My $75 DIY combiner and DC breaker box...

TucsonAZ
TucsonAZ Solar Expert Posts: 139 ✭✭
In the spirit of off-grid/up-cycling/tiny houses I just figured I would share my DIY combiner/DC breaker box with you guys. After shipping, the din rail box and the 6 CBI 15A breakers as well as the bus bar my total cost is still under $75 total. Since this will be in my main living space, I wanted something that wasn't industrial looking and feel this will serve my needs well.

Attachment not found.

Comments

  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: My $75 DIY combiner and DC breaker box...

    OK, looks good, but what brand is it?
     
    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
  • TucsonAZ
    TucsonAZ Solar Expert Posts: 139 ✭✭
    Re: My $75 DIY combiner and DC breaker box...

    The box is Iboco, the breakers are CBI (same as MidNite but with a 125v rating) and the busbar I used for the combiner breakers is MidNite which I ordered from NAWS.
  • zoneblue
    zoneblue Solar Expert Posts: 1,220 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: My $75 DIY combiner and DC breaker box...

    Creative solution, and you got a good price on those breakers. Im not sure whether that says something about midnite/outback's markup on those products, or whether you got some kind of surplus/cancelled order type line.

    Is that box plastic? In NZ/AU metal breaker boxes for AC are rapidly becoming extinct. Metal conduit is now more or less outlawed, electricians are required to remove it where it it is encountered. Metal outlet boxes, are als no longer used. Plastic reduces the the earthing requirement i guess. However we were required to use metal load centers in a complex where the boxes were located under a stairway.

    For DC applications though i would still use metal boxes. Greater currents, occasional bad connection heating, DC series and parallel arc potential etc all provide cause to warrant a secondary line of defence from overheat events. In an ideal world DC metal boxes would then be attached to a non flamable surface. However my observation is that the industry does use alot of ply backboards nevertheless.
    1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
    http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar


  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: My $75 DIY combiner and DC breaker box...

    I'm not sure what the situation is, likely new code will not allow polarized breakers, so people are selling out of the old polarized type. I think I read that over at Midnite's forum last year. I haven't seen Midnite trying to sell out though.

    Thanks to the poster I checked into the CBI breakers and picked up a dozen 15amp and an older twin din rail twin combiner box from Outback off Ebay for under $150 total, so I can switch to breakers instead of my fuse box. I needed another combiner box so this worked out well.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.