Australian Politics Forum - Offgrid solar power

barryfromthebush Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 702 Bum Chum Gender:	Offgrid solar power Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse. Any experience appreciated.
Back to top	Bumblywumbly IP Logged

Bias_2012

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 10766
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #1 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:37pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Not much, just charge car batteries with those SuperCheap Auto solar panels when the vehicles are not used for a while. Those panels work quite well but they need time to charge the batteries

My next project is to see if I can get a 12V fan running off a solar panel and battery for my eco loo. The fan I have at the moment is 240V and runs 24/7 forever

Back to top

Our Lives Are Governed By The Feast & Famine Variable

IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #2 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:55pm

Bias_2012 wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:37pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Not much, just charge car batteries with those SuperCheap Auto solar panels when the vehicles are not used for a while. Those panels work quite well but they need time to charge the batteries

My next project is to see if I can get a 12V fan running off a solar panel and battery for my eco loo. The fan I have at the moment is 240V and runs 24/7 forever

Hi mate.

I have a pallet (5kw) of 325w panels that I sell with my solar pumps that I was going to run though an "easysolar" inverter charger.

The batteries are my biggest concern, there are a lot of gimmicks out there and i think the old style flooded lead acid are the way to go. Interested in any first hand experience though.

Worked out I would need about 20kw hours to run the little AC in the bedroom in summer too keep the discharge down to 20%, in winter I would only need 1 battery as everything is LED or off.

Given where I am sunshine is no issue!
Cheers

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #3 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

Back to top

IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #4 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #5 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Back to top

IP Logged

lee Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 21533 Gender:	Re: Offgrid solar power Reply #6 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:24pm Solar panels are generally 20 -30% efficient, and that depends a lot on time of year, whether they are at a fixed angle or tracking. I saw a simple tracking system some time back used water pipes. As they heated they "tracked", I guess they tracked back when cool.
Back to top	IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #7 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:33pm

lee wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:24pm:

Solar panels are generally 20 -30% efficient, and that depends a lot on time of year, whether they are at a fixed angle or tracking.

I saw a simple tracking system some time back used water pipes. As they heated they "tracked", I guess they tracked back when cool.

probably not worth the expense being up north. To put it in perspective in sunny conditions I get 26000L of water per day pumping 25m of head and through 1.8km of 2 inch greenline with 4 panels.

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #8 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:42pm

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Roughly $2300 for the panels (I get a good deal buying in bulk for pumps) $2900 for the inverter/charger and $2700 for 600AH of FLA batteries. Power bill at the moment is about $500 a quarter including workshop. given most of the use is in the day I can run directly off solar most of time without worrying about battery draw down.

I got priced on a system from a local solar installer and they wanted $17k installed for a 20kwh system but with only like 3kw of panels, doing it yourself saves a shite load.

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #9 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:15pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:42pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Roughly $2300 for the panels (I get a good deal buying in bulk for pumps) $2900 for the inverter/charger and $2700 for 600AH of FLA batteries. Power bill at the moment is about $500 a quarter including workshop. given most of the use is in the day I can run directly off solar most of time without worrying about battery draw down.

I got priced on a system from a local solar installer and they wanted $17k installed for a 20kwh system but with only like 3kw of panels, doing it yourself saves a shite load.

So it is only $2,700 for the battery you need?

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby. Moderator Online Australian Politics Posts: 122073 Melbourne Gender:	Re: Offgrid solar power Reply #10 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:27pm dear Barry, you would have to be very careful about lead acid batteries. They give off hydrogen gas when over charged which can explode from the slightest spark or flame. I would go for an approved lithium ion battery system with proper, smart electronics controlling everything.
Back to top	IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #11 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:42pm

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:27pm:

dear Barry,
you would have to be very careful about lead acid batteries.
They give off hydrogen gas when over charged which
can explode from the slightest spark or flame.

I would go for an approved lithium ion battery system
with proper, smart electronics controlling everything.

I would go for Barrys batteries, at least they are proven and basic, probably not for the inner city dweller with not enough space or knowhow to maintain, they sound cheap!

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby.

Moderator

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 122073
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #12 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:46pm

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:42pm:

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:27pm:

dear Barry,
you would have to be very careful about lead acid batteries.
They give off hydrogen gas when over charged which
can explode from the slightest spark or flame.

I would go for an approved lithium ion battery system
with proper, smart electronics controlling everything.

I would go for Barrys batteries, at least they are proven and basic, probably not for the inner city dweller with not enough space or knowhow to maintain, they sound cheap!

I know someone who had a lead acid battery blow up in his garage -
it was not a pretty sight and he was lucky that
he wasn't blinded by sulphuric acid.
All the clothes he was wearing were destroyed by acid.

Back to top

« Last Edit: Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:53pm by Bobby. »

IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #13 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:58pm

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:46pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:42pm:

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:27pm:

dear Barry,
you would have to be very careful about lead acid batteries.
They give off hydrogen gas when over charged which
can explode from the slightest spark or flame.

I would go for an approved lithium ion battery system
with proper, smart electronics controlling everything.

I would go for Barrys batteries, at least they are proven and basic, probably not for the inner city dweller with not enough space or knowhow to maintain, they sound cheap!

I know someone who had a lead acid battery blow up in his garage -
it was not a pretty sight and he was lucky that
he wasn't blinded by sulphuric acid.
All the clothes he was wearing were destroyed by acid.

We all have one in our cars.

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby.

Moderator

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 122073
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #14 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:01pm

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:58pm:

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:46pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:42pm:

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:27pm:

dear Barry,
you would have to be very careful about lead acid batteries.
They give off hydrogen gas when over charged which
can explode from the slightest spark or flame.

I would go for an approved lithium ion battery system
with proper, smart electronics controlling everything.

I would go for Barrys batteries, at least they are proven and basic, probably not for the inner city dweller with not enough space or knowhow to maintain, they sound cheap!

I know someone who had a lead acid battery blow up in his garage -
it was not a pretty sight and he was lucky that
he wasn't blinded by sulphuric acid.
All the clothes he was wearing were destroyed by acid.

We all have one in our cars.

That's right and they are all on a proper charging system
which prevents overcharging.
There is also a fan in the front of the car radiator that disperses any hydrogen gas.

Back to top

IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #15 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:02pm

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:27pm:

dear Barry,
you would have to be very careful about lead acid batteries.
They give off hydrogen gas when over charged which
can explode from the slightest spark or flame.

I would go for an approved lithium ion battery system
with proper, smart electronics controlling everything.

Hello Bobby.

Understand where you are coming from. I have also used FLA traction batteries in forklifts for years and understand the need for proper ventilation while gassing.

My concern with lithium batteries is the danger of fire if overcharged/out of balance. given I don't have an issue with space and would be building a proper shed to house the batteries I don't think the FLA batteries would be an issue.

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

Bobby.

Moderator

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 122073
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #16 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:07pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:02pm:

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:27pm:

dear Barry,
you would have to be very careful about lead acid batteries.
They give off hydrogen gas when over charged which
can explode from the slightest spark or flame.

I would go for an approved lithium ion battery system
with proper, smart electronics controlling everything.

Hello Bobby.

Understand where you are coming from. I have also used FLA traction batteries in forklifts for years and understand the need for proper ventilation while gassing.

My concern with lithium batteries is the danger of fire if overcharged/out of balance. given I don't have an issue with space and would be building a proper shed to house the batteries I don't think the FLA batteries would be an issue.

If you buy lead acid batteries where you can take the top caps
off each cell while they are charging and have a look -
you can see when you've got a bad cell about to cause trouble -
it will be gassing far more than the other cells.

You need a ventilation system to get rid of any hydrogen gas.
That fan will waste some of the energy.

Back to top

IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #17 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:08pm

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:15pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:42pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Roughly $2300 for the panels (I get a good deal buying in bulk for pumps) $2900 for the inverter/charger and $2700 for 600AH of FLA batteries. Power bill at the moment is about $500 a quarter including workshop. given most of the use is in the day I can run directly off solar most of time without worrying about battery draw down.

I got priced on a system from a local solar installer and they wanted $17k installed for a 20kwh system but with only like 3kw of panels, doing it yourself saves a shite load.

So it is only $2,700 for the battery you need?

for 600AH at 48v using 12v cells its about $2750 plus GST

this would give me 28KWH too full discharge and 9.3kwh taking it down 33% which is more than enough to run the fridge and standby loads at night.

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

Chester New Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 32	Re: Offgrid solar power Reply #18 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:10pm Why don't you just put an extension cord into a wall socket like normal people do. Gawd.
Back to top	IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #19 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:14pm

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:07pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:02pm:

Bobby. wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:27pm:

dear Barry,
you would have to be very careful about lead acid batteries.
They give off hydrogen gas when over charged which
can explode from the slightest spark or flame.

I would go for an approved lithium ion battery system
with proper, smart electronics controlling everything.

Hello Bobby.

Understand where you are coming from. I have also used FLA traction batteries in forklifts for years and understand the need for proper ventilation while gassing.

My concern with lithium batteries is the danger of fire if overcharged/out of balance. given I don't have an issue with space and would be building a proper shed to house the batteries I don't think the FLA batteries would be an issue.

If you buy lead acid batteries where you can take the top caps
off each cell while they are charging and have a look -
you can see when you've got a bad cell about to cause trouble -
it will be gassing far more than the other cells.

You need a ventilation system to get rid of any hydrogen gas.
That fan will waste some of the energy.

As long as there is a vented area at the top of the roof the hydrogen being lighter than air will disipate without a forced draft. all very valid points though.

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

barryfromthebush Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 702 Bum Chum Gender:	Re: Offgrid solar power Reply #20 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:15pm Chester wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:10pm: Why don't you just put an extension cord into a wall socket like normal people do. Gawd. Why don't you try sticking a knife in the socket? Gawd.
Back to top	Bumblywumbly IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #21 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:18pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:08pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:15pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:42pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Roughly $2300 for the panels (I get a good deal buying in bulk for pumps) $2900 for the inverter/charger and $2700 for 600AH of FLA batteries. Power bill at the moment is about $500 a quarter including workshop. given most of the use is in the day I can run directly off solar most of time without worrying about battery draw down.

I got priced on a system from a local solar installer and they wanted $17k installed for a 20kwh system but with only like 3kw of panels, doing it yourself saves a shite load.

So it is only $2,700 for the battery you need?

for 600AH at 48v using 12v cells its about $2750 plus GST

this would give me 28KWH too full discharge and 9.3kwh taking it down 33% which is more than enough to run the fridge and standby loads at night.

So not enough to run your A/C, and if it were a cloudy day what then what with only one $2,700 battery and no mains.

Back to top

« Last Edit: Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:23pm by Johnnie »

IP Logged

Chester

New Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 32

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #22 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:25pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:15pm:

Chester wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:10pm:

Why don't you just put an extension cord into a wall socket like normal people do. Gawd.

Why don't you try sticking a knife in the socket? Gawd.

Oh gawd no, I don't like sharp objects.
When Gareth was getting his prince albert, as soon as I saw that sharp thing they used on Torro I passed out and hit my head so badly it left a great big scar above my left eye. Gareth likes it and says it makes me look like I'm into rough trade. Ohhh ahhhh.

Back to top

IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #23 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:27pm

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:18pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:08pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:15pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:42pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Roughly $2300 for the panels (I get a good deal buying in bulk for pumps) $2900 for the inverter/charger and $2700 for 600AH of FLA batteries. Power bill at the moment is about $500 a quarter including workshop. given most of the use is in the day I can run directly off solar most of time without worrying about battery draw down.

I got priced on a system from a local solar installer and they wanted $17k installed for a 20kwh system but with only like 3kw of panels, doing it yourself saves a shite load.

So it is only $2,700 for the battery you need?

for 600AH at 48v using 12v cells its about $2750 plus GST

this would give me 28KWH too full discharge and 9.3kwh taking it down 33% which is more than enough to run the fridge and standby loads at night.

So not enough to run your A/C, and if it were a cloudy day what then with only one $2,700 battery and no mains.

And the AC sorry, its a 9000 btu inverter, uses about 300w maintaining temp. basically you can pull 1kw for ~9 hours and the load with fridge (intermediate 120w) and standby loads is no more than 750-800w. these figures are of course working on a very leisurely 30% DOD

5Kw of panels will charge (albeit at a reduced rate) even on a cloudy day with a modest battery pack.

Even if I ran my diesel genny once a week for a few hours during the wet season too top up the batteries if needed it would still be cost effective.

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #24 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:29pm

Chester wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:25pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:15pm:

Chester wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:10pm:

Why don't you just put an extension cord into a wall socket like normal people do. Gawd.

Why don't you try sticking a knife in the socket? Gawd.

Oh gawd no, I don't like sharp objects.
When Gareth was getting his prince albert, as soon as I saw that sharp thing they used on Torro I passed out and hit my head so badly it left a great big scar above my left eye. Gareth likes it and says it makes me look like I'm into rough trade. Ohhh ahhhh.

Never run with scissors, that can be very dangerous as well.

Back to top

IP Logged

John Smith

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 78311
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #25 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:36pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

there's a fruit loop on another forum named Dax who seems to know what he's on about with this stuff. This is one of his comments, he's made many about this topic across the forum so you'll have to look them up if you want more.

Quote:

It cost me $14000 to be totally off grid in todays money, already had solar and lead acid batteries, which was not a good system. Using lifepo4, as long as there is sun for 3-4 hrs a day never run out and have yet to run out of energy in the last 10 years. My system consists of 4200w of solar and 700ah of lifepo4 cells, running through 50amp mppt controller which had built to my specifications and the work wonderfully well.

As the entire system is below 50v, you can do it yourself and save a fortune, wouldn't buy a tesla pack, way to expensive, inefficient and you can by lifepo4 cells really cheap in Aus.

He seems to think LIPO 4 batteries are the way to go, I've never heard of them myself.
He hasn't been on for a while so no idea if he's keeping an eye on the forum. He tends to go off his rocker.

If you do a search you'll find more information about this stuff from him

https://www.polanimal.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4186&hilit=renewables&start=25

Back to top

Our esteemed leader:
I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus.

IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #26 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:39pm

John Smith wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:36pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

there's a fruit loop on another forum named Dax who seems to know what he's on about with this stuff. This is one of his comments, he's made many about this topic across the forum so you'll have to look them up if you want more.

Quote:

It cost me $14000 to be totally off grid in todays money, already had solar and lead acid batteries, which was not a good system. Using lifepo4, as long as there is sun for 3-4 hrs a day never run out and have yet to run out of energy in the last 10 years. My system consists of 4200w of solar and 700ah of lifepo4 cells, running through 50amp mppt controller which had built to my specifications and the work wonderfully well.

As the entire system is below 50v, you can do it yourself and save a fortune, wouldn't buy a tesla pack, way to expensive, inefficient and you can by lifepo4 cells really cheap in Aus.

He seems to think LIPO 4 batteries are the way to go, I've never heard of them myself.
He hasn't been on for a while so no idea if he's keeping an eye on the forum. He tends to go off his rocker.

If you do a search you'll find more information about this stuff from him

https://www.polanimal.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4186&hilit=renewables&start=25

Thanks mate, I'll check it out.

Only issue with low voltage is every time you halve the voltage you double the current which doubles cable size etc and copper is expensive! just ask the wire thieves getting around!

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #27 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:40pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:27pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:18pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:08pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:15pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:42pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Roughly $2300 for the panels (I get a good deal buying in bulk for pumps) $2900 for the inverter/charger and $2700 for 600AH of FLA batteries. Power bill at the moment is about $500 a quarter including workshop. given most of the use is in the day I can run directly off solar most of time without worrying about battery draw down.

I got priced on a system from a local solar installer and they wanted $17k installed for a 20kwh system but with only like 3kw of panels, doing it yourself saves a shite load.

So it is only $2,700 for the battery you need?

for 600AH at 48v using 12v cells its about $2750 plus GST

this would give me 28KWH too full discharge and 9.3kwh taking it down 33% which is more than enough to run the fridge and standby loads at night.

So not enough to run your A/C, and if it were a cloudy day what then with only one $2,700 battery and no mains.

And the AC sorry, its a 9000 btu inverter, uses about 300w maintaining temp. basically you can pull 1kw for ~9 hours and the load with fridge (intermediate 120w) and standby loads is no more than 750-800w. these figures are of course working on a very leisurely 30% DOD

5Kw of panels will charge (albeit at a reduced rate) even on a cloudy day with a modest battery pack.

Even if I ran my diesel genny once a week for a few hours during the wet season too top up the batteries if needed it would still be cost effective.

Does your A/C pull 1,000 watts per hour or 1,000 watts over 9 hours?

Back to top

IP Logged

John Smith Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 78311 Gender:	Re: Offgrid solar power Reply #28 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:41pm barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:39pm: just ask the wire thieves getting around! bury it.
Back to top	Our esteemed leader: I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus. IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #29 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:48pm

Just digressing slightly, If I can give members who have bores/pump from creeks etc one piece of advice its google solar pumping if you ever need a new pump. Ive had mine in for 7 years and only taken it out once to change to a higher flow/lower head impeller stack. no batteries makes the issue of storage and battery life irrelevant.

Disclaimer: I sell and install these systems on the side of my engineering business.

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

barryfromthebush

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 702
Bum Chum
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #30 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:50pm

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:40pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:27pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:18pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:08pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:15pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:42pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Roughly $2300 for the panels (I get a good deal buying in bulk for pumps) $2900 for the inverter/charger and $2700 for 600AH of FLA batteries. Power bill at the moment is about $500 a quarter including workshop. given most of the use is in the day I can run directly off solar most of time without worrying about battery draw down.

I got priced on a system from a local solar installer and they wanted $17k installed for a 20kwh system but with only like 3kw of panels, doing it yourself saves a shite load.

So it is only $2,700 for the battery you need?

for 600AH at 48v using 12v cells its about $2750 plus GST

this would give me 28KWH too full discharge and 9.3kwh taking it down 33% which is more than enough to run the fridge and standby loads at night.

So not enough to run your A/C, and if it were a cloudy day what then with only one $2,700 battery and no mains.

And the AC sorry, its a 9000 btu inverter, uses about 300w maintaining temp. basically you can pull 1kw for ~9 hours and the load with fridge (intermediate 120w) and standby loads is no more than 750-800w. these figures are of course working on a very leisurely 30% DOD

5Kw of panels will charge (albeit at a reduced rate) even on a cloudy day with a modest battery pack.

Even if I ran my diesel genny once a week for a few hours during the wet season too top up the batteries if needed it would still be cost effective.

Does your A/C pull 1,000 watts per hour or 1,000 watts over 9 hours?

Sorry mate, came out wrong. I meant you can pull 1000W per hour over 9 hours from the discussed bank (9kwh). AC pulls 0.3KwH

Back to top

Bumblywumbly

IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #31 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 8:20pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:50pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:40pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:27pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:18pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:08pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:15pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:42pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Roughly $2300 for the panels (I get a good deal buying in bulk for pumps) $2900 for the inverter/charger and $2700 for 600AH of FLA batteries. Power bill at the moment is about $500 a quarter including workshop. given most of the use is in the day I can run directly off solar most of time without worrying about battery draw down.

I got priced on a system from a local solar installer and they wanted $17k installed for a 20kwh system but with only like 3kw of panels, doing it yourself saves a shite load.

So it is only $2,700 for the battery you need?

for 600AH at 48v using 12v cells its about $2750 plus GST

this would give me 28KWH too full discharge and 9.3kwh taking it down 33% which is more than enough to run the fridge and standby loads at night.

So not enough to run your A/C, and if it were a cloudy day what then with only one $2,700 battery and no mains.

And the AC sorry, its a 9000 btu inverter, uses about 300w maintaining temp. basically you can pull 1kw for ~9 hours and the load with fridge (intermediate 120w) and standby loads is no more than 750-800w. these figures are of course working on a very leisurely 30% DOD

5Kw of panels will charge (albeit at a reduced rate) even on a cloudy day with a modest battery pack.

Even if I ran my diesel genny once a week for a few hours during the wet season too top up the batteries if needed it would still be cost effective.

Does your A/C pull 1,000 watts per hour or 1,000 watts over 9 hours?

Sorry mate, came out wrong. I meant you can pull 1000W per hour over 9 hours from the discussed bank (9kwh). AC pulls 0.3KwH

If what you say is right I will be looking into these $2,700 batteries to go off the grid myself, I will do some sums just to make sure my A/C can keep up though.

Back to top

IP Logged

Johnnie

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 12485
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #32 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 8:22pm

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 8:20pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:50pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:40pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:27pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:18pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 7:08pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 6:15pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:42pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:16pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 5:03pm:

Johnnie wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:58pm:

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 17^th, 2019 at 8:21pm:

Has anyone had any experience with off grid solar? I already pump from the river and irrigate with solar and now I want to go further and tell power mob to shove there bill up there arse.

Any experience appreciated.

Why would you? how many times have you been without power and for how long and what has been the inconvenience, the power companies pay compensation after being without power for any significant length of time.
Sola panels are a must but batteries cost megabux and have to be replaced, as yet they are not proven as to how long they will last and if they will blowup.
A good generator to run the essentials for $700 is the go if you can't do without power.

I like being self sufficient. Pay off time is 5 years at current power prices. Flooded Lead Acid are not as dear as you would expect and if you take care of them the will last a lot longer than 5 years by which time you are ahead.

EDIT: Ive already got a diesel 3 phase genny that will run the whole house and shed.

What would be the outlay for you to get the power you need? solar panels and batteries included. I hear it takes a lot longer than 5yrs to get your money back.

Roughly $2300 for the panels (I get a good deal buying in bulk for pumps) $2900 for the inverter/charger and $2700 for 600AH of FLA batteries. Power bill at the moment is about $500 a quarter including workshop. given most of the use is in the day I can run directly off solar most of time without worrying about battery draw down.

I got priced on a system from a local solar installer and they wanted $17k installed for a 20kwh system but with only like 3kw of panels, doing it yourself saves a shite load.

So it is only $2,700 for the battery you need?

for 600AH at 48v using 12v cells its about $2750 plus GST

this would give me 28KWH too full discharge and 9.3kwh taking it down 33% which is more than enough to run the fridge and standby loads at night.

So not enough to run your A/C, and if it were a cloudy day what then with only one $2,700 battery and no mains.

And the AC sorry, its a 9000 btu inverter, uses about 300w maintaining temp. basically you can pull 1kw for ~9 hours and the load with fridge (intermediate 120w) and standby loads is no more than 750-800w. these figures are of course working on a very leisurely 30% DOD

5Kw of panels will charge (albeit at a reduced rate) even on a cloudy day with a modest battery pack.

Even if I ran my diesel genny once a week for a few hours during the wet season too top up the batteries if needed it would still be cost effective.

Does your A/C pull 1,000 watts per hour or 1,000 watts over 9 hours?

Sorry mate, came out wrong. I meant you can pull 1000W per hour over 9 hours from the discussed bank (9kwh). AC pulls 0.3KwH

If what you say is right I will be looking into these $2,700 batteries to go off the grid myself, I already have the solar, I will do some sums just to make sure my A/C can keep up though.

Back to top

IP Logged

Baronvonrort

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 20845
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #33 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 10:18pm

barryfromthebush wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 4:55pm:

The batteries are my biggest concern, there are a lot of gimmicks out there and i think the old style flooded lead acid are the way to go. Interested in any first hand experience though.

Worked out I would need about 20kw hours to run the little AC in the bedroom in summer too keep the discharge down to 20%, in winter I would only need 1 battery as everything is LED or off.

Given where I am sunshine is no issue!
Cheers

My experience with off grid is my yacht and a friends remote cabin I helped with.

With batteries the main thing is to have a charge controller that is compatible with the type of battery you're using. Lithium charge controller for lithium batteries LA charge controller for LA battery.

Nothing wrong with LA it will be bulky and heavy since you're not moving them no worries.
The main thing to prolong the life of LA batteries is depth of discharge don't take it below 50% or it will radically shorten life.
This means a 100AH battery really only has 50AH usable.

Lithium has the advantage of being smaller and lighter with far greater depth of discharge you can run them down to 20% which means 100AH battery gives you 80AH usable.
To prolong the life of any Lithium battery keep the charge between 30-90%. Be happy with 90% it shortens their life chasing that last 10% for 100% charge.

Upping the voltage with larger systems is a good idea to reduce current and size of copper wires, something we consider on a sailing Trimaran to reduce weight. Make sure charge controller is compatible with higher voltages if going that way.

Back to top

Leftists and the Ayatollahs have a lot in common when it comes to criticism of Islam, they don't tolerate it.

IP Logged

lee Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 21533 Gender:	Re: Offgrid solar power Reply #34 - Feb 18^th, 2019 at 11:20pm 1Kw isn't exactly 1000 Volt-Amps. Power factor is about 0.8. So figure 1250VA for 1Kw.
Back to top	IP Logged

DonDeeHippy

Gold Member

Offline

Cool Stuff

Posts: 2782
Australia
Gender: male

Re: Offgrid solar power
Reply #35 - Feb 23^rd, 2019 at 10:28am

http://micropowergrids.com.au/__Forms/_PACKAGE_DEAL.html

these guys r worth reading about and the Edison batteries look good but need quite a bit of maintenance but will last forever.
I like their combined inverters that control the solar panels and the batteries and will even turn on a back up genny when needed..... for me the less units the less to learn

Vhttps://www.aussiebatteries.com.au/products/deep-cycle-batteries/AGM-deep-cycle...

Aussie batteries are good as well and I used them to make my caravan free camping ready.
They have 3 different lead battery chemistries and give realistic charts on discharge rates / to how long the battery will last... well worth looking at

Back to top

I am me

IP Logged