Where Do I Start with Solar Panels and Storage Batteries?

WindChaser05 · April 8

I’m completely new to solar power and energy storage, and I’m thinking about installing some solar panels and a battery system for my home. I’m not really sure where to begin – there’s a lot of info out there and it’s a bit overwhelming. Any tips or stuff I should watch out for as a beginner? Thanks a ton!

BB. · April 11

You have to tell us a bit more about your needs... Where (do you have lots of sun, little shade), how much energy do you use in a day/month/etc. (kWatt*Hours), are you doing this to save money, are you doing this for emergency power, do you have the money (solar is not cheap), can you do this safely (solar, battery, wiring, etc. all can be sources of fire if not done correctly, if not done to code could cause your home insurance to not pay out on a claim, etc.)....

-Bill

WindChaser05 · April 15

BB. said:

You have to tell us a bit more about your needs... Where (do you have lots of sun, little shade), how much energy do you use in a day/month/etc. (kWatt*Hours), are you doing this to save money, are you doing this for emergency power, do you have the money (solar is not cheap), can you do this safely (solar, battery, wiring, etc. all can be sources of fire if not done correctly, if not done to code could cause your home insurance to not pay out on a claim, etc.)....

-Bill

Hey, thanks for getting back to me! I’ve got my solar panels already—four 400W panels, so 1600W total. Right now, I’m considering pick up a 51.2V 200Ah battery pack from Docan. Is this one: https://www.docanpower.com/china-stock/lifepo4-battery-pack/51-2v-200ah-230ah-10-11kwh-plug-play-lifepo4-battery-pack-wall-floor-mounted. I’ve checked out a few shops, and this one’s price feels like it fits my budget best. Could you take a peek and let me know if it’s a solid choice? Or, if you’ve got any other battery packs you’d recommend instead, I’m all ears. Appreciate your input!

JRHill · April 15

Does anyone think that technical capabilities are as important as they once were? It was a given you had to be a cross between an electrician and a programmer to manage an off grid system in times past. I don't think it's as much these days but instead having a system that someone can manage/operate in your absence.

Like turn key, hands off. It just works. Grid connected and off grid is a huge difference, in my opinion.

BB. · April 16

Everything works well if designed well--Until the day something dies or more is asked of the system (increased loads) than it can supply.

Regarding the battery bank... I suggest that you tell us more about your needs... How many Watt*Hours per day of energy do you need? Roughly where is the system located (nearest major city, etc.)?

And these are from China... I guess you are not in the USA--The tariffs will change the pricing dramatically (upwards of 145% tariff/tax).

-Bill

WindChaser05 · April 18

BB. said:

Everything works well if designed well--Until the day something dies or more is asked of the system (increased loads) than it can supply.

Regarding the battery bank... I suggest that you tell us more about your needs... How many Watt*Hours per day of energy do you need? Roughly where is the system located (nearest major city, etc.)?

And these are from China... I guess you are not in the USA--The tariffs will change the pricing dramatically (upwards of 145% tariff/tax).

-Bill

Thanks for getting back to me! Yeah, tariffs are definitely pushing prices up. I checked with Amy, and she said the batteries in their US warehouse haven’t gone up yet (though I hear they might after May 1st). So, I went ahead and grabbed a battery pack. Should be here soon—super excited!

MGar · April 25

This site has stock in USA: https://www.vatrerpower.com/

I got 2 100 amp ones a few weeks ago and well packaged

and all volts are good. (The rack mount one from Canada.)

You have a lot of research to do, like Bill asked everything is not

the same depends where you live and climate etc.

Do you want to run a power plant? And who installs it, repairs it?

In the City or country side? Where is the sun, wheres the trees

and other shadows?

You probably want disconnects right at the grounded solar panels with lighting arrest. For the fire department..

Make sure to never connect to solar panels under load with the MC4

click in connections that's another reason for a disconnect at panels.

And what is the MIN charge rate of the battery cells? I read somewhere

for LiFep04 its 30% of the C it was maybe on the Winston site no sure..

So you need to try to match that 0.3 of C, or the BMS is going to do

some work balancing the cells at the top of charge. It did matter on

the Winston cells that are now over 10 yrs old, they would stay within

.005v but if charging with less than .3C they would stray.

katehiggins · May 14

Great question—starting out can be overwhelming. I found it helpful to start small with a panel, a controller, and a basic battery setup. That helped me understand load vs. storage better. Curious to hear what kind of loads you're planning to run?

BB. · May 14

Katehiggins,

Highly suggest that a person measures their loads (average daily Watt*hours/Amp*hours @ xx Volts, typically by season) first. Then look at "conservation" and needs... I.e., is this emergency power (I.e., the equivalent of "camping") or full time on/off grid system usage (save money, have power where there is no utility power, etc.).

Once you have the basics defined, then start a a few "paper designs" and see what you hardware you need to fulfill your design requirements.

Guessing that you may be around Peshawar Pakistan, your amount of sun looks like:

https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/pvwatts.php

One can certainly purchase/put together a smaller solar+battery system to get some experience, but the chances that a small/one off system will meet your needs, without some basic system design, are small.

-Bill

katehiggins · June 5

katehiggins said:

Great question—starting out can be overwhelming. I found it helpful to start small with a panel, a controller, and a basic battery setup. That helped me understand load vs. storage better. Curious to hear what kind of loads you're planning to run?

Also, if you’re exploring local solutions, consider working with professionals who understand regional energy needs — whether you’re in St. Louis, South Dakota, Atlanta, or At Peterson Acquisitions, we often see how local expertise makes a big difference when people decide to invest in renewable energy systems.

Curious—what kind of loads are you planning to run?

t00ls · June 24

Figure out what you goal is first.....go off grid? reduce electric bill? have back-up power for when the grid goes down

and here's the important one, "go green to help the environment stop climate change"

of course the last one is a joke, if you have done as much research as I have done on that....I have an article in the section "in the weeds" here on NAZ forum...I need to update it

Now the first question is the one you will hear frequently, go off grid. I will tell you, if you dont have any electrical experience, knowledge on batteries, basic survival instincts, you will not like being off grid. Some people do it and then go back to the grid, and then they have a bad taste in their mouth because solar didn't work for them....they just didnt try grid tie battery backup.

That's the other thing, I wouldn't just do grid tie, there isn't any power when the grid shuts off. I would get a hybrid inverter that uses batteries and connects to the grid...how big an inverter? we'll come back to that

Second one, reduce your electric bill. As I have said in another thread, ROI is 8-10 years for that. My regular electric bill without solar is roughly $190....190X12=2,280 ...if you buy everything you need it will cost at least $10,000-$12,000 at the start

Last one, have backup power for when the grid goes down.....does your grid go down a lot, or do you need something to stay on if the grid ever does go down for a day or two

This one and lower my electric is why I did it, I was off grid for a while, Meh, it was ok, I like the fact that if needed to, with a hybrid inverter, I can still be off grid if I have to

just this year, all my neighbors power went down for a day, I didn't even know it. They saw my porch light on at night and came and asked if they could charge their cell phones, thats when I knew

a 200Ah battery will not go very far unless you just need a few lights on along with ...the 1600watts of solar will keep it charged enough......an average house uses 4-8 Kw an hour, when you are off grid, you learn to get that down to 2.5-3 if you dont have the battery storage for it...you need at least 1,000-2,000Ah of storage, you know, for cloudy rainy days, you will also want a good generator....if you have a 3,000 watt inverter that can charge the batteries (most can now) the you will need at least a 7,000 watt generator, inverter generator if possible ( they aint cheap)

the more info you can give, the more we can help, and there are people on here that are more knowledgeable than me that will help

hope I have helped in some way

Where Do I Start with Solar Panels and Storage Batteries?

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