Solar panel a feasible solution for Off-grid cabin?

tayjor
tayjor Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭
edited September 2015 in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
I own a small off-grid cabin a little away from the city area. I don’t use it much, but once every few months I like to stay there for a few days. I have a few LCD lights, a small TV, a laptop, a microwave oven and chargers for my iPhone and iPad. Currently, I use a couple of staticon UPS which I take with me every time I go there. I am thinking about getting a more convenient solution like a solar power system to run the cabin. But is it a feasible solution? How many of you have used solar power to efficiently power a small off-grid cabin or similar places? Any advice on the matter?
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  • Mountain Don
    Mountain Don Solar Expert Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Yes. It is done.  How many $$ in the budget?  And how many things do you need to power?  Things like microwaves take a big jolt, but for short times. Perhaps use as much power or more, than a few LED lights and phone / computer charger.  To decide you need to list the items that need power, how many watts or amps and for how long. Then battery size can be determined and then PV panel capacity. Where you are makes a big difference in available solar energy. 
    Northern NM, 624 watts PV, The Kid CC, GC-2 batteries @ 24 VDC, Outback VFX3524M
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Is this strictly a dollars and cents issue or is it quiet you want at night?  if the former, your present setup is a reasonable one, or you could get a small 1000W inverter genset, very quiet... and cheap to run. Solar is also feasible but will cost a fair bit more and has to be planned out carefully, mind you , you came to the right place...
     
    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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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #4
    My suggestion would be a small solar power system that would power lights, charge cell phones/tablets/run a radio/etc. over night... And use a Honda eu2000i (or smaller eu1000i) for larger/random loads (filling a water tank, running tools during the day, etc.).

    Solar+batteries are difficult to justify when rarely used (batteries still age, need servicing with water--if flooded cell--will last 3-5 years for inexpensive golf cart batteries).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • MarkC
    MarkC Solar Expert Posts: 212 ✭✭✭
    #5
    My experience has been that a golf cart (48 volt) modified for off-road travel is simply the best to keep a (relatively) small battery system exercised, active and long-lived (going on 5 years for my original set and they keep up with a new spare set of Trojans in parallel configuration when "off-grid").  They will probably fail tomorrow now that I've bragged on them.  The electric cart does not stink like the gas powered and can sneak up on the wildlife.

    I use the inverter section of an APC UPS for my "off-grid" system powered by the two sets of batteries.

    3850 watts - 14 - 275SW SolarWorld Panels, 4000 TL-US SMA Sunny Boy Grid tied inverter.  2760 Watts - 8 - 345XL Solar World Panels, 3000 TL-US SMA Sunny Boy GT inverter.   3000 watts SMA/SPS power.  PV "switchable" to MidNite Classic 250ks based charging of Golf cart + spare battery array of 8 - 155 AH 12V Trojans with an  APC SMT3000 - 48 volt DC=>120 Volt AC inverter for emergency off-grid.   Also, "PriUPS" backup generator with APC SURT6000/SURT003  => 192 volt DC/240 volt split phase AC inverter.  
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    With an off-grid system, is it better to charge a golf cart with the 240VAC power & a charger, or use a MPPT to charge from the DC bus?

    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • MarkC
    MarkC Solar Expert Posts: 212 ✭✭✭
    #7
    mike95490 said:
    With an off-grid system, is it better to charge a golf cart with the 240VAC power & a charger, or use a MPPT to charge from the DC bus?


    My cart batteries (going on 5 years) have always been charged by the OEM "smart" charger (120V AC, 15 amp DC max).  Recently I've used a 48 volt Granite digital (50 watt) if I am away for several weeks.  It claims "desulfation" capabilities, but have no proof that it is needed nor that it actually does any good.   IMO, a good MPPT charger for any extended "off-grid" use will be the best to maximize both battery conditioning and battery charge/usage cycles.  Only because my panels are configured for on-grid, and I don't currently have a MPPT CC, then out of necessity will I use the SMA SPS to power the OEM charger to keep the cart batteries (and spare set) charged.
    3850 watts - 14 - 275SW SolarWorld Panels, 4000 TL-US SMA Sunny Boy Grid tied inverter.  2760 Watts - 8 - 345XL Solar World Panels, 3000 TL-US SMA Sunny Boy GT inverter.   3000 watts SMA/SPS power.  PV "switchable" to MidNite Classic 250ks based charging of Golf cart + spare battery array of 8 - 155 AH 12V Trojans with an  APC SMT3000 - 48 volt DC=>120 Volt AC inverter for emergency off-grid.   Also, "PriUPS" backup generator with APC SURT6000/SURT003  => 192 volt DC/240 volt split phase AC inverter.  
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