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  • Please help - New to Solar and need guidance

    Long and short of it is, I have a log cabin about 1/2 mile from the nearest power pole. Only used on weekends. Energy Co-op wants $6,000 to run power. Not looking to go all out but would like to know if I can set up a relatively inexpensive (both initial cost, as well as long term) solar system to power the following:

    Three LED lights that use 20w at 12V 5amps each
    Two small 12v iPhone chargers
    12v On demand water pump (RV Type) (Don't know wattage, but says 2.8 amps at full flow)

    I have NOT purchased anything yet. Can I get a setup up and going for $300, $500, $800??? What would that consist of? What am I in for both now and down the road? Should I go ahead and drop trou and get the power ran?

    Thanks in advance for your help and guidance!

  • #2
    60 watts of lighting + 20 watts for iphone charging + 40 watts for pumping water?
    That shouldn't be too hard. (That sounds like a really small pump.)

    You want to handle one week of darkness, probably. What months of the year will you use it? If you don't use it in winter, that makes things easier.

    Before buying the solar part of it, you could do a reality check by getting the proposed battery, charging it from your car once a week, and seeing how long it survives.
    Stretch that reality check out for a year, and then if the battery's still holding a charge for a week and you're tired of charging it, then add the solar part

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    • #3
      Honestly, If it will handle from Friday evening until Sunday evening, it can charge back up from Monday-Friday. Going to use it year round, I'm sure that'll throw in some kinks.The pump is small. Just an on demand pump from rain water tank to the shower head and the sink. No long hot showers here - full-on navy showers! My predicament is this: Cabin is completed, and the family wants to start using it this summer, so I don't have time to do a lot of testing. On the same token, I don't want to drop a lot of coin, get it hooked up, then find that it won't do what we need.

      Located in central Indiana if that matters at all.

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      • #4
        A 12 volt system should handle your foreseeable needs. You can start with a really small system - but will want to add to it later. Get a 12V deep cycle battery from Sam's club (<$100) a 400 watt (maybe bigger if you want) inverter from your local auto store ($70) a PWM 30Amp US made charge controller from a solar supplier ($150) and one 100watt 12Vdc solar panel ($120) off Ebay. Add more panels and batteries as you are able.
        BSEE, R11, NABCEP, Chevy BoltEV, >3000kW installed

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        • #5
          Originally posted by solarix View Post
          A 12 volt system should handle your foreseeable needs. You can start with a really small system - but will want to add to it later. Get a 12V deep cycle battery from Sam's club
          (<$100) a 400 watt (maybe bigger if you want) inverter from your local auto store ($70) a PWM 30Amp US made charge controller from a solar supplier ($150) and one 100watt 12Vdc solar panel ($120) off Ebay. Add more panels and batteries as you are able.
          Thank you! This helps immensely! Would something like the Renogy 100 Watt Solar Starter Kit from Amazon work?
          Last edited by fishinbrad; 03-18-2016, 11:25 AM.

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          • #6
            build a nice 24 volt battery bank, get a generator to charge the bank and buy appliances that run from 24 volts, use a stepdown converter to power your 12 volt and 19 volt loads. If you have a well pump, only run the inverter to pump up a ballast tank of water and consider switching out AC pump with a DC pump or a Hybrid pump inverter. after you get this working smoothly, you could consider adding solar panels.
            4X Suniva 250 watt, 8X t-105, OB Fx80, dc4812vrf

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            • #7
              Originally posted by fishinbrad View Post
              Long and short of it is, I have a log cabin about 1/2 mile from the nearest power pole. Only used on weekends. Energy Co-op wants $6,000 to run power. Not looking to go all out but would like to know if I can set up a relatively inexpensive (both initial cost, as well as long term) solar system to power the following:

              Three LED lights that use 20w at 12V 5amps each
              Two small 12v iPhone chargers
              12v On demand water pump (RV Type) (Don't know wattage, but says 2.8 amps at full flow)

              I have NOT purchased anything yet. Can I get a setup up and going for $300, $500, $800??? What would that consist of? What am I in for both now and down the road? Should I go ahead and drop trou and get the power ran?

              Thanks in advance for your help and guidance!
              That is a pretty small electric load. So I presume there will be no fans for cooling, heaters, electric cooking, tv, entertainment systems, radio or other misc electrical devices, at your cabin?

              If that is true then you could start out with a battery and inverter but for now save your money concerning a solar panel and charge controller. That money could be better spent on a small 1000watt quite generator which will provide more power than that battery and you should get one anyway in case you get a very long weekend without sun.

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              • #8
                Yeah, we are used to back country tent camping, so any electric will be a luxury for us! I have 2 - 4000 watt gas generators, but just hate hearing them hum along all the time! Thought the solar set-up could just allow us to enjoy the peace and quiet!

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                • #9
                  20w led lights would be blinding ! 10w is about a 60w equivalent bulb.
                  But, sure, something with a PV panel, charge controller and a couple 6V 200 ah golf cart batteries wired for 12V should work. To get really spiffy, add a 50W inverter and a couple strings of LED holiday lights for effect.
                  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

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by fishinbrad View Post

                    Thank you! This helps immensely! Would something like the Renogy 100 Watt Solar Starter Kit from Amazon work?
                    That is the product I started with for the exact same application (weekend cabin, just lights, pump, cell charger) it is not a bad kit, but If you are going to use it year round, I would bite the bullet now and get 1 bigger panel (190-300w) the home panels are cheaper per watt anyway, and an good but inexpensive MPPT controller (outback and victron make them) that is what I have upgraded to now and it is a world of difference, I have about triple the actual energy production vs my starter system and only cost 200-300 more, you will run the battery down on the weekend and even though it has all week to charge up, it needs to charge up fairly fast and see a charge rate of C/10 fairly often or you will kill your battery, plus short days in winter, clouds anytime of year, etc., if you hope to get by for years without hooking up to the grid, get the decent stuff first. Also I would not buy an inverter unless you have to run an AC load, your 12v pump, car chargers, lights won't require it, I have some nice 12v 5w led's and they are surprisingly bright , it will cost $100's more in initial system sizing to properly plan for (3) 20w bulbs if they are to run for more than 1hr per night.
                    Last edited by LETitROLL; 03-18-2016, 02:31 PM.

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                    • #11
                      fishinbrad - If you want to keep the cost really low, it *might* be less expensive to build a sound-deadening enclosure for your existing generator - assuming you're smartly running it outdoors. Not trying to talk you out of solar - but your comments indicate that budget is of concern and you already have a far-cheaper way to make electricity at your disposal - 2 of them actually. Sound is inexpensive and easy to address. If you plan on using the solar equipment somewhere else - it might be worth going the solar route - though I'd agree with Logan005 that you just start out at 24v and prepare for growth. It will cost you more than your proposed budget likely - but you'll have more flexibility and growth potential.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by gmanInPA View Post
                        though I'd agree with Logan005 that you just start out at 24v and prepare for growth. It will cost you more than your proposed budget likely - but you'll have more flexibility and growth potential.
                        +1, you for sure are better off with 24v on the production side, that is why the small MPPT controllers from Outback and Victron (maybe others) are so nice and still possible to keep the system inexpensive (approx. $119 for controller), they will charge a 12v/or 24v battery so if this OP already has only the small 12v loads can have the best of both worlds and start with 12v battery system and stay much simpler and inexpensive and no real disadvantage on very small <250WH per day systems.

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