Mostly new to solar and seeking advice

[inetdog]

Hello Sixfold and welcome to Solar Panel Talk!

To avoid overcharging your batteries when the available panel power would produce more current than the batteries could handle when in bulk mode, all you have to do it use a Charge Controlller (CC) which either has a low enough maximum output or can be throttled back to a lower maximum current setting.

If you are going to be charging your batteries and supplying heavy loads at the same time, you really need a CC which can produce a higher output current than your batteries can take, but which uses a shunt wired into the battery circuit. This allows the CC to regulate its output based on the current going to the batteries while continuing to supply as much or more current to your loads. The load current is seen by the CC but is not seen by the shunt in series with the - leg of the battery bank.

The panels themselves will not generate any EMI, but may well radiate EMI generated by the CC, so filtering on the DC wiring entering the CC may be helpful if you have problems.
The inverter may also generate EMI, and you may need to install filters on its DC input and AC output leads.

There are quite a few members who have their Amateur license who will be happy to share their experiences with you.
If you do not get a reply here, you may want to start a new thread in another topic with that specific question.

[Sixfold]

Hey everybody!

I was seeking some good resources on off-grid solar power and ran across this forum a few days ago. Been devouring posts ever since.

I have some experience with solar as I helped a friend install his 6kw microinverter grid tied system, but that's about it.

Here is my situation. I recently purchased 20 acres about an hours drive south of St Louis, Missouri. It was mostly wooded completely unimproved acreage. I have since added a driveway and a well. I had them install a 120v 12amp well pump. I am in the process of designing the house that will be built, hopefully, starting this spring. Looking at a 2000sq/ft house for a family of 4. I wanted to do ICF construction to keep my heating and cooling costs down but I am having difficulty locating anyone capable of building with ICF in my area (Lots say they know how, but when I ask how many houses they have done, zero is the answer I always get). I have some passive solar ideas and will most likely be supplementing electric heat with wood. Electric water, dryer, dishwasher. LP stove. Gravity septic. No sump.

Anyways on to the electricity problem. $11k is what it will cost me to tie into the grid (I am nowhere near any power lines). Also there is inherent value, to me, in not being dependent on the grid electricity. Enough so that $1/kwh or more is acceptable to me. I recognize the associated costs can be high and I'm trying to pin down more accurate numbers for a completely off-grid system.

I estimate my consumption will be 30-35kw/day. I know this is on the higher side of things, but I anticipate alot of powertool usage and some welding (120v @ 30amp, right now but I may need a bigger welder soon). This can however be arranged so it coincides with sunny days. I also plan to incorporate some thermal mass principals into the house, thereby allowing me to heat and cool more during sunny days.

I plan to add some wind power in the future and possibly some microhydro.

As for our sunniness:
My friends 6kw system produced 875kwhs in June, 1006kwhs in July, 878kwhs in August, and 831kwhs in September (he is less than 10 minutes from me). His panels are not an ideal angle or direction since they are just aligned with his roof, but lets use his numbers for average sun.


So initially I thought that I would focus on a panel heavy system since my primary consumption is during the day. But then I realized that this could cause my batteries to charge too fast during periods of high sun and low load. So I'm back to square 1 and thought I would pose the question to the forum.

What would the ideal complete system (panels, batteries, chargers, inverters, generator, ect) be if you could start from scratch? Including designing the house to accommodate (wiring, roof pitch/angle, ect).


Oh also a side question. I recently obtained my Amateur Radio Tech license and was wondering which pieces of equipment are going to interfere with my signals?

Thanks for your time,
Sixfold