Off Grid system overview. Heat Geeks.

[TeeDee]

Useful video offered for Tongue in cheek viewing but for those looking into off grid energy storage looking at options out there.

My house is pretty rural and gets a uncomfortable amount of black outs. Definitely thinking about Solar and Batteries.

 

[Stew]

I like Adam's stuff - I'll watch the video a bit later on.

On a similar vein, I watched this yesterday. I've heard of people making powerwalls from reused batteries before but never looked into it. It's interesting to see how much work was involved. Buying a battery doesn't seem so bad.....

 

[nigelp]

…….

 

[Chris]

I like Adam's stuff - I'll watch the video a bit later on.

On a similar vein, I watched this yesterday. I've heard of people making powerwalls from reused batteries before but never looked into it. It's interesting to see how much work was involved. Buying a battery doesn't seem so bad.....

Good grief, his home insurance must cost a fortune!

 

[Stew]

Good grief, his home insurance must cost a fortune!

You optomist!

I doubt the insurers know about it.

 

[Glow_worm]

It's almost as if people aren't aware just how cheap good quality solar and lithium have become recently. A 16kWh lithium battery is now £2K from Fogstar, with A grade LiFePO4 cells (as opposed to Li-ion, inferno waiting to happen) and a good quality BMS. Twenty year life expectency.

410W solar panels £55 apiece.

Add good quality Victron inverters to suit your loads, or create 3 phase if you need it...

And stick it all in a soundproof outbuilding in the garden along with an ex-lighting tower generator for instant power if you need it.

 

[Stew]

My house is pretty rural and gets a uncomfortable amount of black outs. Definitely thinking about Solar and Batteries.

Do you have ground space? The thing holding me off solar right now is sorting the roof load, mountings, etc.

I'm actually tempted to put some old panels on my shed roof, even though it tilts the wrong way.

 

[Glow_worm]

Bizarrely more than a couple of smaller ground mount panels need planning permission. Not an issue if you stick them on the roof of a battery/generator shed... And of course no planning needed if they are mounted on an old trailer...

It's frightening however just how little direct sunlight hours most areas of most gardens get for a big chunk of the year- needs observing closely. House roof is best if it's oriented vaguely correctly in that respect.

 

[TeeDee]

Do you have ground space? The thing holding me off solar right now is sorting the roof load, mountings, etc.

I'm actually tempted to put some old panels on my shed roof, even though it tilts the wrong way.

I've got lots and lots of south facing roof space.
Just need to figure out the best way to
A) Collect
B) Store it

 

[Glow_worm]

Solar 'prepping' thoughts I doubt many prepping content creators consider-

The cheapest way of doing solar is usually buying an all in one inverter/solar charge controller/mains and generator charger. When it fails you have nothing.

Having a separate inverter and solar charge controller(s) mean that if the solar charge controller goes down, you can still charge via mains or generator. If the inverter goes down, you can still charge the batteries by solar, and via generator if you have an appropriate charger you can hook up. You did fit a 48 to 12v converter didn't you, and gave the house some low voltage lighting/phone charging/tool charging for this very scenario....?

Battery banks can be designed with resilience, rather one big battery with one BMS board, break it up so a failure only takes out a percentage.

From an apocalyptic perspective, the portable power station thingies are the ultimate in vulnerability, one component failure and the whole thing is useless. A source of spare Li-ion cells for power tools I suppose.



And the ultimate disaster proof rig? An old Lister diesel startomatic, charging a couple of lead acids and halogen bulbs for lighting. No electronics, EMP proof. And you'll be laughing when the BMS boards and inverters all shut down/short circuit the batteries they are attached to when their manufacturers send out the signal to destroy

 

[demented dale]

It's almost as if people aren't aware just how cheap good quality solar and lithium have become recently. A 16kWh lithium battery is now £2K from Fogstar, with A grade LiFePO4 cells (as opposed to Li-ion, inferno waiting to happen) and a good quality BMS. Twenty year life expectency.

410W solar panels £55 apiece.

Add good quality Victron inverters to suit your loads, or create 3 phase if you need it...

And stick it all in a soundproof outbuilding in the garden along with an ex-lighting tower generator for instant power if you need it.

What are the invertors please. I am looking out for one but learning more before I buy x

 

[Nice65]

410W solar panels £55 apiece.

£55 sounds alright. I'd really like to upgrade the panel on the roof of my camper. The seller said it's a 200W, I'd guess without getting up there it's about 4' x 3'. The mountings might need changing but the rest of the system is fine, I have an AGM leisure battery to catch the power generated but a couple of dull days and the fridge drains it.

Would you have a link or a name I can look up?

 

[Glow_worm]

What are the invertors please. I am looking out for one but learning more before I buy x

I'm heavily biased but wouldn't mess about with anything other than Victron from my experience. There are models which are simply inverters, and some with built in chargers so you can charge lithium or lead acid batteries from a generator or mains.

They are well built, heavy inverters which are actually a hybrid of high frequency (low idle power consumption) and low frequency (long life, ability to provide high startup currents to motors etc). They are used in constant service in industry and domestic setups, whether that is a house, van, canal or sailing boat etc. All that does come with a price.

Then there's the cheap stuff for hobby use, half the price or less, which may or may not last much longer than the warranty period. High frequency so not as durable, fantastic continuous power ratings for the price but probably not wise to draw anything like that regularly. If it's only for occasional use it will do the job- plenty of motorhomes and leisure boats get by with cheap inverters.

 

[Glow_worm]

Would you have a link or a name I can look up?

Bimble Solar just south of Lewes is a good start, their stock changes fairly regularly and there is often a lot more choice than currently.

It's also worth looking on ebay for any localish businesses which may be selling on leftovers or oddments.

 

[Nice65]

Bimble Solar just south of Lewes is a good start, their stock changes fairly regularly and there is often a lot more choice than currently.

It's also worth looking on ebay for any localish businesses which may be selling on leftovers or oddments.

Thanks, I’m just along from there, Petworth.

I’ve been planning a Lewes visit for a while after learning some of its deep history.

 

[Glow_worm]

I've been there a couple of times to collect things in person... timed with bonfire night, which is like nothing else!

 

[lou1661]

These guys have been very informative too. Especially with vehicle based systems.
Sunstore

Louis

 

[demented dale]

I'm heavily biased but wouldn't mess about with anything other than Victron from my experience. There are models which are simply inverters, and some with built in chargers so you can charge lithium or lead acid batteries from a generator or mains.

They are well built, heavy inverters which are actually a hybrid of high frequency (low idle power consumption) and low frequency (long life, ability to provide high startup currents to motors etc). They are used in constant service in industry and domestic setups, whether that is a house, van, canal or sailing boat etc. All that does come with a price.

Then there's the cheap stuff for hobby use, half the price or less, which may or may not last much longer than the warranty period. High frequency so not as durable, fantastic continuous power ratings for the price but probably not wise to draw anything like that regularly. If it's only for occasional use it will do the job- plenty of motorhomes and leisure boats get by with cheap inverters.

thanks for all that. i want an invertor for a 1600 watt corded chainsaw. what would you get ? xxxx