RE: Wind Generators... Most people that end up not liking their Wind Generator don't seem to understand the basic calculation for power. The calculation (for a horizontal generator) is proportional to the Swept Area of the blades (double the size, 4x the power) and the Average Wind speed. Average Wind Speed, it turns out, if highly affected by Tower Height. Whatever height calculation you use for your area (see the published government wind speed charts), you need to be cognizant of obstacles (buildings, trees, etc.). A 50ft tower next to your ground mount solar is only a 40ft clearance. Also, each generator has a rated wind speed, a starting speed, and peak speed. If your AWS is around 4km/s and your generator turns on at 6km/s, you might not get much power over the year. Your performance may vary. Conclusion: If your goal is total power production... Get the biggest generator you can afford, put it on the tallest tower you can afford. If your goal is continuous production... Get a generator with a lower starting speed and put it even higher up. Caveat: Check local Code about height restrictions. Edit: On a cost/watt basis, Solar is so cheap now you might find that adding more panels really is cheaper.
Great video, really appreciate showing costs for items throughout the video w a total cost at the end. You answered your own question on the upgrade when you said your equipment was maxed out and you are considering getting more generation to add... Thanks for sharing w us!!!
We vote for upgrade! With the updated system updates and the easy monitoring capability, we really think you'd love the new units even more! Great content, and thank you for sharing!
Huge system. you will never need to pay attention with that many batteries. Nice system. Watcher catch install fiberglass roofing from the bottom and make rain catch really easy to do. Installed a few under decks to make used of the space belwo.
Ib has always wanted us to put a mini split in, they use them and have for many years in Denmark. Great video you two, and fantastic work! Oh, and I guess I’m a burnt pizza crust kinda gal
Thanks for sharing the ups and downs. No system is worry-free. You have to get by with a can of soup tonight, Oh well. I would keep a backup inverter just in case you lose something and have a hobble along. Simple gutters under the panels should work just fine. I am so jealous of the $20 panels. Be careful at night when the Jackalopes come out and feast on human flesh.
You can erect lightning rods to help prevent lightning strikes. It's purpose is to eliminate the electrical charge that forms on the ground. It disperses the charge upwards and away from the ground. That way a ground charge is less likely to atrack a lightning strike from the sky.
I am certainly wanting to do that! I will eventually be putting a ham radio tower somewhere around here, and we'll need to plan for lightning with that too
Great video. I would recommend taking advantage of the upgrade program. For your system the 6000xp’s would work great. On the other hand I love the 18kpv. But you really can’t go wrong with either.
We are seriously considering the 18kpv upgrade, that would allow us to expand the system quite a bit! Thanks for the reply, and I'm subscribing to your channel!
New Subscriber here from the California High Desert! We're looking into solar very soon so I stumbled on this video! We're also building our 5 acre property!
It is really a grand idea you have there to use the solar panels as a type of roof for shade. Just an idea, maybe you can also hook some 12/24v fans directly to some of the panels to cool it down even more under there?
Hi. Have a look at Tesup wind turbine. These is a vertical wind turbine version. You a change the blades to suit your average wind conditions. They have their own inverter but I’m sure it could run with an EG4. It even has inputs for solar. Will deliver around 7k-10kW depending on the wind speed.
Those turbines will cost double of what you paid for what you have today. Why go for wind when the sun is shining 310 days/year. If it is because you like to play around with different green energy products you should go ahead, but there is no way for you to get cheaper energy by going to wind
Nice job with the DIY solar and RV cover 👍 hopefully, the EX inverters are running flawlessly for you. If not jump to the XP. I did and don’t regret it at all. Saves me several kWh/day from idle draw. ☀️⚡️🔋🌞
You could add a small ac unit (3000 btu) with a thermostat in your battery shed with the fans you already have it would cool the entire room down by 10 degrees.
You guys are just awesome! Thanks for doing this and thanks for posting this video for us to learn from. 10:10 Put water gutter installs to catch rain water, that will make the structure rain shaded too. Others doing this, there is a way to install so that two panes are on on center rib thus making the structure rain shaded. 11:10 That heat is not good for the electrical components especially the batteries. Add one more door and make both the doors as dutch (stable) doors. Leave top half open and let natural air flow through. Paint the sides white to reflect off more sun. And may be time to buy few more used panels and shade the container too.
Thanks for the insight! The temps in the battery room are definitely on the warm side, but they are usually room temp in there other than the 3 hot months of June through August, and even then the max temp we got was 95. It stays closer to 80 in there for most of the time. I'm not super worried about the temps we are getting up to yet, but I will for sure add some extra venting and possibly a portable ac in the room eventually, especially to get longer life out of the batteries!
Mount plastic roofing underneath your solar panels.Put your rain gutters on and you'll be able to collect the water easy.And it won't cost much get the clear panels the cheeper most of the time
I think that a regular gas generator might be good addition for those few weeks per year when there is no sun for extended period of time. If you use electricity for cooking and hot water, maybe add a propane option for times when there is less sun. Those inverters have some idle consumption with no load, turning one of them off when batteries are low might extend battery life.
Good advice! We have a few generators out here just in case, but we haven't needed to use them at all once we got this system fired up! Thanks for commenting!
Maybe try some eternabond tape to seal the topside between panels. It comes in different widths, just put on the metal frame parts. Try one roll and see how it works. If it does get more.
they are actually making huge advances with the new panels the past 4 years. a ground mount power plant from the early naughties sixtupled it's output just by replacing (repowering) the panels to modern ones on the same footprint. you will be pleasantly surprised with bifacial ones once you upgrade a couple of years down the road.
i hope you have surge diverters from the pvs for some lightning protection, just turning them off probably wont help with a close strike as it simply will arc across. If those are actually also circuit breakers a diverter on the other side will also trip them.
Maybe, hang some tarps under the solar panels for water. leave a little slack so the water can run off into a barrel. I am currently restoring a Older model keystone 20ft camper . I will try to remember to use your solar link when I buy the solar stuff I need for it. I love y'all's vibe. Curious, How much is land and property taxes where your at.. I live in Louisiana and the property taxes are so high it seems pointless to buy land I might lose in my retirement ..........
Wind power Walmart sells leaf blowers for $29.99 or get an electric motor and power the windmill with a motor! Don’t put outside in the weather and hope for a sunny day or morning!!! solar panels should be face to face with led Christmas lights in between and rows inside your garage! Easy to change the lights or a new fan leaf blower or electric motor on your wind turbine don’t put outside in the weather! Just buy lights, a fan or motor and a pump for water turbine and pump it back in to the upper chamber!
Dont catch the rain,its inconsistent,and who knows what it brings from the atmosphere down on you.Dig a well,you have plenty power for a well pump(hydrofor),those with the pressure tank,and a 1000w motor,its easy to run even with 1 of those motors.
Hi nice work, job if you look at ambitions strikes they put solar panels for a roof over their deck and they used a rubber seal in the gaps making it water proof Steve from New zealand
Bifacial panels are way way more efficient than what we are running, so yes if money wasnt an issue id get them for sure. They would also allow you to use a smaller ground mount to generate the same power which would somewhat balance out the cost. Bifacial are great for properties where space is an issue too since you could run fewer panels
If you can afford the upgrade, do it. Also, what if you got some sheet metal and built a "Condensation Pan" type thing under the panels to catch the rainwater? That was my 1st thought. Great Job.
Consider the 6000xp or 12kpv. They are specifically geared for off grid usage, the 18kpv is a hybrid.. Geared for grid connectivity.. Lots of option you'll use, but do have to pay for
Do you need more power ? Wind ? Noise . But , it can rain for days . A wind system with some solar as a backup system is a good idea. Then, you can transfer power to your main power bank as needed . If you get the upgrade. You could add wind and save on panels. Do you need the shade?
If the inverters work and are sized for what you need or any future load you may add I'd put the money into adding battery capacity for cloudy days, would also reduce daily discharge rate extending your banks life long term.
Could you provide the specs on your equipment? Wattage on Panels, which inverters you purchased, etc. That would help my build a great deal. I did follow that your wiring was 12 gauge. Thanks Y'all!
The panels are all 'Trina' brand, they are 250W each. The inverters we are currently using are two EG4 6500ex models. We are considering taking advantage of the signature solar upgrade program to get the newer EG4 18kpv all in one inverter. The upgraded one we are wanting has remote monitoring, and has much more ability to expand our system to power the geodesic dome we are finishing out as a house.
@@markmayhem2173 Thanks Mark! That helps me sizing my system. I bought 60 panels - 250 watts - Santan Solar. Not as good a buy as you got - but pretty good. I've been puttering around working out a plan to install a 15kw solar farm in my backyard since June. Doing little stuff for now - to learn - and to get ready to ramp up. I think the 18kpv combo from EG4 would be a great solution for me. But, I have 3 circuit boxes each with 200amp (240v split phase) service. I'll eventually have to run 3 separate systems. Going to address the detached building first and get it off the grid. Thanks again for this video and for your feedback. -John.
as to your water reclaim , why not get some pvc pipe, use a heat gun to soften it enough to form it to slip between the solar panels there is your diy rain catch system !
Nice hats!! Also great work on the video guys, you have a really neat and resourceful system with the way you have set everything up! Also, slightly burnt pizza alllll the way haha
Hey guys i live in the Caribbean Trinidad and Tobago and love your videos ,just would like to get a link for the water pump setup from one of your older videos with the battery. Would like to build a back up system for my home.awaiting you reply thank keep doing the videos its very inspiring ❤.
What I would change is first to upgrade to that EG4 18 kpv on the upgrade, either find some hardware or make your own to close those gaps in the panels, leaving expansion gaps and lastly I would spend the money on the smaller EG4 solar mini split for the battery room. You could add some panels to the roof to compensate for the power consumption. All in all you guys did this damn near perfect for the cost of everything. Some very good choices there. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for the suggestions, AC in the batt room is probably in our future, and I am working on a plan to close the gaps that I hope will work. Stay tuned we will put it in.a future video!
Just forget about wind as long as you have so much sunshine. Wind needs to be mounted at least 20ft up or even 30ft to catch the "clean" wind that is not turbulent. And even if you spend the money to mount a windmill 30ft up it will produce 500-1000watt if you are lucky. Buy more solar, go for the deal to get the bigger inverter and maybe a battery or two! Wind is not easy!
Hey there, so your battery storage is it too much or enough? For being out there with more sun and all. Just curious really. How much of a drain you have over night running things and all
Thanks! That's the same conclusion I'm coming to as well. Wind power seems good because it can make power at night but we don't like the noise they create and moving parts are more failure prone. We live in possibly the best place for solar on the whole planet so will probably just add batteries and more panels over time!
We just switched over to the new eg4 6000xp from twin 6500 setup that you have (19 days ago) and man what a difference. Signature Solar took the 6500’s in trade with a $750 credit for each or $1,500. The new 6000xp are split phase so we have four circuits instead of just two so if you want to expand you only need one instead of two of the 6500. The 6000’s have a dongle that I paralleled and can check it out from the house. We have bought three off grid systems from them and have had no trouble. The upgrade is well worth it.
Thank you so much for the comments, this is exactly the info I was looking for, we're also considering getting the second rack of batteries down the line. The products we have used from Signature solar have all been fantastic, but the new equipment looks to be really outstanding stuff.
Yes upgrade. We did the wind with a 2,000 watt generator and only averaged about 500 watts in 15 mph winds so we removed it and went with 6 more EG4LL batteries for a total of 62KWh’s.
Wind is not worth for small system as the initial cost is too high better you take the Inverter upgrade to 6000Xp or even 18K PV (beast) and get more solar panels from San Tan solar and add to the system.
I would not do wind, why if you have enough. Also you might have problems with your batteries. I would do more research on it. I would upgrade. I would also put a small window AC for your battery, inverter room. I know it should be an ok temp but it would help it last longer. $150 to protect over $10000. The 6000xp has a 5 year warranty and the 12k, 18k 10 year. The 12k and 18k has smart loads using the gen connection, but can not hook up a generator. The 6000xp might with software update. If you had two 6000xps and one went out you would still have power. The imo (?) switches might give better protection from lighting( maybe larger gap) which you could put inside. Lighting protection might be a good addition.
Having some extra diodes for your solar panels might be good to have on hand. I have seen at least two people have their diodes blown from lighting one with just the top string. One other only had the diodes blown no other damage. I hope you do not have lighting to deal with. Keep up the good work and be safe.
I think you should stick with the system you got. It's always tempting to upgrade to the latest and greatest which is not necessary. As for wind I have read it yields less energy compared to solar.
From past experience okay you're going to need to go back and put Teflon or a bushing over that stainless u-bolt it will eat that carbon like candy vibration wind especially when it's raining it'll eat it like 30 grit on a 2 * 4
You guys did that wrong, I'm an armchair expert and have been on TH-cam all morning, and I would have done it differently. You put up the solar wrong handed and your batteries are backwards. Those wires are left handed. Thank you guys for sharing and as always keep building 👍
What no lights on the solar panels??? For 24/7 power just add led Christmas lights and you can just put them in your garage out of the weather and easy to install lights? Even big jeep flood lights or headlights on high beam run off of 12 volts!!! Where are the lights????.????
$800 in U-bolts?! ROFL More than the actual solar, seems silly. This system seems overkill living in a trailer. I mean if you're running A/C all day and have electric appliances like dryers and range I suppose you need it. 16 grand for that is quite a bit. You probably could've got all of it for free thru your channel.
It was a little overkill, but we needed ubolts that would survive the insane weather out here. We will soon be using this system to power our geodesic dome house that is a work in progress. The trailer is just temporary.
Food for thought - I see A LOT of questions that you havent bothered to reply to. I guess you're so busy you dont have any time. I for one, NEVER subscribe to a channel that cant take the time to reply to it members.
RE: Wind Generators... Most people that end up not liking their Wind Generator don't seem to understand the basic calculation for power. The calculation (for a horizontal generator) is proportional to the Swept Area of the blades (double the size, 4x the power) and the Average Wind speed. Average Wind Speed, it turns out, if highly affected by Tower Height. Whatever height calculation you use for your area (see the published government wind speed charts), you need to be cognizant of obstacles (buildings, trees, etc.). A 50ft tower next to your ground mount solar is only a 40ft clearance. Also, each generator has a rated wind speed, a starting speed, and peak speed. If your AWS is around 4km/s and your generator turns on at 6km/s, you might not get much power over the year. Your performance may vary.
Conclusion:
If your goal is total power production... Get the biggest generator you can afford, put it on the tallest tower you can afford.
If your goal is continuous production... Get a generator with a lower starting speed and put it even higher up.
Caveat: Check local Code about height restrictions.
Edit: On a cost/watt basis, Solar is so cheap now you might find that adding more panels really is cheaper.
You guys did a great job picking the parts and putting it all together. That seems like an ideal setup.
Use haevy duty aluminum 3m 6" tape to cover the gaps between panals .In return your shade colate water with gutters😊❤😊." U GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!"
Great video, really appreciate showing costs for items throughout the video w a total cost at the end. You answered your own question on the upgrade when you said your equipment was maxed out and you are considering getting more generation to add... Thanks for sharing w us!!!
We vote for upgrade! With the updated system updates and the easy monitoring capability, we really think you'd love the new units even more! Great content, and thank you for sharing!
Huge system. you will never need to pay attention with that many batteries. Nice system. Watcher catch install fiberglass roofing from the bottom and make rain catch really easy to do. Installed a few under decks to make used of the space belwo.
Ib has always wanted us to put a mini split in, they use them and have for many years in Denmark. Great video you two, and fantastic work! Oh, and I guess I’m a burnt pizza crust kinda gal
Thanks for sharing the ups and downs. No system is worry-free. You have to get by with a can of soup tonight, Oh well. I would keep a backup inverter just in case you lose something and have a hobble along. Simple gutters under the panels should work just fine. I am so jealous of the $20 panels. Be careful at night when the Jackalopes come out and feast on human flesh.
Nooice! 😎 STOC
You can erect lightning rods to help prevent lightning strikes. It's purpose is to eliminate the electrical charge that forms on the ground. It disperses the charge upwards and away from the ground. That way a ground charge is less likely to atrack a lightning strike from the sky.
I am certainly wanting to do that! I will eventually be putting a ham radio tower somewhere around here, and we'll need to plan for lightning with that too
love the 1 year review with cost breakdown! ¡ Go Bisbone Ranch !
Nice video, and nice setup. If the current setup is still working I wouldn't change.
I'm tallying up the votes to see if we will do the upgrade, Its definitely not necessary at all, but I do like the new 12kpv and 18kpv.
@@markmayhem2173 I like the 18k also except for the updates to the batteries for communication or maybe they fixed that
Great video !! 🎉
Ab-so-fuc-kn-lutly! With the 12k or 18k you get alot more panel's. More EG4 AC's. Cool the battery room.
Great video.
I would recommend taking advantage of the upgrade program. For your system the 6000xp’s would work great. On the other hand I love the 18kpv. But you really can’t go wrong with either.
We are seriously considering the 18kpv upgrade, that would allow us to expand the system quite a bit! Thanks for the reply, and I'm subscribing to your channel!
New Subscriber here from the California High Desert! We're looking into solar very soon so I stumbled on this video! We're also building our 5 acre property!
Fantastic! I'm so glad we made the move off-grid, and Im sure you will love it!
Az is such a great place for solar like this to be implemented. I could see AZ or NV be first to go 100% solar.
Have seen some YTs in hot areas put a Split A/C system into the Container containing the Batteries and Inverters.
If am not too late to advice u. pls u need to grade ur inverter. u have a great deal of gains doing that.
i enjoyed watching ur honest review
For 24/7 wind power get a fan and make your own wind! For water mill power just by a pump and pump the water back into the upper chamber!
It is really a grand idea you have there to use the solar panels as a type of roof for shade. Just an idea, maybe you can also hook some 12/24v fans directly to some of the panels to cool it down even more under there?
Hi. Have a look at Tesup wind turbine. These is a vertical wind turbine version. You a change the blades to suit your average wind conditions. They have their own inverter but I’m sure it could run with an EG4. It even has inputs for solar. Will deliver around 7k-10kW depending on the wind speed.
I'm definitely looking into that brand of turbine! Thanks for commenting
Those turbines will cost double of what you paid for what you have today. Why go for wind when the sun is shining 310 days/year. If it is because you like to play around with different green energy products you should go ahead, but there is no way for you to get cheaper energy by going to wind
Nice job with the DIY solar and RV cover 👍 hopefully, the EX inverters are running flawlessly for you. If not jump to the XP. I did and don’t regret it at all. Saves me several kWh/day from idle draw. ☀️⚡️🔋🌞
You could add a small ac unit (3000 btu) with a thermostat in your battery shed with the fans you already have it would cool the entire room down by 10 degrees.
We will most likely be doing that for sure before next summer starts!
You guys are just awesome! Thanks for doing this and thanks for posting this video for us to learn from.
10:10 Put water gutter installs to catch rain water, that will make the structure rain shaded too. Others doing this, there is a way to install so that two panes are on on center rib thus making the structure rain shaded.
11:10 That heat is not good for the electrical components especially the batteries. Add one more door and make both the doors as dutch (stable) doors. Leave top half open and let natural air flow through. Paint the sides white to reflect off more sun. And may be time to buy few more used panels and shade the container too.
Thanks for the insight! The temps in the battery room are definitely on the warm side, but they are usually room temp in there other than the 3 hot months of June through August, and even then the max temp we got was 95. It stays closer to 80 in there for most of the time. I'm not super worried about the temps we are getting up to yet, but I will for sure add some extra venting and possibly a portable ac in the room eventually, especially to get longer life out of the batteries!
Mount plastic roofing underneath your solar panels.Put your rain gutters on and you'll be able to collect the water easy.And it won't cost much get the clear panels the cheeper most of the time
I think that a regular gas generator might be good addition for those few weeks per year when there is no sun for extended period of time. If you use electricity for cooking and hot water, maybe add a propane option for times when there is less sun. Those inverters have some idle consumption with no load, turning one of them off when batteries are low might extend battery life.
Good advice! We have a few generators out here just in case, but we haven't needed to use them at all once we got this system fired up! Thanks for commenting!
Maybe try some eternabond tape to seal the topside between panels. It comes in different widths, just put on the metal frame parts. Try one roll and see how it works. If it does get more.
Thanks for the comment, so far yours is the solution I'm leaning towards!
PV weatherstripping and gutters at the low sides of the structure.
they are actually making huge advances with the new panels the past 4 years. a ground mount power plant from the early naughties sixtupled it's output just by replacing (repowering) the panels to modern ones on the same footprint. you will be pleasantly surprised with bifacial ones once you upgrade a couple of years down the road.
i hope you have surge diverters from the pvs for some lightning protection, just turning them off probably wont help with a close strike as it simply will arc across. If those are actually also circuit breakers a diverter on the other side will also trip them.
deff take the upgrade and upgrade to the larger size to future proof yourselves
If I had your setup, I would probably get very large plastic pipe, split in half, and hang them under the gaps to collect and funnel water.
That's a really good idea. I've been wanting to test some steps pieces I have laying around
Install metal roofing on underside of the panels that would catch all the water
Inverter and battery room needs its own mini split.
I may do that, it would be near to use it to keep the batr room warmed up in the winter months too
Maybe, hang some tarps under the solar panels for water. leave a little slack so the water can run off into a barrel. I am currently restoring a Older model keystone 20ft camper . I will try to remember to use your solar link when I buy the solar stuff I need for it. I love y'all's vibe. Curious, How much is land and property taxes where your at.. I live in Louisiana and the property taxes are so high it seems pointless to buy land I might lose in my retirement ..........
Amazing 🎉🎉🎉
Wind power Walmart sells leaf blowers for $29.99 or get an electric motor and power the windmill with a motor! Don’t put outside in the weather and hope for a sunny day or morning!!! solar panels should be face to face with led Christmas lights in between and rows inside your garage! Easy to change the lights or a new fan leaf blower or electric motor on your wind turbine don’t put outside in the weather! Just buy lights, a fan or motor and a pump for water turbine and pump it back in to the upper chamber!
If only that could work we'd all have infinite energy! Thanks for the comment and for the laugh!
Dont catch the rain,its inconsistent,and who knows what it brings from the atmosphere down on you.Dig a well,you have plenty power for a well pump(hydrofor),those with the pressure tank,and a 1000w motor,its easy to run even with 1 of those motors.
Hi nice work, job if you look at ambitions strikes they put solar panels for a roof over their deck and they used a rubber seal in the gaps making it water proof Steve from New zealand
Would you use bifacial panels if you have to buy them new ?
Bifacial panels are way way more efficient than what we are running, so yes if money wasnt an issue id get them for sure. They would also allow you to use a smaller ground mount to generate the same power which would somewhat balance out the cost. Bifacial are great for properties where space is an issue too since you could run fewer panels
If you can afford the upgrade, do it. Also, what if you got some sheet metal and built a "Condensation Pan" type thing under the panels to catch the rainwater? That was my 1st thought. Great Job.
Consider the 6000xp or 12kpv.
They are specifically geared for off grid usage, the 18kpv is a hybrid..
Geared for grid connectivity..
Lots of option you'll use, but do have to pay for
Do you need more power ? Wind ? Noise . But , it can rain for days . A wind system with some solar as a backup system is a good idea. Then, you can transfer power to your main power bank as needed . If you get the upgrade. You could add wind and save on panels. Do you need the shade?
Honestly, everyone I know that did a mix just wishes they put up a few more panels and pass on the wind.
If the inverters work and are sized for what you need or any future load you may add I'd put the money into adding battery capacity for cloudy days, would also reduce daily discharge rate extending your banks life long term.
Could you provide the specs on your equipment? Wattage on Panels, which inverters you purchased, etc. That would help my build a great deal. I did follow that your wiring was 12 gauge. Thanks Y'all!
The panels are all 'Trina' brand, they are 250W each. The inverters we are currently using are two EG4 6500ex models. We are considering taking advantage of the signature solar upgrade program to get the newer EG4 18kpv all in one inverter. The upgraded one we are wanting has remote monitoring, and has much more ability to expand our system to power the geodesic dome we are finishing out as a house.
@@markmayhem2173 Thanks Mark! That helps me sizing my system. I bought 60 panels - 250 watts - Santan Solar. Not as good a buy as you got - but pretty good. I've been puttering around working out a plan to install a 15kw solar farm in my backyard since June. Doing little stuff for now - to learn - and to get ready to ramp up. I think the 18kpv combo from EG4 would be a great solution for me. But, I have 3 circuit boxes each with 200amp (240v split phase) service. I'll eventually have to run 3 separate systems. Going to address the detached building first and get it off the grid. Thanks again for this video and for your feedback. -John.
as to your water reclaim , why not get some pvc pipe, use a heat gun to soften it enough to form it to slip between the solar panels there is your diy rain catch system !
Nice hats!! Also great work on the video guys, you have a really neat and resourceful system with the way you have set everything up! Also, slightly burnt pizza alllll the way haha
Hey guys i live in the Caribbean Trinidad and Tobago and love your videos ,just would like to get a link for the water pump setup from one of your older videos with the battery. Would like to build a back up system for my home.awaiting you reply thank keep doing the videos its very inspiring ❤.
Icelandic wind I believe it is
I think is best
What I would change is first to upgrade to that EG4 18 kpv on the upgrade, either find some hardware or make your own to close those gaps in the panels, leaving expansion gaps and lastly I would spend the money on the smaller EG4 solar mini split for the battery room. You could add some panels to the roof to compensate for the power consumption. All in all you guys did this damn near perfect for the cost of everything. Some very good choices there. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for the suggestions, AC in the batt room is probably in our future, and I am working on a plan to close the gaps that I hope will work. Stay tuned we will put it in.a future video!
Just forget about wind as long as you have so much sunshine. Wind needs to be mounted at least 20ft up or even 30ft to catch the "clean" wind that is not turbulent. And even if you spend the money to mount a windmill 30ft up it will produce 500-1000watt if you are lucky. Buy more solar, go for the deal to get the bigger inverter and maybe a battery or two! Wind is not easy!
that's ambition strikes on youtube
Can't seem to find that fancy parallel box with all the breakers. Can you post a link to it please?
Hey there, so your battery storage is it too much or enough? For being out there with more sun and all. Just curious really. How much of a drain you have over night running things and all
Do not upgrade yet as you need to earn payback first and the technology is changing daily so it will be worth the wait
Definitely upgrade . wind power is not worth it. More solar panels for overcast days.
Thanks! That's the same conclusion I'm coming to as well. Wind power seems good because it can make power at night but we don't like the noise they create and moving parts are more failure prone. We live in possibly the best place for solar on the whole planet so will probably just add batteries and more panels over time!
Nice job that would cost over 45k in new Zealand just for the parts
We just switched over to the new eg4 6000xp from twin 6500 setup that you have (19 days ago) and man what a difference. Signature Solar took the 6500’s in trade with a $750 credit for each or $1,500. The new 6000xp are split phase so we have four circuits instead of just two so if you want to expand you only need one instead of two of the 6500. The 6000’s have a dongle that I paralleled and can check it out from the house. We have bought three off grid systems from them and have had no trouble. The upgrade is well worth it.
Thank you so much for the comments, this is exactly the info I was looking for, we're also considering getting the second rack of batteries down the line. The products we have used from Signature solar have all been fantastic, but the new equipment looks to be really outstanding stuff.
Where did you get the EG4 Parallel wiring box? Can't find it on Signature Solar site.
Yes upgrade. We did the wind with a 2,000 watt generator and only averaged about 500 watts in 15 mph winds so we removed it and went with 6 more EG4LL batteries for a total of 62KWh’s.
Wind is not worth for small system as the initial cost is too high better you take the Inverter upgrade to 6000Xp or even 18K PV (beast) and get more solar panels from San Tan solar and add to the system.
I heard good and bad from signature solar
On customer service
I would not do wind, why if you have enough. Also you might have problems with your batteries. I would do more research on it.
I would upgrade. I would also put a small window AC for your battery, inverter room. I know it should be an ok temp but it would help it last longer. $150 to protect over $10000.
The 6000xp has a 5 year warranty and the 12k, 18k 10 year. The 12k and 18k has smart loads using the gen connection, but can not hook up a generator. The 6000xp might with software update. If you had two 6000xps and one went out you would still have power.
The imo (?) switches might give better protection from lighting( maybe larger gap) which you could put inside.
Lighting protection might be a good addition.
Having some extra diodes for your solar panels might be good to have on hand. I have seen at least two people have their diodes blown from lighting one with just the top string. One other only had the diodes blown no other damage.
I hope you do not have lighting to deal with.
Keep up the good work and be safe.
those disconnects do not provide a large enough GAP to prevent a lightning strike from pooching your system.
👍👍
Next time toss up some metal roofing up there and mount panels on to that, raincatch will work then.
Can reuse any of that hardware tossing up a few groundmounted panels to help with them cloudy days.
You guys did really really good semi winging it and just rolling with the punches, love the can do attitude.
Your system seems perfect to add a bit of panels, If I were to upgrade anything....I would add a few more panels for them cloudy days.
I think you should stick with the system you got. It's always tempting to upgrade to the latest and greatest which is not necessary. As for wind I have read it yields less energy compared to solar.
From past experience okay you're going to need to go back and put Teflon or a bushing over that stainless u-bolt it will eat that carbon like candy vibration wind especially when it's raining it'll eat it like 30 grit on a 2 * 4
San Tan Solar?
600$ for pannels wow thats almost free
You guys did that wrong, I'm an armchair expert and have been on TH-cam all morning, and I would have done it differently. You put up the solar wrong handed and your batteries are backwards.
Those wires are left handed.
Thank you guys for sharing and as always keep building 👍
Hahaha LMAO, too funny Todd! I never finished my online mail order solar degree.
What no lights on the solar panels??? For 24/7 power just add led Christmas lights and you can just put them in your garage out of the weather and easy to install lights? Even big jeep flood lights or headlights on high beam run off of 12 volts!!! Where are the lights????.????
YUM,burnt edges
$800 in U-bolts?! ROFL More than the actual solar, seems silly. This system seems overkill living in a trailer. I mean if you're running A/C all day and have electric appliances like dryers and range I suppose you need it. 16 grand for that is quite a bit. You probably could've got all of it for free thru your channel.
It was a little overkill, but we needed ubolts that would survive the insane weather out here. We will soon be using this system to power our geodesic dome house that is a work in progress. The trailer is just temporary.
Food for thought - I see A LOT of questions that you havent bothered to reply to. I guess you're so busy you dont have any time. I for one, NEVER subscribe to a channel that cant take the time to reply to it members.
If it isn't broken don't fix it! Otherwise, you may be begging for problems.
If it isnt broke well you know the rest
dont do it, focus on making that roof rain collector underneath the panels and harvesting that wind power
If it works.
DON'T FIX IT