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nyantler
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# Posted: 15 Aug 2010 12:02pm
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Can i wire my 16 x 20 cabin the same way i would if i was getting power from the power company when using solar power? I want to use regular power and light recepticles, and 100 amp breaker box. Also can i use 12 wire or should i bump up to 10 wire?
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rob_o
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# Posted: 15 Aug 2010 11:15pm
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Are you wiring for 120VAC inverter power or something else?
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cman47c
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# Posted: 16 Aug 2010 08:22am
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I have the same setup in my cabin. I feed my 100Amp panel from either a 3000W inverter/battery/solar charger or generator. The branch circuits from the box to the receptacles or lights can be #12 or #14 as long as there is no very large electrical device plugged into an outlet. For the wire feeding the main breaker on the panel, I would use a #10 if feeding from a 3000W inverter or generator. If using a bigger generator, the main wire should be sized according to the wattage of the generator.
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nyantler
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# Posted: 18 Aug 2010 08:05pm
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Yes I am wiring for 120v... I had planned on using 12 wire for outlets and lights. Also, wondering if 80 watt solar panel is enough for average weekend use if i have a few deep cell batteries and is only needed for lights...and maybe a small pump for pumping rainwater to a sink. Do I need a 1200w inverter?
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rob_o
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# Posted: 18 Aug 2010 10:04pm
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On 120VAC, #14 wire is rated for a 15 amp circuit and #12 is good for 20 amps. That's 1800 and 2400 watts, respectively. 16/2 lamp cord would be adequate, wiring everything to code would be much better if at some point in the future you might have the option to tie into grid power. The cost difference is slight so run everything with #12 wire.
Run an analysis of the loads you plan to use, size the inverter and battery bank to handle the loads then size the solar panels to properly charge the batteries. Adding more batteries is easy but if you can't charge them you can't use them
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cman47c
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# Posted: 19 Aug 2010 08:46am
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The 80W solar panel should be good. I use 2 X 15W solar panels and I have 2 deep cycle marine batteries that I alternate. One battery lasts 2-3 days. 80W solar panel give you about 7A of charging so if your solar cells receive some good sun for half a day, a 100A-Hr battery should be recharged in about one charging day. The pump may require that you have a 1200W inverter depending on its size. Inverters do not like motors.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 13 Oct 2010 10:22pm
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Quoting: nyantler Can i wire my 16 x 20 cabin the same way i would if i was getting power from the power company when using solar power? I want to use regular power and light recepticles, and 100 amp breaker box. Also can i use 12 wire or should i bump up to 10 wire?
Well, supply or input should be atleast 10 AWG, but that is onyl good up to 30 amps. If you want a 100 amp service box, just leave access ie screw the p aneling around it so you can go back in later. 12AWG is heavy duty for lights and outlets and usually on 20 amp circuits. A 14AWG is std a nd for most 15 amp circuits.
If I was you, wire the box up just like you would at home. But keep in mid, if its a primary panel, the line or neutral also ties int both grounds and neutrals on your panel, but if its wires up as a sub panel (coming from antoher panel for feed) the neutral and ground cant be bonded, the grounds need to be seperate. You can buy the extra grounding bars from the same place you got the panel, then you ned to drive in ther ground an 8 foot iron clad ground rod and this hooks ot the ground bar. Then there is a green screw in the panel you must remove.
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