Look at my solar system pics and help me finish the project (:

[inetdog]

... Maybe two of the batteries are spares?....

Which will be left sitting uncharged until they die?

[Living Large]

STOP BUYING STUFF!!! How are you going to wire 10 batteries in 48V? Get a professional involved NOW.

I was struck by these statements: "hm, I wonder if its enough batteries.. not knowing anything about batteries.

Somebody also bought 10 big batteries today for this system, I duno what the ratings are."

I see very little hope for the Dance of Joy here. Maybe two of the batteries are spares? Perhaps the person who bought them can explain why they bought the batteries they did, and why they bought 10. Better than anyone here, anyway. I would take the big automotive type batteries back today, and then stop and design a system. If my buddy went off and bought big batteries, brought them to me and said "here, use these", I'm not sure what I would do. Go to the bar?

[J.P.M.]

Some folks you just can't reach.

[Amy@altE]

Soo, this 24x280w 48v system will be running our 1 and half hp well pump and our 3hp pressure pump. Theyre both 240. So hopefully we've got enough juice. I know during the summer they have a tendency to pump almost all the time for our 5 acres of park like area. At night is when I water all the grasses which can take all night as the sprinklers are staggered to go on at different times ALL night long.

QUESTION:
1. Do you think these 10 $200 automotive like batteries would be able to keep the pressure pump going all night for sprinklers AND since the tank would lower, the well pump would run too. hm, I wonder if its enough batteries.. not knowing anything about batteries.

Somebody also bought 10 big batteries today for this system, I duno what the ratings are.

Somebody also bought 2k feet of 12 gauge wire to run instead of just using a few big 1/0 wires etc. So, well be cutting up a bunch of 12 gauges, which doesnt sound very fun, but o well.

So thats my update for now. (:

STOP BUYING STUFF!!! How are you going to wire 10 batteries in 48V? Get a professional involved NOW.

[Mike90250]

You are a long way from being ready to sizing the wire. Stop buying stuff and figure out the rest of the system first. .......

What she said. Double.

Forget knife switches. They will be welded/ruined on DC very quickly. Midnight makes DC rated high voltage breakers. The breakers go in boxes. The wires on the breakers HAVE to be installed with attention to proper polarity, or the breakers WILL burn up if tripped under power.

You HAVE to engineer this install before going any further, you have a huge PV array , and at first glance, triple huge loads with those pumps.

My well pump is rated 1/2 hp (in my .sig) and with loading, power factor and such, consumes 1,000W as clocked by the inverter control panel, which is pretty accurate. Extrapolating that ratio to your 4.5hp of pumps, gives an estimated load of 9,000 watts running, starting will be even more. Frankly, these pumps should be 208V, 3 phase, not simply 240V.

I take it you pump from a well, to a storage tank, and then pressure pump from the tank to the water system ? What about an elevated tank (Water Tower) to get pressure from gravity, and then no night pumping ?

Batteries to run the nightime pumping loads will be immense, like the bank on a submarine. Big $$$$

You need a main transfer switch, and you need a backup generator, because if you loose sunlight, those batteries are going flat fast.

I have also not heard ANY good things about AIMS inverters, which seems to be what the sticker in the photo you linked to, claims. (even as a boat anchor, they rust out quick).

I DON'T have a good feeling about this. How do you power the pumps now ? You should be installing pure Grid Tie, not battery system. Have you had the power company evaluate your site for 3 phase power ? Over 1hp, you should consider 3 phase.

[sensij]

Man, you are over your head with this. Where are those pumps getting power now? Why do you want to add solar power and batteries to this system?

[hollywoodtoday]

update on our 24x280w 48v system, and question

Soo, this 24x280w 48v system will be running our 1 and half hp well pump and our 3hp pressure pump. Theyre both 240. So hopefully we've got enough juice. I know during the summer they have a tendency to pump almost all the time for our 5 acres of park like area. At night is when I water all the grasses which can take all night as the sprinklers are staggered to go on at different times ALL night long.

QUESTION:
1. Do you think these 10 $200 automotive like batteries would be able to keep the pressure pump going all night for sprinklers AND since the tank would lower, the well pump would run too. hm, I wonder if its enough batteries.. not knowing anything about batteries.

Somebody also bought 10 big batteries today for this system, I duno what the ratings are.

Somebody also bought 2k feet of 12 gauge wire to run instead of just using a few big 1/0 wires etc. So, well be cutting up a bunch of 12 gauges, which doesnt sound very fun, but o well.

So thats my update for now. (:

[hollywoodtoday]

That is great and all, but you are really doing this out of sequence. What is the load you intend to run? How much power, and for how many hours out of the day? From that, you can figure the required battery size, and everything else will follow. This seems to be the one question you haven't asked.

1. hm, well Ill have to get back to you on the load. i cant remember the exact size of each motor. Its a 240 pressure pump and a 240 well pump that run off these 24x280w 48v. Somebody sized it, so I assume its fine, he was also out here yesterday filling me in on some ideas too.

ok Ill get the loads tomorrow and then we can figure out the batteries. (:

2. Im calculating that the inverter will be providing about 30a by 30a ac or less to the panel of the building. Sound right?

3. Do you think a 130ft loop with 12x280w 48v would work well with a 2/0 copper thhn? Thats what that wire size calculator seems to show me

4. Do you think 80ft loop with 12x280w 48v would work well with a 1/0 copper thhn?

THANKS! (:

[sensij]

That is great and all, but you are really doing this out of sequence. What is the load you intend to run? How much power, and for how many hours out of the day? From that, you can figure the required battery size, and everything else will follow. This seems to be the one question you haven't asked.

[hollywoodtoday]

more questionsss

Thanks for the great help, I've been working on it off and on and pretty much have a plan now.

Still have questions tho:
1. What are the gains and losses if you put the dc positive and negative next to one another all the way from the panels into the building and to the chargers etc?
Do I retain more volts n amps if I place all positives in one pvc conduit and the negatives in another?

2. I've decided that for our 24x280w system tied in series to create 48v back to the 12000w inverter, ill be running 2 60/80 outback controllers.

3. I was going to use a 200a fuse on 12 positives and another 200a fuse on the 12 other positives. Should I get two more 200a fuses for the 2 negatives coming in?

4. Anybody know how to calculate the wire size of a 2 gauge + 2 gauge + 4 #12s? I wish I could find a calculator for that kind of stuff.

5. Heres a list of stuff Im looking at getting ------------------------------------>

6. Is it ok to have two different sizes, #1 on negative and #2 on positive? If #2 is good enough for both, is it still ok to have different sizes?

2 200a knife switches with covers

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/171607031522?lpid=82&chn=ps

4 x 200a inline fuses, 1 for pos and one for neg times 2 ---- OR 2 x 200a breakers, 1 on each of the positives

https://www.google.com/search?num=100&biw=1440&bih=766&tbm=shop&q=knife+switch&oq=knife+switch&gs_l=serp.3..0l2j0i5l4.100579.101172.1.101356.5.5.0.0.0.0.77.279.4.4.0.msedr...0...1c.1.60.serp..6.1.76.CZH2X3B5zgU#spd=0

2 x 60/80a charge controllers

http://sunelec.com/charge-controllers/mppt-controllers/outback-power-flexmax-fm60-mppt-charge-controller.html

1 subpanel for 2 30a breakers. solar ac would come into this then go into the main panel in the pump house

2 60a transfer switch - one for each barn $130x2

https://www.google.com/search?q=60+amp+transfer+switch&num=100&client=firefox-a&hs=52E&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ei=XF-zVN3II4erogSBjYCwAg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1440&bih=766#spd=0

http://www.bulkwire.com/wireresistance.asp

buy 130 ft of 2/0
buy 45ft of 1 gauge


pipe:
130ft of 1.5inch pipe
80ft of 1.5 inch pipe
15 elbows

1 box that fits the pipe size without knockout set or just big enough for my step bit

[Amy@altE]

My guess is there are several details for the OP to iron out, so to speak. But the thread isn't a total loss if you count the Dance of Joy.

Teehee, iron out the thread. I'm going to do a little happy dance right now.

[Living Large]

LOL another clueless member who has no idea. This project and thread is DOA.

My guess is there are several details for the OP to iron out, so to speak. But the thread isn't a total loss if you count the Dance of Joy.

[Sunking]

LOL another clueless member who has no idea. This project and thread is DOA.

[Amy@altE]

This is good advice, and if you follow it you can look forward to partaking in "the Dance of Joy.

I do so love the dance of joy!

[Living Large]

I'm stopping there, because I really think you need to contact a solar store to help you with the design, and they can help with the other questions. There are some good online stores who specialize in what you are doing, not just the place I work. They can help you down to the strain reliefs and labels, in much greater detail than we can get into here. Call them.

This is good advice, and if you follow it you can look forward to partaking in "the Dance of Joy.