Going off grid

wellbuilt

wellbuilt

Off grid  
 I thought I would post some pics . 
 You guys have been a big help so far . 
My small trailer has been run on 205 watt s of solar until this past thanksgiving . 
 Now I will need to add some power to the house ?  I'm going to need some help .
 My thoughts are , I need to run a samsung frig washer dryer and 200 wats of lighting radio/ tv all at once . 
 I could run with a genarator thru a inverter . 
 I was thinking a samalex 24 volt 2200 watt inverter charger. 
 Would this inverter work , for me ?

wellbuilt

This load would be my max out put needed . 
 Most of the time it would just be the frig and   Lights ,tv , phone / iPad charges some type of sataliteTV . 
 Well will be pumped with a genarator to a tank .

BB.

Do you think you can run on ~3,300 WH (3.3 kWH) per day? That would be pretty much a "near normal" electric life (with lots of conservation).

Where is the installation (roughly)--For amount of sun?

And, are you willing to cut trees/have a clear spot for open sun within walking distance?

-Bill

wellbuilt

Hi bill good to here from you again . 
 I am between   Binghamton and Albany ny  at around 2800'  the house roof is dead south , 
 and there are no trees to speak of . 
 I have sun from 8 to 430 in December  the roof is at 40 o now .
 The house is on the top of a  Mountain ridge , running north and south so there a few trees higher then the roof line. 
 Faceing south there are some trees but I don't think they shade the roof at all . 
Our last days there , we where stuck in a blizzard it snowed 5 days nonstop . 
 I think we burnt up the genarator or charger or both? Any way it was dead and left the trailer for the season with low battery's 12.4 volts . 
 The power  Company is giving me the run around , every time they call me they change the price of the grid tie . 
 This will be a fishing/ hunting camp for 10 years and won't need much power at all . 
 When Wilfey and I move there I will need more  power . 
 I would like to run on minimum battery's and max solar panels I think ? 
 Thank for the reply in advance .
 

wellbuilt

wellbuilt

Few more picks 

Estragon

Is the dryer electric or propane?

wellbuilt

Propane dryer . I would be good with just hanging wet items under the porch  there is 160' of it to work with , but wilfey won't want to do that . 
 It seems like a no Brainer , I'm thinking washing , drying , dish washing microwaving could all happen with the genarator  in the am for a hour and a half or so but would want to have it on a transfer switch thru the inverter . 
 I think the only thingsthat need to run together are frig washer and dryer. 
 The microwave and dish washer 

Estragon

The inverter you suggested has transfer switch built in so you're good there. Power should be okay if you are running the laundry and microwave on the generator. Depending on the microwave and the starting current on the fridge, you should be able to get away with running both off battery/solar.

Hard to tell from the pics where you plan to locate panels. It does look like a lot of trees that could be a problem in winter.

westbranch

it only takes a small branch about 1/2 inch in diameter or less to seriously drop the panel output to 50% or less!

wellbuilt

Estr I was thinking I would place the panels on the roof on  either side of the chiminy a foot from the top on pic # 3 above my son . 
 I did shoot a 47o angel off the bottom edge of the roof and I looked clear with out cutting any trees at all . 
 I have cut some trees since the pic. 
 The roof is 42' end to end . 
 In pic 3 &5 it is just before dark 515 in mid November . 
 The pic looks funny because I'm in the clouds .
  WB  I don't think there will be any branches blocking the panels from 9am till 4 pm . 
i do have 2 areas on the other side of the house for a ground mount system . 
 What do you guys think about roof mount vs ground mount ? 

westbranch

I see snow.... how much do you get?  enough to cover panels on the roof?  you would need a roof walkway too be safe...

Son?   oh the guy laying on the roof, is that close to the pitch you want to put panels on? 8 in 12?

wellbuilt

I'm thinking the panels will go on the main roof 9 1/4 on 12. I wanted a 10 pitch but the house ended up wider then planed and I already had the lumber. 
 The lower roof is a 6 pitch . 
Yes yes there is some snow about 3' in drifts 
But it's so windy the snow blows off the roof I guess that is a good thing  . Will the snow slide off a 91/4 pitch ?
this storm was in November  the pic with open framing was sept 28 the it only snows up on the  Mountain .

westbranch

Will the snow slide off a 91/4 pitch ?

Not a shingle or duroid roof...

I've got a steel roof  6/12... and it sounds like an avalanche when it goes! only place it hangs is on the snow guards, keeps it from coming down on the small roofs over the side entries....  we get Chinooks all year and  in the winter they usually come after a 2 foot dump and does that snow slide  once you warm the place up... it can go from -30 F to + 40 F in a matter of hours, and then back down almost as fast... life at the interior end  of a coastal fjord...    

wellbuilt

I was thinking the wind will blow the snow off pretty clear and the sun would melt the panels on a sunny day .
 Would it be better to ground mount the panels? 
 I could make a rack easy enough . 

westbranch

what angle do you need for your location?

wellbuilt

I think 47o winter 

wellbuilt

Just looked around on the net and ny is 16 summer 54 winte

westbranch

If my memory is right , you are S of the Canadian border, Yes?? and the part across the praries is the 49 th parallel... and Albany is ~42.6*
that 54* seems a bit steep....  are those your minimum/maximum angles?

wellbuilt

I am SW  of Albany  16 54 min max   I'm at 45.2 sounds write

Estragon

It depends on what kind of snow. Cold snow would likely blow or slide mostly off. As long as some panel is showing the sun hitting the panels will usually take care of the rest even in very cold temps.

If the snow is warmer it can stick to panels and then freeze to form a blocking and insulating layer that stops any sun from hitting panels. It then has to be scaped off. My panels are at 65-70° and I cleared 8-10" off when I went to check the place in Jan.

wellbuilt

There are a ton of houses where I live full time that have solar panels. 
 3 years ago it was cold and snowy and the panels that where 4 pitch had snow cover and at around 6 pitch the snow slid off ?  I don't think it that big a deal to run a genarator for a month or 2 if there is no sun .

Dave Angelini

Build a good ground mount and locate it somewhere where you can clear for zero shading 365 days a year.
If you are going to rely on your safety and the safety of your roof offgrid, never put solar on a roof !
You can use a high voltage charge controller and locate the array, or multiple arrays quite a way from the house.
This will also save the shading for your house. Good Luck!

softdown

wellbuilt said:

Just looked around on the net and ny is 16 summer 54 winte

Ideal slopes for solar production? Seems like it would be closer to 60 winter and 30 summer.

Winters bring short, cloudy days. I recommend orientating panels towards optimal winter production. At least 50 degrees....steep.

I went with 45 in S. Colorado.....good decision.

wellbuilt

 Ok so I'm going to mount my panel on the ground. 
How far can I run with my wire ? I was thinking of using a classic 150 charge controler.
 But it seems very easy to roof mount the panels, Dave you mention it's not safe to have solar panels on the roof of a house , why is that every one in my area is roof mounting grid tie systems? I'm just try ing to learn .

Estragon

A couple of reasons to consider ground mounts:
1. Maintenance. You will need to be able to safely access the panels to clear snow, bird bombs, etc.
2. If you need to repair or replace the roof you may need to remove and reinstall panels and mounts. Panels might last 25 years or more. Roofs often don't.

Wire distance depends on panel specs and configuration, and on wire size. More current and longer distances need bigger wire. Roughly how far are you thinking of?

Dave Angelini

It is not safe for you to go up there  and clear snow on a good solar day. I do not like solar up there because it does not make your roof stronger, it is a source of bringing lightning into your home, solar impedes the job a fireman has to do.

I would only consider the Morningstar HV controller or the Schneider Electric. They are 600vdc and give you options on changing things as you grow. I often go a couple thousand feet if I have to. I also would say to pick one company for the whole system for ease of others and yourself. You are welcome to e-mail me. One last from me, you said "if I have to run a generator for months", you will in that location so I would do everything you can to virtual track the solar or electrically track the sun. This is really important if you have cooling loads in summer. Electrical tracking is also a push of a switch to clear snow

Nice Home BTW!

wellbuilt

I hear where you are coming from Dave , my roof is built for heavy snow load and we clear snow off roofs all the time here but I hate lightning  being a sailer .
 I can mount panels in 2 areas one is 300' from the box the other is 350 , 
 I could mount panels on a trailer or skid so I can move them around wail working. 
 I do worry about people robbing the stuff over the winter.
 They shot up my trailer last year , but I think the locals are starting to like me

mike95490

 They shot up my trailer last year , but I think the locals are starting to like me

Wow.  I'd say either move in full time, or lock it all up indoors.

westbranch

Softdown,  just read this piece of history...https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-fed-went-from-lender-last-resort-destroyer-american-booth?trk=eml-email_feed_ecosystem_digest_01-hero-0-null&midToken=AQH3t79vAHtEKQ&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=3O_zSmHvbpknE1

An eye opener!