3 months no grid power, you all saved me

H_G
H_G Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭✭
How could I ever thank you guys...
Probably a little over a year ago I joined your fantastic site, explained I was disabled, in Puerto Rico, asking for guidance building my first solar system and yada-yada-yada.
A couple of very knowledgeable members explained and answered questions specific to a 400 watt system I was putting together, and it turned out so good that I built a second one. Back then, I believe it was Bill who also advised me to buy an inverter generator and I replied I already owned two little Chinese made ones.
Well, time went by and all I ever did was turn them on once a week to only charge and keep my new batteries new, I never really used them until hurricane Maria devastated this island.
By now I had learned Bill was right and I had also stashed an inverter generator with the other preps.
Long story short, once I used up the over 20 gallons of gas I had stored I was running only on solar for five days. There was no gas first and then the lines were something Puig a zombie movie, being disabled I stayed home.
Those five days and every other sunny day on the west coast of PR, this lucky and thankful guy was able to have ice, regular food and entertainment for himself and his elderly mother. That is priceless folks and I owe it to you all.
I'm happy to report that by closely monitoring the voltage I was able to make it through with both battery banks still holding steady at 12.7 volts for a week when I run two individual a/c battery chargers I also bought.
If you guys knew the physical pain I'm constantly in, my neighborhood, my mom's condition and so forth, you would tell your wife's and family about the good deed you've done, it's a huge deal folks.
Everybody and their brothers are now selling similar small kits online for three times what I paid for these because you all helped me, again: Thanks a million guys.
I hope everyone is safe form the fires and everything else nature has thrown at us this year.
May God bless you and merry Christmas ‼️

Comments

  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's awesome, Glad to hear!
    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.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Wonderful
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • MrM1
    MrM1 Registered Users Posts: 487 ✭✭✭✭
    That is such a great story.  I was not a part of build assist as I was not at at that time a member here,   but I sure would help for any future questions you might have.  Hope you are doing well.
    REC TwinPeak 2 285W 3S-3P 2.6kW-STC / 1.9kW-NMOT Array / MN Solar Classic 150 / 2017 Conext SW 4024 Inverter latest firmware / OB PSX-240 Autotransfomer for load balancing / Trojan L16H-AC 435Ah bank 4S connected to Inverter with 7' of 4/0 cable / 24 volt system / Grid-Assist or Backup Solar Generator System Powering 3200Whs Daily / System went Online Oct 2017 / System, Pics and Discussion
  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    Bill, I am unable to locate the original thread

     
    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
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    If you click on a poster's name, and over on the right, there are Discussions (threads) and Comments (individual posts). For H_G:
    I have not reviewed all of H_G's threads (Discussions)--I think the details are scattered around in multiple discussions:

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    H-G can you please add a description of your system as it is now. to your signature line..
    For example, I saw that you were looking at an AIMS inverter and then there was Xantrex mentioned...  that way everybody, new and old,  will all be able to see just what worked for you.
    Good to know it worked as or better than planned.
     
    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
  • H_G
    H_G Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭✭
    I will real soon, my internet has gone intermittent again
  • H_G
    H_G Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭✭
    Well you guys, thanks again.
    Someone had asked what specific hardware got me through hurricane Maria on this now even more devastated island and here it is:
    4- 100 volt panels going into a morning star charge controller and into a 12 volt five Duracell Ultra battery set, each one being 225 amps.
    A 1500 / 3000 watt pure sine inverter sold by PowerTech-On is protected with everything needed.
    I also have an IOTA DLS 55 and Honda inverter generator.
    I built this slowly and keeping it as simple as possible without blowing anything up.
    Went on to build a second identical set but only with different batteries and a WindyNation PL 30 charge controller. Everything is from Amazon.
    My internet is still intermittent and power just went out again BUT, if anyone ever has the time to tell me how to make a better, simpler single system out of these two, I'd appreciate it even more.
    This community has extended the life of two responsible older adults that worked and now are dealing with chronic conditions.
    There's no way to thank you all, blessings
  • H_G
    H_G Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭✭
    edited January 2018 #10
    Almost forgot, used one system for a fridge that ran from 9:30 to 4:30 as long as it was sunny and that would leave me enough juice for a modem and a 10 watt led bulb overnight.
    The second system ran a 32" LCD tv plus fans as long as it was sunny.
    Neither system never really stored enough energy to use for long without sun. My batteries never went below 12.7 volt overnight. It also charged phones and tablets daily.
  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Good to hear it's working out. At 12.7v min overnight, your batteries are staying nearly full, and should last some time. Still, the batteries are likely to go before panels or electronics. When they do, it would simplify things by replacing them with a single bank, ideally with large enough batteries (eg 2v cells) to make a single series string of whatever capacity you need.

    In the meantime, I'd recommend checking individual battery voltages regularly (and specific gravity if they're flooded). Having lots of batteries in parallel can lead to some batteries losing capacity faster than others, which is difficult to detect by monitoring overall bank voltage alone. If caught early, these imbalances can be remediated to some extent by giving extra charging to the problem battery and/or changing the order of batteries in the bank wiring.
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter