This panel can put out close to 100 watts th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
Great video Jim, very thorough with your set-up...impressive. I also liked your closing comments, sometimes we get confused and angry about life situations and lose our trust and belief.
In addition how informative your video was on the subject matter that I searched it up for, I just loved the brief word that you gave to end it. Amen🙌🏽
FINALLY have found an exact duplicate of my thoughts on mounting the panels horizontally, w/ unistrut, close to the ground, at a comfy working height. Very nice cable layout + management. The 90° bends... awesome. The parts list is great for us to get a little at a time, budget permitting. A shoutout to the folks who warned of the religious transition... I heeded & left the vid at that cut. Thanks ALL !
Nice, Clean, and laid out professionally. You took us through your system like a Professional, WITHOUT all the MUSIC in the background OVER-RUNNING your presentation, some people on the tube just need attention. Thanks for your time and effort.
Nice set-up Jim!We cannot be prepared enough.I liked your transition into the gospel,and you are right we do not have any excuse in our preparedness or salvation.In Amos 5 it says to prepare to meet your maker.
I just want to thank you for including your grounding method. So many solar setup videos don't mention grounding at all. I will view your video a few times until I have confidence my setup will work and be safe. This may take awhile as I have to keep viewing your closing comments. :)
Wow... Great job. I kept going on to another video for some reason I kept coming back to yours. I found out why at the end of your video. He was telling me something. I was lost in life until the end of video . I'm still here and breathing because of you and God. Thank you Jim.
Hey Jeremiah thanks for the comment - makes it all worth it. How can I help bro? Would be an honor to walk with you thru the storm. I've got some heavy storms at the moment too...lemme know.
This video is 6years old but this was exactly i was looking for to build a small setup (300watt solar), i will be doing mine with 2x100ah Lipo4 batteries. Its alot cheaper now to build such a system and with better devices. Not sure how yours held up through the years. Thanks for sharing your faith as well. Its sad how this world has turn into now but it is prophesied, so it should not be a surprise. Thanks again.
You're right, it is prophesied so why not get excited about our part in the Great Commission?! Sure, news is a drain and life is full of trials, but Jesus...Hey I want to upgrade my system using Lipo4 etc. can you share what components you chose? Thanks
Great video. I have studied solar for quite sometime and finally bought 1 100 watt panel to get started. I don,t understand electricity that well, but I am learning. Thanks , and God Bless, Tom
I have just started (one piece at a time) something that is about 90 percent of what you are have done. My mount will be different and brand names on equipment may be different, but mostly the same set up. My goal is to have a system that like you said can preserve food in a fridge and freezer and will give some time until my generator can be set up to supply AC and charge batteries. Subscribed so that finding this video again is much easier. Thanks for the inspiration.
I do not. By the way, once the weather breaks in April I'll be posting my updates to this system, including lithium iron phospate batteries, MPPT charge controller, another solar panel, and structural functional improvements.
You did a pretty good DIY job. As an electrician, I will tell you about some (minor) quibbles I have. First, while you can get away with the MC4 connectors as a disconnecting means, I think an actual disconnect switch would be better. The thing I didn't like the most was the lack of connectors when you entered your indoor equipment. At the very least you should have some Bushings on those knock outs. Good job overall.
Thanks for the video. As a retired C-10 electrical you did a nice install. I would like to add a few pointers to DIY out there. 1)Superstrut/Unistrut are different brand names of basically the same product. Superstrut is what is sold at HD/Lowe's and has basically same specs sizes etc. 2) I see a lot of people use strut for platforms with loads etc. Sometimes they support huge barrels of 300-500 lbs. I guarantee these strut platforms with manufacturer strut brackets will rack over time. Strut corners and brackets have a tendency to slide around. Of course, this depends on direction and amount of loads etc. Most people purchase cheaper 1/4 nuts washers etc. If you notice strut/bracket slots and holes are a bit larger than 1/2". This causes wimpy 1/4" nuts and flat washers to compress into the slot (on brackets etc) and bend/ and oftentimes slide/twist around no matter how much you tighten. (The washer at 1:12 appears to have a gap) I recommend 1/2" spring beefier nuts and bolts/flat washers in combination with a small amount of JB weld in areas where there might be side loads/racking issues. JB weld is probably easiest but not as strong as brazing corners but comes apart with sawsall if needed. I use JB weld after everything is lined up and permanent with manufacturers brackets in place and tightened. Seems to work OK. Strut is mostly galvanized zinc and brazing can create noxious fumes. Brazing/ welding is much stronger but uglies up the install unless you grind and paint. Muggyweld has a lower temp silver solder technique with Mapp gas. I have tried this with only modest success. The large pieces of strut wick away too much heat for the newer MAPP gas. Spot welding structural corners with Oxy/Acet is probably best. I hate welding but sometimes it is necessary. I have also drilled my own proper sized holes with my own brackets/nuts/washers. This works extremely well but takes more time. 3) Using Sawsall with bi-metal blade works OK but will never really get a square corner or 45. Using and abrasive type cut-off saw works OK. Lots of sparks, not so accurate 45/90 corners, hot metal and grinding of corners is needed. I also have tried Diablo metal blades in my normal wood chop saw. But I ended up changing out blades too much. I ended up with low RPM low temp, non-abrasive type Evolution Rage saw ($226 at HD). This saw is low temp, creates clean 90 and 45 cuts and requires very little clean up/ deburring. A bit long winded but helpful to DIY'rs God Bless. Have you or any commenters noticed any sliding/movement in your strut corners?
Well Done, Very professional install with great attention to detail, And a well spoken review, Only thing I do not like about your solar system is that it is installed at your house and not mine...
Thank you Jim for the tips on building a solar system. Special thanks for sharing the truth about our Lord and Savior, Jesus. God Bless, sincerely, Jim
Enjoyed the Video, Thanks. Looking to build a system myself here in the caribbean but by his grace it will be done, Thanks again and Praise the Lord Our God!
A little over kill for my needs but thank you so much for the details and explaining exactly how you did it. I will have to watch it 3 times to get all of the info, but the video is very well made.
I should'a paid more attention in shop class!! I love the set up! Neat, orderly and easier to maintain. I have a WHOLE lot to learn....maybe give some credence to the expression, teach an ole dog a new trick! Never was good with math! Thanks for sharing Gods good news at the end.
Thank you for the idea of the mount and conduit. I did something very similar with my 400W system. It's interesting how before I saw your video we did something very similar looking inside with the disconnect. charger, etc. Thanks again. Very helpful video.
Thanks Jim for the video. It was spot on and helped me a great deal with my own off grid solar installation for my small cabin. The information was correct and concise. If a picture is worth a thousand words then this video should be enough to at least a small book. Great job brother!
Jim, you did a great neat Job on your setup and video. It is one of the few videos to the point also most importantly for me showing the grounding fashion you used. I have been a bit perplexed on that end, and still not sure if this grounding of the negative battery pole works for all setups and inverters. I have a pure sine 300 watts inverter that has a chassis grounding screw, and 2 connectors for the plus and minus from the charge controller. Instructions are very poor on it's grounding connection and I'm still researching. Thanks again for sharing your setup and I don't mind the end at all, better to hear you share instead of watching too many ads :-) Best wishes!
Congrats on having the absolute nicest solar panel setup on all of TH-cam. I have no idea where to get all of those mounting brackets. Those are exactly what I'm looking for. I found a 310 watt solar panel 6.5 x 3' for $130 brand new.
Nice small system. One suggestion on making battery cables. Crimp, then solder, then shrink wrap with glued shrink wrap. Crimping for a mechanical connection. solder for a good electrical connection..
If i am seeing this right, you have the bare copper wire going to the negative side of your batteries. That Copper wire is going to the grounding post set in the ground. If lighting hits your solar array you are going to have problems with your batteries.
Great work Jim. Is it safe to leave the batteries connectors exposed if you have pets or kids? I mean could they not get injured as a result of electric shock if they were to touch the black and red connectors?
S Cin: 12 volts (battery voltage) won't do much to a body, unless you use a conductor across the terminals, and hold on to it as it gets hot. But like you, I would cover those terminals anyway. A piece of metal could land there and cause big problems.
I was looking at your DC breaker that is killing the connection between your solar panels and the rest of the system, and when I look online at the specs, it says that it is for AC systems. I didn't see anywhere where it could be used for DC systems, or what the max voltage/amperage was that it could handle? Is there somewhere else you checked, and how do you know it meets NEC code? Thanks!
Jim Kirchner Great! Well I have the same solar panels you have (4x Renogy 100W Mono Panels) wired in parallel for a total of about 23Amps. My charge controller can only handle 30Amps, so I probably need to go with a QO breaker that is rated for 25Amps to be safe? Lastly, what about this breaker makes it NEC certified? Thanks for your help!
Robert Smith Good questions! If you live in a cold weather climate your panels will likely trip your 25 amp breaker during extreme cold and intense sun, but it won't happen too often so I would go with the 25 amp QO to protect the charge controller. NEC certification is mainly about safety, not system necessarily system performance, so the 25 amp breaker will be fine!
Jim Kirchner Thanks Jim for your quick responses. I wish more people were as helpful . I noticed you used a 60 Amp fuse going from your charge controller to your battery bank. However, you only have 3 solar panels hooked up in parallel which would give you approximately 16Amps. So why did you feel the need to use a 60Amp fuse when your system can never produce that amount of amps even if one of the solar panels shorted? Thanks!
I upgraded it this year and made a modification to allow for easier tilting with the sun. Basically, I rounded the bottom of the square bracket on the rotating frame that rests on the vertical struts.
@@JimKirchner I have a 3k 24v expandable on the way that I need to plan for. I have 6 panels now but will add 3 more so need to build for the 9. The cost of uni strut being 30.00 a stick now is crazy and I will need to do framing with wood and the rails with uni strut.
Very, Very Nice!! Thanks for sharing. I'm going to "borrow" your plans. The only thing I will do different (living wet Michigan) is either have the wires from my panels enter through the bottom of my connector box or leave enough wire to form a drip leg. I Just want a little extra protection from water intrusion. Thanks again Jim
Thanks VERY much for all of your info. Awesome system and so clean. EXACTLY what I needed to see. Again, thanks so much for sharing the solar info and the word, I can see it ALL helping a lot of people in the near future!!
System looks nice. Well put together. I disagree that an MPPT controller isn't worth it at that size array. You'd lose less in transmission if those panels were in series, and you'd have saved a bit by being able to use thinner wire potentially.
Wow that's a nice setup. I just built a shed and have it running on a small temporary solar setup (everything just kinda thrown together on the ground) but I ordered 4 100w panels off Amazon and now looking into the best way to mount them on the roof. May do unistrut, have a few ideas. So this is quite inspiring. I would experiment with putting those panels in series if your charge controller can handle the voltage, that way even when it's overcast it might get enough voltage to trickle charge the battery. I personally like to do everything in multiples of 2 though so it's odd to see 3 panels and 3 batteries and not 2 or 4, but either way it works. I guess being a computer geek does that to you, so that's why I went with 4 panels myself. I will probably do 2 groups of 2 in series/parallel, but I'll experiment to see what works best.
Jim, I need to get my array a fair bit higher than what you have as I have a hill next to where the panels need to go. I am thinking about setting 10' treated square posts 4' into the ground and attaching the superstrut to the wood posts to get the bottom of my array 8 - 10' off the ground. Any thoughts as to whether I should do 4" posts or 6" posts? Regardless your video inspired me and gave me a ton of ideas. I bought a pair of the Renogy 100 Watt Mono's and was just trying to figure out how to build a ground array affordably when I saw your video, and you answered 95% of my questions. Talk about providence. Thanks for the great video and the positive message!
This is great! What alot of important info especially useful video. I wasn't thinking of the dissimilar metal connections on the ground of panels. I'll have to get a few of those connectors. Thanks!
Not to ground the inverter chassis to the battery negative which I think this is what you did in your breaker box inside, since you connected the grounded box to the battery negative and you said to the inverter also. It might work for your inverter, but not in mine and maybe others. Thanks!
Great video and great testimony at the end!!!! That is really what it all is about! We only live once and time is short!! So glad to see and hear you sharing the true gospel at the end as that is VITAL for all to hear!!! Godbless brother!!!
you would be suprised what a storm can do, your setup is great but i would recommend to make some horizontal profile too between the vertical ground poles, or maybe better crossed.
Hi Jim. I have an off grid near the Canadian Border and put in a small system also (2 -100 amp Battle Born Batteries and 2 -200 solar panels with a 40 amp Rich Controller). The ONE subject that has a CRAZY amount of differing and confusing opinions is GROUNDING!! I can't believe how much stuff I have watched and how many DIFFRENENT opinions I have gotten on something that should be so simple. our installation is so orderly, but I was wondering a couple of things and look forward to other's perspectives. First of all, Electrical guru Mike Holt, says that lightening protection is a whole different animal. AS I understand it, you do not want lightening connecting with your system, but rather if one wants lightening protection, that is done by creating a "shell" of sort over your structure that is separate from the electrical system. Secondly, (again I am a novice and looking for more opinions) , in a 12 volt system of your size, grounding the system is not necessary, but bonding the frames of the SA and then going straight to a ground rod, like you did will help dissipate a lightning strike, but the in that event, your panels will be toast no matter what you do. BUT, by connecting them with another grounding cable, like you did to your whole system, you would be inviting lightening INTO your whole system with the associated damage in the event of a lightening strike. Curious about what you and others think. Like I said, I am a novice, just trying to get a grip on it. In my case, many of the issues I have with my 2000 watt inverter or my honda 2200i generator when I bring AC into the tiny cabin can be mitigated with my GCFI's which are cheap protection from short circuiting issues. Any opinions are welcomed!
Great points Rod. I tend to agree with your assessment. Lightning will toast it no matter what you do since everything is so close. Keep spares on hand and let me know your final decision regarding grounding.
Nice job! If you build another mount please video the building process. I would bolt on the fuse to the battery or at least put the ANL as close to the battery as possible than controller & electrical tape all your exposed terminals to prevent accidental shorts. Very neat work. God bless you & family.
Very well explained and nicely done! I'm going to build the same ground mount as yours. When i go get the permits, they want to see the new guidelines that says its okay to use this type of a construction for a ground mount. Can you show me where i could find that information? Thank You!
I invested in 1800 watts of grid tie for about $2k runs the meter backwards or offsets demand.. Lowered bill by about $100 / month then I purchased a 6.5KW generator for power outages and can run the whole house. for as long as I have gas
Great video. Your set up is impressive. The solar mounts are great. I have been looking for a manufacturer that makes a solar panel movable rack system with locking castor wheel assembly. This way the panels can be moved for efficient use of solar schedule and you can move the panels indoors quickly in case of bad weather. Please let me know if something like this exists.
Jim, Great job on your solar installation, I can see that you are a man with high standards. I would like to offer you one suggestion regarding your dc disconnect box. I suspect that the Square D circuit breaker you used is an ac breaker. If I am mistaken please ignore my following comment. I must point out that an ac circuit breaker and a dc circuit breaker are designed differently and should not be interchanged. You must use a dc breaker for dc current and here is why. It is far more difficult to extinguish a dc arch than an ac arch in a switching mechanism. Think about the fact that alternating current falls to 0 voltage two times per cycle. At 60 cycles per second or 60 Hertz the voltage of alternating current falls to zero 120 times in one second, every second. On the other hand direct current is always flowing at peak voltage 100% of the time. The dc arch that forms in the breaker at the moment it is switched off is harder to stop. The dc breaker is designed to overcome this arching issue. An excellent line of dc breakers is made by a company called MidNite Solar. Their breakers are marketed by most solar equipment retailers. You probably will not have any issues with your low voltage system but if you one day upgrade and are working with higher voltages you would be well advised to switch to dc breakers. Be safe and God bless.
Patrick - thanks for your thoughtful response! We should work together ;o) Schneider Electric QO circuit breakers are rated for both AC or DC (48 VDC) operation. See this bulletin: www.schneider-electric.com.mx/documents/local/qo.pdf
Jim, Excellent video, I'm thinking of mirroring what you've done pretty much, but with 2 Renogy 100 Watt panels. How did you set up the support struts exactly to be sure they were level or even with each other? I'm guessing the auger length helped some. God bless.
+Wayne Hamilton One thing I've learned is that they don't need to be exact! I put gravel in the holes so my struts were about 30 inches down the 48 inch hole, set a horizontal section of superstrut between the two holes and used a level and tape measure to adjust the gravel depth for each hole. I then set the vertical superstruts bolted to a horizontal piece with that whole structure bolted to two other pieces of superstrut, one on each side in opposite directions wedged into the ground at an angle. Check level on the horizontal and vertical pieces, and pour in cement. Worked for me!
one flaw needs to be noted for others watching. on the wiring going into your supply post, the cables should droop lower than the entry hole and then upwards into the hole thereby if water runs down the cable it will drip off instead of going into the hole if not sealed perfectly.
Thank you for this informative video and the parts list. I am planning on installing a 250 watt panel this summer and this info will help me a lot. God bless. -- Dave
I came for the solar and I left with blessings and joy in my heart. Thanks and greetings from Greece. God bless you and your family.
This panel can put out close to 100 watts th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
That moment when you’re watching videos about solar panels and the message at the end hits you like a true preacher. Great job. God Bless you.
Excellent video my brother. Clean and meticulous install, best I've seen yet. Thanks for closing with a personal message of faith in Jesus.
Great video Jim, very thorough with your set-up...impressive. I also liked your closing comments, sometimes we get confused and angry about life situations and lose our trust and belief.
In addition how informative your video was on the subject matter that I searched it up for, I just loved the brief word that you gave to end it. Amen🙌🏽
FINALLY have found an exact duplicate of my thoughts on mounting the panels horizontally, w/ unistrut, close to the ground, at a comfy working height. Very nice cable layout + management. The 90° bends... awesome. The parts list is great for us to get a little at a time, budget permitting.
A shoutout to the folks who warned of the religious transition... I heeded & left the vid at that cut.
Thanks ALL !
Nice, Clean, and laid out professionally. You took us through your system like a Professional, WITHOUT all the MUSIC in the background OVER-RUNNING your presentation, some people on the tube just need attention. Thanks for your time and effort.
Nice to be able to finally hear professional language and terms when describing an electrical project. Thank you
one of the best detailed vid on home solar setup on TH-cam. thanks!
Nice set-up Jim!We cannot be prepared enough.I liked your transition into the gospel,and you are right we do not have any excuse in our preparedness or salvation.In Amos 5 it says to prepare to meet your maker.
I just want to thank you for including your grounding method. So many solar setup videos don't mention grounding at all. I will view your video a few times until I have confidence my setup will work and be safe. This may take awhile as I have to keep viewing your closing comments. :)
Wow... Great job. I kept going on to another video for some reason I kept coming back to yours. I found out why at the end of your video. He was telling me something. I was lost in life until the end of video . I'm still here and breathing because of you and God. Thank you Jim.
Hey Jeremiah thanks for the comment - makes it all worth it. How can I help bro? Would be an honor to walk with you thru the storm. I've got some heavy storms at the moment too...lemme know.
This video is 6years old but this was exactly i was looking for to build a small setup (300watt solar), i will be doing mine with 2x100ah Lipo4 batteries. Its alot cheaper now to build such a system and with better devices. Not sure how yours held up through the years. Thanks for sharing your faith as well. Its sad how this world has turn into now but it is prophesied, so it should not be a surprise. Thanks again.
You're right, it is prophesied so why not get excited about our part in the Great Commission?! Sure, news is a drain and life is full of trials, but Jesus...Hey I want to upgrade my system using Lipo4 etc. can you share what components you chose? Thanks
My favorite part was the message at the end. I enjoyed the info on solar but faith in Christ is so much more important. Bravo.
great video Jim, and great message! PROVERBS 18:10 "The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe"
Very nice setup Jim! Thank you for putting this together and having the courage to share the good news of our Lord :) God bless brother!
Great video. I have studied solar for quite sometime and finally bought 1 100 watt panel to get started. I don,t understand electricity that well, but I am learning. Thanks , and God Bless, Tom
Thank you for your insight, experience, and words of encouragement in the days we live in. Have a blessed day sir!
I love how you explained everything very clearly and how neat and tidy you set up looks. Thank you for your informative video!
I have just started (one piece at a time) something that is about 90 percent of what you are have done. My mount will be different and brand names on equipment may be different, but mostly the same set up. My goal is to have a system that like you said can preserve food in a fridge and freezer and will give some time until my generator can be set up to supply AC and charge batteries. Subscribed so that finding this video again is much easier. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks for this video, it's perfect for my needs. I also thank you for the comments at the end. Do you have an older brother?
I do not. By the way, once the weather breaks in April I'll be posting my updates to this system, including lithium iron phospate batteries, MPPT charge controller, another solar panel, and structural functional improvements.
You did a pretty good DIY job. As an electrician, I will tell you about some (minor) quibbles I have. First, while you can get away with the MC4 connectors as a disconnecting means, I think an actual disconnect switch would be better. The thing I didn't like the most was the lack of connectors when you entered your indoor equipment. At the very least you should have some Bushings on those knock outs. Good job overall.
Thanks for the video. As a retired C-10 electrical you did a nice install. I would like to add a few pointers to DIY out there.
1)Superstrut/Unistrut are different brand names of basically the same product. Superstrut is what is sold at HD/Lowe's and has basically same specs sizes etc.
2) I see a lot of people use strut for platforms with loads etc. Sometimes they support huge barrels of 300-500 lbs. I guarantee these strut platforms with manufacturer strut brackets will rack over time.
Strut corners and brackets have a tendency to slide around. Of course, this depends on direction and amount of loads etc. Most people purchase cheaper 1/4 nuts washers etc. If you notice strut/bracket slots and holes are a bit larger than 1/2". This causes wimpy 1/4" nuts and flat washers to compress into the slot (on brackets etc) and bend/ and oftentimes slide/twist around no matter how much you tighten. (The washer at 1:12 appears to have a gap) I recommend 1/2" spring beefier nuts and bolts/flat washers in combination with a small amount of JB weld in areas where there might be side loads/racking issues. JB weld is probably easiest but not as strong as brazing corners but comes apart with sawsall if needed. I use JB weld after everything is lined up and permanent with manufacturers brackets in place and tightened. Seems to work OK. Strut is mostly galvanized zinc and brazing can create noxious fumes. Brazing/ welding is much stronger but uglies up the install unless you grind and paint. Muggyweld has a lower temp silver solder technique with Mapp gas. I have tried this with only modest success. The large pieces of strut wick away too much heat for the newer MAPP gas. Spot welding structural corners with Oxy/Acet is probably best. I hate welding but sometimes it is necessary. I have also drilled my own proper sized holes with my own brackets/nuts/washers. This works extremely well but takes more time.
3) Using Sawsall with bi-metal blade works OK but will never really get a square corner or 45. Using and abrasive type cut-off saw works OK. Lots of sparks, not so accurate 45/90 corners, hot metal and grinding of corners is needed. I also have tried Diablo metal blades in my normal wood chop saw. But I ended up changing out blades too much. I ended up with low RPM low temp, non-abrasive type Evolution Rage saw ($226 at HD). This saw is low temp, creates clean 90 and 45 cuts and requires very little clean up/ deburring.
A bit long winded but helpful to DIY'rs God Bless.
Have you or any commenters noticed any sliding/movement in your strut corners?
Thanks very much Jim for the Video very informative and thanks for sharing the Gospel with us. God bless you and continue to use you.
Well Done, Very professional install with great attention to detail, And a well spoken review, Only thing I do not like about your solar system is that it is installed at your house and not mine...
An electrifying evangelization!
Great off grid set up, AND spreading of the word of God!
Thank you Jim for the tips on building a solar system. Special thanks for sharing the truth about our Lord and Savior, Jesus. God Bless, sincerely, Jim
Man that was a work of art, and I love to testimony. I really needed to hear that God bless you
great video. your ending message was awesome as well!
Jim, finding this video was no accident, thank you.
Cleanest installation I have seen. Lot of attention to detail. Thoroughly enjoyed your video. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoyed the Video, Thanks. Looking to build a system myself here in the caribbean but by his grace it will be done, Thanks again and Praise the Lord Our God!
I have watch alot of youtube about alot of stuff (solar system grids but have never hard what the presenter beliefs - Great Message
A little over kill for my needs but thank you so much for the details and explaining exactly how you did it. I will have to watch it 3 times to get all of the info, but the video is very well made.
Thank you for sharing to the people on You tube! Yeshua commanded us to go and spread the Gospel to the world! Blessings brother and great video!
I love you 100%... I wish I have your kinda courage to speak about Christ without fear or favor as you just did... I am blessed brother.
Thanks, Jim for a very informative video about DIY solar and spiritually sound advice!
Great to see that inplix has new instructions to save my money and energy to build it.
I should'a paid more attention in shop class!! I love the set up! Neat, orderly and easier to maintain. I have a WHOLE lot to learn....maybe give some credence to the expression, teach an ole dog a new trick! Never was good with math! Thanks for sharing Gods good news at the end.
Thank you for sharing your Solar PV project details and your Witness. I enjoyed both.
I really enjoyed your video and learned a lot but I really, really, thoroughly enjoyed your message at the end. Thank you.
Amen! Hey I'm off grid. Getting ready to set up. Thanks for the help!
Thank you for the idea of the mount and conduit. I did something very similar with my 400W system. It's interesting how before I saw your video we did something very similar looking inside with the disconnect. charger, etc. Thanks again. Very helpful video.
Thanks Jim for the video. It was spot on and helped me a great deal with my own off grid solar installation for my small cabin. The information was correct and concise. If a picture is worth a thousand words then this video should be enough to at least a small book. Great job brother!
I didn't understand alot of this video but I enjoyed the message at the end.
Five years old and still current. Thank you.
great video especially the end of it.keep up the great videos brother.
Thank you for posting this! I was able to use your design to make a stand that holds 6 100watt panels.
Jim, you did a great neat Job on your setup and video. It is one of the few videos to the point also most importantly for me showing the grounding fashion you used. I have been a bit perplexed on that end, and still not sure if this grounding of the negative battery pole works for all setups and inverters. I have a pure sine 300 watts inverter that has a chassis grounding screw, and 2 connectors for the plus and minus from the charge controller. Instructions are very poor on it's grounding connection and I'm still researching. Thanks again for sharing your setup and I don't mind the end at all, better to hear you share instead of watching too many ads :-) Best wishes!
inspiriting thank you for loving our Father
totally unexpected ending, but the best part of the video. praise God, praise Jesus. and thank you for the solar info brother.
Congrats on having the absolute nicest solar panel setup on all of TH-cam. I have no idea where to get all of those mounting brackets. Those are exactly what I'm looking for. I found a 310 watt solar panel 6.5 x 3' for $130 brand new.
I have 16 huge panels that I want to ground mount like this. What a royal P.I.T.A.
Nice small system. One suggestion on making battery cables. Crimp, then solder, then shrink wrap with glued shrink wrap. Crimping for a mechanical connection. solder for a good electrical connection..
Great install. So much better than a gas powered generator for back-up. it can be used before the power goes out and pay itself back over time.
Amen brother keep doing this the ALMIGHTY God is using you to give and be light in the darkness GOD bless you amen.
Nice job on all the information on solar. Very proud of you to state your love for Jesus Crist.
Very clean install! Thank you for posting your setup. I will keep this in mind when I install my panels. :)
If i am seeing this right, you have the bare copper wire going to the negative side of your batteries. That Copper wire is going to the grounding post set in the ground. If lighting hits your solar array you are going to have problems with your batteries.
Great work Jim. Is it safe to leave the batteries connectors exposed if you have pets or kids? I mean could they not get injured as a result of electric shock if they were to touch the black and red connectors?
S Cin: 12 volts (battery voltage) won't do much to a body, unless you use a conductor across the terminals, and hold on to it as it gets hot. But like you, I would cover those terminals anyway. A piece of metal could land there and cause big problems.
Thank you for this video. I appreciate it much especially your closing statements. God bless- Jessie
+Jessie Dalaqui
Agree!
I was looking at your DC breaker that is killing the connection between your solar panels and the rest of the system, and when I look online at the specs, it says that it is for AC systems. I didn't see anywhere where it could be used for DC systems, or what the max voltage/amperage was that it could handle? Is there somewhere else you checked, and how do you know it meets NEC code?
Thanks!
www.schneider-electric.com.mx/documents/local/qo.pdf
Jim Kirchner Great! Well I have the same solar panels you have (4x Renogy 100W Mono Panels) wired in parallel for a total of about 23Amps. My charge controller can only handle 30Amps, so I probably need to go with a QO breaker that is rated for 25Amps to be safe? Lastly, what about this breaker makes it NEC certified? Thanks for your help!
Robert Smith Good questions! If you live in a cold weather climate your panels will likely trip your 25 amp breaker during extreme cold and intense sun, but it won't happen too often so I would go with the 25 amp QO to protect the charge controller. NEC certification is mainly about safety, not system necessarily system performance, so the 25 amp breaker will be fine!
Jim Kirchner Thanks Jim for your quick responses. I wish more people were as helpful . I noticed you used a 60 Amp fuse going from your charge controller to your battery bank. However, you only have 3 solar panels hooked up in parallel which would give you approximately 16Amps. So why did you feel the need to use a 60Amp fuse when your system can never produce that amount of amps even if one of the solar panels shorted? Thanks!
Robert Smith Good question - engineering buffer plus future expansion. You can definitely get away with a smaller fuse....
Thank you for posting this. I had been pondering ways to have an adjustable system and this helps. 🙏
I upgraded it this year and made a modification to allow for easier tilting with the sun. Basically, I rounded the bottom of the square bracket on the rotating frame that rests on the vertical struts.
@@JimKirchner I have a 3k 24v expandable on the way that I need to plan for. I have 6 panels now but will add 3 more so need to build for the 9. The cost of uni strut being 30.00 a stick now is crazy and I will need to do framing with wood and the rails with uni strut.
Very, Very Nice!! Thanks for sharing. I'm going to "borrow" your plans. The only thing I will do different (living wet Michigan) is either have the wires from my panels enter through the bottom of my connector box or leave enough wire to form a drip leg. I Just want a little extra protection from water intrusion. Thanks again Jim
Thanks VERY much for all of your info. Awesome system and so clean. EXACTLY what I needed to see.
Again, thanks so much for sharing the solar info and the word, I can see it ALL helping a lot of people in the near future!!
Thank you for this. Very good for a small install but many principles can be used for larger systems.
System looks nice. Well put together.
I disagree that an MPPT controller isn't worth it at that size array. You'd lose less in transmission if those panels were in series, and you'd have saved a bit by being able to use thinner wire potentially.
Wow that's a nice setup. I just built a shed and have it running on a small temporary solar setup (everything just kinda thrown together on the ground) but I ordered 4 100w panels off Amazon and now looking into the best way to mount them on the roof. May do unistrut, have a few ideas. So this is quite inspiring. I would experiment with putting those panels in series if your charge controller can handle the voltage, that way even when it's overcast it might get enough voltage to trickle charge the battery. I personally like to do everything in multiples of 2 though so it's odd to see 3 panels and 3 batteries and not 2 or 4, but either way it works. I guess being a computer geek does that to you, so that's why I went with 4 panels myself. I will probably do 2 groups of 2 in series/parallel, but I'll experiment to see what works best.
Beautiful Layout dude...very clean and attractive!
Jim, I need to get my array a fair bit higher than what you have as I have a hill next to where the panels need to go. I am thinking about setting 10' treated square posts 4' into the ground and attaching the superstrut to the wood posts to get the bottom of my array 8 - 10' off the ground. Any thoughts as to whether I should do 4" posts or 6" posts? Regardless your video inspired me and gave me a ton of ideas. I bought a pair of the Renogy 100 Watt Mono's and was just trying to figure out how to build a ground array affordably when I saw your video, and you answered 95% of my questions. Talk about providence. Thanks for the great video and the positive message!
Thanks you for making this video and including a parts list, much appreciated!
This is great! What alot of important info especially useful video. I wasn't thinking of the dissimilar metal connections on the ground of panels. I'll have to get a few of those connectors. Thanks!
Loved your closing message segment. Thanks for the insight on solar energy too!
Not to ground the inverter chassis to the battery negative which I think this is what you did in your breaker box inside, since you connected the grounded box to the battery negative and you said to the inverter also. It might work for your inverter, but not in mine and maybe others. Thanks!
Great video and great testimony at the end!!!! That is really what it all is about! We only live once and time is short!!
So glad to see and hear you sharing the true gospel at the end as that is VITAL for all to hear!!! Godbless brother!!!
Praise God, great video and thanks for sharing in this way the Word of God and how Jesus Loves us.
you would be suprised what a storm can do, your setup is great but i would recommend to make some horizontal profile too between the vertical ground poles, or maybe better crossed.
One off Best explainantion videos i've seen! Thanks
Great video, thanks for sharing and spreading the word of God. God bless you and your family
Hi Jim. I have an off grid near the Canadian Border and put in a small system also (2 -100 amp Battle Born Batteries and 2 -200 solar panels with a 40 amp Rich Controller). The ONE subject that has a CRAZY amount of differing and confusing opinions is GROUNDING!! I can't believe how much stuff I have watched and how many DIFFRENENT opinions I have gotten on something that should be so simple. our installation is so orderly, but I was wondering a couple of things and look forward to other's perspectives. First of all, Electrical guru Mike Holt, says that lightening protection is a whole different animal. AS I understand it, you do not want lightening connecting with your system, but rather if one wants lightening protection, that is done by creating a "shell" of sort over your structure that is separate from the electrical system. Secondly, (again I am a novice and looking for more opinions) , in a 12 volt system of your size, grounding the system is not necessary, but bonding the frames of the SA and then going straight to a ground rod, like you did will help dissipate a lightning strike, but the in that event, your panels will be toast no matter what you do. BUT, by connecting them with another grounding cable, like you did to your whole system, you would be inviting lightening INTO your whole system with the associated damage in the event of a lightening strike. Curious about what you and others think. Like I said, I am a novice, just trying to get a grip on it. In my case, many of the issues I have with my 2000 watt inverter or my honda 2200i generator when I bring AC into the tiny cabin can be mitigated with my GCFI's which are cheap protection from short circuiting issues. Any opinions are welcomed!
Great points Rod. I tend to agree with your assessment. Lightning will toast it no matter what you do since everything is so close. Keep spares on hand and let me know your final decision regarding grounding.
Thank you, this is exactly what I’m looking for, perfect!!! 👍🏻
Nice job! If you build another mount please video the building process. I would bolt on the fuse to the battery or at least put the ANL as close to the battery as possible than controller & electrical tape all your exposed terminals to prevent accidental shorts. Very neat work. God bless you & family.
Happy New Year DOOD!
Great job! Did you drive those vertical beams down by hand? Or did you rent a tool?
I rented a power auger from Home Depot, bought the 8" tubes and filled them with concrete then set the verticals in there...
thanks for your video man by the way can you show or tell me what refrigerator your powering with this great neat job by the way very professional.
Your clean install is outstanding! Nice work!!!
Very well explained and nicely done!
I'm going to build the same ground mount as yours.
When i go get the permits, they want to see the new guidelines that says its okay to use this type of a construction for a ground mount. Can you show me where i could find that information? Thank You!
very organized clean set up... great job, and I share your faith
I invested in 1800 watts of grid tie for about $2k runs the meter backwards or offsets demand.. Lowered bill by about $100 / month then I purchased a 6.5KW generator for power outages and can run the whole house. for as long as I have gas
Excellent share...and completely loved your ending comments about God...very well done!
Great video. Your set up is impressive. The solar mounts are great. I have been looking for a manufacturer that makes a solar panel movable rack system with locking castor wheel assembly. This way the panels can be moved for efficient use of solar schedule and you can move the panels indoors quickly in case of bad weather. Please let me know if something like this exists.
Nifty build/design on the panel rack.
Wonderful video, and thank you very much for your comments about Christ He is THE GREATEST!!!
If "the greatest" means "without proof of existence", then yes
Very nice setup going presentation but I'd say best msg came at the end well done
Jim,
Great job on your solar installation, I can see that you are a man with high standards. I would like to offer you one suggestion regarding your dc disconnect box. I suspect that the Square D circuit breaker you used is an ac breaker. If I am mistaken please ignore my following comment. I must point out that an ac circuit breaker and a dc circuit breaker are designed differently and should not be interchanged. You must use a dc breaker for dc current and here is why. It is far more difficult to extinguish a dc arch than an ac arch in a switching mechanism. Think about the fact that alternating current falls to 0 voltage two times per cycle. At 60 cycles per second or 60 Hertz the voltage of alternating current falls to zero 120 times in one second, every second. On the other hand direct current is always flowing at peak voltage 100% of the time. The dc arch that forms in the breaker at the moment it is switched off is harder to stop. The dc breaker is designed to overcome this arching issue. An excellent line of dc breakers is made by a company called MidNite Solar. Their breakers are marketed by most solar equipment retailers. You probably will not have any issues with your low voltage system but if you one day upgrade and are working with higher voltages you would be well advised to switch to dc breakers. Be safe and God bless.
Patrick - thanks for your thoughtful response! We should work together ;o) Schneider Electric QO circuit breakers are rated for both AC or DC (48 VDC) operation. See this bulletin: www.schneider-electric.com.mx/documents/local/qo.pdf
Nice installation. Very professional looking. Thanks for mentioning specs etc.
Jim, Excellent video, I'm thinking of mirroring what you've done pretty much, but with 2 Renogy 100 Watt panels. How did you set up the support struts exactly to be sure they were level or even with each other? I'm guessing the auger length helped some. God bless.
+Wayne Hamilton One thing I've learned is that they don't need to be exact! I put gravel in the holes so my struts were about 30 inches down the 48 inch hole, set a horizontal section of superstrut between the two holes and used a level and tape measure to adjust the gravel depth for each hole. I then set the vertical superstruts bolted to a horizontal piece with that whole structure bolted to two other pieces of superstrut, one on each side in opposite directions wedged into the ground at an angle. Check level on the horizontal and vertical pieces, and pour in cement. Worked for me!
Nice crimper, have not seen that before... thanks for showing...
one flaw needs to be noted for others watching. on the wiring going into your supply post, the cables should droop lower than the entry hole and then upwards into the hole thereby if water runs down the cable it will drip off instead of going into the hole if not sealed perfectly.
Thank you for this informative video and the parts list. I am planning on installing a 250 watt panel this summer and this info will help me a lot. God bless. -- Dave