Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin

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RSSfeed Registered Users Posts: 3,810 ✭✭
in Solar Energy News RSS Feed #1
body-off-grid-solar-cabin.jpg Gus Gomez is a retired university professor who lives with his wife in Tacoma, Washington.* The two spend several days out of the month at their remote cabin located on a 40-acre plot of farm land in Moses Lake, Washington. To power this stand-alone home, Gus Gomez recently purchased and installed an off-grid system. Distant from the basic amenitie

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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin
    RSSfeed wrote: »
    Gus Gomez is a retired university professor who lives with his wife in Tacoma, Washington.* The two spend several days out of the month at their remote cabin located on a 40-acre plot of farm land in Moses Lake, Washington. To power this stand-alone home, Gus Gomez recently purchased and installed an off-grid system. Distant from the basic amenitie

    With a great honking bank of GEL batteries. :-(

    Attachment not found.
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin

    Two comments:

    1). This is hardly news. :roll:
    2). If he'd asked a few questions on this forum first he'd have come out better. ;)
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin

    Will three panels even have a chance to keep that bank alive?
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin
    solar_dave wrote: »
    Will three panels even have a chance to keep that bank alive?

    I don't know the exact specs of the bank but off hand I'd say ... nope. Not a chance.

    EDIT: looked them up. 265 Amp hours @ 12 Volts ($600 each!) There's eight of them. If it's a 48 Volt system that's two parallel strings of four or 530 Amp hours @ 48 Volts.
    Gels don't like high current so figure 5% rate: 26.5 Amps @ 48 Volts = 1272 Watts or a 1650 Watt array.

    Three 235 Watt panels ain't gonna cut it.
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  • Dill
    Dill Solar Expert Posts: 170 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin

    it does say he plans to install 9 additional 245 watt panels. I hope he does it soon.
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  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    I don't know the exact specs of the bank but off hand I'd say ... nope. Not a chance.

    EDIT: looked them up. 265 Amp hours @ 12 Volts ($600 each!) There's eight of them. If it's a 48 Volt system that's two parallel strings of four or 530 Amp hours @ 48 Volts.
    Gels don't like high current so figure 5% rate: 26.5 Amps @ 48 Volts = 1272 Watts or a 1650 Watt array.

    Three 235 Watt panels ain't gonna cut it.

    But if he is only currently (no pun intended) there for a few days a month, the panels will have lots of time to catch up, and will at least be able to handle the self-discharge once they get to that point. However, the length of time spent below 80% SOC, assuming they are that far down at the end of the stay, could be sulfating them badly.
    It looks like the biggest load when the cabin is empty is the security cameras (and the internet to view them by?).
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin

    Ah the old "a big bank of batteries can be recharged from a small amount of panel given enough time" system.
    Doesn't work.
    If I just spent $600 each on eight batteries I'd want them recharged properly so they'd last a decade. Doubt that is going to happen with that set-up.
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  • SolaRevolution
    SolaRevolution Solar Expert Posts: 410 ✭✭
    #9
    Re: Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin

    Oops.

    Check out his battey wiring. He didn't corner tie the two strings. The lower string has an extra 10' of cable.
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  • tmarch
    tmarch Solar Expert Posts: 143 ✭✭
    #10
    Re: Off-Grid Solar Powers Remote Cabin

    And if he keeps wallowing around out there with shorts on he may need a snake bite kit soon.
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