Envy me

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Cariboocoot
Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Today when I turned on the septic pump the panels put out 25+ Amps @ 25+ Volts. That's 625 Watts from 700 Watts of panel, or 89% efficiency.

Either the thin air of 3200 feet is doing great things for power output, or it's causing me to hallucinate about readings. :p
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  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Envy me
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Either the thin air of 3200 feet is doing great things for power output, or it's causing me to hallucinate about readings. :p

    Maybe the edge of the cloud was no hallucination:cool: --vtzMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
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  • The Only Sarge
    The Only Sarge Solar Expert Posts: 164 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Envy me

    Now wait a minute...I was just reading SunQueens post on another forum...here I quote
    SunQueen wrote:
    OK you have made some rather significant erros in your calculations which will bite you in the wallet later.

    Fist huge error is you have assumed 72% efficiency. That is not possible with off-grid battery systems. At ver best with a PWM controller the best you can obtain is 50%, and only 66% with MPPT.

    LOL.....Good for you...every once in a while mine will spit out great numbers....
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Envy me
    vtmaps wrote: »
    Maybe the edge of the cloud was no hallucination:cool: --vtzMaps

    Had one of those events Wednesday: 740 Watts from 700 Watts of panel. Briefly. Very briefly. :D
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Envy me
    The Only Sarge wrote: »
    Now wait a minute...I was just reading SunQueens post on another forum...here I quote


    LOL.....Good for you...every once in a while mine will spit out great numbers....

    Darn it! Next he'll be telling us perpetual motion isn't possible either. Which means he's never met my dog.
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  • The Only Sarge
    The Only Sarge Solar Expert Posts: 164 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: Envy me

    Or my Grandsons.......Are your panels in series?
    I am in the process of "upgrading" my 1000 watts from 12v to 24v. My Xantrex C60 can handle it but I have to get a new inverter. Got a deal on brand new Trojan batteries direct from Trojan (T105-RE on my doorstep w/warranty for $130 each) that prompted this. I am looking at the Samlex but am confused if the GFCI is integrated or like my existing Xantrex 1000 that I just changed out the GFCI plug with a regular non GFCi plug. I have multiple GFCI plugs downstream and they do not play well together.
    Anyway....I am not sure of expectations of wiring my existing 8 12v panels in series/parallel to go with the Xantrex controller requirements of batteries and panels being the same. Just doing it.

    I do have a question come to think of it.
    So I have 4 of these Trojan 225 amp RE batteries. I understand in series I have 24volts and 225 amps. But for charging purposes I have 225X4=900 amps right? So my (approximately 56 amps of PV would be around 6%-7%. Am I thinking this right Coot?
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: Envy me

    Sarge, the Samlex/Cotek ST series are hard wire models with NO GFCI..
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #8
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    Re: Envy me
    The Only Sarge wrote: »
    Or my Grandsons.......Are your panels in series?
    I am in the process of "upgrading" my 1000 watts from 12v to 24v. My Xantrex C60 can handle it but I have to get a new inverter. Got a deal on brand new Trojan batteries direct from Trojan (T105-RE on my doorstep w/warranty for $130 each) that prompted this. I am looking at the Samlex but am confused if the GFCI is integrated or like my existing Xantrex 1000 that I just changed out the GFCI plug with a regular non GFCi plug. I have multiple GFCI plugs downstream and they do not play well together.
    Anyway....I am not sure of expectations of wiring my existing 8 12v panels in series/parallel to go with the Xantrex controller requirements of batteries and panels being the same. Just doing it.

    I do have a question come to think of it.
    So I have 4 of these Trojan 225 amp RE batteries. I understand in series I have 24volts and 225 amps. But for charging purposes I have 225X4=900 amps right? So my (approximately 56 amps of PV would be around 6%-7%. Am I thinking this right Coot?

    Uh, nope. You put four 225 Amp hour 6 Volt batteries in series you get 225 Amp hours @ 24 Volts. You'd charge them around 22 Amps peak current, but on the 24 Volt charging scale. What you're probably thinking of is the DC Watt hour capacity, which is 5400 of which up to half is "usable". It's be the same if you had them series/parallel on 12 Volts for 450 Amp hours.

    My panels, btw, are "24 Volt" (actual Vmp 35) and connected in series/parallel for a "48 Volt" array on the 24 Volt system. It works well. Too many panels in series up here and the Voc will soon exceed the input max of the controller!
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  • The Only Sarge
    The Only Sarge Solar Expert Posts: 164 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #9
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    Re: Envy me

    Thanks WestBranch....Just looked it up and that fits the bill much better.
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  • The Only Sarge
    The Only Sarge Solar Expert Posts: 164 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #10
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    Re: Envy me
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Uh, nope. You put four 225 Amp hour 6 Volt batteries in series you get 225 Amp hours @ 24 Volts. You'd charge them around 22 Amps peak current, but on the 24 Volt charging scale. What you're probably thinking of is the DC Watt hour capacity, which is 5400 of which up to half is "usable". It's be the same if you had them series/parallel on 12 Volts for 450 Amp hours.

    My panels, btw, are "24 Volt" (actual Vmp 35) and connected in series/parallel for a "48 Volt" array on the 24 Volt system. It works well. Too many panels in series up here and the Voc will soon exceed the input max of the controller!
    Now dont be making fun of me here Coot....the comedy tour I just got back from was brutal.

    OK thanks...that makes sense....Mebbe I'll get the L16's @350amps. I was just sensitive to not having enough PV to properly charge....
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #11
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    Re: Envy me

    Way to go Carriboocoot !
    Few times with cloud-edge happening, I've seen 900 watts from my 1000 watts panels, but it's common to see 800 or more with clear sky and bright sun, as long as I have some load that needs it. Otherwise the controller is usually in float due to the hydro floating the load. Have to make a point of using the microwave or some such to cycle the batteries a bit. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be where I am with this off grid system. One of these days I'm going to try the mini split when the sun is shining, who knows, if I don't push it too hard I might get free air conditioning this summer, at least while the sun is shining. The mini split is the only thing still on grid. Main use is heating when it's not cold enough for the wood stove.
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  • offgrid me
    offgrid me Solar Expert Posts: 119 ✭✭
    #12
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    Re: Envy me

    I have had 102% of stc out of my panels, and regularly see 3800w when the batteries are a little low. Got to love one 20 panel string running 440v 150ft with almost no loss :cool:
    Ned
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  • ywhic
    ywhic Solar Expert Posts: 621 ✭✭
    #13
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    Re: Envy me

    Wow.. I want to grow up and get lucky with my incoming panels..

    Seriously.. good for you..
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #14
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    Re: Envy me
    ywhic wrote: »
    Wow.. I want to grow up and get lucky with my incoming panels..

    Seriously.. good for you..

    First you must climb the mountain, grasshopper. :D
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  • Eric L
    Eric L Solar Expert Posts: 262 ✭✭
    #15
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    Re: Envy me
    I have had 102% of stc out of my panels, and regularly see 3800w when the batteries are a little low. Got to love one 20 panel string running 440v 150ft with almost no loss

    I've also seen above STC at my controllers with Evergreen panels. But, they're still new and I expect that number to slowly fall. Still cool though.

    Slightly different, but I'm now running two window A/C units as an opportunity load as it heats up down here in Alabama, and while the panel output is down in the heat, I've recorded over 15 kWh daily production several times in the last two weeks with full sun and 4.1 kW of panels (thanks to the A/C units running much of the day, which nearly double my usual production numbers). I know that 3.6 times STC in daily kWh production is no big deal for the grid-tie systems, but for a battery-based rig I'm pretty pleased.
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  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭✭
    #16
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    Re: Envy me

    Wayne:
    " when it's not cold enough for the wood stove."

    Please tell me when this is. June 1st and I put a fire on today. Outside temp only 12c. In March it was 30c! The freezes in April decimated the blackfly and mosquitoe populations, which everyone around here appreciates.

    My 10kw array peaks and is clipped in production at 10.333 or so (when conditions are right). The home use system of 2.1kw will hit 2.4kw on a cold day, high noon in March. Love those days.

    Ralph
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #17
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    Re: Envy me

    Ralph;

    It's those killing frosts in August that really annoy, eh? Last Summer was psychotic here! This one is no better: a few days ago I drove through a hail storm. Before that it was 25C. Yesterday the panels hit their fantastic 89%, today the generator is running because they're only putting out 32 Watts: that's 4.5%. The sky is solid rain (this is because of the roofing project of course).

    Of course if I just add 14,700 Watts more panel even the cloudy days won't be a problem. :roll:
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