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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2017 06:14pm - Edited by: groingo
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Today marks one year that I have not needed the generator to make up for solar shortfall in fact I am running a large surplus even in winter now enough to run my compact fridge with power to spare.
The key was two simple things....upgrading solar from 400 to 600 watts and making sure charge controller was set for max voltage not default.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2017 06:41pm
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Quoting: groingo max voltage
what voltage set / what nominal voltage of battery / battery type... alays nice to have solar doing all the work
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2017 05:15am
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Pictures would be nice.
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Ontario lakeside
Member
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2017 08:54am
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Can you detail your set up?
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2017 09:26am
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I was able to do the same this year. For me it involved the much discussed lithium batteries. The increased dod and recharge efficiency. Plus the fact I didn't have to be concerned with leaving the batteries partially discharged even for days at a time (5 days remains my record). Equals 0 genny run time.
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2017 11:19am
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The system is very basic 6 100 watt 12 volt panels, PWM charge controller and two 235 ah 6 volt batteries kept in a vented temperature controlled container.
The controller has been the key since input power perameters can vary from 13.6 default to 15....15 is like auto sense as it can give the batteries as much or as little power / amperage as they require up to 20 volts.
Panels are mounted on a ground based frame that makes for easy cleaning and maintenance.
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2017 01:31pm
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My system is also fairly basic. MPPT controllers 60a. 2 sets 1kw panels (72 cell/57voc). 6 47a 48v battery modules kept in an insulated and heated container.
I run my panels in series of 2: 96v solar, 8 at "48v" (130v is the highest I've seen this relatively mild winter) to my 48v battery. So MPPT to convert the high solar voltage to battery voltage is key.
I have my panel sets mounted in the air. Set one on the solar shed. Set two on the tractor run in. Using dock hinges I can easily set seasonal angles. I use a rubber floor squeege to clear the panels of snow.
Another key is the Victron inverter. Low idle loss makes a huge difference. I consider this key in any off grid inverter choice.
The lithium batteries are a treat. I'm using 30% more power. And boy, when the days get cloudy. Going 5 days without a good charge ... huzzah. Lowest charge day this year. 40 watts. Yowza. Best this winter. 8kw.
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KinAlberta
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2019 01:54pm
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You folks dodged a bullet. I almost started another new solar thread* but for on-grid solar, when I spotted this one. 
So, anyway. I’m just wondering what factors prevent on-grid lot owners from basically being genererators for the grid. What real and contrived issues do utilities face in preventing small property owners from putting up say twice as many panels as they personally need? Panels that could feed into the grid?
* there’s so many solar threads that they could fill their own sub-forum.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2019 02:58pm
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Many municipalities etc are no longer allowing you to backfeed. Hawaii has stopped it, others will follow. I guess power companies were in the biz of selling power at retail, not buying it at wholesale.
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Atlincabin
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2019 03:07pm
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There are places still where you can produce extra power and put back onto the grid. It becomes an issue of economics. Some places the power company will pay you (at wholesale or below rates) for the extra power, other places (my experience a few years ago in Nevada) they just keep the power and the heck with the homeowner generating it (i.e., no compensation). The best plan is where you have net metering and can effectively use the grid as your storage - produce extra power in summer and use it in winter. Ideally, size your system to fit close to 100% of your ANNUAL needs. As Toyota says, some places are overstocked on solar feed, so have discontinued allowing overproduction.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2019 03:20pm
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Part of the problem as I see it is that the power company still needs to have the ability to generate power when residential solar cannot supply what is needed, such as when it is cloudy and at night. Plus everyone with grid tied solar needs the grid to use as their "battery" when the sky is cloudy and at night. But they don't want to pay the power company for that use and for their share of the maintenance costs.
I think the grid tied folks are lucky to have the ability to use the power company as a battery like storage facility on a net metered basis; with each watt generated and pushed into the grid being available for use at some later time at zero cost. The power company here allows that carry over for a 12 month period. Meanwhile, those of us who are off grid have to purchase our own batteries for storage. Sure the grid tied folks have to pay a meter fee to be connected to the grid, but that is only $7.11 a month. That hardly pays for anything.
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Atlincabin
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2019 06:41pm
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My grid-tied fee is more like $30/month, FWIW. I'm willing to pay that for the convenience of storage. ICC, you are correct in that someone needs to pay for the cost of maintenance of the grid.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2019 06:48pm
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Quoting: Atlincabin My grid-tied fee is more like $30/month,
Up until two years ago, the meter fee was $5 a month.
I was thinking $25 a month would be about right. $300 a year. Try and buy and amortize a good battery bank for $300 a year. Talking a bank big enough to run a normal home.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jan 2019 10:17pm
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Quoting: ICC I think the grid tied folks are lucky to have the ability to use the power company as a battery like storage facility
Until the grid goes down, and they have no power/stored. Then they have to use a generator. LOL We have grid power. [$300 bucks a year for the meter] Modest Solar set up with batteries. And of course generators. Its nice to have a few options if needed.
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 29 Jan 2019 11:52am
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Grid tied is nice, some really nice tech coming for those folks.
Here in ontario grid connect fees are based on use. Rural residents pay fairly high fees. So one fellow went from 160/mo to 40. He pays for his system in 11 years just with the lower connection fee.
Another fella just went March to October without using 1 electron from the grid. He has a 10kw lithium pack I installed in 2017. He thinks his payback is 3 years. When you think that pack should go 30 years. Huzzah!
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