Solar Newbie needs help for off grid setup please.

[Janachovsky]

Really need help, thought I had it basically decided until I started reading your guys' stuff!

Off grid cabin in Colorado, not alot of power needed 800 Watts Max/day, but much less most days. Just for Small fridge, TV, dvd and occasional 5-10 minute use of a vacuum, microwave, toaster, etc. no lights. I would only use the 800 maybe 1 per week.

Anyways I need your guys expertise in choosing the right setup.
For 800 watt hrs/day max
1-240 watt panel
do I use 24 or 48 volt?
48v- 183ah- 3 string 61/per string
24v- 366ah- 3string 122/per string
10amp controller
1500 watt inverter.

Is this enough, stupid, right on point?
Thanks guys

This is what I was advised
1- 240 watt panel
Batts-

[ButchDeal]

There is so much wrong with what you have here but lets start at the beginning.
There is little chance that what you described is an 800wh/ day load so therefore you must be talking about a continuous load of 800W all day long which comes to 19.2kWh per day.
Both are frankly ridiculous for an off grid system.

you latter mention
" 800 watt hrs/day max"
The toaster is going to use 1/4 of that doing your morning bagel. The vacuum will use more than the rest.

Then you have :
48v- 183ah- 3 string 61/per string
are you planning to use 61Ah batteries ?? and 3 strings of them. Don't do that! Use one string of 200ah batteries.
A 183Ah 48V battery will be 8.7kWh (you want to plan to use half that though).

Now you plan to charge this 8.7kWh battery bank and run your loads at the same time with just one 240W module???

[Janachovsky]

No I mean I'll use 800 Watts total power max per day, sorry didn't mean 800wh.
All appliances will be regular 110v

-Small Fridge- ( I don't have it yet but manufacturer states it uses 180 Watts in 24 hours) will be left running all the time.

Microwave 1000 Watt - used for 10 minutes Max per day used, used maybe 1 or 2 days a week

Vacuum 12 amp - used 1 per week max for 10 minutes

Blender 1000watt- occasional use for 5-10 mins

Toaster 1350watt - occasional use for 5-10 mins

Small TV - 2 amp i think, 3 hours a day mostly everyday when were there

DVD player 1amp used maybe 1 per week 3 hours

That's pretty much it for power consumption. Everything is only used 1 at a time except fridge will b left running.

Thanks, hope that helps, glad I didn't buy anything yet!

[Janachovsky]

I'm only there for 1week maximum at a time if that helps

[ButchDeal]

No I mean I'll use 800 Watts total power max per day, sorry didn't mean 800wh.
All appliances will be regular 110v

You need to know how many kWh. The peak in watts is only useful for picking an inverter max size.

-Small Fridge- ( I don't have it yet but manufacturer states it uses 180 Watts in 24 hours) will be left running all the time.

That would be 180wh watts is only a measure of peak. wh is a measure of consumption.

Microwave 1000 Watt - used for 10 minutes Max per day used, used maybe 1 or 2 days a week

so 10 minutes of 1kW is 167wh

Vacuum 12 amp - used 1 per week max for 10 minutes

so 12a at 120V with power factor of .9 (could be worse) comes to 1,296 w for 10 minutes is 216wh

Blender 1000watt- occasional use for 5-10 mins

10 minutes is 167wh

Toaster 1350watt - occasional use for 5-10 mins

10 minutes is 225 wh

Small TV - 2 amp i think, 3 hours a day mostly everyday when were there

comes to 648 wh

DVD player 1amp used maybe 1 per week 3 hours

324wh

That's pretty much it for power consumption. Everything is only used 1 at a time except fridge will b left running.
Thanks, hope that helps, glad I didn't buy anything yet!

so just counting the fridge microwave and TV comes to 995 wh per day and that is with no lights, no toast, dirty floor, no movie, no margarita...

[Wy_White_Wolf]

I'd like to see a link to that frig that only used 180WH in a day.

If it states 180watts (with no hours) that is instantaneous draw. Not the amount it uses in a day. Guessing a 50% duty cycle that would use 180W * 50% * 24 hours = 2.16KWH in a day.

WWW

[Janachovsky]

Well then, I was way off! I guess that's what I get for using one of them online solar calculator things. Well I guess it doesn't really seem financially smart to do this if I'm only using it 3-4 days a month avg. ,10days avg in winter months. I already have the Generator we use, how much would that cost (rough estimate) just for the equipment, not labor? I would estimate it but we see how that went. You guys are beyond valuable!

[Mike90250]

I'd suggest using the generator, AND maybe just a couple small battery powered lights to not listen to generator all night. Maybe a small inverter genset for the TV and other lightweight loads. Another larger generator to handle the vacuum, blender, and microwave.