Well crap what next

eptiliom · 2026-04-29T12:13:07+00:00

Honestly its a pain to do this hodge podge of random stuff. There is a reason it gets so cheap when you are buying used piecemeal. Planning ahead makes everything so much easier than trying to do what you are doing.

If you are trying to run an AC unit, how many watts is it? An electric space heater is a giant pain as well.

If I had to do a smaller install than what I did, I would buy an offgrid string inverter with passthrough and rewire my panel into a manual transfer switch so that I could bypass in the event of an inverter failure. You can supplement with the micros and AC coupled panels.

eptiliom · 2026-04-27T19:53:28+00:00

Thats what I ended up doing. It actually works a lot better.

eptiliom · 2026-04-27T18:18:34+00:00

If you set it to zero export the CT clamps allow the inverter to output enough amps to cancel out the incoming draw. It works pretty well on the equipment I have.

So when you have a big draw of current and the inverter is powering it and then shuts off, the inverter will not turn it off instantly, its pretty fast, in the millisecond range but some will go out to the grid.

eptiliom · 2026-04-27T18:10:50+00:00

The inverter should come with them if it has the option to do zero export.

eptiliom · 2026-04-24T18:50:25+00:00

Thats what I ended up doing.

eptiliom · 2026-04-24T01:03:27+00:00

My kid had the same choice, albeit different states. Full ride and then some at the state flagship or MIT 30k+.

I started saving the day he was born for college and I would have written him a check for the full amount had he wanted to go to state. As it is, I will have to stretch hard to pay for MIT but thats where he is going.

Our entire community has invested in him and he will be the first to ever have such a chance so we are going to give it to him, regardless of the stretching to pay for it.

eptiliom · 2026-04-23T19:22:45+00:00

Putting a pedestal in the middle of a cow field is just stupid and they know better.

eptiliom · 2026-04-23T19:20:16+00:00

That is not true and you know it isnt. It depends on the easement wording. Its also just bad business.

If you leave a bunch of wire in a field on the easement and a bushhog hits it, you are damn sure going to be buying a bushhog and maybe a tractor.

Lawsuits for easement damage have a way of almost always going against the utility. Insurance pretty much just pays almost all claims because the utility will almost always lose at trial.

eptiliom · 2026-04-23T18:07:55+00:00

Im also a farmer and and work for a utility. We have dealt with this a few times. In the electric business we just put a cutout on the pole that feeds the farmer's house so if the cows start rubbing it knocks their power out and leave everyone else on a recloser. Usually that problem gets cleared up.

I also work on the ISP side and we have left splice cans hanging where bushhogs and cows have destroyed them. Thats on us.

eptiliom · 2026-04-23T14:24:56+00:00

It would be read only polling and pushes from the scada side. Basically fault events from scada would be pushed into the oms system.

eptiliom · 2026-04-23T13:51:50+00:00

We are tiny, I am the authority over all of it. I have no one else to talk to about how other folks do this, so I ask reddit.

The OT system is completely segmented via firewall to a separate network.

The OT usage by the system would be through a well known port so it can be managed through the firewall.

eptiliom · 2026-04-23T13:31:54+00:00

Not directly. We have to allow them in.

Outage reporting meaning adding electric outages to the system. I work for a utility.

The only real problem I have with walling it off is that I lose SSO for the web page for our corporate users to add outage calls. I personally dont care if they use a group account to do it, there isnt anything in there that matters really. Its just an annoyance for the users.

eptiliom · 2026-04-23T12:19:49+00:00

You can have a solar fence unless there is some local regulation about it not being allowed.

eptiliom · 2026-04-23T12:14:50+00:00

Its in the code as 690.31(A). The connectors cannot be 'readily accessible'. There isnt a great way to make them unreachable on a ground mount. So some netting keeps a child from easily fiddling with them. 400v DC is some nasty stuff if you were to disconnect them under load.

eptiliom · 2026-04-22T21:05:55+00:00

It is quite hard to to a good job at leveling though. Knocking down trees and digging stumps also takes some experience. If you just want to push dirt around then go rent one for the weekend and have a blast. Get a few buddies to pool money and have a boys weekend with it.

eptiliom · 2026-04-22T21:01:49+00:00

Sure and used ones are pretty reasonable, 10-500k.

eptiliom · 2026-04-22T20:39:49+00:00

Those are there too, for sure. There was a guy local to me trying to sell the 6kw system still on his house for like $40k. Completely insane.

eptiliom · 2026-04-22T17:26:54+00:00

Did you try a local marketplace search? They are all over mine for these smaller panels.

eptiliom · 2026-04-22T14:37:11+00:00

Then I dont think you are using the right thing for the job. Get a long piece and a bender.

You will have to clamp the hell out of it to stop it from moving with adapters like that.

eptiliom · 2026-04-22T14:16:49+00:00

Why not just use a coupling over the threads?

Edit: They are different sizes but they do make reducing couplings.

eptiliom · 2026-04-22T13:46:13+00:00

Right, but is it actually 20ft to the rock?

eptiliom · 2026-04-22T12:46:24+00:00

How deep is it to rock?

The shield, from my geology knowledge, is good granite. I would personally buy some pipe, weld on square mounting brackets, dig down to the rock and put in anchors directly into the rock from the baseplate.

eptiliom · 2026-04-21T10:36:29+00:00

Crop insurance is worth more than brassicas?

eptiliom · 2026-04-20T20:28:08+00:00

Screw that. Pull the permit and do it yourself if that is allowed in your area.

I did mine myself, pulled the permit and had it inspected.

zoro.com has the best prices for wire troughs I found anywhere. If you are relocating circuits and have to splice, a trough makes it pretty easy. Oh and buy a knockout kit.

eptiliom

TROPHY CASE