Hi Les, Last year I decided to install a 500W Solar Panel system in my wee abode here in Korat. I made a few mistakes during my DIY installation! I wired up the 2 x 250w solar panels in serial mode configuration as opposed to parallel mode - I was wrong to do this because it burnt-out the MPP Charge Controller which could only handle a 12v system. My second mistake was buying a normal inverter as opposed to a Pure Sine Wave Inverter, the normal inverter would make my cooling fans sound very noisy, so I've changed it for a Pure Sine Wave Inverter - no more cooling fan noise now. I found TH-cam to be helpful during my installation and I couldn't have done it without getting the basic installation guidance from there. I had my system on the go for over a year now, it powers my single cooling fan all day and gives me a few hours of power at night for my fan & light's. I was gonna attempt a bigger system, but I've decided against it. All the best to you & thanks for sharing your video
Thanks so much for taking time to comment and for sharing, it is very much appreciated. Even a small system can be useful, my small system is great value for money if needed. 🙏
Nice job, Now imagine if that was in the UK first you would need a site survey , Planning permission, Permission from the leccy board and a Certified installer charging you about £5k and about 10 yrs ROI if your lucky in cloudy britian.
Yep paperwork in the UK is a pain. Here the Electric is so cheap that's why Solar is not popular here my Electric bill normally was only about 18 pounds a month at most normally 10 to 13 a month. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. 🙏
Glad to hear you also have a background in electricals. I dabble a bit myself, as I have a bit of a background in construction and other outdoor occupations.
Greetings from Panama. Yes. I was looking into solar power. But honestly? I pay $21 a month for electricity. The solar system costs over $4,800 shipped to my place. I would have to live another 23-25 years to cut even. I’m sure I won’t hit my 85-90 birthday! 😂 And batteries are a separate issue. They must be replaced every 2 years. In 5 years, living in Panama, I’m on my 3rd car battery. And they aren’t cheap! And they only give you 12-18 months warranty on them. Because they know. I met an American who needs to replace his solar batteries every 2 years because they don’t take charges anymore. That’s another $1500 or $750 each year to the costs.
@ Nothing is cheap in Panama on solar. And they only sell Chinese equipment. And from Alibaba? Sure. The system is cheap. But the shipping costs are ridiculously expensive.
Thanks for taking time to comment, Payback is a big consideration but me I looked at convenience, when we have a power outage then when it's hot how much would you pay for a fan to keep cool. For not a lot I get a lot in my mind and it's worth the expense just for that.
@ I’m building my house in Panama. Still waiting for the electricity company to come out and connect 22 lots to the grid. Means I work with my own little electric “power plant”. So what I do if the power goes out? Right. Starting my generator. I bought it already. Solar isn’t off my radar. But I have to find actually a seller who will not rip off my arms & legs at the same time. The electricity company did sent a notice, saying they start December 9th of this year. I have to see if they finally get work done. I’m just waiting for 16 months.
my house in Nevada is powered by solar im still hooked to the grid so when the solar dosent provide enough power it connects to the grid. last year my entire electric bill was 390$ and beleive me you are going to use the AC in the Nevada Desert.
Hi Les, I rent my house so no plans to install solar panels. I still find it very interesting to see how you've done it though. These things aren't all about saving money, as you said. What price would you give for a fan after 4 hours of no electricity 😉.
Les how long will it take recoup the cost of the equipment used in the solar installation in respect what it would cost if using mains electricity. What is the ‘shelf life’ of the batteries and solar panel ?
Payback in around 5 years but when the power goes out it is worth every penny to keep cool. More ways of thinking than just payback. I know from experience 4 hrs no power in the HOT season how much would I have paid for a fan. For emergency use the backup system has proved its worth and very cheap.
Have you worked out how long it will in savings on your energy bills to cover the cost of the solar system. And do you think the lifespan of the system will be long enough to profit on it.
Yep around 5 years for payback and will it last, can't say. But the other way to look at this, when the mains goes off we can still do the same eg watch tv and keep cool. One time the power was off in the hot temp season here for 4 hrs wow what would we pay for a fan. So in my mind it is worth it. The cheapest method would be the backup system just for that event. Electricity here is cheap anyway and our Bill is never over 800 baht.
it depends on how much you consume. If you live like a Thai (minimal ac) then it would take a decade plus to pay back. Electricity is about 5baht/kwh. In a suburb, we have periodic outage (last time due to a snake getting into the neighborhoods grid). PEA buys our excess generation about 2baht/kwh. I can't justify batteries here in a suburb. However, if I lived in a rural area, I would want panels and batteries to deal with outages.
I would say around 5 years also, but the main reason is power outages we had an outage in the hot season for 4 hrs wow what would I have paid for a fan at that time. In my case the emergency backup system would be fine and very cheap but I experimented and built a bigger system.
Interesting it's saving you 40 - 50% on you electric bill, but how much was the system and the installation? The other big issue is that batteries don't last long in Thailand and may not even last the 5 years to recoup your costs.
They were fitted long before we moved in. 8 + years ago. The Landlady lives in Bangkok so liked it to be secure when not rented. Crime here is very low, Several bunches of Bananas went missing 2 years ago from the Banana farm, found the next day by the police crime solved. We do not worry about crime here.
About GBP 700 a saving of around 7 GBP a month return is 8 years. Seems a long time but add the convenience factor electric when the power goes off, I know as we have faced 4 hrs of heat during the night in Hot Season. This is priceless TV Computer Internet Fans AHhhhhhhh Cool😀
As an ex myself I found this interesting but blimey, apart from the wattage mate nothing was the same, as they say the devil is in the detail and you missed them all, I would expect that from other trades but from a sparks, if you have excess have you thought about selling some to a neighbour perhaps
School boy mistake lol, The other 450 watt panel will be put to use charging the gel battery so now I have two 80 watt panels also I can put these to use later.
About that yes, still 30% or so. Plus the other benefits TV Computer Fans when the power goes out, How much is that worth. On a Hot Sticky night for 4 hours.
Hi Les, Last year I decided to install a 500W Solar Panel system in my wee abode here in Korat.
I made a few mistakes during my DIY installation!
I wired up the 2 x 250w solar panels in serial mode configuration as opposed to parallel mode - I was wrong to do this because it burnt-out the MPP Charge Controller which could only handle a 12v system.
My second mistake was buying a normal inverter as opposed to a Pure Sine Wave Inverter, the normal inverter would make my cooling fans sound very noisy, so I've changed it for a Pure Sine Wave Inverter - no more cooling fan noise now.
I found TH-cam to be helpful during my installation and I couldn't have done it without getting the basic installation guidance from there.
I had my system on the go for over a year now, it powers my single cooling fan all day and gives me a few hours of power at night for my fan & light's.
I was gonna attempt a bigger system, but I've decided against it.
All the best to you & thanks for sharing your video
Thanks so much for taking time to comment and for sharing, it is very much appreciated. Even a small system can be useful, my small system is great value for money if needed. 🙏
Thanks Les. Excellent work and learnings Les! Well worth the challenges of installation !
It is all a learning curve. But I love learning.
Hey..good info there Les…thanks for the tip!
Thanks for watching. Much appreciated.
Blood great job Les.... Your a Wizard mate 🧙♂jj
Thanks for watching, Problem solved.
You'll sort it Les!
Sorted, Took a day and dismantled the system a few phone calls then I found it. My fault.
Very interesting stuff.....
Thanks for watching.
Nice job, Now imagine if that was in the UK first you would need a site survey , Planning permission, Permission from the leccy board and a Certified installer charging you about £5k and about 10 yrs ROI if your lucky in cloudy britian.
Yep paperwork in the UK is a pain. Here the Electric is so cheap that's why Solar is not popular here my Electric bill normally was only about 18 pounds a month at most normally 10 to 13 a month. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. 🙏
Glad to hear you also have a background in electricals. I dabble a bit myself, as I have a bit of a background in construction and other outdoor occupations.
I like building/ construction and Electrics I try to do as much as I can around the house. Thanks for watching.
Greetings from Panama. Yes. I was looking into solar power. But honestly? I pay $21 a month for electricity. The solar system costs over $4,800 shipped to my place. I would have to live another 23-25 years to cut even. I’m sure I won’t hit my 85-90 birthday! 😂 And batteries are a separate issue. They must be replaced every 2 years. In 5 years, living in Panama, I’m on my 3rd car battery. And they aren’t cheap! And they only give you 12-18 months warranty on them. Because they know. I met an American who needs to replace his solar batteries every 2 years because they don’t take charges anymore. That’s another $1500 or $750 each year to the costs.
You need Chinese solar equipment, cheap and easy to use
@ Nothing is cheap in Panama on solar. And they only sell Chinese equipment. And from Alibaba? Sure. The system is cheap. But the shipping costs are ridiculously expensive.
Thanks for taking time to comment, Payback is a big consideration but me I looked at convenience, when we have a power outage then when it's hot how much would you pay for a fan to keep cool. For not a lot I get a lot in my mind and it's worth the expense just for that.
@ I’m building my house in Panama. Still waiting for the electricity company to come out and connect 22 lots to the grid. Means I work with my own little electric “power plant”. So what I do if the power goes out? Right. Starting my generator. I bought it already. Solar isn’t off my radar. But I have to find actually a seller who will not rip off my arms & legs at the same time. The electricity company did sent a notice, saying they start December 9th of this year. I have to see if they finally get work done. I’m just waiting for 16 months.
Living in the country, sounds like the uk with the birds tweeting away 👍😇
Lots of birds around here it's great. Thanks for the comment.
my house in Nevada is powered by solar im still hooked to the grid so when the solar dosent provide enough power it connects to the grid. last year my entire electric bill was 390$ and beleive me you are going to use the AC in the Nevada Desert.
Thanks for sharing, Nevada was the hottest place I ever visited. AC not working would be no fun.
we will talk more on this
Everything working great now. Love Solar.
Hi Les, I rent my house so no plans to install solar panels. I still find it very interesting to see how you've done it though. These things aren't all about saving money, as you said. What price would you give for a fan after 4 hours of no electricity 😉.
The backup system can be done for GBP 200 worth every penny in my opinion. Electric/ fan / priceless at the time of need.
I always wondered about Sola power. Like the expense of buying and fitting against the monthly saving and how long it takes to pay for its self.
Around 5 years for payback but worth every penny when the power goes out and you can still keep cool = priceless.
Les how long will it take recoup the cost of the equipment used in the solar installation in respect what it would cost if using mains electricity. What is the ‘shelf life’ of the batteries and solar panel ?
Payback in around 5 years but when the power goes out it is worth every penny to keep cool. More ways of thinking than just payback. I know from experience 4 hrs no power in the HOT season how much would I have paid for a fan.
For emergency use the backup system has proved its worth and very cheap.
Have you worked out how long it will in savings on your energy bills to cover the cost of the solar system. And do you think the lifespan of the system will be long enough to profit on it.
Yep around 5 years for payback and will it last, can't say. But the other way to look at this, when the mains goes off we can still do the same eg watch tv and keep cool. One time the power was off in the hot temp season here for 4 hrs wow what would we pay for a fan. So in my mind it is worth it. The cheapest method would be the backup system just for that event. Electricity here is cheap anyway and our Bill is never over 800 baht.
Love ur videos but I’m lost on this one. No idea what u said. Lol 😎🤷🏻♂️
Thanks for watching though. 🙏😜
In the UK it takes 5 years to recoup your investment on a solar system, what is it in Thailand?
good question , i wish also to get the response
it depends on how much you consume. If you live like a Thai (minimal ac) then it would take a decade plus to pay back. Electricity is about 5baht/kwh. In a suburb, we have periodic outage (last time due to a snake getting into the neighborhoods grid). PEA buys our excess generation about 2baht/kwh. I can't justify batteries here in a suburb. However, if I lived in a rural area, I would want panels and batteries to deal with outages.
I would say around 5 years also, but the main reason is power outages we had an outage in the hot season for 4 hrs wow what would I have paid for a fan at that time. In my case the emergency backup system would be fine and very cheap but I experimented and built a bigger system.
Interesting it's saving you 40 - 50% on you electric bill, but how much was the system and the installation? The other big issue is that batteries don't last long in Thailand and may not even last the 5 years to recoup your costs.
Why is the burglar protection at and in your house so important (bars, lights, cameras)?
They were fitted long before we moved in. 8 + years ago. The Landlady lives in Bangkok so liked it to be secure when not rented. Crime here is very low, Several bunches of Bananas went missing 2 years ago from the Banana farm, found the next day by the police crime solved. We do not worry about crime here.
What is the total cost of your investment for a total power of 5 kw if I understood well .
About GBP 700 a saving of around 7 GBP a month return is 8 years. Seems a long time but add the convenience factor electric when the power goes off, I know as we have faced 4 hrs of heat during the night in Hot Season. This is priceless TV Computer Internet Fans AHhhhhhhh Cool😀
As an ex myself I found this interesting but blimey, apart from the wattage mate nothing was the same, as they say the devil is in the detail and you missed them all, I would expect that from other trades but from a sparks, if you have excess have you thought about selling some to a neighbour perhaps
School boy mistake lol, The other 450 watt panel will be put to use charging the gel battery so now I have two 80 watt panels also I can put these to use later.
How much you planned to save $5.00😂😂😂😂
About that yes, still 30% or so. Plus the other benefits TV Computer Fans when the power goes out, How much is that worth. On a Hot Sticky night for 4 hours.