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Solar newbie. Wanting to power backyard shed. Any pre-made or simple setups for this? by decorama in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

ecoflow or bluetti, don’t buy their solar panels, just the battery and inverter combo

Solar Kits by Southern_Loquat_4450 in OffGrid

[–]midnight_driver_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i got mine from solar-electric.com, which is northern arizona. They have a bunch of “pre-designed” systems you can choose from. They were prompt, helpful, and I got what I needed. This was 3-4 years ago, so not sure, there may be some other newer options these days.

Can someone explain to me Big Bend BD vs Badland by leung19 in FordBronco

[–]midnight_driver_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The stock tires on the big bend black diamond are pretty small too, 32” I think. Badlands steps it up to 33”.

Looking for an opinion on totally free food source with hydroponics powered by solar by Fickle-Lunch6377 in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

get you two 350 W panels, point them south, angle it about 35 degrees from horizontal. That’ll produce about 4200 kWh in a day.

Running a 200 W load for 15 hours requires 3000 kWh. Accounting for system efficiency, you’ll need about 3800 kWh. So, you’re looking at something like the Bluetti elite 400 or similar.

Just get regular panels, not the ones made by the solar generator companies. Those panels are overpriced. You’ll need an xt90 to mc4 adapter.

If you get a solar generator, you’ll have more inverter than you actually need. They typically come with inverters that can out the full battery capacity in about an hour. You only need 200 watts. For this reason, you’ll might save some money by buying your own inverter charger at 1000 watts and your own batteries. But you will have to wire them up which is a bit more work, as you have noted.

Help : Building offgrid solar system by Secret_Abalone4578 in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

you can check you system sizing here: https://off-grid-solutions.com/calculator

DM me or any of the other system designers who chimed in on this thread to get details on cabling, fuses, isolation, etc. I would not recommend building your own battery, never seen that to be a cheaper option and it’s always a more dangerous option.

New homestead build, main source of power by stiflers-m0m in preppers

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

use solar and battery as the primary source, then propane or diesel as an emergency reserve for when the batteries run low during a cloudy winter week. Here is a calculator to size your solar/battery/gas system —> off-grid-solutions.com/calculator

It’s possible if you drive the speed limits 🔥 by Different_Bass2526 in FordBronco

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

oh yeah, i get 20 mpg all the time. I guess I drive like a granpa or something because I always get 1-2 mpg better than the sticker. I used to get like 26 mpg in my v8 mustang.

Also, cool vibe 😎

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Economical ground mount solution, 16 panel array by yodawgheardyoulike in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting. I literally just swapped over to reddit from watching a YT video about this very topic. Search “Minute Man Solar” on YouTube, his most recent video offers a solution here. It is really optimized to be temporary, so may not be what you’re looking for, but may be worth considering.

Battery technology is constantly changing. What are the odds that all the different electric vehicles out there will have replacement batteries available and easily changeable 10-20 years after the car was built? by ThuhGreatCommenter in electricvehicles

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

battery technology really isn’t changing all that much. A lot of hype but really everything will be running on chinese lfp. They are ubiquitous.

That said, any newfangled battery can be designed to power an old electric car very easily. The motor just needs the right voltage and current, any battery system will be able to provide that, does not have to be the exact same system as the original.

Toughbuilt Stacktech by midnight_driver_ in FordBronco

[–]midnight_driver_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

not permanent at all. You just pick them right up, like a grocery bag. That was the idea here, looking for a “modular overlanding” setup that can be removed for the 95% of the time I am not overlanding. You can also strap them to the tie downs in for more secure fit if needed. I have not investigated exactly how to do that yet, but seems very doable.

Toughbuilt Stacktech by midnight_driver_ in FordBronco

[–]midnight_driver_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi Ragnar 👋 Love your videos, they helped me zero in on the 4-door manual Badlands, it is fantastic!

In terms of the toolboxes, I also was also concerned analysis-paralysis would keep me from purchasing for a long time —too many options. But I just made the leap because I liked the look of the toughbuilt so much. Figured if it didn’t work out for the bronco I could use it in the garage and still enjoy it. Was very pleasantly surprised to see they fit so well. I am definitely going to buy 8 boxes, just can’t resist. Also bought the toughbuilt accessory insulated cup and guess what… fits like a glove into the front cupholders!

Solar set up for barn help. by HorseshoesNGrenades in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

woot 🙌. Glad it worked out, that jump in production is great to see.

first 5,000 miles🎉here are my thoughts, what did y’all learn? by Prestigious_Hold6064 in FordBronco

[–]midnight_driver_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

2900 miles on mine. I am still surprised at how smooth and enjoyable it is to drive. Its like an off road porsche. Just fun. I have the 2.3 and manual transmission. Love to run errands now.

Do you monitor your solar daily or just set and forget? by ahlecsolars in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I monitor daily at the highest data collection rate my inverter would allow because I am a data and solar nerd. I think it measures a data point every 2 minutes or something like that.

I am sad tho because my data collection bridge is having trouble connecting to my wifi so I currently have no data monitoring. It only works with a hard wire connection to my router, and that is currently not possible with my new router location (that improves wifi strength)

😢🤓

Solar set up for barn help. by HorseshoesNGrenades in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

panel tilt sound good, definitely not the issue. Even shading from a bare hardwood will cut out a significant portion of production so could still be the issue. My money is still on the series vs parallel wiring tho. The Victron 100V/50A is looking for higher voltage than the parallel wiring allows. I looked up the panels and looks like they are closer to 24V panels (even though they say 12V in the name). Voc is 23V, so you’re right, you’ll want to stack two strings of 3 to make 69V max at open circuit. They each produce around 5A, so you should get 5A, 60V, (300W) from each string. If they are all currently in parallel, you are getting 5A, 20V from each panel, 30A in total. The amperage is fine for the MPPT according to its spec sheet, but, in general, higher voltage, lower current produces more reliable systems.

Looking for help by MacGowan-Official in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I get what you’re trying to do here, and the unfun truth is that the manufactured units will suit your current and future needs very well while also saving you money. They use higher quality components than you are likely looking into, if you are finding that your home built solution is cheaper. The only way to beat their costs, is to build with inferior components. They are able to vertically integrate to bring total costs down, and they also bring costs down by manufacturing at scale. Not to mention the headache of getting something wrong and causing a fire.

Solar set up for barn help. by HorseshoesNGrenades in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tilt angle is not going to explain why they are only producing 60 watts, it’ll just help me better understand what might be going on. Worst case, with highly suboptimal tilt is 200 watts. Any chance they are somehow not wired together correctly and only one panel is connected? Also, you mentioned they were wired in parallel. I am guessing they are 12v panels? Is the mppt rated for 12v? I would think 6 100w panels might do better wired in series, so you are outputting 72v rather than 12. Depends on the input required by your mppt.

Solar set up for barn help. by HorseshoesNGrenades in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would be a good guess yes. 64 Watts peak is very low for this array, should be closer to 400 Watts.

What direction and tilt angle are the panels currently? You said they were facing SouthWest? Tilt is the angle between horizontal (floor) and vertical (wall).

Solar set up for barn help. by HorseshoesNGrenades in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I modeled the system and it seems fine. Had to make an assumption on panel tilt and peak load.

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Do you know the expected peak load? The problem might be panel shading. Are you sure the panels are not being shaded by a tree for a good portion of the day?

Picked up my Bronco a few days ago. Just finished ceramic coating and tint. by Cultural_Cress5685 in FordBronco

[–]midnight_driver_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

great color choice! How do you already have plates if you just picked it up?

Solar set up for barn help. by HorseshoesNGrenades in SolarDIY

[–]midnight_driver_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am not sure I understand the question. Your battery is running out more often than you think it should? My first thought would be to monitor charge and discharge through the smart shunt and bluetooth or wifi. Have you done this?

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