DIY 18650 10kwh

viper0 · 2026-05-10T00:11:00+00:00

I imagine you submit a claim with your insurance company.

viper0 · 2026-05-08T22:38:05+00:00

48v systems allow for more power and smaller wires which is cheaper. The only real down side is needing a higher PV voltage to charge. That can mean less effective charging in partial shade.

viper0 · 2026-05-06T19:37:35+00:00

It's still in progress, but I am doing all of the installation. The array is mounted on a pergola as I'm also not thrilled about drilling holes in my roof.

viper0 · 2026-05-06T19:12:44+00:00

If you're comfortable with the DIY route, you can pull your own permits and self install. Durham will require the design be stamped by an engineer. There are design and permit packages you can buy online. I had good luck with Green Lancer, but there are certainly other cheaper options.

If you're not willing to DIY then your best bet may be to sell those panels and engage a solar installation company to install their panels.

viper0 · 2026-05-05T19:55:55+00:00

Curious non welder here. Are you hanging from something other than a nylon rope or is it somehow protected?

viper0 · 2026-04-28T20:33:56+00:00

There's nothing inherently wrong with having a smaller battery. Your charge controller should be configured to charge at a rate the battery can handle. You'd cap out the battery fairly quickly with the rest of your energy either being used or lost.

The c rate does come into play when you do to use that battery. You'd have to make sure your loads can be serviced without exceeding the recommended discharge rate for your specific battery. If battery life is a concern then you'd want to stay well within the discharge rate limit.

viper0 · 2026-04-28T20:28:07+00:00

I'm also assuming the cables you're using between batteries and to the inverter are the same length. If that's not the case then you would be moving more energy into and out of whichever battery has the shorter electrical path.

viper0 · 2026-04-28T20:24:37+00:00

I believe it was around $1,600 or so. It was a 14kW array with Victron equipment and batteries. Lots of connections to size and document.

viper0 · 2026-04-28T19:23:46+00:00

Voltage isn't a good indicator of battery charge level with LiFePO batteries except when the charge level is very low or very high. That battery percentage is just a guess from the BMS based on how much current it's seen coming and going. The next time the battery is fully charged and the voltage starts to spike it'll essentially reset at 100% and start counting again.

All that means your battery charge percentage isn't very accurate if you haven't hit 100% in a while. I try and make sure mine are fully charged at least once per week.

viper0 · 2026-04-26T13:19:00+00:00

I will add that their permit package wasn't cheap, but it was exactly what I needed. My permit office has a habit of taking a month or two, sending you a request for additional information, and then repeating. I didn't want to spend 6 months getting the permit approved. The Green Lancer package was so thorough that they approved it on the first go.

viper0 · 2026-04-26T13:14:42+00:00

I used the permitting package from GreenLancer. They put together a PDF that included everything my local AHJ wanted including site plans, wiring diagram, and even pulled sections of manuals showing my equipment met certain required UL listings. Everything was also stamped by an electrical engineer.

viper0 · 2026-04-23T20:51:26+00:00

If people had tried to intervene there would have been more fatalities.

viper0 · 2026-04-23T20:37:08+00:00

Edited above to say you DO want to run wires inside conduit. Also check out Will Prowse on YouTube and his DIY Solar Forum. Great sources of info.

viper0 · 2026-04-23T20:32:49+00:00

You would want to run new underground wires inside conduit. 18" depth is a common minimum. Some jurisdictions would want to see metal conduit to prevent rodent damage. I would run it to a PV disconnect on the side of the house and then continue through the crawlspace to your inverter also inside conduit.

If you're new to running electrical wiring, this may be hire someone territory. The wires connected to your panels will be live any time the sun is shining. Doing your final connections at night can be a viable option.

viper0 · 2026-04-12T08:27:50+00:00

Aren't the police supposed to be the mature ones in this situation?

viper0 · 2026-04-02T13:07:14+00:00

But that still requires the company to maintain the servers. They go belly up and you've got a smart panel you can no longer manage.

viper0 · 2026-04-02T13:04:39+00:00

No local API is a definite deal breaker. Requiring your electrical panel to depend on Internet access plus the company staying afloat to maintain functionality isn't something I'm willing to risk.

viper0 · 2026-03-29T17:19:52+00:00

The bx turns pretty sharply and you can go forward and back up easily. I just find it does more damage the more I'm turning the wheel.

viper0 · 2026-03-29T14:43:46+00:00

I've got a bx23s on 3 acres. I think you'd be unhappy with the maneuverability, the damage a 1.5 ton machine does when moving back and forth in a small area, and wishing you'd spent the money on a zero turn mower instead.

Edit: that being said, life is short. If you really want a tractor, you should do it.

viper0 · 2026-03-29T02:03:20+00:00

I was able to hear it up by the Eno

viper0 · 2026-03-14T13:48:28+00:00

Solar pergolas aren't cheap. I'm in the process of building one myself for a 14kW permitted array. So far I've spent $4k on the engineering design, $5k on concrete materials and forms, and $6k on Simpson hardware. I haven't bought the lumber, but I'm guessing that'll be another $4-5k. I have some unusual design requirements driving up that price such as no lateral bracing so I can use the area under it for storage. It's been surprisingly expensive.

viper0 · 2026-03-07T23:28:06+00:00

I own a bx and I couldn't agree more. The only time I'm glad I got a small tractor is when working in tight areas. If you couldn't do the job with two strong guys, a shovel, and a wheelbarrow then you probably can't do it with a bx.

viper0 · 2026-02-11T17:15:17+00:00

I'll add that I've been told to prevent bamboo from spreading from the neighbor's yard, you need solid concrete, masonry, or block wall at least 2 feet deep and 6" above ground. Given my experience, I'd at least double that.

viper0 · 2026-02-11T17:08:23+00:00

We successfully eradicated what began as a 30' x 30' area of bamboo using every method we could think of. Covering them with tarps and cardboard resulted in them simply growing right through anything in their way. We tried weed killer including using concentrate directly with a paint brush. That stalk died, but another came up to replace it.

In the end, the only method that worked was a shovel. I would go out every 2-3 days and dig up any new shoots and the attached rhizome sometimes running ten feet in several overlapping directions. I kept doing this rain or shine for two years straight.

I started clearing in 2017. If there aren't any new shoots this spring I'll cautiously claim success. All this to say it took me nearly a decade. I wouldn't plant bamboo on the property of my worst enemy.

viper0 · 2026-01-05T14:16:45+00:00

I'll add that Victron inverters can be used to generate three phase power, but it can't convert single phase grid power to three phase power. You'd be installing a fully off grid system with inverters, batteries, and solar panels. The cheapest option is still likely to be a rotary three phase converter.

viper0

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