Schematic/parts list/battery recommendations

[snal]

Ok...I have good southern exposure, so I'm going to start collecting items needed for a 12v solar system that I hope to get set up within the next few months.
I can't seem to find any plans online for rigging up a system..panel(s)...controler...best batteries...ect.
Can anybody point me towards one?

[Xolar]

Solar help

Tell me what you would like and I can make it for you, I can send you one of a 48volt system I just did, I try and shy away from the 12 volt, 24 volt minimum with generator charging capabilities. You can find decent ones for around 700 if this is not to expensive go this route.

Xolar

[snal]

Tell me what you would like and I can make it for you, I can send you one of a 48volt system I just did, I try and shy away from the 12 volt, 24 volt minimum with generator charging capabilities. You can find decent ones for around 700 if this is not to expensive go this route.

Xolar

That'd be great! That's about the upper limit that I had in mind as far as cost goes.
Is this a 4x12v or 8x6v battery setup? I don't know what, if any, benefit there might be with a 8x6v...but often wondered why my golf cart (36v) is 6x6v rather than 3x12v.
Thanks!

[Xolar]

The 6volt cells are used because each cell contains more amphours than the larger 12volt cells.

In the schematic I will try and make it modular, by this meaning I will allow you to fill in some easy to figure values and you can shop around to fill it out.

Send me your email and I should have it done by this weekend

[Gatesvilleguy]

There is new carbon based battery technology on the horizon. Two companies I know of have developed batteries that are much lighter and more efficient, of course since they are new and not mass produced yet they are prohibitively expensive and not generally available. But with all the money supposedly being thrown a "green energy" that may change soon.

[Freedom Defender]

Xolar, why a 48 volt system ?? I've also been looking into setting up a rig of my own. I have a wholesale battery warehouse about 600' from my house across the runway. My neighbor just replaced his golf cart batteries and they were lower in price than any place he could find on the internet. Is it best to go 12v, 6v, or 8v in selecting batteries? Thanks for all your input on this subject.

[Xolar]

Freedom,

Most batteries are composed of 2 volt cells so a 6volt battery like the Trojan L-16 is made up of 3 individual 2volt cells. Why? it has to do with plate thicknesses there are a lot of different batteries and configuations out there and also different types depending on what the use is going to be back up or daily use.

The reason I would reccomend not using a system under 24 volts is the current that it takes to produce the same amount of energy. The higher the system voltage the easier it is to make the ac voltage, I have only done one 12volt system mainly they have been 24 and 48 volt inverters, the new hardware that is coming out looks like the next step will be 72 volt systems.

When connecting from the batteries to the inverter you need to always pay close attention to the amperage that you will be dealing with so that you can adjust your battery cable to the correct size to avoid dangerouse situations. The most common battery cable used is 2ot or 4ot fine strand welding cable.

Another thing to pay attention to when thinking off-grid is generator sizing, if you are in a low production mode with your renewable energy source you need to make sure that the inverter that you are using has onboard charging and that it is going to allow you to put about 10% of the amphour rating back into the batteries (420ah string/10%= 42 amp charge rate) this also has a direct relation with the solar. If you solar is not capeable of producing the required amount of Amphours to recharge your batteries and you do not top them off with your generator source than you are going to be slow decreasing the amount of amphours that your batteries will hold. This is where the process of equalization comes in, if you are not consistantly charging your batteries up to the 100% mark than after time the acid will settle at the bottom of the battery and it will require you to bring the batteries up to a higher state of charge so that yo can re-mix the acid and the electrolyte. This process is not used on Advanced glass mat or gel batteries only lead acid that are non sealed.

I do quite a bit with the batteries and I am still learning more and more about them, they have a learning curve and the better care and maintence that you provide them the longer they will last.

Hope this helps

[Freedom Defender]

Thanks Xolar for the reply. I hope this new stimulus package has something for South Carolina in regards to solar powering a house in the way of tax credits. If it does I'll be picking your brain some more. Heck, I might have to fly you out here to help me out !!

[Xolar]

Thanks Xolar for the reply. I hope this new stimulus package has something for South Carolina in regards to solar powering a house in the way of tax credits. If it does I'll be picking your brain some more. Heck, I might have to fly you out here to help me out !!

The stimus bill did this for you you can recieve 30%of the installed system off your taxes put in a 50,000 system get 15,000 off your taxes and your state will allow you a Maximum Incentive: $3,500, or 50% of taxpayer's tax liability for that taxable year, whichever is less..

So you are able to get a decent amount back and your state offers loans for utility based renewables. If you size your system to where you are not zeroing out your bill you want about lets say $30 because you dont want to over produce after you pay off the system you are essentialy making that money each month.

All jobs are different with solar, I shot 50,000 out there because that is about the middle price for a high end grid tie battery back up with a auto start generator. This type of system is what you want if you have utility service that fails due to weather or if you want to go off-grid in the near future and use the rebates to help fund it. I talk to a lot of people that want to go offgrid and stick the finger to the provider, if you do it right and use the certified equipment they will help pay for it and they can do what ever they want down the line.(this is also the system that you want if you think tswhtf)

One morething, I think SC is TOU Time Of Use. This means that they charge you more depending on the time of day with the hy-brid you can porduce and use your solar during the day and switch back to utility at night time when power is cheaper.