…… Solar power options research

[Knoxville's Joker]

So Doing a little research on on different solar solutions for the house. I am also searching the forum here for what folks have recommended as we have not really had a good listing of the vendors out there and pitfalls with each one.

I am looking at 3 systems separate in total. One for the shed. One for the main entertainment center, and one for the well house. I was also looking at expanding the well house a later point.


Please note I am doing bland links with no tracking cookies in the URL.

So far on the forum these sites have been recommended:
EcoFlow US (medium to small sized system)

Jackery Best Solar Generator, Portable Power Station & Solar Panels (looks to be a smaller mobile/RV camping type setup)

Home Sol-Ark Sol-Ark - https://www.sol-ark.com/ (appears to be a large to small home setup, but they push installers)

Portable Power Stations, Solar Generators & Home Backup | Goal Zero (this is more a backpacking type company)

This is one recommended by marfooglenews on youtube

Inergy Technologies - Power For Life

Solar powered generators, portable solar panels and solar accessories for off-grid living to power all of your electric devices.

inergytek.com

These are what I can find on google searches doing various phrasologies...

Find your energy freedom, DIY off grid solar system | Renogy (smaller rated systems builder it appears)

SunWatts - Solar kits, solar panels, home storage batteries (looks like a diy setup but seems pricier)

Solar Generator Kits (looks like they sell kits to individuals)

GoGreenSolar.com (pushes using an installer or distributor model)

ECO-WORTHY: Solar Panel Kits & Lithium Battery &DIY Solar Power System (looks like they sell kits)

Solar Panels • Solar Panels For Sale For Your Home & Business (looks like they sell kits ok pricing on some options)

Solar Panel Kits - DIY - Grid-Tie - Off-Grid - Backup Power Systems | Blue Pacific Solar (looks a little pricy but I think the fees include installation)

Off Grid Power Products – TheInverterStore (news site for solar stuff)

Solar Generators | Murray, UT | Be Prepared Solar (more of a mobile solar setup?)

Powering your home, your business, your world. (Generac is a household brand for power and this pushes installers)

Home Solar Panels, Commercial & Utility-Scale Solar Solutions | SunPower (pushes installers)

These are outfits local to my AO:

Providing Energy Audits and Solar Energy Solutions for Tennessee Residential and Commercial Applications

Specializing in Home Energy Audits, Solar Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Energy installations in Tennessee.

arrtn.com

Solar Sale USA – Affordable Solar Energy Is Here

www.solarsaleusa.com

Solar Panel Installation in Knoxville | Get a Local Quote

Looking for a professional solar panel installation service in Knoxville? We offer reliable solar solutions for your home or business at a great rate.

www.solar-knoxville.com

GES Solar - Home

Welcome to GES Solar, the new name of Green Earth Solar! The same company, same quality, and the same people. We are the premier solar energy company and one of the oldest firms in the Southeast specializing in solar (PV) electric systems. We provide turnkey solar installation services in the...

www.gessolar.net

Home | AEG National

www.aegnational.com

Solar Alliance | Commercial & Residential Solar Company

Solar Alliance is your engineering, procurement and construction source for solar projects on every scale - from large commercial installations to Sunbox residential. Click here to learn about our services.

www.solaralliance.com

Solar PV & Energy Storage Solutions in Tennessee | LightWave Solar

LightWave Solar is a trusted solar contractor for turnkey solar installations in Tennessee, Kentucky and beyond. Book your solar project consultation today.

lightwavesolar.com

So far I have determined that a power station for the home entertainment setup will be a best option there.

The real question I have is for the well system as I need 220 for the well pump without chaing the pump out to some sort of hybrid pump. But I also need 120 for the sand filter, uv prufication unit and heat lamps when it is cold. I will probably need to hook up my kill a watt meter and see what the true draw overtime is.

For the shed I could be ok with a 1k or 2k setup just to provide power to the freezer as my power outages are no more than an hour every once in a while.

 

[db cooper]

The real question I have is for the well system as I need 220 for the well pump without chaing the pump out to some sort of hybrid pump. But I also need 120 for the sand filter, uv prufication unit and heat lamps when it is cold. I will probably need to hook up my kill a watt meter and see what the true draw overtime is.

I've often considered a solar setup to augment our commercial and propane fired Generac whole house genny. Your well pump concerns match mine, as anything I come up with would have to have enough power for the well house.

When the Generac runs, it really barks when the well pump comes on, which tells me it's quite a draw. Same with the water heater. I think I'll watch this thread to see what you come up with.

I'd like to add, that if your system has 220/240, it will also have 110/120v. Our well house has a 10 gauge wire going to it that's 220, in a four wire cable - two hot, a neutral and a ground, on a 20 amp circuit. Our pump is only 15 amps. This left 5 amps left over to bleed 110v off for the water softener, a fan, small electric heater and sump pump. This system has been working like clockwork since 2005. It works so good I want to change nothing to accommodate solar power, rather the solar power must run the system like it is.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

I've often considered a solar setup to augment our commercial and propane fired Generac whole house genny. Your well pump concerns match mine, as anything I come up with would have to have enough power for the well house.

When the Generac runs, it really barks when the well pump comes on, which tells me it's quite a draw. Same with the water heater. I think I'll watch this thread to see what you come up with.

I'd like to add, that if your system has 220/240, it will also have 110/120v. Our well house has a 10 gauge wire going to it that's 220, in a four wire cable - two hot, a neutral and a ground, on a 20 amp circuit. Our pump is only 15 amps. This left 5 amps left over to bleed 110v off for the water softener, a fan, small electric heater and sump pump. This system has been working like clockwork since 2005. It works so good I want to change nothing to accommodate solar power, rather the solar power must run the system like it is.

How long is the run to the well house?

Wire Size Chart

Wire Size Chart and current limits for wire gauges

wiresizecalculator.net

The issue you run into is when it gets hot amp rating lowers significantly. Plus there is a calculation to factor when running longer runs as you have to factor in resistance of the conducter itself over distance

The draw issue was why I was looking at a separate solar setup for the well system. Having more dedicated lower wattage setups ensures that I can have a larger system over all and build it over time. Plus it can have a positive effect on the power bill...

 

[db cooper]

How long is the run to the well house?

Wire Size Chart

Wire Size Chart and current limits for wire gauges

wiresizecalculator.net

The issue you run into is when it gets hot amp rating lowers significantly. Plus there is a calculation to factor when running longer runs as you have to factor in resistance of the conducter itself over distance

The draw issue was why I was looking at a separate solar setup for the well system. Having more dedicated lower wattage setups ensures that I can have a larger system over all and build it over time. Plus it can have a positive effect on the power bill...

Without walking it off, I'd guess it's 200 - 250 feet from the main power supply. A 12 gauge wire is OK for a 20 amp circuit, but due to the distance a 10 gauge was used. The pump well house lights to not flicker or dim when the pump kicks in, so I do not think the voltage drop is significant, if any at all when the pump runs. Our well house is underground, so it requires minimal heating in the winter. A small fan keeps the humidity/condensation down.

Without a heater running the temp down there is 40F in the winter and 50F in the summer. I'm thinking about adding a root cellar onto it for our canned goods, potatoes and other goodies we do not want to freeze.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

Without walking it off, I'd guess it's 200 - 250 feet from the main power supply. A 12 gauge wire is OK for a 20 amp circuit, but due to the distance a 10 gauge was used. The pump well house lights to not flicker or dim when the pump kicks in, so I do not think the voltage drop is significant, if any at all when the pump runs. Our well house is underground, so it requires minimal heating in the winter. A small fan keeps the humidity/condensation down.

Without a heater running the temp down there is 40F in the winter and 50F in the summer. I'm thinking about adding a root cellar onto it for our canned goods, potatoes and other goodies we do not want to freeze.

You are losing about 10 volts due to resistance on the run of the cable

Voltage Drop Calculator

Wire / cable voltage drop calculator and how to calculate.

www.rapidtables.com

On temperature moderation alone you are not going to have issues with heat causing a significant voltage drop from added resistance.

Loup and other experts better than me can chime in. but you could be OK with what you have as the calculations are not affected by temperature as your well house does not heat up

 

[hiwall]

I have 3k watts of solar just to run two kitchen circuits in my house. It has been in place now for 2-1/2 years. Works great and we have no worries about our chest freezer or the refrigerator.
I wanted to get enough to handle the well pump but our setup is way different from anyone else's when it comes to our well.
So we still have our generator to handle the well and anything else we would need.

 

[TrixieB]

I have a small solar setup with batteries. It will not run 220. I set up a 400 gallon cistern tank with a secondary 110 motor. I will run my generator to power 220 deep well motor to fill tank & run cistern pump on solar.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

I have a small solar setup with batteries. It will not run 220. I set up a 400 gallon cistern tank with a secondary 110 motor. I will run my generator to power 220 deep well motor to fill tank & run cistern pump on solar.

Did you ever find anything that could power the pump the few times it needed to run for a few minutes at a time?

 

[SciFi Lover]

If this system is something you wish to install yourself, check out outbound solar in CA. They are employee owned if my memory is correct, and have a lot of informational videos and data on their site. They sell any number of systems in various sizes, with and without battery backup. Almost went with them on my system, but chose a local installer instead due to health conditions. They did sell most of my components and I did run most of their videos prior to signing a contract.

I have a 240 well and my solar system never flinches when it kicks in. The only sign I have seen of inverter involvement is late a night when basically all loads are off - - the dim-able LED lights in our bathroom will have a slight pulse. Really really hard for a 12 kW inverter to smoothly handle a load probably down in the 20 watt range!

 

[TrixieB]

Did you ever find anything that could power the pump the few times it needed to run for a few minutes at a time?

Nope. But I don’t have an unlimited budget. The cistern with 110 pump wasn’t too expensive a work around.

 

[tech]

Can't tell anything without knowing actual loads...but it is probably going to be less expensive to do one system and run it to a load center (breaker box) for distribution.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

Can't tell anything without knowing actual loads...but it is probably going to be less expensive to do one system and run it to a load center (breaker box) for distribution.

I would tend to agree, however, if I span the expense over the course of time, yes I would spend more money, but, if I stayed with a single vendor and duplicated parts and setups, I would have spare parts to play with and a bigger setup in the end. Once you go above 4kw you end up getting into the 10-20k range, but if you stick to 4kw you stay below 5k usd. which is very manageable.

 

[biere]

To some extent I like the idea of a small setup to learn in real life. For realistic small sizes I play on YouTube and search out solar on rv videos. Lots of people got there in many different ways and it is nice knowing if I but a really good invertor but each for sales then maybe the 2nd install could be larger and get that good invertor while a not too shabby invertor I found on sale will be just fine on the first setup. Now some people with big rv or converted school bus can have a huge setup. But most small setups seem decent.

 

[Border Collie Dad]

I'm just beginning this journey.
I found a YouTube channel, DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse.
He goes to the basics.
Just got his book on Mobile solar power for RVs (Not exact title)
Maybe you can find something there?

 

[marsofold]

A 120 volt to 240 volt transformer rated at a continuous 2 kilowatts will run a 3/4HP well pump. That allows 120 volt output inverters to crank the pump.

 

[moldy]

there are plug and play systems nowdays that can do 240. if you get a pair of the eco flows, you can slave them together for 240 volt, same with the bluetti. the eco flows have been having fires so be careful going with them.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

I found this site:

RPS Solar Pumps | America's #1 Solar Well Pumps – The #1 Solar Powered Well Pump Systems in America

www.rpssolarpumps.com

5k is going to be bout what I was looking at for the well house setup.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

And I found another one, a German company. Gotta love the inventive and industrious Germans.

Home Owners - LORENTZ

www.lorentz.de

And another one (not german?) it appears:

Tuhorse Pumps - Submersible Well Pumps - USA and Canada

Distributor of Tuhorse submersible well pumps, irrigation pumps and garden sprinkler pumps

www.tuhorse.us

And more:

https://www.sunrotor.com/

Aquatec | Pumps

English (USA)

The full range supplier of pumps and pump solutions. As a renowned pump manufacturer, Grundfos delivers efficient, reliable, and sustainable solutions all over the globe. Step into our world.

www.grundfos.com

Shurflo Water Pumps | RV Water Pumps | Shurflo RV Water Pump

shurflo water pumps, rv water pumps, shurflo rv water pump, water pump

www.shurflowaterpump.com

SDS-T-128

Thunderbird Solar - SunTech Drive PicoCell Products

SunTech Drive solar drives are designed to efficiently operate AC equipment such as water pumps and compressors.

www.thunderbirdsolar.com

This outfit appears to be the maker of the picocell controller:

Home

Achieving net zero for allwith the perfect blend ofenergy and sustainability. Energy ENFusion™’s Cell and Blender devices provide seamless power, on and off-grid, to motors, pumps, compressors, and more using any solar array. Fusion We create the perfect blend between energy and sustainability...

www.enfusionenergy.com

 

[LoupGarou]

First off, I want to add Sun Electronics down in Miami Gardens, FLA, to the pile of links.

World's Lowest Solar Panel Prices » Sun Electronics International, Inc

New and used solar panels, inverters, charge controllers, complete solar system kits at wholesale prices. We have best prices in solar panels.

sunelec.com

If you are looking for a great inverter that will carry a 240V single phase well pump, and half the house as well, AimsPower has been making great inverters (both a brute force PWM one and a very good Pure Sine Wave) for decades (I have quite a few, including a 25+ year old one that is still going strong). I would suggest looking at one of these two for your Well Pump needs:
6000 Watt model: 6000 WATT PURE SINE INVERTER CHARGER 48 VDC TO 120-240 VAC

8000 Watt model: 8,000 WATT PURE SINE INVERTER CHARGER 48Vdc / 240Vac INPUT TO 120/240 Vac SPLIT PHASE OUTPUT ETL LISTED – The Inverter Store

 

[moldy]

I found this site:

RPS Solar Pumps | America's #1 Solar Well Pumps – The #1 Solar Powered Well Pump Systems in America

www.rpssolarpumps.com

5k is going to be bout what I was looking at for the well house setup.

that is the company we purchased our pasture well systems from, excellent, excellent customer service

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

First off, I want to add Sun Electronics down in Miami Gardens, FLA, to the pile of links.

World's Lowest Solar Panel Prices » Sun Electronics International, Inc

New and used solar panels, inverters, charge controllers, complete solar system kits at wholesale prices. We have best prices in solar panels.

sunelec.com

If you are looking for a great inverter that will carry a 240V single phase well pump, and half the house as well, AimsPower has been making great inverters (both a brute force PWM one and a very good Pure Sine Wave) for decades (I have quite a few, including a 25+ year old one that is still going strong). I would suggest looking at one of these two for your Well Pump needs:
6000 Watt model: 6000 WATT PURE SINE INVERTER CHARGER 48 VDC TO 120-240 VAC

8000 Watt model: 8,000 WATT PURE SINE INVERTER CHARGER 48Vdc / 240Vac INPUT TO 120/240 Vac SPLIT PHASE OUTPUT ETL LISTED – The Inverter Store

OK so I am not assuming incorrectly here. With that unit if I want solar charging I could hook up a solar panel distribution unit that has a inline charge controller? Or what kind of unit wold I use with that to hook up solar panels to standby as power feed to provide some power and maintain charge on the battery bank?

 

[LoupGarou]

Front and back panel on the 6KW one:





The Red and Black terminals on the back of the unit go to your battery bank.

The Hot1 and Hot2 AC line inputs, along with the ground, get tied to a 30A double pole breaker in your current panel box that will be feeding the inverter's charger the power needed to keep the batteries charged and the Well Pump powered up.

The Hot1, Hot2, and Netutral, along with another wire for ground, go to either your Well Pump panel, or a subpanel for all of the well pump and other things that are water related.

And at least 10AWG on all of the AC lines for the 6KW inverter, and at least 8AWG wire for the 8KW inverter is going to be needed.

The DC connection to the 48 volt battery bank is going to need at LEAST 2/0 for the 6KW inverter if it is less than 6 feet long run, and 4/0 for the 8KW, or if the run to the 6KW is longer than 6 feet.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

Front and back panel on the 6KW one:
View attachment 369480

View attachment 369481


The Red and Black terminals on the back of the unit go to your battery bank.

The Hot1 and Hot2 AC line inputs, along with the ground, get tied to a 30A double pole breaker in your current panel box that will be feeding the inverter's charger the power needed to keep the batteries charged and the Well Pump powered up.

The Hot1, Hot2, and Netutral, along with another wire for ground, go to either your Well Pump panel, or a subpanel for all of the well pump and other things that are water related.

And at least 10AWG on all of the AC lines for the 6KW inverter, and at least 8AWG wire for the 8KW inverter is going to be needed.

The DC connection to the 48 volt battery bank is going to need at LEAST 2/0 for the 6KW inverter if it is less than 6 feet long run, and 4/0 for the 8KW, or if the run to the 6KW is longer than 6 feet.

Would this unit work any better:

Home

Achieving net zero for allwith the perfect blend ofenergy and sustainability. Energy ENFusion™’s Cell and Blender devices provide seamless power, on and off-grid, to motors, pumps, compressors, and more using any solar array. Fusion We create the perfect blend between energy and sustainability...

www.enfusionenergy.com

The 2000 watt model?

 

[Sportsman]

If you're an amateur operator, check carefully for reviews that mention RFI. Some (most?) charge controllers and inverters kill the HF bands. The cheaper they are, well, the cheaper the are; and the more interference they generate.

I can't use the 40 meter band due to numerous neighbors with roof-top solar.

 

[John Deere Girl]

I have 3k watts of solar just to run two kitchen circuits in my house. It has been in place now for 2-1/2 years. Works great and we have no worries about our chest freezer or the refrigerator.
I wanted to get enough to handle the well pump but our setup is way different from anyone else's when it comes to our well.
So we still have our generator to handle the well and anything else we would need.

Do you have a regular refrigerator? And would you have a link to your setup? We are going to push to have a basic system in place this year. Any advice or words of wisdom are appreciated.

 

[lanningro]

So Doing a little research on on different solar solutions for the house. I am also searching the forum here for what folks have recommended as we have not really had a good listing of the vendors out there and pitfalls with each one.

I am looking at 3 systems separate in total. One for the shed. One for the main entertainment center, and one for the well house. I was also looking at expanding the well house a later point.


Please note I am doing bland links with no tracking cookies in the URL.

So far on the forum these sites have been recommended:
EcoFlow US (medium to small sized system)

Jackery Best Solar Generator, Portable Power Station & Solar Panels (looks to be a smaller mobile/RV camping type setup)

Home Sol-Ark Sol-Ark - https://www.sol-ark.com/ (appears to be a large to small home setup, but they push installers)

Portable Power Stations, Solar Generators & Home Backup | Goal Zero (this is more a backpacking type company)

This is one recommended by marfooglenews on youtube

Inergy Technologies - Power For Life

Solar powered generators, portable solar panels and solar accessories for off-grid living to power all of your electric devices.

inergytek.com

These are what I can find on google searches doing various phrasologies...

Find your energy freedom, DIY off grid solar system | Renogy (smaller rated systems builder it appears)

SunWatts - Solar kits, solar panels, home storage batteries (looks like a diy setup but seems pricier)

Solar Generator Kits (looks like they sell kits to individuals)

GoGreenSolar.com (pushes using an installer or distributor model)

ECO-WORTHY: Solar Panel Kits & Lithium Battery &DIY Solar Power System (looks like they sell kits)

Solar Panels • Solar Panels For Sale For Your Home & Business (looks like they sell kits ok pricing on some options)

Solar Panel Kits - DIY - Grid-Tie - Off-Grid - Backup Power Systems | Blue Pacific Solar (looks a little pricy but I think the fees include installation)

Off Grid Power Products – TheInverterStore (news site for solar stuff)

Solar Generators | Murray, UT | Be Prepared Solar (more of a mobile solar setup?)

Powering your home, your business, your world. (Generac is a household brand for power and this pushes installers)

Home Solar Panels, Commercial & Utility-Scale Solar Solutions | SunPower (pushes installers)

These are outfits local to my AO:

Providing Energy Audits and Solar Energy Solutions for Tennessee Residential and Commercial Applications

Specializing in Home Energy Audits, Solar Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Energy installations in Tennessee.

arrtn.com

Solar Sale USA – Affordable Solar Energy Is Here

www.solarsaleusa.com

Solar Panel Installation in Knoxville | Get a Local Quote

Looking for a professional solar panel installation service in Knoxville? We offer reliable solar solutions for your home or business at a great rate.

www.solar-knoxville.com

GES Solar - Home

Welcome to GES Solar, the new name of Green Earth Solar! The same company, same quality, and the same people. We are the premier solar energy company and one of the oldest firms in the Southeast specializing in solar (PV) electric systems. We provide turnkey solar installation services in the...

www.gessolar.net

Home | AEG National

www.aegnational.com

Solar Alliance | Commercial & Residential Solar Company

Solar Alliance is your engineering, procurement and construction source for solar projects on every scale - from large commercial installations to Sunbox residential. Click here to learn about our services.

www.solaralliance.com

Solar PV & Energy Storage Solutions in Tennessee | LightWave Solar

LightWave Solar is a trusted solar contractor for turnkey solar installations in Tennessee, Kentucky and beyond. Book your solar project consultation today.

lightwavesolar.com

So far I have determined that a power station for the home entertainment setup will be a best option there.

The real question I have is for the well system as I need 220 for the well pump without chaing the pump out to some sort of hybrid pump. But I also need 120 for the sand filter, uv prufication unit and heat lamps when it is cold. I will probably need to hook up my kill a watt meter and see what the true draw overtime is.

For the shed I could be ok with a 1k or 2k setup just to provide power to the freezer as my power outages are no more than an hour every once in a while.

Seal Solar in Little Rock did mine

 

[hiwall]

Do you have a regular refrigerator? And would you have a link to your setup? We are going to push to have a basic system in place this year. Any advice or words of wisdom are appreciated.

Yes it is a regular refrigerator and a separate small chest freezer. I think we could run more stuff than we do with the solar we have.
I did the complete install on our roof myself.
I have 3000 watts of panels, a 4000 watt inverter, I think a 60 amp MPPT charger controller, and 8 100amh sealed lead-acid batteries. It is a 48 volt system. All very low-buck stuff mostly ordered off ebay. All china stuff. Because it is china stuff I have a spare inverter and controller on-hand.
It has worked flawlessly for now almost 3 years (march 2020).
Many people say that you should only buy (so-called) USA made stuff. Well instead I went as cheap as possible with no issues. USA stuff is waaaaay more expensive and many internal components are very made in china anyway.
Your 1st step is to buy a "kill-o-watt" so you can see exactly what your current usage is for what you want to run on solar. You could do that now so you will have the exact information you need later when you start to assemble your solar system.
Including everything my system cost was about $6500. It will never come close to ever paying for itself. It is/was a totally prep decision. If you are thinking cost savings, get that thought out of your head now.
Feel free to ask me any questions and I would certainly help you any way I can. I know others here will do the same. Likely many others know way more than I do.

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

Yes it is a regular refrigerator and a separate small chest freezer. I think we could run more stuff than we do with the solar we have.
I did the complete install on our roof myself.
I have 3000 watts of panels, a 4000 watt inverter, I think a 60 amp MPPT charger controller, and 8 100amh sealed lead-acid batteries. It is a 48 volt system. All very low-buck stuff mostly ordered off ebay. All china stuff. Because it is china stuff I have a spare inverter and controller on-hand.
It has worked flawlessly for now almost 3 years (march 2020).
Many people say that you should only buy (so-called) USA made stuff. Well instead I went as cheap as possible with no issues. USA stuff is waaaaay more expensive and many internal components are very made in china anyway.
Your 1st step is to buy a "kill-o-watt" so you can see exactly what your current usage is for what you want to run on solar. You could do that now so you will have the exact information you need later when you start to assemble your solar system.
Including everything my system cost was about $6500. It will never come close to ever paying for itself. It is/was a totally prep decision. If you are thinking cost savings, get that thought out of your head now.
Feel free to ask me any questions and I would certainly help you any way I can. I know others here will do the same. Likely many others know way more than I do.

Can you do the group a favor and list out the parts you went with on your application? Where you chose to source tings? This thread is to try and help newbies grasp what they can do on their own.

 

[bbbuddy]

I found this site:

RPS Solar Pumps | America's #1 Solar Well Pumps – The #1 Solar Powered Well Pump Systems in America

www.rpssolarpumps.com

5k is going to be bout what I was looking at for the well house setup.

For that you could just bite the bullet and pull the 240v well pump and replace with a solar pump run directly off their own panels, no batteries, no inverters.

We did that last year because no water, no life.

We had a Grundfos pump put in, replacing our 240v 1 horsepower pump. That 1hp pump looked brand new when pulled, we saved it for a "backup".

I worried about not having water should any part of our 240v solar system go down and replacement parts not available. The Grundfos is far more uncomplicated.

We did go from 42 gpm to 24gpm, but that only makes a difference in how much we can irrigate....

The best forum to learn about solar is NAZ Solar Electric Forum

 

[shane]

First off, I want to add Sun Electronics down in Miami Gardens, FLA, to the pile of links.

World's Lowest Solar Panel Prices » Sun Electronics International, Inc

New and used solar panels, inverters, charge controllers, complete solar system kits at wholesale prices. We have best prices in solar panels.

sunelec.com

I've bought pallet loads of PV panels from sunelec, hard to beat prices.

For lithium batteries, charger & inverter combos, I've saved with...

SignatureSolar.com: Solar Panels, DIY Off-Grid Solar, Server Rack Battery for Solar, Solar Inverters

Signature Solar provides solar panels & components and full kits for off-grid, grid-tie and custom diy solar systems. Providing Solar 101 and hands on experience within the solar industry. Quality inverters, bifacial solar panels, complete solar kits, solar batteries. Holding best in class...

signaturesolar.com

Texas outfit, very helpful.

Panic Early, Beat the Rush!
- Shane

 

[shane]

I'm just beginning this journey.
I found a YouTube channel, DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse.
He goes to the basics.
Just got his book on Mobile solar power for RVs (Not exact title)
Maybe you can find something there?

The Will Prowse youtubes are well done,
worth following his recommendations.

Panic Early, Beat the Rush!
- Shane

 

[bbbuddy]

I have a system similar in size as hiwalls but using brand name USA equipment and 24v setup with lifepo4 lithium batteries. We did it all ourselves, learning from NAZ Solar Electric Forum

We run 2 refrigerators, a 15cf chest freezer, and a 10cf upright freezer. A window ac in summer.
Instant pot, microwave, bread machine, large toaster oven, washer and dryer, all the conveniences.
All 120v.

On NAZ Solar Electric Forum it was discovered that small refrigerators use about the same watt hours as large ones, no need to go small...

The important thing is to be able (mentally) to load shift....cloudy day? You dont wash or cook with electric. You don't run the ac at the same time you run dryer. That sort of thing...

 

[John Deere Girl]

Yes it is a regular refrigerator and a separate small chest freezer. I think we could run more stuff than we do with the solar we have.
I did the complete install on our roof myself.
I have 3000 watts of panels, a 4000 watt inverter, I think a 60 amp MPPT charger controller, and 8 100amh sealed lead-acid batteries. It is a 48 volt system. All very low-buck stuff mostly ordered off ebay. All china stuff. Because it is china stuff I have a spare inverter and controller on-hand.
It has worked flawlessly for now almost 3 years (march 2020).
Many people say that you should only buy (so-called) USA made stuff. Well instead I went as cheap as possible with no issues. USA stuff is waaaaay more expensive and many internal components are very made in china anyway.
Your 1st step is to buy a "kill-o-watt" so you can see exactly what your current usage is for what you want to run on solar. You could do that now so you will have the exact information you need later when you start to assemble your solar system.
Including everything my system cost was about $6500. It will never come close to ever paying for itself. It is/was a totally prep decision. If you are thinking cost savings, get that thought out of your head now.
Feel free to ask me any questions and I would certainly help you any way I can. I know others here will do the same. Likely many others know way more than I do.

Thank you, I appreciate your response and being available for questions!

 

[hiwall]

Can you do the group a favor and list out the parts you went with on your application? Where you chose to source tings? This thread is to try and help newbies grasp what they can do on their own.

A lot of my stuff just came from ebay. and it was 3 years ago. Simple enough to do a search on ebay for the size components you want. Or go to one of the suppliers others have listed to get a complete system or the parts you need from them.
I had done a small system many years ago for my RV so I knew some stuff from that project.
Like I said above the first step is find out how much solar you need by measuring how much your items actually use by buying and using a "kill-o-watt" meter. Measure the usage for several days or a week from each item (like your refrigerator). When done you will have an accurate amount of watts that you actually use every day for what you want to run on the solar. Once you have that number then you can get prices for the size inverter, solar controller, and size of solar array you need. and everything would sized just for your usage.
There is a place near me that sells used solar panels that seem pretty cheap. I would have likely used those panels if I knew about them at the time.
Much of the wiring was stuff I had laying around here (I am a scrounger).

 

[tech]

Battery (BigBattery Kong Max) came from Shop Special Promotions | Hot Deals | Discounts & Coupon Codes
Pricy, but beats the pants off of SLA or flooded cells. Caution - 600 lbs on wheels. Tends to be top-heavy when moving.

Panels came from multiple sources through the years...latest ones are from Hanwha Q Cells Q.PEAK DUO-BLK-G5-310 310w Mono Solar Panel one bank are Sharp panels that were dirt cheap on ebay a decade ago...forgot where the others were sourced.

Outback Radian GS8048A-01 inverter/charger does an excellent job with a 1 horse, 220v well pump (along with a bunch of other items) - get the Mate Controler if you go this route.

Midnite Classic 150 charge controllers MidNite Solar Classic 150 Charge Controller ...up to 96 amps depending on output voltage of your system. Shop around...bargains can be found from time to time.

Near-antique Trace AC disconnect/conversion module and DC disconnect/overcurrent module - started life on a dual 2512 setup, but works just fine with 48VDC. (Yes, the breakers are rated 80vdc, so no issues there).

And much as I hate to say it, a Harbor Freight 9500w inverter generator is tied in to the inverters...but it works well and is fairly easy on fuel. Just wish it had pressurized oiling with filter.

The charge controllers and inverter charger are fully configurable for nearly any battery chemistry, so future upgrades won't require re-purchasing equipment.

A labor of love that has taken several years to put together, but it has worked well for quite a while.

Just a note...avoid mixing solar panels. You can series a 48 and 12 volt panel to get higher voltage to charge a (nominal) 48 volt system, but you will limit current to the lesser of the panels...I can attest to this during system tweaking. Removing 2 panels actually increased output by over 200 watts.

 

[winston]

So Doing a little research on on different solar solutions for the house. I am also searching the forum here for what folks have recommended as we have not really had a good listing of the vendors out there and pitfalls with each one.

I am looking at 3 systems separate in total. One for the shed. One for the main entertainment center, and one for the well house. I was also looking at expanding the well house a later point.


Please note I am doing bland links with no tracking cookies in the URL.

So far on the forum these sites have been recommended:
EcoFlow US (medium to small sized system)

Jackery Best Solar Generator, Portable Power Station & Solar Panels (looks to be a smaller mobile/RV camping type setup)

Home Sol-Ark Sol-Ark - https://www.sol-ark.com/ (appears to be a large to small home setup, but they push installers)

Portable Power Stations, Solar Generators & Home Backup | Goal Zero (this is more a backpacking type company)

This is one recommended by marfooglenews on youtube

Inergy Technologies - Power For Life

Solar powered generators, portable solar panels and solar accessories for off-grid living to power all of your electric devices.

inergytek.com

These are what I can find on google searches doing various phrasologies...

Find your energy freedom, DIY off grid solar system | Renogy (smaller rated systems builder it appears)

SunWatts - Solar kits, solar panels, home storage batteries (looks like a diy setup but seems pricier)

Solar Generator Kits (looks like they sell kits to individuals)

GoGreenSolar.com (pushes using an installer or distributor model)

ECO-WORTHY: Solar Panel Kits & Lithium Battery &DIY Solar Power System (looks like they sell kits)

Solar Panels • Solar Panels For Sale For Your Home & Business (looks like they sell kits ok pricing on some options)

Solar Panel Kits - DIY - Grid-Tie - Off-Grid - Backup Power Systems | Blue Pacific Solar (looks a little pricy but I think the fees include installation)

Off Grid Power Products – TheInverterStore (news site for solar stuff)

Solar Generators | Murray, UT | Be Prepared Solar (more of a mobile solar setup?)

Powering your home, your business, your world. (Generac is a household brand for power and this pushes installers)

Home Solar Panels, Commercial & Utility-Scale Solar Solutions | SunPower (pushes installers)

These are outfits local to my AO:

Providing Energy Audits and Solar Energy Solutions for Tennessee Residential and Commercial Applications

Specializing in Home Energy Audits, Solar Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal Energy installations in Tennessee.

arrtn.com

Solar Sale USA – Affordable Solar Energy Is Here

www.solarsaleusa.com

Solar Panel Installation in Knoxville | Get a Local Quote

Looking for a professional solar panel installation service in Knoxville? We offer reliable solar solutions for your home or business at a great rate.

www.solar-knoxville.com

GES Solar - Home

Welcome to GES Solar, the new name of Green Earth Solar! The same company, same quality, and the same people. We are the premier solar energy company and one of the oldest firms in the Southeast specializing in solar (PV) electric systems. We provide turnkey solar installation services in the...

www.gessolar.net

Home | AEG National

www.aegnational.com

Solar Alliance | Commercial & Residential Solar Company

Solar Alliance is your engineering, procurement and construction source for solar projects on every scale - from large commercial installations to Sunbox residential. Click here to learn about our services.

www.solaralliance.com

Solar PV & Energy Storage Solutions in Tennessee | LightWave Solar

LightWave Solar is a trusted solar contractor for turnkey solar installations in Tennessee, Kentucky and beyond. Book your solar project consultation today.

lightwavesolar.com

So far I have determined that a power station for the home entertainment setup will be a best option there.

The real question I have is for the well system as I need 220 for the well pump without chaing the pump out to some sort of hybrid pump. But I also need 120 for the sand filter, uv prufication unit and heat lamps when it is cold. I will probably need to hook up my kill a watt meter and see what the true draw overtime is.

For the shed I could be ok with a 1k or 2k setup just to provide power to the freezer as my power outages are no more than an hour every once in a while.

A great resource is Scott Hunt (aka Engineer775) practical prepper.com

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

Given everything going on, this might be worth a bump...

 

[Knoxville's Joker]

OK been toying with things more. The key component is an automatic transfer switch then a charge controller and then inverter to run stuff off batteries. The trick is to find parts that all play nice and are cheap to replace...

 

[Thinwater]

FWIW, I am building a small system that uses no battery or charge controller. Inverter use is optional. This is for daytime use only.

A 25 amp 36-48v DC to 12v DC step down regulator will be hooked to two panels and used to feed several cigarette lighter style plugs and a couple of class 3 USB plugs.

A small, under 300 watt, inverter can be plugged in to the lighter ports. the USB ports and or lighter port can be used to charge radios, flashlights, phones, computers ets ..

The step down regulators are used on golf cars to step down 48 volts to 12 volts for the lights and accessories so they are robust.

I have several ways of making power and cooking in grid down situations. I have three types of solar stoves/coolers, rocket stoves, gas and diesel generators, grills, etc.. I bought about a dozen used 250 watt panels over the last few years for under $40 each and have bigger inverters and batteries for them. The new system is a stand alone back up.

I ordered the parts a few days ago and I should have them from Amazon tomorrow.

I will post pictures and details if there is any interest.

 

[jward]

Thanks for bringing us such useful content/threads!
I'll be "bookmarking" it (top right of my screen).

Do one handed saws and cistern systems next, please