Powering my garage with solar

[Buck Rogers 2000]

I am putting a home on some rural land will have a detached 20' X 22' Tuff Shed garage.

My goal is to have two 315 watt REC panels connected to one Goal 0 Yeti 1250, possibly with another 100AH connected to it.

The system will power the garage door (approximately 300 watts during operation), a light or two and I may power tools occasionally.

I will protect the Yeti by putting it in a huge ice chest during the Winter.

I am a little concerned about the "grid-tie" panels I read about on this board. I'm not familiar with what makes a panel "grid tie only". I would appreciate any wisdom you care to bestow upon me

[Paul Land]

Hand powered garage door and 20v battery powered tool vs 120vac tools makes quite the difference on your load.

[J.P.M.]

Is this being done as a hobby/learning experience or to save $$ ? Fun if for the first purpose. More than likely not achievable for the second.

[Buck Rogers 2000]

Is this being done as a hobby/learning experience or to save $$ ? Fun if for the first purpose. More than likely not achievable for the second.

I recently got divorced and decided I didn't want to line someone else's pocket paying rent. While I don't wish divorce on anyone, it should also be seen as an opportunity for a reboot. I'm trying to take full advantage of my newfound freedom.

I am well aware of many of the pitfalls of solar. Saving money never entered the equation. It's more about the joy of designing and utilizing a practical alternative energy project.

Money IS important but I'm lazy - hence the turnkey Goal 0 Yeti system. I greatly prefer the Yeti 400 and 1250 power stations,as their replacement batteries are reasonably priced and user replaceable. Their Yeti 1000, 1400 and 3000 lithium batteries are not user replaceable and have an approximate lifespan of 500 cycles.

A Yeti 1250 weighs more than 100 pounds, without an extra battery, compared to a 43.7 pound Yeti 1400 lithium.

[Paul Land]

I recently got divorced and decided I didn't want to line someone else's pocket paying rent. While I don't wish divorce on anyone, it should also be seen as an opportunity for a reboot. I'm trying to take full advantage of my newfound freedom.

I am well aware of many of the pitfalls of solar. Saving money never entered the equation. It's more about the joy of designing and utilizing a practical alternative energy project.

Money IS important but I'm lazy - hence the turnkey Goal 0 Yeti system. I greatly prefer the Yeti 400 and 1250 power stations,as their replacement batteries are reasonably priced and user replaceable. Their Yeti 1000, 1400 and 3000 lithium batteries are not user replaceable and have an approximate lifespan of 500 cycles.

A Yeti 1250 weighs more than 100 pounds, without an extra battery, compared to a 43.7 pound Yeti 1400 lithium.

If you get remarried can you send me that Yeti I'll pay for S&H

[J.P.M.]

I recently got divorced and decided I didn't want to line someone else's pocket paying rent. While I don't wish divorce on anyone, it should also be seen as an opportunity for a reboot. I'm trying to take full advantage of my newfound freedom.

I am well aware of many of the pitfalls of solar. Saving money never entered the equation. It's more about the joy of designing and utilizing a practical alternative energy project.

Money IS important but I'm lazy - hence the turnkey Goal 0 Yeti system. I greatly prefer the Yeti 400 and 1250 power stations,as their replacement batteries are reasonably priced and user replaceable. Their Yeti 1000, 1400 and 3000 lithium batteries are not user replaceable and have an approximate lifespan of 500 cycles.

A Yeti 1250 weighs more than 100 pounds, without an extra battery, compared to a 43.7 pound Yeti 1400 lithium.

Understood. Been there. Done that. NOMB, but things will improve.

None of my solar stuff is as cost effective as I'd like it to be, but the education it's given me is priceless. FWIW, In getting the education, I spent as much or more of any free time and less physical and mental effort I had understanding the limitations of alternate energy and understanding what's available and how it worked before designed, bought or built anything. I also found that by doing the homework up front I had a bit of a roadmap and a better plan. But that's just me. After that, the joys of design outweighed the frustration of wasting time doing dumb crap I could have avoided by learning the underlying tech and from reading of the mistakes of others. Probably safer as well.

[littleharbor]

I am a little concerned about the "grid-tie" panels I read about on this board. I'm not familiar with what makes a panel "grid tie only". I would appreciate any wisdom you care to bestow upon me

So called Grid Tie panels are typically the large 60 cell, 72 cell and even higher cell count panels. The term grid tie panels, differentiates them from the smaller 12 volt and other low voltage, low cell count panels. The advent of MPPT charge controllers has made the use of practically any voltage panels possible for off grid battery charging. What you need to know is the Voc. and Vmp. of the panels to calculate string voltages and be assured you won't ever over volt the controller. In conservative systems this may never become an issue but for higher voltage strings you need to calculate the temperature coefficient numbers to ensure you wont go over voltage on record low temperature mornings.

In the old days most off grid systems were 12 volt or maybe 24 volts which we used 12 volt or later 24 volt panels to charge our batteries using simple shunt type or PWM charge controllers. You needed proper voltage panels for the battery voltage of your system. When the larger format 60 cell
"Grid Tie" panels came out they weren't 12 volt or 24 volt nominal output which was needed for the older charge controllers. Grid tie systems are typically series wired panels with string voltages from about 250 to 550 volts. Nowadays these systems can go as high as 1000 volts and even 1500 volts in some cases.
.
Fortunately with MPPT controllers we now have the flexibility to run higher voltages and the controller will ensure your batteries will be charged at the appropriate voltages.

[Buck Rogers 2000]

So called Grid Tie panels are typically the large 60 cell, 72 cell and even higher cell count panels. The term grid tie panels, differentiates them from the smaller 12 volt and other low voltage, low cell count panels. The advent of MPPT charge controllers has made the use of practically any voltage panels possible for off grid battery charging. What you need to know is the Voc. and Vmp. of the panels to calculate string voltages and be assured you won't ever over volt the controller. In conservative systems this may never become an issue but for higher voltage strings you need to calculate the temperature coefficient numbers to ensure you wont go over voltage on record low temperature mornings.

In the old days most off grid systems were 12 volt or maybe 24 volts which we used 12 volt or later 24 volt panels to charge our batteries using simple shunt type or PWM charge controllers. You needed proper voltage panels for the battery voltage of your system. When the larger format 60 cell
"Grid Tie" panels came out they weren't 12 volt or 24 volt nominal output which was needed for the older charge controllers. Grid tie systems are typically series wired panels with string voltages from about 250 to 550 volts. Nowadays these systems can go as high as 1000 volts and even 1500 volts in some cases.
.
Fortunately with MPPT controllers we now have the flexibility to run higher voltages and the controller will ensure your batteries will be charged at the appropriate voltages.

Thank you for the answer, I appreciate it! My chosen power bank does have an MPPT controller. That was the other deciding factor that pushed me to the Yeti 1250 vs. 1000, 1400 or 3000. The lithiums use a PWM controller (Separate MPPT controller available at extra cost).