the thing about a forum is the good advice is easy to pick. incorrect advice will soon be shot down by other members. so far the advice i have got from you guys has been hugely helpful thank you . going by the indicator eye and the declining amps they are drawing from the panels. at 11am i was getting 18amps at the CC. my $10 chi-com voltmeter wires fried at 18amps
250w 30v solar panels
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the thing about a forum is the good advice is easy to pick. incorrect advice will soon be shot down by other members. so far the advice i have got from you guys has been hugely helpful thank you . going by the indicator eye and the declining amps they are drawing from the panels. at 11am i was getting 18amps at the CC. my $10 chi-com voltmeter wires fried at 18amps
So add the cost of a new meter to the free power equation.
divide cost of the meter x cost per kwh of grid power = amount of mains power you could have used.
It all adds up.Comment
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Generally lower end multimeters have a 10A DC max circuit, and would not likely be designed to be continuous.
So add the cost of a new meter to the free power equation.
divide cost of the meter x cost per kwh of grid power = amount of mains power you could have used.
It all adds up.Comment
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I had cyclone Yasi to deal with, winds up to 300kph. The next day I used my backhoe to clear the trees off my access then power poles off the main road. Neighbours were 3 weeks without mains power. I disconnected mine for the event but was back on first thing.
But IMO that is the only good thing about stand alone. I would prefer to have mains and a good quality inverter generator for power outages.
If you are seriously considering staying off grid then you want to do some planning.
What was your monthly power consumption, do you have AC, what heating, stove, hot water.
And what are the actual batteries you have now, you said they have an indicator eye so I am thinking a sealed battery.Comment
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my peak load for the last quarter was 400kwh. i would convert to gas for hot water. so i need 1600kwh per year. the 2 batteries i have now are 100ah 12v flooded lead acid not sealed. i dont use heavy power consumers like AC of heating. i have a wood fire pot belly for heating and a gas stove for cooking. got the 360w 24v inverter yesterday. the biggest consumer is the fridge but i would probably get a gas fridge so i might only need 800kwh per year. would need a 2000w inverter for the coffee machineComment
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my peak load for the last quarter was 400kwh. i would convert to gas for hot water. so i need 1600kwh per year. the 2 batteries i have now are 100ah 12v flooded lead acid not sealed. i dont use heavy power consumers like AC of heating. i have a wood fire pot belly for heating and a gas stove for cooking. got the 360w 24v inverter yesterday. the biggest consumer is the fridge but i would probably get a gas fridge so i might only need 800kwh per year. would need a 2000w inverter for the coffee machine
How will the neighbors feel if you have a genset that is non silenced running for hours on end.
Do you iron clothes, use clothes drier?Comment
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2000w inverter will require a bigger battery bank, and quality in those 2 alone are not cheap. You will also need a decent charger to be able to equalize batteries and charge them when you have days of bad weather.
How will the neighbors feel if you have a genset that is non silenced running for hours on end.
Do you iron clothes, use clothes drier?Comment
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You are already running a 24v system so your 12v charger is of no great value, and a 12V system will be to small for you. You cant use the 12V charger to charge one battery at a time in a 24V system unless you disconnect the batteries and charge one at a time to full charge, but that is very inconvenient.
You need to get a hydrometer and check each cell. They will likely be uneven already due to the way you have used them. if they are uneven you need to do an equalize charge.Comment
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Every time I start to get sick of the cost and inconvenience of this rural life i just go and stay in the suburbs and lie awake listening to the neighborhood dogs barking. here I just get a few lost pig dogs turn up for a feed and water then I find their owner and give me back.
You are already running a 24v system so your 12v charger is of no great value, and a 12V system will be to small for you. You cant use the 12V charger to charge one battery at a time in a 24V system unless you disconnect the batteries and charge one at a time to full charge, but that is very inconvenient.
You need to get a hydrometer and check each cell. They will likely be uneven already due to the way you have used them. if they are uneven you need to do an equalize charge.Comment
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If the Vmp is around 30V, it is a 20V nominal panel. If the Vmp is around 35V, it is a 24V panel. Another way to tell is counting the cells (squares). 20V panels have 60 cells, 24V panels have 72 cells.Solar Queen
altE StoreComment
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The quality batteries come with a range of graphs etc that give you info on temp V SOC etc etc.
my batteries came with a hydrometer and thermometer.
If the cells are out of balance then you do an equalize charge, which is a high charge to rebalance, or equalize them.
My specs say 31V for equalize for 24v system.
What do you have your charge controller charge rates set at?Comment
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The cells in battery banks can get out of balance, this is why you need a hydrometer to check them.
The quality batteries come with a range of graphs etc that give you info on temp V SOC etc etc.
my batteries came with a hydrometer and thermometer.
If the cells are out of balance then you do an equalize charge, which is a high charge to rebalance, or equalize them.
My specs say 31V for equalize for 24v system.
What do you have your charge controller charge rates set at?Comment
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just one more question about this set up, how much storage could i use at 24v. currently 200ah. im getting about 18amps at 34v to the CC for about 4 hrs a day in the winter. the batteries seem to be charging very fast so how much more could i add?Comment
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The answer is related to how long you want the batteries to last,
the more you drain them each night the shorter their life span.
Not sure how long you are expecting these batteries to live BUT,
If you dont check the charge controller settings and ensure it is charging at the correct rates for your batteries,
and get a hydrometer and check their SG then they will not last long at all!!!!!!!!!Comment
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I assume you mean how much power can you use from the batteries.
The answer is related to how long you want the batteries to last,
the more you drain them each night the shorter their life span.
Not sure how long you are expecting these batteries to live BUT,
If you dont check the charge controller settings and ensure it is charging at the correct rates for your batteries,
and get a hydrometer and check their SG then they will not last long at all!!!!!!!!!Comment
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