115 volt system?

[CanadianOffGrid]

If a 48 volt system is good, why not a 115 volt system? After all, an inverter would not be needed, hence, a large financial savings, no phantom loads to speak of and one less link in the system. What are the concerns, other than the cost of additional batteries?

[chrisski]

The 48 volts you refer to, I think you mean a 48 volt DC battery bank. The inverter I think you’re talking about is 115 volts AC, So with 115 volts DC, you’d still need an inverter to change it.

Also once you start looking at higher voltage DC, you start noticing parts like switches become more expensive as they are designed to prevent or withstand the arcing DC has at these lower voltages that AC does not at the same voltage.

[Mike90250]

Battery voltages above 50V, require special restricted access, and are no longer homeowner devices. Powerwall & Tesla sealed boxes are higher than 48VDC

[SunEagle]

If a 48 volt system is good, why not a 115 volt system? After all, an inverter would not be needed, hence, a large financial savings, no phantom loads to speak of and one less link in the system. What are the concerns, other than the cost of additional batteries?

Any system that uses DC voltage rated more than 50V falls under a lot more restrictions for a homeowner to have. Also as someone else has mentioned you still need to invert the DC voltage to AC even at 115.

[CanadianOffGrid]

I forgot all about the nature of the current, ie, AC and DC.

Still learning here, folks. Eventually, I'd like to build a system off grid but keep it as simple as possible. I know that no matter how simple and cheap the system is, it will still be more expensive than connected to the grid. But I'm tired of seeing my electrical bill every month that has this fee and that fee, especially the "administration fee", which kills me and continues to increase. I was never part of the establishment and do everything I can to avoid funding them.

[SunEagle]

I forgot all about the nature of the current, ie, AC and DC.

Still learning here, folks. Eventually, I'd like to build a system off grid but keep it as simple as possible. I know that no matter how simple and cheap the system is, it will still be more expensive than connected to the grid. But I'm tired of seeing my electrical bill every month that has this fee and that fee, especially the "administration fee", which kills me and continues to increase. I was never part of the establishment and do everything I can to avoid funding them.

Yeah is sucks that the POCO charges all them fees but I try to compare my monthly electric bill to my health insurance and food bill. My average monthly electric bill is under $200 while I spend over $600 per month for my health insurance and $1000 for food. I know where my pocket gets hit more so I don't sweat the power bill.

[CanadianOffGrid]

Yeah is sucks that the POCO charges all them fees but I try to compare my monthly electric bill to my health insurance and food bill. My average monthly electric bill is under $200 while I spend over $600 per month for my health insurance and $1000 for food. I know where my pocket gets hit more so I don't sweat the power bill.

I hear you. I'm in Canada where we have public health care, so health insurance is not needed. But we pay for it through our taxes, which are quite high, like the EU.

[Ampster]

Another thing to consider is whether your electric utility has a fixed fee and whether your building code will allow you to completely disconnect. If your power company has a net metering plan the most cost effective arrangement may be to use the grid as a battery to significantly reduce the cost per kWh of electricity.

[Mike90250]

Many areas, and cities, will not allow "Grid Abandonment" because the monopoly ( power company ) was guaranteed a "captive audience". And cities may have a requirement that for occupancy need grid electric connection. Same as why you can't drill a well or have a septic system in a city.

[bcroe]

I'm tired of seeing my electrical bill every month that has this fee and that fee, especially the "administration fee", which kills me and continues to increase. I was never part of the establishment and do everything I can to avoid funding them.

I came to a similar conclusion, the fewer energy accounts you had, the better. That
caused my conversion to all electric net metering, no connection to the gas co. Here
zoned Ag, no water or sewer either. good luck, Bruce Roe

[foo1bar]

I was never part of the establishment and do everything I can to avoid funding them.

I'm curious - Why do you think the battery manufacturers, the solar panel manufacturers, the inverter manufacturers, etc are not part of "the establishment", but the power company (and it's suppliers) is?
What do you see as the difference between those groups of private companies that you're willing to give the first group more money in order to give the second group less?

(And I'm genuinely curious - I can see this could be read as being a rhetorical question)

[CanadianOffGrid]

I'm curious - Why do you think the battery manufacturers, the solar panel manufacturers, the inverter manufacturers, etc are not part of "the establishment", but the power company (and it's suppliers) is?
What do you see as the difference between those groups of private companies that you're willing to give the first group more money in order to give the second group less?

(And I'm genuinely curious - I can see this could be read as being a rhetorical question)

We're getting off topic here, but it's a fair question. In as few words as possible, let me say that the US-based manufacturing sector and power suppliers are both part of the establishment, which I like to refer to as the privileged class, the 1% who perpetuate the injustice and inequality under which we live. After all, they are the recipients of the benefits of this corporatocracy we find ourselves in. Since I'm not part of this privileged class I will do everything in my power to purchase goods and services from those who are not part of this corporate clique, and that can mean sourcing off-shore. I can hear the cheap rhetoric now: "You're un-American!!!" "Venezuela!!!" "Cuba!!! "Commie", ad nauseum. I'm opposed to the injustice and inequality of the western world, especially in the US, and what it stands for, in particular its mythology. And the best way to undermine it, like anything else, is to defund it. Just ask the Republicans or any conservative political party in the western world and they'll tell you to "starve the beast". The chickens have come home to roost and that beast now includes the corporate class, not just government.