UPDATE: The price of 150/35 MPPT has come down, so it's better to have two charge controllers instead of 1. I have updated the diagram on my website. The book on Amazon: cleversolarpower.com/off-grid-solar-power-simplified Link to the diagram: cleversolarpower.com/48v-off-grid-solar-cabin-3kw-solar-10kwh-battery/ 6x 415W Solar Panels: cleversolarpower.com/go/415W Victron MultiPlus 48/3000VA: cleversolarpower.com/go/multiplus3000VA Victron 150/60 Charge Controller: amzn.to/4ighTal Champion Generator: amzn.to/3OIXqgQ 2x 48V 100Ah Batteries: cleversolarpower.com/go/redodo48V100ah Or batteries on Amazon: amzn.to/4g01XY8 MRBF Fuse holder 1 stud: amzn.to/41mA8Vp 2 studs: amzn.to/49wrDcw 80A fuse: amzn.to/4gjwiAE 50ft red + 50fr black 6AWG Cables + lugs: amzn.to/3OJM3VC DC Breaker: amzn.to/4gkUuCO 30A Y-Combiner: amzn.to/3ZCTRPp 2x 20A MC4 Inline Fuses: amzn.to/49qiH8r AC Distribution Box: amzn.to/3ZmDKUD Shunt: amzn.to/41ldH2R Grounding busbar: amzn.to/49l6z8N 50ft 8AWG PV cable: amzn.to/3Zr8yDM 32A GFCI: amzn.to/3Bp3bNl 20A AC breaker: amzn.to/41kQBcM
I got your book a month ago and it has been my constant companion and guide planning my solar home backup system. I would have made so many mistakes without you and your book. Thank you!
I noticed it was your book right away! I have used it on Kindle to help guide me on building my system recently...and still referencing it quite a bit. Thanks for such a great book man, and congratulations, you deserve it for all your hard work.
You are always an excellent source of knowledge, and your videos are motivating. When there was any confusion in building, your book makes it all understandable....it makes building a system easier... makes everything come together. I tell everyone who asks me about my 5500 watt backup inverter to invest for knowledge and get your book. You are, THE PROFESSOR(.)
It's a great book, used it many times. I have been setting up solar for the past 4 years on my RV, Home and Offgrid Cabin. I've tried and used many different types of inverters and chargers but finally settled on Victron. Should have gone with Victron from the start, but like everyone I was trying to save money.
Hello, I have a problem to calculate everything as I would like to build wind solar off grid system for machine 3400w and pc run 24h. Thats something you can help ?
Question can I use a plastic enclosed container with moist soil and place it with a bolt inside the moist soil in the plastic box in a cold dark and shaded area of the cabin where it can be accessed from? To prevent dogs from it or cats?
@cleversolarpower thank you because I remembered that if the gfci gas it it won't need an additional ground wire connected to a bus bar or soil or chassis☺️☺️☺️
@@cleversolarpower i will buy your book , even that I probably don't going to used it , but to support you! , you been a great master electrician and engineer. I Trust your work!
Anther superb video, thank you. Question; you show type AC RCBO on the AC side (GFCI), shouldn't this be a type A to deal with possible DC Earth leakage current up to 6ma.
Hi This has been very informative, If I use solar panels to heat hot water and have a cylinder will the invertor kick in and supply extra power form panel to battery to cylinder to maintain heat rather than waste energy. ED
Hello, does this system work identically to the hybrid system? Does that mean I can have backup current from the power grid? .Do I have to change something about the fuses or is it ok that way?
@@cleversolarpower I have the network, but I want to use it as little as possible. AND this multiplex is not a hybrid, as I see in our country that they have these in the ads?
Thank you, Nick for the great job. However, I have a question for you: 1. What is the right voltage to used in sizing charge controllers for current? In some of your videos you used the battery charging voltage(e.g. 14.4v for 12v battery bank) and in some other videos, you used the battery bank nominal voltage(e.g. 12.8v) for calculating the required current for the charge controller.
I recommend using the nominal voltage of the battery bank at 12.8V. The lower the voltage, the better it is sized, so you can say i was wrong in using 14.4V, but it doesn't hurt to use 14.4V either. 100/14.4=7A, and 12.8=7.8A. the current will be clipped when using the lower voltage.
Hi Nick would it not be better to do the solar 2x Victron 150/45 mppt charge controllers with 3x 415w panels attached to each controller? This could save money and make a more reliable system.
Indeed, I made this system as well, but then it would get more expensive. 150/60=$350 and 2x 150/35=$340 oops -> they just came down in price 😅 So that would make the 2x MPPT more attractive. I updated the diagram on the website.
It’s seems like overkill to recharge your 3 day batteries every day. Couldn’t you manage with half the solar? As long as you are replacing the daily energy use the batteries should be close to 100%, which gives 3 days of autonomy.
@@blindsoldierThe 3 days of autonomy comes from the size of the battery. All that is needed is to replace what is used in a day. He specifically said he is not sizing the panels for winter, but relying on generator for those months.
Pretty good but several major problems: (1) Do not EVER use inline MP4 fuses. Those represent a failure / fire-hazard point that typically winds up being on the roof, unprotected from the elements. Instead, cable the strings down to street level and use a Solar Combiner Box (which includes per-string fusing and a master breaker as a convenient disconnect, in a box to protect the gear). EVEN WHEN you aren't combining strings. (2) Do not EVER use MC4 paralleling adapters. These also represent a fire hazard and also tend to be up on the roof. Just don't use these things, they have caused more fires than god. This means you separately cable the strings all the way down to street level, so there is more cabling, but it is 1000x safer to spend a little extra money on the additional cable than to use inline MC4 fusing and paralleling connectors at roof level. Don't ever put any fusing, disconnects, boxes, or paralleling stuff on the roof or above head-level. And (3) Generally don't parallel the strings at all. And I say that even WITH my recommendation to use a combiner box anyway to corral the fusing and provide a decent disconnect point for work. Each string gets its own combiner box. This is particularly important in true off-grid situations where you can't tolerate any single point of failure that might leave you out in the cold in the dead of winter. You want a MPPT controller for each string, these days. Don't parallel large strings. You can make exceptions for smaller-wattage panels (like 200W panels), but for big panels and multi-panel strings, just don't do it. Don't parallel anything. * I will also note that having the combiner box there gives you additional expansion options later on, as well as convenient tie-in points for temporary portable structures or during emergencies. * And in terms of cabling size, this is another reason why you should not parallel strings up on the roof. You wind up having to use a thick cable for the back-haul. It is far better to just standardize on 10 AWG for all of your solar wiring and run only 10-15A through the longer runs (single string per cable pair). You can choose to use a thicker backhaul coming out of the combiner box if desired, but I usually just use 10 AWG as well and limit the total possible solar amperage to 20A. That is a much shorter cable, so there's more wiggle room. (of course, battery bank and inverter cabling would use 2 AWG or thicker, depending on your needs. I'm mainly talking about the solar panel side). * Using several smaller MPPTs means easier wiring from the MPPT to the battery bank. For example, a Victron 150/35 can use 6 or 8 AWG cabling from the battery side of the MPPT to the battery bank. High voltage strings have very low losses even when the wiring is relatively thin. Don't worry about voltage drop so much on a high voltage string. Just worry about current and heat. For example, 4 x residential panels can develop 200VDC on the string. A 5V voltage drop represents only a 2.5% loss in power. Keep it up! -Matt
Thanks for your constructive feedback Matt, I really appreciate your insight. Here are the reasons why i chose this setup: 1) the MC4 fuses are perfectly fine is they are installed correctly. 2) The parallel adaptors are up to 30A, and we are under this, so it won't be a problem. Some are rated for 20A, so they will pose a problem. 3) A combiner box is more expensive and not really necessary because MC4 fuses and Y-combiners are ok. 4) it's more expensive to have two charge controllers. But it would improve redundancy. 5) The cost of 2x 10AWG is more expensive than 1x 8AWG. UPDATE: 150/60=$350 and 2x 150/35=$340 seems like the 150/35 came down in price since i designed the system. So it would be better to have two MPPT's instead of combining two strings in parallel.
UPDATE: The price of 150/35 MPPT has come down, so it's better to have two charge controllers instead of 1. I have updated the diagram on my website.
The book on Amazon: cleversolarpower.com/off-grid-solar-power-simplified
Link to the diagram: cleversolarpower.com/48v-off-grid-solar-cabin-3kw-solar-10kwh-battery/
6x 415W Solar Panels: cleversolarpower.com/go/415W
Victron MultiPlus 48/3000VA: cleversolarpower.com/go/multiplus3000VA
Victron 150/60 Charge Controller: amzn.to/4ighTal
Champion Generator: amzn.to/3OIXqgQ
2x 48V 100Ah Batteries: cleversolarpower.com/go/redodo48V100ah
Or batteries on Amazon: amzn.to/4g01XY8
MRBF Fuse holder 1 stud: amzn.to/41mA8Vp
2 studs: amzn.to/49wrDcw
80A fuse: amzn.to/4gjwiAE
50ft red + 50fr black 6AWG Cables + lugs: amzn.to/3OJM3VC
DC Breaker: amzn.to/4gkUuCO
30A Y-Combiner: amzn.to/3ZCTRPp
2x 20A MC4 Inline Fuses: amzn.to/49qiH8r
AC Distribution Box: amzn.to/3ZmDKUD
Shunt: amzn.to/41ldH2R
Grounding busbar: amzn.to/49l6z8N
50ft 8AWG PV cable: amzn.to/3Zr8yDM
32A GFCI: amzn.to/3Bp3bNl
20A AC breaker: amzn.to/41kQBcM
I wish they didn't remove the load side on the 150/35. I use the load on the MPPT for running my camera's and wifi.
Am intrested, how can i get the book
I got your book a month ago and it has been my constant companion and guide planning my solar home backup system. I would have made so many mistakes without you and your book. Thank you!
I noticed it was your book right away!
I have used it on Kindle to help guide me on building my system recently...and still referencing it quite a bit. Thanks for such a great book man, and congratulations, you deserve it for all your hard work.
You are always an excellent source of knowledge, and your videos are motivating. When there was any confusion in building, your book makes it all understandable....it makes building a system easier... makes everything come together. I tell everyone who asks me about my 5500 watt backup inverter to invest for knowledge and get your book. You are, THE PROFESSOR(.)
The world's best teacher thanks the real solar doctor
That is wonderful! I got purchased your book several months ago and it is my reference guide.
It's a great book, used it many times. I have been setting up solar for the past 4 years on my RV, Home and Offgrid Cabin. I've tried and used many different types of inverters and chargers but finally settled on Victron. Should have gone with Victron from the start, but like everyone I was trying to save money.
Pay once, cry once 😉 thanks for your support! 🙏
Excellent presentation! I am very happy to be a subscriber to your channel.
hell yeah thanks for sharing i need to get your book at some point for sure
What about ballast style plastic boxes that you throw sand or rocks in to act as outside mounts
Hello, I have a problem to calculate everything as I would like to build wind solar off grid system for machine 3400w and pc run 24h. Thats something you can help ?
Question can I use a plastic enclosed container with moist soil and place it with a bolt inside the moist soil in the plastic box in a cold dark and shaded area of the cabin where it can be accessed from? To prevent dogs from it or cats?
I recommend a resin filled junction box for underground waterproofing.
Another excellent video, thanks…
Would this work with a combi boiler ?
Hello from South Carolina
When using a gfci plug I don't need to add another fuse boss to the bus bar?
If the gfci plug has a breaker installed as well then you don't need it. But most likely it doesnt.
@cleversolarpower thank you because I remembered that if the gfci gas it it won't need an additional ground wire connected to a bus bar or soil or chassis☺️☺️☺️
Are you working on a new updated version of your book that includes new stuff ?
I have done 7 revisions since the book came out. The last revision is november 2024.
@@cleversolarpower I will buy if and when you decide to publish a new one !
@@cleversolarpower i will buy your book , even that I probably don't going to used it , but to support you! , you been a great master electrician and engineer.
I Trust your work!
Very informative. Great video!
Glad it was helpful!
Anther superb video, thank you. Question; you show type AC RCBO on the AC side (GFCI), shouldn't this be a type A to deal with possible DC Earth leakage current up to 6ma.
Hi This has been very informative, If I use solar panels to heat hot water and have a cylinder will the invertor kick in and supply extra power form panel to battery to cylinder to maintain heat rather than waste energy. ED
I'm not sure what you mean. Do you want a dump load once your batteries are full? Send me an email for more information please.
great video very detailed information
Can you do one for a 12v class a rv setup
Already did that, checkout the systems playlist on my channel.
Great video! Thank you so so much!!!
Glad it was helpful. Checkout the updated diagram on my website.
Hello, does this system work identically to the hybrid system? Does that mean I can have backup current from the power grid? .Do I have to change something about the fuses or is it ok that way?
You can use the grid instead of the generator. But you will have to do additional programming in the multiplus to make it grid interactive.
@@cleversolarpower I have the network, but I want to use it as little as possible. AND this multiplex is not a hybrid, as I see in our country that they have these in the ads?
Thank you, Nick for the great job. However, I have a question for you:
1. What is the right voltage to used in sizing charge controllers for current? In some of your videos you used the battery charging voltage(e.g. 14.4v for 12v battery bank) and in some other videos, you used the battery bank nominal voltage(e.g. 12.8v) for calculating the required current for the charge controller.
I recommend using the nominal voltage of the battery bank at 12.8V. The lower the voltage, the better it is sized, so you can say i was wrong in using 14.4V, but it doesn't hurt to use 14.4V either. 100/14.4=7A, and 12.8=7.8A. the current will be clipped when using the lower voltage.
Hi Nick would it not be better to do the solar 2x Victron 150/45 mppt charge controllers with 3x 415w panels attached to each controller? This could save money and make a more reliable system.
Indeed, I made this system as well, but then it would get more expensive. 150/60=$350 and 2x 150/35=$340 oops -> they just came down in price 😅 So that would make the 2x MPPT more attractive. I updated the diagram on the website.
And I dont have to add wiring to ground
It’s seems like overkill to recharge your 3 day batteries every day. Couldn’t you manage with half the solar? As long as you are replacing the daily energy use the batteries should be close to 100%, which gives 3 days of autonomy.
3 days on the winter is the “security” you need for having 3 consecutive days without sun…except if you live in sunny places like Syria 😅
@@blindsoldierThe 3 days of autonomy comes from the size of the battery. All that is needed is to replace what is used in a day. He specifically said he is not sizing the panels for winter, but relying on generator for those months.
Pretty good but several major problems:
(1) Do not EVER use inline MP4 fuses. Those represent a failure / fire-hazard point that typically winds up being on the roof, unprotected from the elements. Instead, cable the strings down to street level and use a Solar Combiner Box (which includes per-string fusing and a master breaker as a convenient disconnect, in a box to protect the gear). EVEN WHEN you aren't combining strings.
(2) Do not EVER use MC4 paralleling adapters. These also represent a fire hazard and also tend to be up on the roof. Just don't use these things, they have caused more fires than god.
This means you separately cable the strings all the way down to street level, so there is more cabling, but it is 1000x safer to spend a little extra money on the additional cable than to use inline MC4 fusing and paralleling connectors at roof level.
Don't ever put any fusing, disconnects, boxes, or paralleling stuff on the roof or above head-level.
And
(3) Generally don't parallel the strings at all. And I say that even WITH my recommendation to use a combiner box anyway to corral the fusing and provide a decent disconnect point for work. Each string gets its own combiner box. This is particularly important in true off-grid situations where you can't tolerate any single point of failure that might leave you out in the cold in the dead of winter.
You want a MPPT controller for each string, these days. Don't parallel large strings. You can make exceptions for smaller-wattage panels (like 200W panels), but for big panels and multi-panel strings, just don't do it. Don't parallel anything.
* I will also note that having the combiner box there gives you additional expansion options later on, as well as convenient tie-in points for temporary portable structures or during emergencies.
* And in terms of cabling size, this is another reason why you should not parallel strings up on the roof. You wind up having to use a thick cable for the back-haul. It is far better to just standardize on 10 AWG for all of your solar wiring and run only 10-15A through the longer runs (single string per cable pair). You can choose to use a thicker backhaul coming out of the combiner box if desired, but I usually just use 10 AWG as well and limit the total possible solar amperage to 20A. That is a much shorter cable, so there's more wiggle room.
(of course, battery bank and inverter cabling would use 2 AWG or thicker, depending on your needs. I'm mainly talking about the solar panel side).
* Using several smaller MPPTs means easier wiring from the MPPT to the battery bank. For example, a Victron 150/35 can use 6 or 8 AWG cabling from the battery side of the MPPT to the battery bank.
High voltage strings have very low losses even when the wiring is relatively thin. Don't worry about voltage drop so much on a high voltage string. Just worry about current and heat. For example, 4 x residential panels can develop 200VDC on the string. A 5V voltage drop represents only a 2.5% loss in power.
Keep it up!
-Matt
Thanks for your constructive feedback Matt, I really appreciate your insight. Here are the reasons why i chose this setup:
1) the MC4 fuses are perfectly fine is they are installed correctly.
2) The parallel adaptors are up to 30A, and we are under this, so it won't be a problem. Some are rated for 20A, so they will pose a problem.
3) A combiner box is more expensive and not really necessary because MC4 fuses and Y-combiners are ok.
4) it's more expensive to have two charge controllers. But it would improve redundancy.
5) The cost of 2x 10AWG is more expensive than 1x 8AWG.
UPDATE: 150/60=$350 and 2x 150/35=$340 seems like the 150/35 came down in price since i designed the system. So it would be better to have two MPPT's instead of combining two strings in parallel.
@cleversolarpower parallel adapter from staubli are rated at 90amps ,i only recommend staubli mc4 etc and tools, we get cheap stuff and we pay for.