep cell" type battery, and they are expensive. However, wheelchair batteries, ideal. You can get used ones, that still work pretty okay, at a place near you where they sell/service power wheelchairs! Check it out. Directly compatible! - CaptainPike
So, this was in mid 2011 with total, 135 watts in space of around, 3 feet by 10 feet. By now, I'm sure, you're using newer upgrade panels that will fit in your same frame to make around, 500 watts to 600 watts in period of 2015 - 2016. Nice heavy duty rugged wooden frame.
I have to laugh at people who say solar is SOO expensive. For the cost of your electricity bill for one month, you can get a panel. A year's worth, and you have free electricity for the rest of your life.
45watts? A electric water heater uses 4,500 watts! Thats just one hour of use or 50gals of about 100 degree hot water! My NAVY taught me electronics starting with the basics like OHMS LAW. Understanding basic electricty is within the grasp of most , its worth learning.
I get the concept of lowering your elec. bill but isn't it cheaper to just pay your elec. bill after all is said and done. After you consider panels, batteries, setup time, maintenance, and by the time you finally start recouping some of that money it is probably going to be time to replace your panels again.
It's been 7 years... could you write an update on performance or any issues you've had. I'm looking into do this but I've heard that the panels don't hold up very well.
My controller always show 26.2 when I have the 3 panels connected to the battery. It show 40.4-43.5 when not connected to battery… should it show 26.2 going into the battery? Is the controller malfunctioning ?
where did you get your batteries from and how many amp hours are you storing. the Sunforce 30 amp power controller can produce 300 plus amp hours. I have four sets of HD panels which can provide around 12 amps under good conditions where I live. If I added 4 or 5 more sets of panels the Sunforce should still be able to handle the current.
How do you get any power out of a 45 watt solar panel. Even three of them isn't that much. Is it enough to keep a bank of batteries topped off? How many batteries do you have????
I have 8 of the same panels like you got but havent put them up. I live in NC also but have lots of trees blocking the sun so havent figured the best place for them.
What part of NC? I'm over in Lexington and my house and garage roofs slope N-S. :-( There are tracking systems that keep the solar panels oriented properly (and return to the start point over night!). They cost a little electricity and the support design has to pivot on at least the X-Y axis, but more than pay for themselves in additional generating capacity.
when its cloudy outside will the solar panels still work efficiently for charging or does it have to have full direct sun? will the moon's light charge the panels?
I don't know what a gas powered nail gun is but that thing doesn't look like it's working too well. I'm looking at your frame with the solar panels in and it's not treated or painted and it looks as though if it rains hard that water is going to collect on the bottom of your frame and sit on your solar panels?
have you thought about your batteries off gassing hydrogen ? the vents that you have there lead the gas to all the electronics siting on top , all it takes is a spark to ignite the gas . I would strongly advise venting your batteries to the outside, i encourage you research it
theirs a eBay store that has used and new harbor freight solar panels for 50% its called TADD, I bought some that were cracked but still putting out good power for 8 dollars a panel !!!
The Harbor Freight panels are grossly inefficient compared to what's out there on the market now. The HF setup is fine to get your feet wet, but not for a full blown solar setup like what you have. I have 4-100 watt Renogy mono panels that cost half of what you paid for Harbor Freight and output 2-3 times the amps at half the size. The price of solar panels have come way down since you did this video, so I wonder if you are still using your HF setup? I started out with a HF 3 panel system and it's fine for very limited power requirements, but isn't meant to be a whole house off grid setup unless you have a bottomless pocket book. You'll be upgrading in a short time if you want to maximize your power making requirements. My HF setup is gathering dust, it's just too heavy, bulky and outputs so little that it's not worth the effort.
@NWHIKER hello i'm trying to learn how to do this and yes i'm new at this there are so many peoples with different ideal so to a new guy trying to build a solo panel what would be your ideal on helping me out cause i was about to look into harbor freight please help me close my mine from wondering so much Thanks
No problem, I'm happy to help. I'd suggest looking at the numerous You Tube videos on starter systems and learn the basics on amps/watts and how to calculate your power needs. What are you wanting to do with solar?
I live Here in Mississippi and the storms we have been having here lately been really placing us with out Power so i would like to keep at lease half of the house powered up appliance in light basic 3 bed room house
I agree,most can afford them,maybe not as many as they need at one time,but a couple at a time,versa's China grade[poor at best] which are inefficient and generally don't last very long.Top grade panels have long 25 year plus warranties.
"4-100 watt Renogy mono panels that cost half of what you paid for " I would like to know where you purchased these panels because I'm not seeing it online.
I'm totally off grid where I live. I've purchased 4 of the 3 pack kits. My intention is to setup in a 33' pull behind camper. Only items I need to power is the low power microwave, a few lights, cell charger and a 12V 30" t.v.. My fridge is propane power. Would like to know the measurement of the wooden bracket you built. Did you just multiply the width or did you add for expansion
nice set up i just built a off grid solar system 4 100w panels 1 30amp PWM charge controller 6 175ahr golf cart batteries and 1 1000w pure sine inverter have my 1-37" tv 1-42" tv and 2 computers and internet router 100% off grid fixing to add some wiring in house so i can run a few lights also in emergency some day i hope to be 100% off grid fingers crossed also setting up 2 systems for my boat batteries 2 10amp PWM charge controllers 3 10w solar panels one panel and controller in 12v for starter battery the 2 panels and 1 charge controller for the 2 12v batteries in 24v set up for Troling motor a float charger for my 24v trolling batteries alone is $180 i got 3 10w panels and 2 PWM charge controllers for $120 off Newegg dot com and they say the PWM are better for battery life then the MPPT when your float charging for longevity
yes but the PWM is better for the battery's and there is nothing wrong with the PWM charge controllers and the pulsing helps keep the battery's cells clean and they will last longer
***** Where did you hear PWM was "better" for the batteries? The only advantage the PWM has over the mppt in a smaller system is the fact it can be a little more efficient due to using less idle power. I would love to see your source for claiming one will better keep the battery cells "clean". An mppt will equalize the batteries and deal with any sulfating. An mppt is far better not only on how it can take better advantage of the power, but also because it can be expanded so much more. A PWM forces you to use panels of the same voltage as your battery bank, whereas an mppt can step down the voltage. This allows you to use larger grid tied panels which may be 24 or 48 volts. It is far more efficient to put several panels in series for up to 150 volts for a long run to a charge controller. Being able to mix and match panels is very nice with the mppt. If your happy with the pwm, by all means use it. There is nothing wrong with it. I use a PWM on a smaller system for a shop but I use an MPPT for the system that runs the house.
voltage is reduced to lower levels in order to reduce gassing and prolong battery life. The main purpose of this stage is basically to maintain the battery’s charge in a controlled manner. In Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) the charger sends small, short charging cycles or “pulses” when it senses small drops in voltage. and this proses helps keep the battery cells clean were mppt chargers do not
common knowledge about the way the PWM charge controllers work do a bit more research the mppt are not bad and are better if you are trying to get the most power out of your system but there is also nothing wrong with the PWM charge controllers if you are trying to get the maximum power out of your system then ye you should use a MPPT charger but there is nothing to fear from the PWM charge controllers nether they are very good and are a well proven technology
I spurned the Harbor Freight kit after reading the book "Lights On" by Jeffrey Yago. He recommends against the amorphous panels sold by Harbor Freight.
Cool! Can you give a full written list of parts and cost ? I am working on a system for lights and a single ac window unit 5500 btu from walmart for my hunting lodge in the woods. What do you think I would need to make it. One 60 watt light, and the ac, that's all. Thanks!
Have you considered (if its possible), to isolate a few house circuits from the main power panel and have those lines ran from your solar batteries? Or even install new outlets that terminate to a separate panel that is fed from the batteries?
i have very few videos. none really based on the harbor freight panels. I got my 24 200 watt panels for $200 each!! I have also set up a friend of mines home totally off grid. I wired up his solar, 80 amp outback flexmax, battery bank and inverter. no videos of that. there is a reason why!! :) the saddest part is he is building another home and going back on the grid!???? I simply do not understand why at all. he loves what he has now.
People like you helped get me into solar. I like your setup. Thanks for taking the time to make and share your video.
Nice Job! My only recommendation is when building a frame Screw it! It allows for replacement in any failures down the road. It will also stop the Frequency shock to the Cells.
We needed more people like you for free energy that take off the electric grid.
Impressive with the speed square. You are indeed an expert. Kudos.
Thank you for taking time out to show us this DIY. I'd really like to try it.
Thats looking good. I hope to have something like that too, before the SHTF. Our freezer is LOADED ! Nice job.
I got 2-100 watt Renogy with charge controller and cable hookup for 215.00 with free ship, then added 2 more panels later. I run a 24 volt system and doing the same. running lights, fan, computer, cell phone/tablet chargers etc. I would look into something other then the HF units. they might be fine for a battery charger but there are better ways to go if you want to power anything other then that. I got mine off EBay and am just starting to play around with it. Before it is over with I will be running the whole house/cabin off solar and wind power. Solar and Wind the way to go. Hydro if you have the means.
It would be really useful, if youtube had 2 separate comment sections - a separate comment section for people who downvote videos such as this one. so all the criticism would be gathered in a common section. Because when you're reasearching a topic such as this, constructive criticism helps pointing you in the right direction as well. Cheers.
I agree! That is a stellar idea! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why haven’t they done that yet. Make a class out of it too.
Great job..........nice to have power when the lights go out....
If you bought the 3 HF solar kits on sale, this setup would have cost you ~$450 (@ $150 each for 45watts/kit), to yield you 135watts.
I bought 1 kit in order to get me the voltage meter and 12v/5v outlets, then bought 4 100watt panels for $125 each from Renogy.So, now I've got 445watts for $650. That's 144% more in cost, but 330% more in production.
I would recommend a desulfator circuit for batteries in parallel wiring - this should maintain battery life 2 to 3 times longer than a maintenance or constant charge circuit and reduce your maintenance cost of the system.
yes it would
Thank you for the advice. I am looking into it now.
+ncprepper1 how many batteries do you have and how many amh each
dude check out green power of nc they are out of greenville
What is this?
Good solar setup, my solar setups are lower current / voltage , for outside security light , chargers / controllers for low car batteries. And the small Thunderbolt solar 1 watt for cell phones, players , GPS receivers, they are a lot of fun and handy. cheers !
Nice project, we are finally getting a Harbor Freight in the town I live in, can't wait!
The man just stated H.F. solar panels are no good. He suggests "Renogy" solar panels which according to him
work much better than H.P. solar panels. I, however, have no clue who is correct, I'm just beginning to learn what
and how is the superior way to go. Good luck.
Joseph Maximus I just read that Kyocera KD315GX-LPB 315 watt panels are the most efficient now.
Jerry Lifsey Hey, thank you for this information I really appreciate it.
Joseph Maximus
A few excellent sources of information are the manufacturers websites (they are selling stuff ... but an educated consumer is the only one whose gonna drop the big coin, so they also do a pretty good job of educating), Wikipedia -- use it to look up terms such as polymorphous, amorphous, monocrystalline and so on. It's a free encyclopedia (well, guys like me pump a few bucks into it each year) and "Guide to Sustainable Living" by Ed Begley, Jr.
Note: Ed's book is about sustainable living and will take you into a lot of areas you may not have considered, such as rocket heaters. Consider it a launching point, not a final destination.
bill65761 Thank you for the info. I will
be checking it out.
I enjoyed your video. Thanks for sharing.
Good video and very helpful! I'm trying to gather as much info as i can will start to build my own setup soon....Thanks!
Thanks for your time and uploading this. It gave me some good ideas.
I just bought the H-F kit for $139 with coupon .. Ill try to follow what you did ...Thank you for the video, it sure helped ..
God Bless Harbor Freight
Thanks guy. Listen do you have a video of just of your basic system. I mean batteries wires, hookups from the panels. I have to start from zero on the cheap. I am starting from the single hf solar panels kit. What do I need next, I just haven't found the right instructional video yet. I have to start simple because it I'm always broke and I need to step in carefully. I love your rig and your video is nice and clean you took the time to set it up for someone like me! Thanks dude
oh yeah. get a mppt charge controler and up the voltage of the panels!! you'll be glad you did!!
i started out with 10 of these kits. believe me your money ahead if you go with at least 100 watt panels. i now have 18 100 watt panels and 24 200 watt panels. i also have 4 wind turbines from missouri wind and solar for the winter when the wind is insane here. my next home will no be hooked to the grid.
hmmm I am seriously considering buy these. We are planning on building an earthship inspired home and the price on these are great!
Awesome display and description
great video
Great to see that Avasva has new instructions to save my money and energy to build it.
I like the custom frame!
HOT TIP . There is a product called Battery Equalizer I've been using that doubles battery life. I get 10-12 years on my deep cycles and 9-10 years on my car & truck batteries . A real money saver ...
Really appreciate your good advice and sharring your ideas with others. I have a problem with understanding how a system is put together and the name of each component, where to purchase the products and cost of each product. A diagram at the end of video showing each component and how it is connected together would be great. Really appreciate you.----THANKS
Northern Arizona Wind and Sun Forums is a great source for information. What you learn will save you time and money on costly mistakes.
Good video I love things from Harbor Frieght and I have recently begun working on going solar a little at a time, I don't ahve the large panels yet but I have some solar lights and other things I am suing to charge things with.
@paidskn1488 Well lets just say... With 1 H/F kit, 1 battery and an inverter you could get started for around $300. and have enough power provide light for 1 night every night.
Thats what I did and then cought the solar bug.
Thats my story and I'm sticking to it :)
Thanks for watching
just bought our second set from harbor freight the solar panels are framed in plastic around the panels and the frame they give you in the kit is a dam joke, but i can modify it and make it work well for just a few dollars.We are going next weekend and getting set number 3. I get them for 138.00 each kit so there cheap enough for my project soon ill be running my entire shed on solar 24 hours a day for free.
I like it 😊👍 just show more of that set up
Screws for the frame will be a better choice, and paint or seal the wood before assembly for a longer life. I'd go with the AGM batteries if you want to use that indoors though, the off-gassing is not something you want to breath in.
@mhpgardener Well thanks for the kind words.
I've learned that I will need much more than I thought. Around 300 watts worth of solar panels. 5 hrs of full sun at 300 watts is what we will need to run our freezer full time. We are saving up for larger panels now.
Fun stuff to learn!
Nice job!
HOWdy N-P-1,
Thanks
11 Years old & still pertinent !
COOP
...
@chop98 I'll check that channel out. My next move is going to be the 100 watt panels. I think it could be never ending. It will be nice to have the ability to run what you need in an extended power outage.
Thanks for the comment
Nice job
Solar-electric dot com in Arizona is the place to go when you are serious. Use a 24V system instead of twelve volts. Plan to size for double max load. size. A house can use 3kilowatts easy. A hair dryer takes 1200 Watts. A vacuum uses around 800 Watts. A refrigerator uses about 500 Watts. A washing machine uses about 1200 Watts. So you need to plan for a 6 kilowatt system to meet your off the grid system. That Sunforce controller will be way too small to make the grade with clouds and power hungry refrigeration needs. But it is great for a single item to be powered. Like the pump I forgot to include in the list.
Nice work man!
i like what your doing....sugestions move panels off the ground for ventilation ,and weed eating mowwing....battery storage should be keep in out building for your safty an not to mention your home owner insurance ...most electric codes do have some rules on the battery bank
The frame is a good idea, and you certainly did a good job at it. However, why did you use such large lumber? Simple 2x2’s would be more than enough to support those small panels even in the harshest wind or weather. If you're worried about them blowing over, sink or stake the legs into the ground a foot or two. Of course, screws into pre-drilled holes, instead of nails, would provide the most strength. Finally, I personally would raise the panels two or three feet off the ground to help keep mud, debris, and rodents off, and allow easier access without bending.
The Harbor freight solar kit is a nice option if you want a small and simple all in one system but there are better and more reliable options at a better price when you need more than one kit.
Thanks for the idea !
good job
great job.
I have multiple panels from Harbor Freight also, I am thinking about setting something up like yours I have enouph panels to setup two sets, I will be moving, and will set them up at my new home. Will wire all lights in the house, and run a few items, like my ham/cb radios. TV.
Thanks bro!
Very nice!
It looks like we picked up the last of the metal frame h/f panels about the same time. Now they are all plastic - interesting enough we both have the same stanley inverter. As long as you have a 30 amp controller you might as well slab some crystalline into the mix - good luck. Can't remeber how I found this video - there may have been some tequila involved.
At 4:37 you mentioned angle of the frame. I read somewhere that whatever your degrees of latitude is is the degrees of tilt of your panels but then again the sun is at different angles during the day (from east to west) and from season to season.
Solarworld sw255 mono @ $265 plus Morningstar Solar SS-MPPT-15L controller (has lighting and load control and PC interface)@ $216 and come out way ahead! No toys!
Awesome~ Thanks for the tips~!
Pepole sey why spend mony its cheeper other ways. But he built it. Its his pride and joy. Its part of american injenuity. Thats what makes america great. Great video thanks.
looks good..but only thing i wouldn't have done is nail the brace @ 7:00 min..would have screwed for service..gotta love a Paselode though!
Great vid Thanks
nice frame!
GREAT WORK GREAT VIDEO KEEP EM COMIN
I use 4 kits from Harbor Freight into one hub with a TriStar 60 amp controller into a 5000 W inverter all with Buss fuses and emergency shut offs and Battery shut off. All my lights inside the house are 12-volt high output LED I can run my 50-inch flat screen all my DVD players freezer the only thing that I am on grid for is for air conditioning. I can show you where my utility bill every month in the summer in the south is $100 even last month which was July 2017 it was $98.82. yes I have a lot of money and solar but it's paying itself off quickly. I think Within maybe around a year it will be paid for but after that it's going to be all free energy. I will agree with you on this stay away from Harbor Freight controllers inverters but the panels are good. Most everything I have is TriStar except for the panels.
Great answer from someone that's actually trying to walk the talk. Great job!
This is great! Lets get an update...
I like your ambition. It looks like you're using car batteries, and I'm sure they work. Especially great for sudden big draws? They are the opposite of what you'd want - made to be hit hard for a short time. You might rather have "a deep cell" type battery, and they are expensive.
However, wheelchair batteries, ideal. You can get used ones, that still work pretty okay, at a place near you where they sell/service power wheelchairs! Check it out. Directly compatible! - CaptainPike
So, this was in mid 2011 with total, 135 watts in space of around, 3 feet by 10 feet. By now, I'm sure, you're using newer upgrade panels that will fit in your same frame to make around, 500 watts to 600 watts in period of 2015 - 2016. Nice heavy duty rugged wooden frame.
nice solar station
thanks for upload this video
Great Project Brother Awesome You From North Carolina
Really cool man. Good work
I have to laugh at people who say solar is SOO expensive. For the cost of your electricity bill for one month, you can get a panel. A year's worth, and you have free electricity for the rest of your life.
NICE 👍👏👏👏
Thank you... It sure is!
GLAD I FOUND YOU BROTHER GREAT VIDEO I AM SUBBING GOD BLESS
Looks good. Yeah.
So, 300 watts, 12 volt? Four batteries. How many aH?
Over all thumbs up. Found that nailer annoying as hell. I would have chucked it into the nearest body of water.
That's sweet !
45watts? A electric water heater uses 4,500 watts! Thats just one hour of use or 50gals of about 100 degree hot water!
My NAVY taught me electronics starting with the basics like OHMS LAW. Understanding basic electricty is within the grasp of most , its worth learning.
Then you should be smart enough to get a gas heater 🤔🙄
I get the concept of lowering your elec. bill but isn't it cheaper to just pay your elec. bill after all is said and done. After you consider panels, batteries, setup time, maintenance, and by the time you finally start recouping some of that money it is probably going to be time to replace your panels again.
It's been 7 years... could you write an update on performance or any issues you've had. I'm looking into do this but I've heard that the panels don't hold up very well.
Hey There Jester, Ive owned my harbor freight for about 6 years. System is still working nicely
My controller always show 26.2 when I have the 3 panels connected to the battery. It show 40.4-43.5 when not connected to battery… should it show 26.2 going into the battery? Is the controller malfunctioning ?
where did you get your batteries from and how many amp hours are you storing. the Sunforce 30 amp power controller can produce 300 plus amp hours. I have four sets of HD panels which can provide around 12 amps under good conditions where I live. If I added 4 or 5 more sets of panels the Sunforce should still be able to handle the current.
How do you get any power out of a 45 watt solar panel. Even three of them isn't that much. Is it enough to keep a bank of batteries topped off? How many batteries do you have????
If you are going cheap go with Topoint brand panels which will run you about 50 cents a watt
I hope you are sweeping up that saw dust from the grass? 😠
Haha, JK. Great work. 👍
Nice video, You made it in July of 2011, would love to see an update.
I have 8 of the same panels like you got but havent put them up. I live in NC also but have lots of trees blocking the sun so havent figured the best place for them.
Everybody that is worried about the hammer vs nailgun, I think you missed the point of this video. Thank You.
What part of NC? I'm over in Lexington and my house and garage roofs slope N-S. :-(
There are tracking systems that keep the solar panels oriented properly (and return to the start point over night!). They cost a little electricity and the support design has to pivot on at least the X-Y axis, but more than pay for themselves in additional generating capacity.
Harbor Freight has your panels on sale right now.
when its cloudy outside will the solar panels still work efficiently for charging or does it have to have full direct sun? will the moon's light charge the panels?
I don't know what a gas powered nail gun is but that thing doesn't look like it's working too well.
I'm looking at your frame with the solar panels in and it's not treated or painted and it looks as though if it rains hard that water is going to collect on the bottom of your frame and sit on your solar panels?
have you thought about your batteries off gassing hydrogen ? the vents that you have there lead the gas to all the electronics siting on top , all it takes is a spark to ignite the gas . I would strongly advise venting your batteries to the outside, i encourage you research it
theirs a eBay store that has used and new harbor freight solar panels for 50% its called TADD, I bought some that were cracked but still putting out good power for 8 dollars a panel !!!
Thanks for the nice comment!
The Harbor Freight panels are grossly inefficient compared to what's out there on the market now. The HF setup is fine to get your feet wet, but not for a full blown solar setup like what you have. I have 4-100 watt Renogy mono panels that cost half of what you paid for Harbor Freight and output 2-3 times the amps at half the size. The price of solar panels have come way down since you did this video, so I wonder if you are still using your HF setup?
I started out with a HF 3 panel system and it's fine for very limited power requirements, but isn't meant to be a whole house off grid setup unless you have a bottomless pocket book. You'll be upgrading in a short time if you want to maximize your power making requirements. My HF setup is gathering dust, it's just too heavy, bulky and outputs so little that it's not worth the effort.
@NWHIKER hello i'm trying to learn how to do this and yes i'm new at this there are so many peoples with different ideal so to a new guy trying to build a solo panel what would be your ideal on helping me out cause i was about to look into harbor freight please help me close my mine from wondering so much Thanks
No problem, I'm happy to help. I'd suggest looking at the numerous You Tube videos on starter systems and learn the basics on amps/watts and how to calculate your power needs. What are you wanting to do with solar?
I live Here in Mississippi and the storms we have been having here lately been really placing us with out Power so i would like to keep at lease half of the house powered up appliance in light basic 3 bed room house
I agree,most can afford them,maybe not as many as they need at one time,but a couple at a time,versa's China grade[poor at best] which are inefficient and generally don't last very long.Top grade panels have long 25 year plus warranties.
"4-100 watt Renogy mono panels that cost half of what you paid for "
I would like to know where you purchased these panels because I'm not seeing it online.
On the Avasva you can count on professional help with problems and technical support.
All right
Bullshit
I'm totally off grid where I live.
I've purchased 4 of the 3 pack kits.
My intention is to setup in a 33' pull behind camper.
Only items I need to power is the low power microwave, a few lights, cell charger and a 12V 30" t.v..
My fridge is propane power.
Would like to know the measurement of the wooden bracket you built.
Did you just multiply the width or did you add for expansion
nice set up
i just built a off grid solar system
4 100w panels 1 30amp PWM charge controller 6 175ahr golf cart batteries and 1 1000w pure sine inverter
have my 1-37" tv 1-42" tv and 2 computers and internet router 100% off grid
fixing to add some wiring in house so i can run a few lights also in emergency
some day i hope to be 100% off grid
fingers crossed
also setting up 2 systems for my boat batteries
2 10amp PWM charge controllers
3 10w solar panels
one panel and controller in 12v for starter battery
the 2 panels and 1 charge controller for the 2 12v batteries in 24v set up for Troling motor
a float charger for my 24v trolling batteries alone is $180
i got 3 10w panels and 2 PWM charge controllers for $120 off Newegg dot com
and they say the PWM are better for battery life then the MPPT when your float charging for longevity
yes but the PWM is better for the battery's and there is nothing wrong with the PWM charge controllers and the pulsing helps keep the battery's cells clean and they will last longer
***** Where did you hear PWM was "better" for the batteries? The only advantage the PWM has over the mppt in a smaller system is the fact it can be a little more efficient due to using less idle power. I would love to see your source for claiming one will better keep the battery cells "clean". An mppt will equalize the batteries and deal with any sulfating. An mppt is far better not only on how it can take better advantage of the power, but also because it can be expanded so much more. A PWM forces you to use panels of the same voltage as your battery bank, whereas an mppt can step down the voltage. This allows you to use larger grid tied panels which may be 24 or 48 volts. It is far more efficient to put several panels in series for up to 150 volts for a long run to a charge controller. Being able to mix and match panels is very nice with the mppt. If your happy with the pwm, by all means use it. There is nothing wrong with it. I use a PWM on a smaller system for a shop but I use an MPPT for the system that runs the house.
voltage is reduced to lower levels in order to reduce gassing and prolong battery life. The main purpose of this stage is basically to maintain the battery’s charge in a controlled manner. In Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) the charger sends small, short charging cycles or “pulses” when it senses small drops in voltage. and this proses helps keep the battery cells clean were mppt chargers do not
common knowledge about the way the PWM charge controllers work do a bit more research
the mppt are not bad and are better if you are trying to get the most power out of your system
but there is also nothing wrong with the PWM charge controllers
if you are trying to get the maximum power out of your system then ye you should use a MPPT charger
but there is nothing to fear from the PWM charge controllers nether they are very good and are a well proven technology
I spurned the Harbor Freight kit after reading the book "Lights On" by Jeffrey Yago. He recommends against the amorphous panels sold by Harbor Freight.
Cool! Can you give a full written list of parts and cost ? I am working on a system for lights and a single ac window unit 5500 btu from walmart for my hunting lodge in the woods. What do you think I would need to make it. One 60 watt light, and the ac, that's all. Thanks!
Have you considered (if its possible), to isolate a few house circuits from the main power panel and have those lines ran from your solar batteries? Or even install new outlets that terminate to a separate panel that is fed from the batteries?
2" pvc frame secured at center and corners with a bag of ready mix would have been faster and lighter...just cut it off at the ground when you move
i have very few videos. none really based on the harbor freight panels. I got my 24 200 watt panels for $200 each!! I have also set up a friend of mines home totally off grid. I wired up his solar, 80 amp outback flexmax, battery bank and inverter. no videos of that. there is a reason why!! :) the saddest part is he is building another home and going back on the grid!???? I simply do not understand why at all. he loves what he has now.