While trapped inside during storm I started on battery bank rack. As you can can see it is built with main framing posts 6x6 floor to ceiling. 2x6 cross braces & supports legs, First of two shelves. 24 deep cycle 12 volt batteries. 4 parallel tied sets of 6 will give me 48 volts.
We had a brake in the weather & I did not hesitate I got my tools & supplies & jumped on the roof. I chose galvanized uni strut as my supports being a retired electrician it was my choice for not only for longevity but strength in the supports. I build 13 foot runners. Bottom strut is what I call my safety toe kick run. I can set tools & my foot against for bracing. I will be installing a hand rail off of it in future for safe way to maintain panels safely during all weather conditions.
Panels are installed a friend came out to house to help me lift onto roof from there it was not to bad to rope up & install my self. Disconnect is mounted & moving forward with piping & wiring. Panels are 250 watt putting out 39 volts. I will series 3 panels into one run to disconnect 20 amp breaker. I have ran 2 #6 wire to garage for feeds. 1 #6 to a ground rod just for panels & solar power system. I bonded all uni strut & panels to ground system.
What a beautiful day all panels installed wiring in inside yes blessed with 2 days of sunshine,
I have three more racks ready for next set of panels as soon as I can afford them. Total count I want is 36. This will give me a 9kw array when completed. More than enough to power entire property needs during the day also giving me surplus to sell back to power company 3kw give or take.
On left is a outback Rathion 8kw inverter, panel & disconnect with two flex 80 Pv charge controllers. Small panel in center is AUX panel feed from grid tied solar system. On right is main 200 amp 40 space panel for all house wiring. Gutter below is fed from conduits form pump house that go all the way through vaults to power pole at top of property. From outback power system out I ran 1/0's. Mains from pump house I have 4/0 4/0 2/0 service feeders. Main service from power company has its own ground rod & # 6 ground wire. I did not mix systems. Installed a 70 amp manual disconnect from main panel to outback system. Allowing me to by pass power company with on flip of breaker.
I know this all is allot to digest just excited to be creating my own power.
Second shelve is completed & 1st battery bank is up on shelve ready to be wired.
Another view
System is now all wire & installed for what I have so far. All 120 volt out put is wired into outback system. I ran it for 24hrs with power grid not connected. We have all 120 volt lights, appliance's general circuit's feeding from our own source now. Still need more panels & batteries to get 220 volt on outback system to be able to be completely off grid. But it feels good to be able to know we have power with out having to rely on our local provider. That's all for know got to get back to work on insulation & installing walls.
6 comments:
Great job Mark, I am really interested in your solar power system for when I build my pole barn house. Could you tell me what company you went with and around how much everything for the system would cost? I can do regular house wiring for a 200 amp panel, but know nothing about solar panel setup. How did you learn to set this system up? Was there a manuel or website you looked at? I know there in Wyoming you get more sunny days then I would get in Iowa so don't know if the cost would be worth it for me. That's what I am trying to figure out.
After a year of research, I went with Wholesale solar. Cost really depends on what you want to do. I want to be able to wlk up to the main pole that the local provider is giving me & turn it off if I want to. There is Back up, Grid tied & off grid systems. You can do regular 200 amp service this is what I did. I set it all up from internet reseach & the manuals they provided with the equiptment. As far as worth the cost I feel if you can be self reliant as to any means possible it is worth it. Wind is something I am also going to do down the road to charge batteries. Mabie you need to go in direction that most serves you. I have it set up so solar panels generate during the days sun. If there is not enough sun to charge batteries & it is taxing them. than the generator atuo starts & charges them. When they are fully charged it shuts off. If there is no sun & generator is say out of gas. Then it auto swithes back to the local power service provider going back to just costing me my power bill every month.
Feel free to give me a call
760-636-3617 we can chat
Sounds good Mark, I will call sometime soon.
Quite impressive! It sounds like you have a great system set up. I'm so interested in solar, too, but the prohibitive cost has put us off so far. Too many other things clamoring for the money!
Happy New Year, y'all! Hope you're nice and toasty up there!
Happy New Year to you to hope all is we'll with you to. We are starting new year with snow & single digets cold. we are holding our own here. We have install the duct work in the house since my last post. We have 4 cord of wood put up. Now waiting for wood furnace to be shipped from Tennessee. We purchaced a Clayton 1802G it works with regular ducting for your home. I felt this would be the most efftive way to heat whole house as it is 3000sq ft. We are still living with just 3 cadet wall heaters. They are keeping up they hold house at 60*. Ya sounds cold but at 5 below outside it feels warm. Just have to bundle up. Furnace should come in next couple weeks. I will get chimmy in ASAP then work on hooking it up. We are so close to having heat.
God Bless all stay warm.
Mark & Bev.
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