Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Setting up an off grid system with no battery

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Setting up an off grid system with no battery

    Hello folks,
    I would like to know if it's a good idea to set up an off-grid system with no battery, just panels, and inverter. The only load on the system will be a heavy duty commercial grade freezer. As long as I can harness enough energy during the day, I should be fine at night.

  • #2
    It's a great idea. But it does not work.

    Batteries supply the steady power needed, from the fluctuating output of PV panels. Yes, during the course of a seemingly clear day, output varys a lot.

    You can try a minimal battery bank, say 48V made from 4, 12V deep cycle/marine batteries, and set your inverter cutoff for 48.2v instead of the common 46V. This would allow the freezer to run in daylight hours. But what happens on a cloudy day ? Not enough sun to boost the batteries high enough to run the full cycles on the freezer ?
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

    Comment


    • #3
      What inverter type are you contemplating using? Off grid inverters require a battery. Legal grid tie inverters or small, plug and play (illegal) inverters require a grid to function. If you have grid power available don't waste tor money. If you don't have grid power available you would need to set up a properly designed battery based system or expect unpleasant results.
      2.2kw Suntech mono, Classic 200, NEW Trace SW4024

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Diallodjeri View Post
        Hello folks,
        I would like to know if it's a good idea to set up an off-grid system with no battery, just panels, and inverter. The only load on the system will be a heavy duty commercial grade freezer. As long as I can harness enough energy during the day, I should be fine at night.
        Unfortunately running any AC load directly from a solar panel through an inverter will not work well and can hurt that AC load. You still need a battery in between.

        Comment


        • #5
          I'm off grid and about as close to that as you can get. Running almost 3KW into a car battery for stability. Wife even has a dishwasher. My chest fridge only runs daylight hours and stored cold at night. You don't need much od a battery, but some pretty smart electronics. You can't do it with just a temperature switch and timer. Protecting battery is first priority.

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks for the education.

            Comment

            Working...
            X