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Steve_S
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# Posted: 10 Nov 2014 07:46
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Hi Folks,
I'd like to get folks who are running Solar, Wind etc to post what they are using for their Off-Grid life. I think that many would benefit from seeing what folks are using to accommodate their needs and how well it works for them. A type of "Snapshot" of real systems in use right now & working.
Please tell us your configuration.
- Panels, - Turbines, - Controllers, - Battery Config, - Gen-Set etc...
How much power are you using... like Fridge, Freezer 50" LED Screen, central AC ... how many people / size of place.. as obviously a family of 4 in a 2000 sq foot off-grid home will use more than 2 people in a 600 sq foot cabin...
WHERE you are located (nearest big city likely best)
Recommended Suppliers you have had good experience with... (Always nice to get a good ref)
Lessons Learned Experience is also invaluable to help others from making avoidable mistakes which often cost us precious $.
Thanks in Advance for your help
Steve
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 10 Nov 2014 10:17 - Edited by: groingo
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Power requirement is one quarter to one half Kwh a day running all appliances, 4 LED lights 2 watts each, modem, wireless router, tablet pc and phone.
Power supply is 400 watt Renogy Solar using 2 235 ah 6 volt batteries in series PWM charge controller with Yamaha 1000 gasoline generator backup (that rarely gets used).
One person and cat in my 195 square foot cabin in Washington State for four seasons, first season completely off grid with solar.
Suppliers if you must use Renogy use only through their Amazon website as Amazon will take care of problems when they arise where Renogy itself is iffy at best.
Best advice when you are considering going off grid is to do just like you did, come here to Small Cabin Forums and get the straight information from those that live it.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 10 Nov 2014 13:19
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Vendors I have used and trust...
TheSolarBiz.com
AZ Wind-Sun
What we use doesn't matter so much as you are very north and we are in the land of sunshine. Your best bet is to do an as accurate as you can make, energy estimate. Everything else falls from there.
Re wind: lots of places seem to have good breezes. Most of those don't turn out to be enough to turn a wind generator fast enough to make usable power. Much depends on the tree heights; usable winds are 15 to 30 feet above tree tops.
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 10 Nov 2014 14:05
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48v mono solar (8 @ 250). 2 mppt-60 morningstar controllers (love 'em. plug 'em into your router and you have instant readouts), 6 crown 395s at 12v (now 4.5 yrs old), TBS inverter, honda genny.
misc. midnite solar combiner box. lots of wire. bus bars. powermax 75amp charger.
City electric in Ogdensburg were good to me. Controllers /charger/ inverter came from the internet/amazon.
If I was to do it again (and I will) I'd go a slightly bigger battery bank (or now LFP). And I have a straight inverter from TBS but they now have inverter/charger combos. I'd go that route, a bit more money, but saves some hassle.
The TBS inverter really stands out when you see the quality. Like nothing else I've seen.
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spoofer
Member
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# Posted: 10 Nov 2014 15:52
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100 watt Renogy panel into a mppt charge controller, into a Walmart boat battery, to a 400 watt voltage inverter. I run four, 12volt 5 watt led lights directly off the charge controller. From the inverter I have a 8 watt old fashion table radio and a 26 watt led tv. I can only use the tv for about 3 hours a day. My cabin is 384 sq. ft. I have been using this set-up since April. I have a jotul wood stove for heat and an outhouse for a bathroom. Ideally I should have 200 watts of panels and 2 batteries. Maybe next year...
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rayyy
Member
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# Posted: 10 Nov 2014 16:52
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600 sq.ft,well insulated 1 story cabin.35,000 btu propane heater for primary heat plus kitchen wood cook stove for back up heat,hot water and cooking.propane frig,propane 3 burner stove/oven.propane on demand hot water heater.Propane log fire place.My water pump and all my lighting are 12 volt DC,led corn light bulbs including the horse barn and hen house.plus 4,12 volt cigerette lighter style outlets all hooked to my 4 deep cycle battery bank which gets charged up from my 8-120 watt solar panel set on a 10 amp charge controller or it gets charged up by my Honda eu2000i running a smart battery charger.120 volt outlets through out my cabin get powered up by either my 600 watt inverter or from the Honda generator.All works very well for just me living here.All the comforts of home,I just don't buy my electric,I make my own.Right now this computer is powered up by the batteries and inverter.Later I'll have the TV on the inverter/batteries.
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 10 Nov 2014 19:10
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My Location is relevant to me but maybe not to others.
The information gathered here can be used by anyone from the Florida to California, Texas to New York and there are folks here from everywhere & anywhere - even different continents.
Real Stories, Real Setups from Real Folks living the life... Always nice to see what's up and how people accomplished it.
Don't forget to share the Lessons Learned either... Should'ves, Could'ves, Would'ves & "DANG - Never Again's" + "DOH" moments too, all count...
Great Stuff folks, keep the details & info coming.
Steve
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780
Member
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# Posted: 10 Nov 2014 19:20 - Edited by: 780
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Well since roughly 2001- a 1kw 12 volt array of panels on a hand crank frame that I can tilt east to west for full morning sun and then late evenning sun. I can just step on the deck to turn the hand crank. Then with the drop in panel prices in 2011 another 1.5 kw in panels added, a wind turbine added in roughly 2007.The batt bank is just 6 volt t105 clones. I usually just have 10, so 1125 amp hrs, and most allways never go below 25-30% discharge, but I had to add 4 more this year due to someone needing medical equipment (electric hospital bed and such) I may not have needed the extra power but added the batts anyway just for piece of mind. A fridge up stairs, and one down, two freezers but one sometimes doesnt run as I havent taken a deer or moose to fill it, but can run two when I have to.
a xantrex c60 charge controler, and a morningstar c60 one doing something like 58 amps, the other 56, with the extra amps from a few panels hooked direct to the batts, from memory maybe 12 amps direct from some panels hanging vertical on a east facing wall and maybe 12 more amps coming in direct from some west facing panels. All the other normal things every other house has. Have all different kinds of inverters but, right now just run a xantrex 1800 watt. ..everything works just great no problems....I was using a batt charger from Canadian tire, but it wasnt the best so I hacked a old migwelder from princess auto and turned it into a charger, and its kicking ass, this will be my first winter using it but so far its great. Anyway this is what works for me.oh and a wood stove upstairs and on down.
about 4 batts more than I need
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charge controlers with cover plates of
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poc mig welder turned into a batt chatger
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windmill
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 11 Nov 2014 08:54
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hey 780 i'd like to see a pic or a drawing of your hand crank frame. I want to do one myself for the second kw. catch some of those cloudy season sun breaks... any construction details?
thx
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 11 Nov 2014 11:08
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Quoting: creeky hey 780 i'd like to see a pic or a drawing of your hand crank frame.
DITTO ! I'd like to do the same thing too !
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780
Member
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# Posted: 11 Nov 2014 11:25 - Edited by: 780
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yea sure, still having my coffee, snowing and -16 right now but when I get going I will snap a couple pics, not pretty just scrap oilfield pipe. I will post them in the evenning..actually for Alberta due to how much sun we have that first array 11 75 watt bp panels(+ two more below the tilting section really carried the day so to speak, by having it pointed mostly east when I left for work, then tilting it mostly west when I came home it made for a lot of captured power in a small package, I did have it motorized at one point, was way more grief than it was worth.
oh I forgot I got another too that I use to heat my hot water with in the summer, its a different type of tilting mech using one of those screw type car jacks, you want pics of that two? it only holds 4 panels not a big array though.
oh just realized dumb question will snap pics of that one to.
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 11 Nov 2014 17:32
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rubbing fingers together with anticipation.
(for corner gas fans)
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780
Member
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# Posted: 11 Nov 2014 23:00
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Here is the small one, I just use the four panels for heating water in spring/ summ/ fall, as the wood stove heats the water in the winter. I use a car jack as can be seen and it tilts them east to west as needed or not, no adjustment needed really through the summer, a bit of adjustment needed spring/fall to milk a little more power out of the sun. the long handle goes over to the deck where I can crank them
pic00007_315.jpg
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pic00007_319.jpg
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780
Member
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# Posted: 11 Nov 2014 23:05
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the pics are hard to understand, I wish I could draw it out some how, any one know of a real easy drawing program?
the hand crank, cut off from a kids bmx bike, I just reach over the rail and give it a few turns
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back side
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front side
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bottom end, I had used a pully years ago, but switch to chain, way better
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780
Member
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# Posted: 11 Nov 2014 23:12 - Edited by: 780
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couple more pics
far right pic under that circle clamp is the pivit point for everything sandwiched between the two flanges is a circle of that white stuff chopping boards are made of, I thought it better than steel on steel, the clamp is just to help keep dirt out thats all
pic00007_322.jpg
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pipe over pipe for the pivot
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pic00007_321.jpg
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Steve_S
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2014 06:52
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Great, Thanks 780.
Some excellent & creative backyard engineering there. Ideas a percolatin now...
Steve
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2014 11:12
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thx 780. I hadn't thought of gearing the pivot. there's a kids bike out front of a house down the way. might go grab it. (ps. folks leave stuff out by the drive when it's "free for the takin'"
a car jack. I have a car jack from my old car that I kept when I junked it. nice.
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kdrtk
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2014 13:11
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I have a one panel system at the hunting shack, set it up 2010. Kyocera 140, xantrax C-12 cc, two 12 volt AGM batteries. Run lights (12 volt) and camper/trailer, plus power tools all day long sometimes. Have a 12 volt flat panel TV on antenna. Two inverters MSW 1100 for most things, PSW 150 for charging power tools, phones, computer.
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rmak
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2014 14:59
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http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_4817_0.html
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Laser Boy
Member
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# Posted: 2 Jan 2015 23:14 - Edited by: Laser Boy
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I started building my solar power system in my cabin out of necessity to charge the battery that controls my propane refrigerator and it all grew from there!
I currently have 2 independent systems:
The refrigerator system has a 12 volt(100AH) AGM battery with (3) 18 watt panels and a 7amp charge controller.Refrigerator draws maximum of 40 watts when actually running(solenoid gas valve is
powered to keep the valve open on burner demand).
In the summer months the demand is higher but so is the sun! System is full autonomy in summer. During winter months if the solar panels get covered with snow or we have the usual grey skies for days on end the battery requires external charging at about two weeks.
The main system is used for everything else including water pump, charging mobile devices(cell phone and mobile hot spot), running an android netbook, (2) LED lighting fixtures, inverter(150 watt modified sine wave) to charge cordless tool batteries
and run radio, a 12 volt vacuum cleaner, a 200 watt pure sine wave inverter to run laptop computer and occasionally a 12 volt air compressor. This system is comprised of (3) 55AH batteries, a 7amp charge controller and (5) 18 watt panels. Batteries do dip to 50% charge during winter months after two full days at the cabin but will recharge completely by PV panels by the following weekend.
I have installed several 12 volt sockets and USB ports for my power outlets and a dual voltage meter to monitor both systems. My thought is don't convert voltage if you don't have to because an energy loss will always be present in the form of heat at the very least. I am always mindful that lower voltage requires higher amperage and bigger wiring!
In the picture below the charging input is on the right showing the charge controllers and battery charger, middle compartment underneath the refrigerator is the battery compartment and inside the lower left cabinet is distribution and fusing of all the 12 volt circuits. Systems voltage monitor, USB and 12volt socket located above the refrigerator.
I built a solar panel rack that has three angle settings; high (November 1 to March 1), middle (March 1 to May 1) and low (May 1 to August 10).
I use a Honda EU2000i generator with a Guest 20 Amp Dual Output On-Board Battery Charger to charge both system batteries simultaneously at 10 amps.
For the future I see increasing my amp hour rating on the main system using additional batteries, panels and a larger charge controller. This has all been a work in progress as I learn more about it as I go... it has been interesting and FUN!!
I welcome any thoughts critical or otherwise!
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 5 Jan 2015 11:56
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Nice setup laserboy. one caution. i toasted some "pro" quality drill batteries with charging on modified sine. so you might want to charge your cordless tools on the pure sine.
they were brand name. and i loved that drill. didn't say anything in the manual about modified sine. but online the manual had a warning.
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Laser Boy
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jan 2015 18:25
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Thanks creeky for the heads up on charging cordless tool batteries with modified sine inverter, I won't be doing that anymore!! Do you know of any pure sine inverters that have the 12 volt plug where the cooling fan only runs when necessary? Thanks again.
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 12:08
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you're welcome.
i'm not very knowledgeable about stuff other than what I've got/used. i hear the morningstar inverter is really good. and it uses millivolts on idle.
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