Updates: For an updated blueprint and parts list, go here: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html The grounds and neutrals are separated in the panel now. Check out the discussion here: ruclips.net/video/X3QA9T_O1g0/видео.html If you think that this system is not grounded properly, watch this video: ruclips.net/video/5czI7-9CVrU/видео.html And read about floating systems and offgrid solar grounding here: www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Wiring-Unlimited-EN.pdf This system is floating unless it is connected at the ac input to the grid. Then the ground is supplied by the ac input grounding conductor. The ac input and output are bonded in the inverter. And before you comment, keep in mind that this inverter is not UL listed, so it would never pass any inspection, anywhere in the united states. And it wouldn't have to because it is an offgrid system. Please watch the video above to learn more. *Does off-grid solar confuse you?* Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com *Join our DIY solar community!* #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com Check out my best-selling, beginner-friendly 12V off-grid solar book (affiliate link): amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out EnergyPal! They will price out a system and get your house offgrid: energypal.com/diysolar/ *My Solar Equipment Recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):* 12V/48V Lithium Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html Plug-N-Play Systems: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html Complete 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html *My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:* *Signature Solar* Offgrid One-Stop-Shop. Best Value 48V LiFePO4, Victron and Offgrid Specific Heat Pumps: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Current Connected* SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp *Ecoflow Delta* My favorite plug-n-play solar generator: us.ecoflow.com/?aff=7 *AmpereTime* Cheapest 12V batteries around: amperetime.com/products/ampere-time-12v-100ah-lithium-lifepo4-battery?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Renogy* A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages! renogy.sjv.io/n1VjXx *Rich Solar* Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Battery Hookup* Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 5% off code: diysolar *Contact Information:* I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar *FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:* Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :) DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
UL listings aren't required everywhere in the US for equipment. They might have listings from other approved labs as well. The NEC itself doesn't have a blanket statement requiring listing and approval, but rather requires certain materials and devices to be listed and approved for the purpose. In residential, some municipalities have adopted the IRC, which does have a blanket statement requiring all materials to be listed and approved (but not necessarily by UL). So, it really depends on the AHJ. Provided the install was done correctly, having non-listed inverters would pass inspect where I work just fine. EDIT: I don't have time to check at the moment, but I also just thought of the fact that the NEC might require inverters to be listed and approved for the purpose, so I might be wrong about that. I'll check later when I have time and update this.
@@davem5333 I am using a non combustible chemistry and ocpd on every conductor. It's fine. I have more dangerous stuff in my house right now that doesn't require any permit. This system is nothing. My lipoly packs for my race drones are much more dangerous, and no one comments about that.
I don't worry about grounding, just your DC breakers have NO arc catcher. I used to love them, till one got "stuck" and melted.. (oeps). I really would have loved to see you stress a Daly (or other Mosfet based) BMS in this system! Draining 13kw, 250-300A That's a fair amount of Voltage drop for the Daly, and with it a lot of heat! This you won't notice at a 12v setup. (My Daly went from 53.0 to 52.7v B- P-, 0.3v 13000 watt, that's 80 watts of heat / power loss) My smart Daly even had 0.5v...
This guy is so crystal clear with his instructions!! I'm 69 and have immersed myself in his videos until I started to understand everything he talks about, but I started with NO knowledge just 6 weeks ago. If I check my work carefully at each step, I could install a system just like this in a day. Six weeks ago, it scared the hell out of me, but now, I'm comfortable with it. Thanks so much, Will!! You are the BEST!
I know thank God for Will .I would never be able to do it without him. I haven't done it yet. I'm actually going to do, at the moment only a 120 v using one of these inverters because I only bought one thinking that's all I need for now. But the more I think about it the more I probably will need 240 v. I actually got a sungold. But it's the same inverter. I learned that from Will. I probably should go to 240 right away. I just learned my solar array plan is going to be okay for my inverter. I'm actually going to be able to do 390 POV they went up with the newer inverter I bought. I have to go over the other numbers to make sure they're going to be correct. Not too many watts. I'll have to watch the video a few times. I wonder if I should put a 240 panel in. That way I already have it for if I ever go 240. If Will happens to see this maybe he can let me know. I wonder where I get my panel I'll have to figure that out. Well wish me luck. Also my bus bars and the other things that were in there I can't remember I just saw the video. Thank God I saw the video. I need to figure out how to do the grounds correctly also. Gosh it's a lot of work I hope I have the time all the stuff will be in soon it's in the shipping mode. I did pretty good I have a decent 12 volt system I'm just growing out of it
Constructive criticism here, when I do installations similar to this I will mount 3/4” ply wood on top of dry wall into wall studs first then mount 1/4” hardy board to that as a flash barrier. Doing it this way allows you to mount everything where ever you want with out relying on drywall anchors as I don’t trust them either,
Totally agree. A little more work and expense but I like not having to worry about anchors or stud locations. I mount my equipment cabinets and shelves the same way in my shop except the fiber cement board is not needed for those applications. I have also learned to prime and paint one coat each first before mounting anything as it is far easier and the "soak in" factor is taken care of. Once everything is where I want it, I can place the top coat and (my personal thing) lables! Once I build something and work out the bugs, I move on to the next thing and tend to forget what is going on with successful projects. I do keep some paper notes and cost records (esp for home improvements that raise the home's basis, but these are minimum otherwise. Labling things after bugs are gone lets me check things at a glance. I also install temp, volt & amp meters at important places to further aid my "at a glance" checkups. For instance, I am on my thirt iteration of installing over 2200 ah lifepo4 battery system in our rv. Got interrupted by having to sell house and move. 3 months later, I had to try to recall where I was in the process while on the road! I am pleased to say that the dc system is now on the lifepi4 batteries and they can be charged by shore power or b to b while driving. Fridge is also on a small inverter (1000 watt, sine wave) while we are driving so it stays cold. We are no longer on propane for anything as that system failed (tank damage) and want to go to solar/battery anyway. Cost of new 39 gallon tank and replacement piping was very high. Purting those $ to use installing batteries and solar.
@@Dgrinde I have been tracking solar, battery storage and electric vehicles for 50 years. Energy saving was my thing. We lived in a 300 yr old log house in earlt 80's and I installed a ground source heat pump. That was unheard of then. I adopted compact fluorescent bulbs when we had to order them mail order (no Inet for common folk then). I built an electric bicycle in 1970 but range was way too low and LA battery way too heavy. It is only economically possible to go off grid in the past few years (my dream), but I no longer own a house. I do have an rv which I have converted to lifepo4 batteries with solar on the way. I used to track solar pricing for 2 kw when it would have taken over 30k for the panrls slone (way more than I made in a year and roughly equal to 200 to 240 k in today's dollars.). As prices came down, 15 k would have purchased all of the parts for an 8k system around 2014. If I were to do it today, I would go completely off grid. I would make it large enough to charge 2 electric vehicles also. Decentralized energy is the future just as electric vehicles are. Our next car will likely be our last but it will be electric (Tesla Y on top of list at the moment.) There will be a great many choices in 5 years or so . I like your eq choices as well as your neat and well planned layout. Neatness counts when troubleshooting done glitch. I have done a lot of it over the years! Cilor coding wires as well as numberung them helps. Having a witing diagram at eyeball level and big enough to read at a glance mounted behind plastic right on the board helps too. You woild not believe how many times I have walked into a locatiin that has a failure and the only diagram is in the manual (if there is one) and no one knows where it is! You are doing it right and it is pleasing to see. I am generally not quite as neat with my own projects because it is always an experiment. Oncebit is working and all safety protections have been tested, then I rewire it to make it neater but not too much so because there is always 2 or 3 more things I want to work on driving me onwards. So far on our rv, I have 2 - 12 vt 310 ah lifepo4 batteries in parallel made from individual cells. I have a new charger converter for shore power as well as a b to b charger for power on the road. These things are installed and working well. I have a 5000 watt pure sine wave inverter installed but not online. Same for a large 500 amp bms board and a second automatic transfer switch. Once all that us up and running, then I will source dolar panels and a mppt controller and begin to wotk out how best to install them while keeping the wiring out of sight. So far, everywhere I have thought anout running wires down from the roof, there is so.e major hinderance to doung so (like a water or fuel tank mounted right under the floor). By the time I am able to install the solar, my research will have shown me the best option to use. I have taught myself many things over the years. Anyhow, keep up the good work and the videos. They are the best I have seen and are absolutely the easiest way for someone to learn how to build a system. Thanks! 😎
I did offshore and industrial electrical work for years. Try mounting Unistrut to the wall first and then you have no need for any type of specialty anchors. Unistrut has its own pop in spring loaded nuts that will slide anywhere within the horizontal run of the mounted strut. We used this system to mount panels, transformers, etc. You also end up with over an inch of air space behind the inverter so you get the benefit of extra cooling or airflow behind it. I do appreciate your videos as I am considering installing backup solar at my home in the woods.
@@Omnikam hopefully, they all work reasonably well. I think that I would test the output of each one in similar sunny conditions to see if there are any dogs in the bunch. Sounda like a great purchase though, even if one or two are bad, it's a great bargain!
I have watched this young man for years and he is highly intelligent. As well as ahead of the game. I am past my creating years, but I wish him the best and would recommend following his idea's for the future. Sincerely, James Gonzales
My Prayer's have been answered!! Been waiting for you to do a 48V Solar System for some time now. As always you crushed it...Thanks. BTW I've learned so much from your videos over the past 2 years and you never disappoint. Please don't stop!
I did a 4K 48 v inverter/charger system about 15 years ago at our remote cabin. It is still going great. The first few years I didn’t have solar and I’d just run a 2k Honda a few hours every few days. We have solar chargers now also.
"And so that's pretty much it.".. You make it look and sound soooo easy. You are a marvel for sure. The ease and natural flow of your technical information is astounding. Thanks for the content.
"How cool is that? It works." I love the causal surprise. Great video. Would love to see more 48v split phase stuff. Thinking very hard about going this route with our 48ft toy hauler.
Everybody's been commenting about a year ago haha I'm just finding all this stuff out did you ever do 48 volts did you ever make the switch. I did 12 volts about 3 or 4 months ago to get by when the power was shut off to where I stay at my Trucking yard. Now I figured I better upgrade a little bit because I'm cloudy days I don't have enough juice. I need to up my solar panel power. I probably could have stuck with a 12 volt but for the future the 48 volt will be much better. I'm only going to go 120 with one solar controller for now unless I get a wild hair and buy a second one and go 240 right at the beginning. That's what I should do
I installed a pair of LV6548 units about a month ago (I used this installation video to get it right - thank you Will!), and they have worked flawlessly. Getting the LFP battery charge settings correct was a little tricky, but once done right, it just works. The 240/120V outputs go to a Cummins automatic transfer switch so a Cummins RS13A generator (propane) can kick in if all else fails. It's important when you rely on well water! The Cummins also uses some of its power to charge the main batteries.
I'm about to do the same. How large of a battery bank are you going with? What batteries did you decide on? How much solar? Thanks and hope it all goes well for you
@@awakentruth1116 , right now we have 18k of panels, two MPP 6548s, and 15k of Jakiper batteries. I’ll add at least one more battery right away and then see how things go once we get in there.
Things that are awesome, in order: 1. Your excitement when it works 2. Your knowledge of how the various components work 3. That you leave the errors you run into in for the consumer to be aware of Great content, wish I would have found you a few years ago. Thanks for posting this awesome and informative content.
You are by far the best, most knowledgeable person I have ever seen on RUclips on solar power. I understand more about what to do in 30 minutes than I've learned over the past 3 years.
First off - very nice video. Some of possible improvements: A. Change the AC panel to one that has main breakers - this would allow you to isolate the panel from the inverters without turning them off. B. add a level to the Hardiboad. You could do this by sandwiching plywood and more Hardiboard to the existing surface. This would allow for separation of the power cables. C. I'd add some sort of shielding to the communication cables. Having all that power/electromagnetic radiation nearby can cause issues. I'm surprised that the manufacturer had that in the design. A foil wrap inside an electrical PVC conduit box would suffice.
I just built this same system for our off grid cabin. 21 solar panels, 2-LV6548’s in split phase, 6 KWH in batteries. Now I am wiring in a propane powered generator. :-)
Next time consider installing 3/4" or 1" plywood to the wall then put the hardy board over the top of that. This way you can use conventional heavy duty wood screws to hold all of your equipment. Great build by the way
I bought a all-in-one kit including two Rich solar inverters, One battery Bank and all the wires plus six 365 Watt panels. I had no clue how to put this together until I watched his videos, now it looks like I can do it nearly blindfold with the help of his instructions he is quite thorough, five stars!
Fabulous presentation Will. You've shown the safety measures that must not be ignored in order to finalise this project. Check check check the voltage and equipment status every stage - wise words coming from you.
Hi Will. I am getting my confidence up, stepping out and doing new projects, thanks to you and several other RUclipsrs. I really like the idea of integrating some solar so that I can power my home office/work room, and get it off the grid. I do not want a $40k, 30kWh system on my roof, don’t have enough land to do it either, so smaller systems are great for my needs. I really like this setup. Not sure I need 2, to run laptops, monitors, a TV, a Roku, and charge battery’s for power tools, phones, ear buds, etc., but 48s seem to be the best way to go. I started out building small 12v ammo can solar power boxes, now ready to step up the game. Also, picked a copy of your mobile solar book, and just starting to read it. Thanks so much. I did notice you use drywall anchors, yeah I don’t trust them either. I thought about using either a full sheet of plywood or using a couple of what I call ledger boards, that way no anchors and hardy board and ledger boards are in studs. Great vid. Thank you.
This video was amazing. Loved that you showed some of the challenges you had with programming, and how you figured things out (how many panels, etc.). It was also really helpful to explain what you won't use - all questions most of us have when we're standing in the aisle at the big box store or electrical supply trying to figure out which option is right. Super useful. Thanks!
Will, You should look into Unistrut or SuperStrut for mounting your equipment on the wall. I find it flexible to move and adjust, as well as anchor down conduit, shelves and just about anything you want to put on the wall. (instead of mounting to hardie board). you can get the clamps that support 1/4-20 screws and bolts. It also comes in a low profile version. For a guy that likes ferrels on you stranded conductors, I think you would like this as a mounting solution. It also allows space behind equipment for added cooling. It will add cost to the project but allows for flexibility over the longer life of the project.
Very helpful. Great to see a young fellow giving this a go and really appreciate the fact that he allows his glitches through the editing. God bless you, and I'll be watching for your updates and future projects, and getting a great education! Thanks.
What was the estimated cost for this exact system that you installed? Also, next time please also show how you connected the batteries in series, along with connecting solar panels. LOVE IT! THANK YOU!!!
I have watched all of your videos and I still have not seen a blueprint for a 48 volt system. Would love to see that it would really tie it all together! Thank you for everything!
Oscilloscope great project Will, this would've been a great opportunity to use your new oscilloscope so that you could check to see that both inverters frequency is in sink and see if readings are affected by load. Check also with your scope when running various loads from light to heavy see if you see a difference in frequency and voltage across panel box terminals 120 L1/L0 & L2/L0 as well as your 240 L1 / L2 .
For people on a budget like myself I've found scrapyards to be a great source for everything from panels, cables, batteries and various fittings. Throwing the pile sorter guy a 12 pack definitely helps when looking for something.
I think the ok ne thing in respect the most is that you have issues like the rest of us. You don't edit the video.. you just work through them. Keep up the good work.
I would backfeed via a double pole breaker vs using the main lugs. That way you can disconnect one or both feeds from the panels and gives u an over current protection on the panel legs.
True, but I would never rely on it. Plus u cannot disconnect the inverters from the panel without shutting them off. And even then are you really sure they are not outputting any power? I would not trust it, even Will is double checking with a meter. Spend the extra $25 and do it right, more OC protection creates a safer installation.
@@jimmyg6215 I get what you are saying in that a output disconnect breaker would allow you to isolate a single inverter, but both of his main loads are split phase so if you take one out of the circuit, you need to take both out. And you can isolate them by opening the battery breakers and AC input breakers if he is using them. This is a very physically small (even though it is powerful) system and a lot of things done to support large systems are simply not necessary here.
12 space 24 circuits 125A square D QO main lugs w/plug on neutral panel $60. That’s what I use in my off grid cabin. More circuit spaces than u probably ever need.
We live in exciting times (at least for technology). You are enjoying it to the max! Lucky guy. When I was your age (I'm an old f*rt now) I worked with microprocessors and minicomputers - those also were exciting times, nobody knew what the were. I'm envious of you.
I have worked as a building contractor for years when I'm hanging cabinets or anything that's heavy I like to run a hanging board between the studs. That way you can place your mounting screws wherever you need. I liked your use of cement board as a heat shield. Keep up the good work.
I watched most of this video before I realized one battery bank, two inverters. For some reason I had it stuck in my head each inverter needed its own bank. Not sure why I thought that. Glad I watched this!
Just wanted to say thanks, building a skoolie and bought your book Mobile solar power made easy and in fact that is what you do. I was trying to figure out charge controllers and other components for the 1875 watt system I am building when I saw you use the all in one system above. Made my life so much simpler. Thanks again, Keith
Holy cow. Dude, I will be totally be your source for mining/rig setup if you will be my source for power/solar info! You are a champ. I hope to one day understand everything you did in this video lol.
The scaling of this core design is also a handy amount. Solar input of what you have shown is 16kW max, and the maximum number of inverters would give you up to 48kW solar input. Max output of a 6-inverter system using these inverters being 39kW. My own setup, if I were using more than two inverters, would use a double load center setup, one load center used for input from the inverters, then feed a second load center for the actual loads themselves. The two load centers would both be minimum rated 100A in my setup, and more likely 200A.
Will, nice video. Changing parameters on P28 was tricky too. Also, in my case, after setting the parallel function on P28, it does not harm if you switched on each inverter sequentially. My experience is with the 2NOS 5048MGX connected in parallel to give 10kw at 240v. Keep up the good work. Love your channel.
I'm just getting started in solar, but having some experience designing other commercial power systems I felt something was off with having to pre-charge the caps before closing the breakers. Is this really necessary? Or is Will (rightly) being extra cautious?
Yaml I was wondering the same thing I don't really know what that particular step means or anything I'll have to remember that. It probably so you don't get a big spark or something. I've got to figure out how to put those Breakers in I don't really know what kind of Breakers they are I'll have to watch the video a few times
Thanks Will! Just building my 12k system, I used a simple French cleat system into the studs, for hanging my inverters. Living in SoCal, never know when we’re going to get shook😎
Just a thought: A 3/4 inch sheet of plywood sandwiched between the cement board and drywall would solve the problem of not having studs to go into. Mount the plywood to the studs, then the cement board on top of that, then you can hang/mount all your equipment in any configuration you want without worrying about drywall anchors being strong enough and pulling out.
Good video. You can place a sheet of 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch plywood between the Hardy boards and Sheetrock. The plywood can be screwed into the wood studs. The plywood sheets give you the ability to mount boxes anywhere on the Hardy Board surface without regard to the location of the studs.
Very cleanly executed. Making the small mistakes and rectifying them also helps to make things easier to understand. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Great timing! About to start down this path on some raw land and this is the size system we are looking to build, with maybe a couple more kw of panels.
Really great video. I especially like the explanation of how you encountered and dealt with the 120 deg vs 180 deg difference in the settings. ( Although I am not a fan of leaving bare battery posts open for anyone to accidentally drop a shovel or something else onto )
I was wondering that also Warren about changing 180 to both or just one. I'm having a problem finding out if we're getting any feedback. To the questions. It would be very difficult to answer everybody🙂 I sure am glad for what information I got I think if I watched the video a few times I might be able to figure it out
Awesome, only things I'd add are 1, a mains isolation switch between the panel and inverters 2, a single DC cut off from battery to inverters. being able to shut things down quickly and easily is important.
@@HypherNet main shut off on the inverters. And it has a ocpd. If I had main DC cut off switch, I could damage mppt circuit on accident. Mppt should always be connected to a battery before attaching panels. Anywho, that's why I don't use those. Not a smart idea.
@@charlesrichards5389 Yeah, I was going to add about it adding an air gap for a bit extra cooling/safety to my post but hit enter accidently and was too tired to go back and add it.
Awesome project, thanks for videoing it. When you have stranded copper wire that’s difficult to deal with on the panel you can tin them and it will keep them from fraying and separating. Hope this helps
I do this too. Important for connections that may have to be removed and reinstalled at sometime. Ferrule also encourages complete strand involvement in screw connections instead of just the strands that contact the screw.
4:52 never do that with stranded wire. Make a clamp first. Then put into the connector. Alternatively, put some solder on the copper wires so they don't move relative to each other (but clamp is better)
@@error200http But, it would have been easier and they wouldn't have any tension on them if he cut them 6 inches longer instead of wrestling the stubby wires into the connector. But I agree, twist and solder the strands also.
Thanks for the well organized explanation, Will. You make it seem simple and straightforward. As others have said, it is very instructive to see the hiccups and how you overcame them.
We normally use the cable mounts with the screws under the cable rather than over, it's stronger that way. Also, we always use a feed breaker to connect the panel or install an independent supply breaker so the entire panel will be protected.
Hi Will, Great system! I can see all the hard work that went into putting it all together. Nice, clean setup! One small note: Recommend combining inverter outputs prior to entering the CB panel (SOOW is not code). Either 1 1/4" conduit, or 6-2G Romex from each Inverter would be fine. Neutrals & Grounds should combine, leaving one each red, black, white & green going to the CB panel. I like the MPPT inverters you chose. Those setup menus allow for a very flexible system design. Great Job!
This is absolutely insane! With your new van you should convert it into a camper and build an insane lithium set-up with some cool electronics in it. See if you can replace propane with electric altogether!
Hello, I was raised in a area where there was at a time when the winters where lots of snow and ice. The wind chill could get down to -60 below when I was a kid people in the area had 100% gas furnace’s with no electric devices on them in case the power grid would go down from four days to two weeks.. So I am aware people always need some type of back up. If the weather is bad no one wants to go out and deal with to clean off panels in a storm. I personal know of two people who froze to death but not in the same storm. Even after a major wind storm the power grid is down. Even after a major wind storm it can take months to get the necessary parts and equipment to repair a off grid solar set up. So, it is always better to have some type of back up system in place for the unexpected bad weather. That is why on the van build I want to build is to have two battery banks like they have on boats. Also I am thinking about having separate battery bank and solar panels that are only dedicated to 100% commutation in very remote locations. I have lived in a remote area before where going to a town of any size was a 250 miles round trip. Regards Hope
17:08 Here is where I wanted to see a large digital display showing the watts produced by the photo voltaic panels, and another one showing what's going into your electrical panel AC , and another one between the batteries and inverters. I always want to know at a instant glance, am I borrowing, filling, or maintaining what I have. And a trimetric meter would be nice to show the battery level in a percent scale of 1-100 of full. But your doing great for a initial build. Your video editing and scripting is top-notch. On my batteries, I could borrow for 7 days with no recharging before I was fully discharged to my 50% rate for my flooded lead acid batteries. That's back when a 100 watt panel cost $770.
I would have added a master shut-off for the breaker panel, saving the need for having to turn the inverters off in the first place. Also consider it an extra way to protect everything.
That would also ensure that you drop power from both inverters when you want to work in the panel. It's also a hard disconnect and you're not relying on the inverter doing some weird hiccup and powering up when you least expect it.
Depending on the weight of what you are hanging, you can screw a 1x4 board or 2x4 board across the top of the wall. Screw the wood to each wall stud across. Do the same thing for the lower mount as well. You can hang the inverter boxes anywhere along the wall and have a very secure mount. I do not like using wall anchors either.
Unlike a sane person, I yell things out when I have a different way of doing things than you, Will, a header that spans across the studs that is 2X6 [a total of 3 placed horizontal]. They should be put behind the Hardy-boards so that would allow airflow.
@Anthony Moser points for more fireproof, but omg do everything you can to avoid cutting hardibacker. I use it for fireproofing around the glassblowing workshop and have a miserable time when I cut it. Even scoring and snapping is terrible. Eats steel blades for breakfast; silicosis guaranteed!
Yes, I have gone to Home Depot a few times to look at Hardy-Board for how to use it in my design ideas. Last week I was in Home Depot all of the stock the had in was cracked,broken, and chipped. I did find a two inch type of form insulation that I love that has a 10 R rating and it weights nothing plus it comes in one inch thickness. Stan I have a question would the high temperature paint that is used on grills help reduce the firer risk if painted on wood on a small 30amp system? I am new to building and electrical work but my background in baking and cooking make me aware when baking it is the fine details that are important. Regards Hope
@@todddunn945 I wondered if anyone would mention sheet steel overtop of substrate. Fire resistance and heat soread would probably eliminate the need for the fiberboard which is heavy, hard to use, and easy to damage. A building inspector told me that a piece of sheet steel over plywood on a pull down stair in our garage would meet the fire requirements for garages in our state.
@@travismiller5548 I first use a manual tile grout scraper/removal tool with a narrow grit-coated blade to quickly deepen one of the pre-scored lines on the 1/4" hardie board. I then snap the board off after placing a straight 2x4, or straight table edge, etc, underneath the line to focus the downward bending stress. There's only a small amount of concrete dust left behnd on the board from the grout tool and it doesn't blow all over the place as with a power saw. Easy peasy.
In utility setups like the one you're working on here I like to run half inch to 5/8 inch plywood over the sheetrock or whatever other type of wall you're working on then you could still have a thin HardieBacker on there the advantage is having really good screw purchase no matter where you screw generally anchors would be completely unnecessary. Appreciate your videos!
Great video Will. Having gone through this myself, I would like to add that it is very important to press the exit button (top left) after you make any configuration changes, or the changes will be discarded if the setting timeout occurs and it exits back to the main screen. Otherwise you can fool yourself into thinking you have made permanent changes when you have not. Secondly, the battery mode (05) should be set to USE for LiFePO4 batteries with their own BMS - I made the mistake of selecting LIC (3rd party lithium) and got a warning 61 (see page 64 of the manual) as it expected to communicate with the battery.
I’m really glad to see you do a larger format DIY setup, as I’d like to do something exactly like this as my next project. Thanks for sharing your builds! I’m looking forward to your updates as you finish out this system.
Hi, you use a standard incandescent bulb? Tungsten filament bulb? How would you wire that? I have been searching for that particular pre-charge capacitor too.
Hi, you use a standard incandescent bulb? Tungsten filament bulb? How would you wire that? I have been searching for that particular pre-charge capacitor too.
@@alexanderezra1509 I use a 5watt 24v lamp in a 24v system. For a 48v system a 110v would work too. Only incandescent bulbs work, no electronics or power saving leds.
Nice. Your theory is sound and with a bit of practice you can make cable layout visually appealing. Align the saddles and make the wires straight and it will be a beautiful sight. Great job!
Hey Will: would mounting the panel between the inverters also be a good option? I feel like this would eliminate some of the cable crossing when I build my system. Great video!
His idea of having the dc flow in from the right and the ac flow out of the box is cleaner. Imagine if you had a dozen things connected in the panel, those wires have to go somewhere.
@@pdxliberal - ”D/C flow in from the right… A/C flow out of the box” It is clean, but the more I think about the suggestion that we are replying to, D/C flow from bottom and A/C from top, with an inverter on each side of the panel sounds like it could be a nice clean solution, too!
Mama Mia, our beloved chef, what a coincidence ❤ I am sure you are looking to build your own so that you can freeze anything you want for 17 years ❤ We love you Jean-Pierre!
Great, I was looking for something like this. I want to add a micro wind turbine (6ooW to 1KM) to my solar setup with a battery pack to do the same. I was also interested in charging from the grid during off-peak hours. It's good to see the hardware that I would need.
Hey, have you gotten your wind/solar system set up? I wanted to set up a small wind and solar system and am in search of the best controller and batter for such a system. Would also like to ad a hydro component to the system at some point as well.
Why do you prefer two 6500 w inverters compared to let’s say a 13kw or 14.4 kw system for roughly the same price and less wiring. Are there benefits I’m unaware of?
thank you for all the information and the video but please let everyone know when working around a live pannel to close it and avoid a dangerous mistake. also grounding its very important, i would put a ground bar in the exterior or else at the moment i dont see anything been grounded nor protected...
Will, your video provided me a great orientation to kW solar driving a 240 VAC system. May I suggest that you add a “pilot lamp” to each leg of the breaker panel to let you know when the breaker is in operation. While you can deduce that the circuit is on by reading the inverters, there’s nothing better than a red or green light to tell you that the power is on. Also, with the panels running in series putting out 100+ VDC, it doesn’t hurt to insulate the terminals to keep fingers out of harm’s way. Both the panel circuits and the 48VDC battery circuits should be covered and protected.
Excellent content, well explained, clear voice & NO music so we could understand everything you were saying, I didn't catch if this system is pure sine wave ? Thank You
In the event you knock out the wrong size hole. Use reducing washers vs. opening another hole. Also consider leaving a service loop for your conductors in the panel. Makes things a lot easier to repair when murphys law comes into play.
Hey quick question. If one of the inverters is being fed from a group of panels in shade, and another inverter has full sun, do you have to worry about your 240v being out of phase since the legs are handled independently?
I know its late but the panels would be used to charge the batteries then the battery bank would supply the correct power for each inverter. This inverter has a solar charge controller built into it which is why its confusing, usually it is two separate boxes
I agree. I've been using the LV 6048 which require the cables from the inverter to have 4 wires; two hot legs, a neutral and grounding wire which then go to a SUB panel box where the grounding conductor has to be isolated from the neutral wire and bonded to the box. Since the inverter provides the power and contains the main disconnect, I believe it is considered to be the main panel. Main and sub electric panel boxes are typically wired differently (in my area of the county) and I would think you'd have to know what type of panel box the cables are running to properly wire and ground the box. I am not familiar with the inverter Will is using and I trust the people at MPP but I don’t understand why that inverter uses a 2 wire/w ground cable.
@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore how? The only way I see to do that is to directly touch two exposed conductors. One phase and either a neutral or the other phase. Both cases require two mistakes or faults. With a grounded system, one mistake will kill you.
@@williammeek4078 Neutral and PE (which does not exist in this setup as there is no connection to real Earth) is one terminal bar. Now he has connected all appliances PE and N to the same bars, that means, that he has exposed Neutral to outside metal cases of lets say the A/C compressor. So N is already exposed, now only need a fault where a L get exposed and you touch it. The setup does not have leakage detection as the inverter cannot provide it and there is no RCD. So you are just becoming a load with a resistance of around 300 Ohms. No safety device to help you if you can't get out of the circuit as the MCB will as well not trip due to not enough current.
Your panel is upside down and they make grounding lugs that you can add to your panel. Never put two wires into one screw terminal. They will eventually melt, not a matter of if it’s when. I hold a C-10 lic and operate an electrical company is California so trust me I’ve seen this happen multiple times. Appreciate the video though
Updates:
For an updated blueprint and parts list, go here: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html
The grounds and neutrals are separated in the panel now. Check out the discussion here: ruclips.net/video/X3QA9T_O1g0/видео.html
If you think that this system is not grounded properly, watch this video: ruclips.net/video/5czI7-9CVrU/видео.html
And read about floating systems and offgrid solar grounding here: www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Wiring-Unlimited-EN.pdf
This system is floating unless it is connected at the ac input to the grid. Then the ground is supplied by the ac input grounding conductor. The ac input and output are bonded in the inverter.
And before you comment, keep in mind that this inverter is not UL listed, so it would never pass any inspection, anywhere in the united states. And it wouldn't have to because it is an offgrid system. Please watch the video above to learn more.
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UL listings aren't required everywhere in the US for equipment. They might have listings from other approved labs as well. The NEC itself doesn't have a blanket statement requiring listing and approval, but rather requires certain materials and devices to be listed and approved for the purpose. In residential, some municipalities have adopted the IRC, which does have a blanket statement requiring all materials to be listed and approved (but not necessarily by UL). So, it really depends on the AHJ. Provided the install was done correctly, having non-listed inverters would pass inspect where I work just fine.
EDIT: I don't have time to check at the moment, but I also just thought of the fact that the NEC might require inverters to be listed and approved for the purpose, so I might be wrong about that. I'll check later when I have time and update this.
The problem might be with your home insurance company if there is a claim situation.
@@jefferytownsend7787 my area and where I lived in California did require it
@@davem5333 I am using a non combustible chemistry and ocpd on every conductor. It's fine. I have more dangerous stuff in my house right now that doesn't require any permit. This system is nothing. My lipoly packs for my race drones are much more dangerous, and no one comments about that.
I don't worry about grounding, just your DC breakers have NO arc catcher. I used to love them, till one got "stuck" and melted.. (oeps).
I really would have loved to see you stress a Daly (or other Mosfet based) BMS in this system!
Draining 13kw, 250-300A
That's a fair amount of Voltage drop for the Daly, and with it a lot of heat!
This you won't notice at a 12v setup.
(My Daly went from 53.0 to 52.7v B- P-, 0.3v
13000 watt, that's 80 watts of heat / power loss)
My smart Daly even had 0.5v...
This guy is so crystal clear with his instructions!! I'm 69 and have immersed myself in his videos until I started to understand everything he talks about, but I started with NO knowledge just 6 weeks ago. If I check my work carefully at each step, I could install a system just like this in a day. Six weeks ago, it scared the hell out of me, but now, I'm comfortable with it. Thanks so much, Will!! You are the BEST!
I know thank God for Will .I would never be able to do it without him. I haven't done it yet. I'm actually going to do, at the moment only a 120 v using one of these inverters because I only bought one thinking that's all I need for now. But the more I think about it the more I probably will need 240 v. I actually got a sungold. But it's the same inverter. I learned that from Will. I probably should go to 240 right away. I just learned my solar array plan is going to be okay for my inverter. I'm actually going to be able to do 390 POV they went up with the newer inverter I bought. I have to go over the other numbers to make sure they're going to be correct. Not too many watts. I'll have to watch the video a few times. I wonder if I should put a 240 panel in. That way I already have it for if I ever go 240.
If Will happens to see this maybe he can let me know. I wonder where I get my panel I'll have to figure that out. Well wish me luck.
Also my bus bars and the other things that were in there I can't remember I just saw the video. Thank God I saw the video. I need to figure out how to do the grounds correctly also. Gosh it's a lot of work I hope I have the time all the stuff will be in soon it's in the shipping mode. I did pretty good I have a decent 12 volt system I'm just growing out of it
I'm 63... had the same initial reaction as you. Thank you for your words of encouragement.
So true.
Constructive criticism here, when I do installations similar to this I will mount 3/4” ply wood on top of dry wall into wall studs first then mount 1/4” hardy board to that as a flash barrier.
Doing it this way allows you to mount everything where ever you want with out relying on drywall anchors as I don’t trust them either,
Totally agree. A little more work and expense but I like not having to worry about anchors or stud locations. I mount my equipment cabinets and shelves the same way in my shop except the fiber cement board is not needed for those applications.
I have also learned to prime and paint one coat each first before mounting anything as it is far easier and the "soak in" factor is taken care of. Once everything is where I want it, I can place the top coat and (my personal thing) lables!
Once I build something and work out the bugs, I move on to the next thing and tend to forget what is going on with successful projects. I do keep some paper notes and cost records (esp for home improvements that raise the home's basis, but these are minimum otherwise. Labling things after bugs are gone lets me check things at a glance. I also install temp, volt & amp meters at important places to further aid my "at a glance" checkups.
For instance, I am on my thirt iteration of installing over 2200 ah lifepo4 battery system in our rv. Got interrupted by having to sell house and move. 3 months later, I had to try to recall where I was in the process while on the road! I am pleased to say that the dc system is now on the lifepi4 batteries and they can be charged by shore power or b to b while driving. Fridge is also on a small inverter (1000 watt, sine wave) while we are driving so it stays cold. We are no longer on propane for anything as that system failed (tank damage) and want to go to solar/battery anyway. Cost of new 39 gallon tank and replacement piping was very high. Purting those $ to use installing batteries and solar.
@@Dgrinde I have been tracking solar, battery storage and electric vehicles for 50 years.
Energy saving was my thing.
We lived in a 300 yr old log house in earlt 80's and I installed a ground source heat pump. That was unheard of then. I adopted compact fluorescent bulbs when we had to order them mail order (no Inet for common folk then).
I built an electric bicycle in 1970 but range was way too low and LA battery way too heavy.
It is only economically possible to go off grid in the past few years (my dream), but I no longer own a house.
I do have an rv which I have converted to lifepo4 batteries with solar on the way.
I used to track solar pricing for 2 kw when it would have taken over 30k for the panrls slone (way more than I made in a year and roughly equal to 200 to 240 k in today's dollars.).
As prices came down, 15 k would have purchased all of the parts for an 8k system around 2014. If I were to do it today, I would go completely off grid. I would make it large enough to charge 2 electric vehicles also. Decentralized energy is the future just as electric vehicles are. Our next car will likely be our last but it will be electric (Tesla Y on top of list at the moment.) There will be a great many choices in 5 years or so .
I like your eq choices as well as your neat and well planned layout.
Neatness counts when troubleshooting done glitch. I have done a lot of it over the years!
Cilor coding wires as well as numberung them helps. Having a witing diagram at eyeball level and big enough to read at a glance mounted behind plastic right on the board helps too. You woild not believe how many times I have walked into a locatiin that has a failure and the only diagram is in the manual (if there is one) and no one knows where it is!
You are doing it right and it is pleasing to see. I am generally not quite as neat with my own projects because it is always an experiment. Oncebit is working and all safety protections have been tested, then I rewire it to make it neater but not too much so because there is always 2 or 3 more things I want to work on driving me onwards.
So far on our rv, I have 2 - 12 vt 310 ah lifepo4 batteries in parallel made from individual cells. I have a new charger converter for shore power as well as a b to b charger for power on the road. These things are installed and working well.
I have a 5000 watt pure sine wave inverter installed but not online. Same for a large 500 amp bms board and a second automatic transfer switch. Once all that us up and running, then I will source dolar panels and a mppt controller and begin to wotk out how best to install them while keeping the wiring out of sight. So far, everywhere I have thought anout running wires down from the roof, there is so.e major hinderance to doung so (like a water or fuel tank mounted right under the floor).
By the time I am able to install the solar, my research will have shown me the best option to use.
I have taught myself many things over the years.
Anyhow, keep up the good work and the videos. They are the best I have seen and are absolutely the easiest way for someone to learn how to build a system.
Thanks! 😎
I did offshore and industrial electrical work for years. Try mounting Unistrut to the wall first and then you have no need for any type of specialty anchors. Unistrut has its own pop in spring loaded nuts that will slide anywhere within the horizontal run of the mounted strut. We used this system to mount panels, transformers, etc. You also end up with over an inch of air space behind the inverter so you get the benefit of extra cooling or airflow behind it. I do appreciate your videos as I am considering installing backup solar at my home in the woods.
@@philipgilmore8869 I just bought 2.2kw of panels for $75 they are second hand, but dam its cheap to go off grid these days
@@Omnikam hopefully, they all work reasonably well. I think that I would test the output of each one in similar sunny conditions to see if there are any dogs in the bunch.
Sounda like a great purchase though, even if one or two are bad, it's a great bargain!
I have watched this young man for years and he is highly intelligent. As well as ahead of the game. I am past my creating years, but I wish him the best and would recommend following his idea's for the future. Sincerely, James Gonzales
I have watched you for years. This is your best video by far! It was so comprehensive and went over so much. Every word was gold.
My Prayer's have been answered!! Been waiting for you to do a 48V Solar System for some time now. As always you crushed it...Thanks. BTW I've learned so much from your videos over the past 2 years and you never disappoint. Please don't stop!
You have come a long ways. Way to go young man
I did a 4K 48 v inverter/charger system about 15 years ago at our remote cabin. It is still going great. The first few years I didn’t have solar and I’d just run a 2k Honda a few hours every few days. We have solar chargers now also.
"And so that's pretty much it.".. You make it look and sound soooo easy. You are a marvel for sure. The ease and natural flow of your technical information is astounding. Thanks for the content.
@@kilo54 Yes.. I guess I wouldn't know the difference not being an electrician. Thanks Batman!
"How cool is that? It works." I love the causal surprise. Great video. Would love to see more 48v split phase stuff. Thinking very hard about going this route with our 48ft toy hauler.
Everybody's been commenting about a year ago haha I'm just finding all this stuff out did you ever do 48 volts did you ever make the switch. I did 12 volts about 3 or 4 months ago to get by when the power was shut off to where I stay at my Trucking yard. Now I figured I better upgrade a little bit because I'm cloudy days I don't have enough juice. I need to up my solar panel power. I probably could have stuck with a 12 volt but for the future the 48 volt will be much better. I'm only going to go 120 with one solar controller for now unless I get a wild hair and buy a second one and go 240 right at the beginning. That's what I should do
I installed a pair of LV6548 units about a month ago (I used this installation video to get it right - thank you Will!), and they have worked flawlessly. Getting the LFP battery charge settings correct was a little tricky, but once done right, it just works. The 240/120V outputs go to a Cummins automatic transfer switch so a Cummins RS13A generator (propane) can kick in if all else fails. It's important when you rely on well water! The Cummins also uses some of its power to charge the main batteries.
Don't stop doing what you do. Its a gift! I've watched for a long time and again, another production very well done! Thanks!
I totally agree he is so great at what he does
Thanks, Will! This is almost the exact system I am building for our off-grid home.
Glad I can help!! :) Thank you!!
I'm about to do the same. How large of a battery bank are you going with? What batteries did you decide on? How much solar? Thanks and hope it all goes well for you
@@awakentruth1116 , right now we have 18k of panels, two MPP 6548s, and 15k of Jakiper batteries. I’ll add at least one more battery right away and then see how things go once we get in there.
Things that are awesome, in order:
1. Your excitement when it works
2. Your knowledge of how the various components work
3. That you leave the errors you run into in for the consumer to be aware of
Great content, wish I would have found you a few years ago. Thanks for posting this awesome and informative content.
You are by far the best, most knowledgeable person I have ever seen on RUclips on solar power. I understand more about what to do in 30 minutes than I've learned over the past 3 years.
I know right.
First off - very nice video. Some of possible improvements: A. Change the AC panel to one that has main breakers - this would allow you to isolate the panel from the inverters without turning them off. B. add a level to the Hardiboad. You could do this by sandwiching plywood and more Hardiboard to the existing surface. This would allow for separation of the power cables. C. I'd add some sort of shielding to the communication cables. Having all that power/electromagnetic radiation nearby can cause issues. I'm surprised that the manufacturer had that in the design. A foil wrap inside an electrical PVC conduit box would suffice.
I just built this same system for our off grid cabin. 21 solar panels, 2-LV6548’s in split phase, 6 KWH in batteries. Now I am wiring in a propane powered generator. :-)
Next time consider installing 3/4" or 1" plywood to the wall then put the hardy board over the top of that. This way you can use conventional heavy duty wood screws to hold all of your equipment. Great build by the way
Good idea that might work for me I'm putting it inside a a Beacon's moving trailer. I could Bolt the plywood right to the wall
I bought a all-in-one kit including two Rich solar inverters, One battery Bank and all the wires plus six 365 Watt panels. I had no clue how to put this together until I watched his videos, now it looks like I can do it nearly blindfold with the help of his instructions he is quite thorough, five stars!
Fabulous presentation Will. You've shown the safety measures that must not be ignored in order to finalise this project. Check check check the voltage and equipment status every stage - wise words coming from you.
Hi Will. I am getting my confidence up, stepping out and doing new projects, thanks to you and several other RUclipsrs. I really like the idea of integrating some solar so that I can power my home office/work room, and get it off the grid. I do not want a $40k, 30kWh system on my roof, don’t have enough land to do it either, so smaller systems are great for my needs. I really like this setup. Not sure I need 2, to run laptops, monitors, a TV, a Roku, and charge battery’s for power tools, phones, ear buds, etc., but 48s seem to be the best way to go. I started out building small 12v ammo can solar power boxes, now ready to step up the game. Also, picked a copy of your mobile solar book, and just starting to read it. Thanks so much. I did notice you use drywall anchors, yeah I don’t trust them either. I thought about using either a full sheet of plywood or using a couple of what I call ledger boards, that way no anchors and hardy board and ledger boards are in studs. Great vid. Thank you.
This video was amazing. Loved that you showed some of the challenges you had with programming, and how you figured things out (how many panels, etc.). It was also really helpful to explain what you won't use - all questions most of us have when we're standing in the aisle at the big box store or electrical supply trying to figure out which option is right. Super useful. Thanks!
this is your calling buddy. i am one of the WORST people to tell ppl when it not. KEEP GOING I LOVE YOUR VIDS
Will, You should look into Unistrut or SuperStrut for mounting your equipment on the wall. I find it flexible to move and adjust, as well as anchor down conduit, shelves and just about anything you want to put on the wall. (instead of mounting to hardie board). you can get the clamps that support 1/4-20 screws and bolts. It also comes in a low profile version. For a guy that likes ferrels on you stranded conductors, I think you would like this as a mounting solution. It also allows space behind equipment for added cooling.
It will add cost to the project but allows for flexibility over the longer life of the project.
Pretty good idea for mine I mounting it in a Bekins Moving trailer that might be an idea
Very helpful. Great to see a young fellow giving this a go and really appreciate the fact that he allows his glitches through the editing. God bless you, and I'll be watching for your updates and future projects, and getting a great education! Thanks.
What was the estimated cost for this exact system that you installed? Also, next time please also show how you connected the batteries in series, along with connecting solar panels. LOVE IT! THANK YOU!!!
I have watched all of your videos and I still have not seen a blueprint for a 48 volt system. Would love to see that it would really tie it all together! Thank you for everything!
Oscilloscope great project Will, this would've been a great opportunity to use your new oscilloscope so that you could check to see that both inverters frequency is in sink and see if readings are affected by load. Check also with your scope when running various loads from light to heavy see if you see a difference in frequency and voltage across panel box terminals 120 L1/L0 & L2/L0 as well as your 240 L1 / L2 .
Good idea Mack!!
For people on a budget like myself I've found scrapyards to be a great source for everything from panels, cables, batteries and various fittings. Throwing the pile sorter guy a 12 pack definitely helps when looking for something.
Where would you find such a place, and how likely would it be for them to let you look through the stuff?
Thanks for including the whole process; learning and mistakes. It's incredibly helpful.
No kidding. I think our type learn more from our mistakes than our successes. Even better to watch the teacher make those mistakes!
I think the ok ne thing in respect the most is that you have issues like the rest of us. You don't edit the video.. you just work through them. Keep up the good work.
I would backfeed via a double pole breaker vs using the main lugs. That way you can disconnect one or both feeds from the panels and gives u an over current protection on the panel legs.
The inverter panels have built in over current protection
True, but I would never rely on it. Plus u cannot disconnect the inverters from the panel without shutting them off. And even then are you really sure they are not outputting any power? I would not trust it, even Will is double checking with a meter. Spend the extra $25 and do it right, more OC protection creates a safer installation.
@@jimmyg6215 I get what you are saying in that a output disconnect breaker would allow you to isolate a single inverter, but both of his main loads are split phase so if you take one out of the circuit, you need to take both out. And you can isolate them by opening the battery breakers and AC input breakers if he is using them. This is a very physically small (even though it is powerful) system and a lot of things done to support large systems are simply not necessary here.
12 space 24 circuits 125A square D QO main lugs w/plug on neutral panel $60. That’s what I use in my off grid cabin. More circuit spaces than u probably ever need.
Two breakers in one series isn't good practice, better to just install isolation switches.
We live in exciting times (at least for technology). You are enjoying it to the max! Lucky guy. When I was your age (I'm an old f*rt now) I worked with microprocessors and minicomputers - those also were exciting times, nobody knew what the were. I'm envious of you.
Dude, I love how you make this seems so easy while adding details.
I swear you’re like the Bob Ross of Solar I freaking love your channel
I have worked as a building contractor for years when I'm hanging cabinets or anything that's heavy I like to run a hanging board between the studs. That way you can place your mounting screws wherever you need. I liked your use of cement board as a heat shield. Keep up the good work.
Hi, I was left to finish building my house, so can you explain please to me exactly what is a hanging board? Thanks
@@anneschwan4178 drive it..or concrete board..it's the board they put around hot tubs ...comes in 2x4 or 4x4 or sheets for they are very heavy
I watched most of this video before I realized one battery bank, two inverters. For some reason I had it stuck in my head each inverter needed its own bank. Not sure why I thought that. Glad I watched this!
Just wanted to say thanks, building a skoolie and bought your book Mobile solar power made easy and in fact that is what you do. I was trying to figure out charge controllers and other components for the 1875 watt system I am building when I saw you use the all in one system above. Made my life so much simpler. Thanks again, Keith
Holy cow. Dude, I will be totally be your source for mining/rig setup if you will be my source for power/solar info! You are a champ. I hope to one day understand everything you did in this video lol.
The scaling of this core design is also a handy amount. Solar input of what you have shown is 16kW max, and the maximum number of inverters would give you up to 48kW solar input.
Max output of a 6-inverter system using these inverters being 39kW.
My own setup, if I were using more than two inverters, would use a double load center setup, one load center used for input from the inverters, then feed a second load center for the actual loads themselves. The two load centers would both be minimum rated 100A in my setup, and more likely 200A.
that is interesting! .. you have any videos of your set up?
@@mafosa8519 I do not, as I do not yet have the funding to build the kind of setup I would want for my use case.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. 101 OF SOLAR INSTALLATION - SO MUCH BETTER THAN SITTING AND READING A MASSIVE MANUAL!!!!
Will, nice video. Changing parameters on P28 was tricky too. Also, in my case, after setting the parallel function on P28, it does not harm if you switched on each inverter sequentially. My experience is with the 2NOS 5048MGX connected in parallel to give 10kw at 240v. Keep up the good work. Love your channel.
I'm just getting started in solar, but having some experience designing other commercial power systems I felt something was off with having to pre-charge the caps before closing the breakers. Is this really necessary? Or is Will (rightly) being extra cautious?
@@yamlcase230 I suspect it's him being cautious or following instructions provided in the manual for the inverters.
Yaml I was wondering the same thing I don't really know what that particular step means or anything I'll have to remember that. It probably so you don't get a big spark or something. I've got to figure out how to put those Breakers in I don't really know what kind of Breakers they are I'll have to watch the video a few times
@@yamlcase230 I'm pretty sure you get a big spark for some reason if you don't do it and it's a pretty big Spark
Thanks Will!
Just building my 12k system, I used a simple French cleat system into the studs, for hanging my inverters. Living in SoCal, never know when we’re going to get shook😎
Just a thought: A 3/4 inch sheet of plywood sandwiched between the cement board and drywall would solve the problem of not having studs to go into. Mount the plywood to the studs, then the cement board on top of that, then you can hang/mount all your equipment in any configuration you want without worrying about drywall anchors being strong enough and pulling out.
Smart idea!!!!
@@lunatik9696 2x6 is better.. give you more room and strength against cracking. At 50 lb each inverter... stronger fasteners is needed.
@@MrTiger0002 a #8 screw has 86 lbs of shear load. He has 4 on each inverter, it's not gonna fall.
I cant afford 3/4 Plywood
The plywood would cost more than the entire rest of the system.
Good video.
You can place a sheet of 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch plywood between the Hardy boards and Sheetrock. The plywood can be screwed into the wood studs. The plywood sheets give you the ability to mount boxes anywhere on the Hardy Board surface without regard to the location of the studs.
Great idea
"Drywall anchors always scare me..."
Amen to that brother. Had so many of them fail it's not even remotely funny.
3/4 " plywood, then Hardee board.
Very cleanly executed. Making the small mistakes and rectifying them also helps to make things easier to understand. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Just love that cement board I find it's the best when installing victron 250v/100a smart solar mppt charge controller as those chargers get really hot
@WillProwse
Your video's are EXTREMELY easy to follow, makes LOGIC sense and serves as a testament for your tremendous personality....
Love the episode, hoping you will show in detail the addition of a DIY battery and some additional detail about solar arrays added to the inverters.
Much enjoyed the custom 'user' settings. Very helpful. Been waiting a year or more for my first off-grid system and just finally fired it up today.
I just love watching. I learn so much, and one day I will be able to impress my friend who is an Electrician. One day being the key .
Kid! You rock! I’m following your lead going off grid. (and I’m 40 years your senior LOL) Cheers
Great timing! About to start down this path on some raw land and this is the size system we are looking to build, with maybe a couple more kw of panels.
The more I watch you, the more I like you. You're pretty smart. You're like
'Handeeman'. Keep up the good work. 👍🏾
Really great video. I especially like the explanation of how you encountered and dealt with the 120 deg vs 180 deg difference in the settings.
( Although I am not a fan of leaving bare battery posts open for anyone to accidentally drop a shovel or something else onto )
Did you make the change to 1 inverter or both of them? (120 to 180)
I was wondering that also Warren about changing 180 to both or just one. I'm having a problem finding out if we're getting any feedback.
To the questions. It would be very difficult to answer everybody🙂
I sure am glad for what information I got I think if I watched the video a few times I might be able to figure it out
None of my comments are criticism. This is a very very good channel
Awesome, only things I'd add are 1, a mains isolation switch between the panel and inverters 2, a single DC cut off from battery to inverters. being able to shut things down quickly and easily is important.
@@HypherNet main shut off on the inverters. And it has a ocpd. If I had main DC cut off switch, I could damage mppt circuit on accident. Mppt should always be connected to a battery before attaching panels. Anywho, that's why I don't use those. Not a smart idea.
Solar systems need to be autonomous. A main switch does nothing. Ocpd on every conductor is most important.
@@WillProwse Will, the battery circuit breakers you use say 48v max? I can't find one that is higher. Is this a nominal voltage rating?
WELL I TELL YOU WHAT.... I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE UPDATE, GOT ME ALL EXCITED 😅
You could have mounted a metal bracket into the wall studs first then mounted your hardware from that to get the extra support.
I came down here to say that. And it doesn't hurt to have a little gap between the units and the wall for heat dissipation either.
@@charlesrichards5389 Yeah, I was going to add about it adding an air gap for a bit extra cooling/safety to my post but hit enter accidently and was too tired to go back and add it.
Awesome project, thanks for videoing it. When you have stranded copper wire that’s difficult to deal with on the panel you can tin them and it will keep them from fraying and separating. Hope this helps
Hey, just wondering if you happened to check what the idle consumption of those inverters was? They look pretty nice...!
Oh gosh I haven't checked yet
I'll get a reading when I get back home
Man YOUR GREAT!! I bought your book to do my R.V. and then my house. Great Job!!
Ferrule those terminations on the stranded cable and you'll have an easier time and a better connection.
I do this too. Important for connections that may have to be removed and reinstalled at sometime. Ferrule also encourages complete strand involvement in screw connections instead of just the strands that contact the screw.
yep, should always bootlace flexible cables
You are awesome. I really enjoyed this video. One thing that I will add is cut-off power switches between the FV and the converters. Great job!!!
4:52 never do that with stranded wire. Make a clamp first. Then put into the connector. Alternatively, put some solder on the copper wires so they don't move relative to each other (but clamp is better)
Should have curled the wires around and then inserted them in to give them some slack imo.
@@radmanfly Curling doesn't prevent wires from falling out. A little wiggling back and forth could still make them loose.
@@error200http But, it would have been easier and they wouldn't have any tension on them if he cut them 6 inches longer instead of wrestling the stubby wires into the connector. But I agree, twist and solder the strands also.
@@andregenter4213 Yes. I agree. Thank you.
fuck ucraina go putin
Thanks for the well organized explanation, Will. You make it seem simple and straightforward. As others have said, it is very instructive to see the hiccups and how you overcame them.
This was great. I've really waited to see a simple install of everything. I'm so ready to do this.
Me too.
We normally use the cable mounts with the screws under the cable rather than over, it's stronger that way. Also, we always use a feed breaker to connect the panel or install an independent supply breaker so the entire panel will be protected.
Hi Will,
Great system! I can see all the hard work that went into putting it all together. Nice, clean setup! One small note: Recommend combining inverter outputs prior to entering the CB panel (SOOW is not code). Either 1 1/4" conduit, or 6-2G Romex from each Inverter would be fine. Neutrals & Grounds should combine, leaving one each red, black, white & green going to the CB panel.
I like the MPPT inverters you chose. Those setup menus allow for a very flexible system design. Great Job!
What part of the “NEC” forbids s/o cord? As long as it is supported and physically protected. But good point to use S.E.R., probably cheaper than S/O.
@@stephenrocks7004 Inverter is considered a main feed wire as it feeds the panel. requires minimum 1 1/4 conduit just like a generator hookup.
@@firebird9232 again, section and code from the N.E.C.,
It's tough for us that don't understand the terminology.
You know your work. I am inspired. Though I am not electrical but electronic, I am interested in building my backup system in my house too.
This is absolutely insane! With your new van you should convert it into a camper and build an insane lithium set-up with some cool electronics in it. See if you can replace propane with electric altogether!
Hello, I was raised in a area where there was at a time when the winters where lots of snow and ice. The wind chill could get down to -60 below when I was a kid people in the area had 100% gas furnace’s with no electric devices on them in case the power grid would go down from four days to two weeks.. So I am aware people always need some type of back up. If the weather is bad no one wants to go out and deal with to clean off panels in a storm.
I personal know of two people who froze to death but not in the same storm.
Even after a major wind storm the power grid is down. Even after a major wind storm it can take months to get the necessary parts and equipment to repair a off grid solar set up. So, it is always better to have some type of back up system in place for the unexpected bad weather.
That is why on the van build I want to build is to have two battery banks like they have on boats. Also I am thinking about having separate battery bank and solar panels that are only dedicated to 100% commutation in very remote locations.
I have lived in a remote area before where going to a town of any size was a
250 miles round trip.
Regards
Hope
Hello I’m Spencer. We are battery and inverter manufacturer,our products use all CATL Batteries，10,000 users already served
17:08 Here is where I wanted to see a large digital display showing the watts produced by the photo voltaic panels, and another one showing what's going into your electrical panel AC , and another one between the batteries and inverters. I always want to know at a instant glance, am I borrowing, filling, or maintaining what I have.
And a trimetric meter would be nice to show the battery level in a percent scale of 1-100 of full. But your doing great for a initial build. Your video editing and scripting is top-notch.
On my batteries, I could borrow for 7 days with no recharging before I was fully discharged to my 50% rate for my flooded lead acid batteries. That's back when a 100 watt panel cost $770.
I would have added a master shut-off for the breaker panel, saving the need for having to turn the inverters off in the first place.
Also consider it an extra way to protect everything.
That would also ensure that you drop power from both inverters when you want to work in the panel. It's also a hard disconnect and you're not relying on the inverter doing some weird hiccup and powering up when you least expect it.
Depending on the weight of what you are hanging, you can screw a 1x4 board or 2x4 board across the top of the wall. Screw the wood to each wall stud across. Do the same thing for the lower mount as well. You can hang the inverter boxes anywhere along the wall and have a very secure mount. I do not like using wall anchors either.
Unlike a sane person, I yell things out when I have a different way of doing things than you,
Will, a header that spans across the studs that is 2X6 [a total of 3 placed horizontal]. They should be put behind the Hardy-boards so that would allow airflow.
That would also allow you to mount to those header boards instead of drywall.
@Anthony Moser points for more fireproof, but omg do everything you can to avoid cutting hardibacker. I use it for fireproofing around the glassblowing workshop and have a miserable time when I cut it. Even scoring and snapping is terrible. Eats steel blades for breakfast; silicosis guaranteed!
Yes, I have gone to Home Depot a few times to look at Hardy-Board for how to use it in my design ideas. Last week I was in Home Depot all of the stock the had in was cracked,broken, and chipped.
I did find a two inch type of form insulation that I love that has a 10 R rating and it weights nothing plus it comes in one inch thickness.
Stan I have a question would the high temperature paint that is used on grills help reduce the firer risk if painted on wood on a small 30amp system?
I am new to building and electrical work but my background in baking and cooking make me aware when baking it is the fine details that are important.
Regards
Hope
@@todddunn945 I wondered if anyone would mention sheet steel overtop of substrate. Fire resistance and heat soread would probably eliminate the need for the fiberboard which is heavy, hard to use, and easy to damage. A building inspector told me that a piece of sheet steel over plywood on a pull down stair in our garage would meet the fire requirements for garages in our state.
@@travismiller5548 I first use a manual tile grout scraper/removal tool with a narrow grit-coated blade to quickly deepen one of the pre-scored lines on the 1/4" hardie board. I then snap the board off after placing a straight 2x4, or straight table edge, etc, underneath the line to focus the downward bending stress. There's only a small amount of concrete dust left behnd on the board from the grout tool and it doesn't blow all over the place as with a power saw. Easy peasy.
WOW to be so smart and have so much knowledge. God continue to bless you.
In utility setups like the one you're working on here I like to run half inch to 5/8 inch plywood over the sheetrock or whatever other type of wall you're working on then you could still have a thin HardieBacker on there the advantage is having really good screw purchase no matter where you screw generally anchors would be completely unnecessary. Appreciate your videos!
Great video Will. Having gone through this myself, I would like to add that it is very important to press the exit button (top left) after you make any configuration changes, or the changes will be discarded if the setting timeout occurs and it exits back to the main screen. Otherwise you can fool yourself into thinking you have made permanent changes when you have not. Secondly, the battery mode (05) should be set to USE for LiFePO4 batteries with their own BMS - I made the mistake of selecting LIC (3rd party lithium) and got a warning 61 (see page 64 of the manual) as it expected to communicate with the battery.
I’m really glad to see you do a larger format DIY setup, as I’d like to do something exactly like this as my next project. Thanks for sharing your builds! I’m looking forward to your updates as you finish out this system.
Thanks
You ever use a incandescent test light for capacitor charging? It's neat cause you get a visual indicator of current flow.
yep, that is what I use!
Yep, 4pc of 12V light bulb serial :)
Hi, you use a standard incandescent bulb? Tungsten filament bulb? How would you wire that? I have been searching for that particular pre-charge capacitor too.
Hi, you use a standard incandescent bulb? Tungsten filament bulb? How would you wire that? I have been searching for that particular pre-charge capacitor too.
@@alexanderezra1509 I use a 5watt 24v lamp in a 24v system. For a 48v system a 110v would work too. Only incandescent bulbs work, no electronics or power saving leds.
Nice. Your theory is sound and with a bit of practice you can make cable layout visually appealing. Align the saddles and make the wires straight and it will be a beautiful sight. Great job!
Hey Will: would mounting the panel between the inverters also be a good option? I feel like this would eliminate some of the cable crossing when I build my system. Great video!
His idea of having the dc flow in from the right and the ac flow out of the box is cleaner. Imagine if you had a dozen things connected in the panel, those wires have to go somewhere.
You could mount it on your bed headboard too - easier to switch off things when needed :) smart..you see?
@@pdxliberal - ”D/C flow in from the right… A/C flow out of the box”
It is clean, but the more I think about the suggestion that we are replying to, D/C flow from bottom and A/C from top, with an inverter on each side of the panel sounds like it could be a nice clean solution, too!
I’m going to settle for Will’s arrangement of inverters and panel.
Ride with the tide and go with the flow! 😁
Toggle Bolts are great. Used them to hang a 42" TV on pure drywall (no studs). Held up like a champ!
merci
Great video! Thank you for the information and the great production!
Mama Mia, our beloved chef, what a coincidence ❤ I am sure you are looking to build your own so that you can freeze anything you want for 17 years ❤ We love you Jean-Pierre!
It’s actually him!! Wow
17 years here we come ‼️
😂😂😂😂
I love this guy's videos. I could use him at my house to get some advice on my DYI.
Great, I was looking for something like this. I want to add a micro wind turbine (6ooW to 1KM) to my solar setup with a battery pack to do the same. I was also interested in charging from the grid during off-peak hours. It's good to see the hardware that I would need.
Hey, have you gotten your wind/solar system set up? I wanted to set up a small wind and solar system and am in search of the best controller and batter for such a system. Would also like to ad a hydro component to the system at some point as well.
Why do you prefer two 6500 w inverters compared to let’s say a 13kw or 14.4 kw system for roughly the same price and less wiring. Are there benefits I’m unaware of?
I've been waiting for a video on a larger system! Thank you so much!
thank you for all the information and the video but please let everyone know when working around a live pannel to close it and avoid a dangerous mistake. also grounding its very important, i would put a ground bar in the exterior or else at the moment i dont see anything been grounded nor protected...
Will, what is the cost to provide this system including everything
9 - 15k depending on what bats and panels you choose
Will, your video provided me a great orientation to kW solar driving a 240 VAC system. May I suggest that you add a “pilot lamp” to each leg of the breaker panel to let you know when the breaker is in operation. While you can deduce that the circuit is on by reading the inverters, there’s nothing better than a red or green light to tell you that the power is on. Also, with the panels running in series putting out 100+ VDC, it doesn’t hurt to insulate the terminals to keep fingers out of harm’s way. Both the panel circuits and the 48VDC battery circuits should be covered and protected.
Excellent content, well explained, clear voice & NO music so we could understand everything you were saying,
I didn't catch if this system is pure sine wave ?
Thank You
What is the approximate cost of this system including the solar panels?
Links in description
Answered in a previous reply. Approximately $12K.
In the event you knock out the wrong size hole. Use reducing washers vs. opening another hole. Also consider leaving a service loop for your conductors in the panel. Makes things a lot easier to repair when murphys law comes into play.
Love your videos. Question: What was price for the build for this video?
Wow, your knowledge of solar power is absolutely amazing. Wish that you were my neighbor. 👍
Hey quick question. If one of the inverters is being fed from a group of panels in shade, and another inverter has full sun, do you have to worry about your 240v being out of phase since the legs are handled independently?
I know its late but the panels would be used to charge the batteries then the battery bank would supply the correct power for each inverter. This inverter has a solar charge controller built into it which is why its confusing, usually it is two separate boxes
Thanks for your educative impact on building a private solar system at home etc.
Hmm . A little surprised you didn't have a separate Bus for the Grounds , and use a grounding rod to that Bus ?!
I agree. I've been using the LV 6048 which require the cables from the inverter to have 4 wires; two hot legs, a neutral and grounding wire which then go to a SUB panel box where the grounding conductor has to be isolated from the neutral wire and bonded to the box. Since the inverter provides the power and contains the main disconnect, I believe it is considered to be the main panel. Main and sub electric panel boxes are typically wired differently (in my area of the county) and I would think you'd have to know what type of panel box the cables are running to properly wire and ground the box. I am not familiar with the inverter Will is using and I trust the people at MPP but I don’t understand why that inverter uses a 2 wire/w ground cable.
The way he did it is not right. Under some circumstances a human can electrocute himself in this setup
@@TexasStatesman The inverters Will installed only output 120v, so they only have 1 hot.
@@RolandW_DIYEnergyandMore how? The only way I see to do that is to directly touch two exposed conductors. One phase and either a neutral or the other phase. Both cases require two mistakes or faults. With a grounded system, one mistake will kill you.
@@williammeek4078 Neutral and PE (which does not exist in this setup as there is no connection to real Earth) is one terminal bar. Now he has connected all appliances PE and N to the same bars, that means, that he has exposed Neutral to outside metal cases of lets say the A/C compressor. So N is already exposed, now only need a fault where a L get exposed and you touch it. The setup does not have leakage detection as the inverter cannot provide it and there is no RCD. So you are just becoming a load with a resistance of around 300 Ohms. No safety device to help you if you can't get out of the circuit as the MCB will as well not trip due to not enough current.
Your panel is upside down and they make grounding lugs that you can add to your panel. Never put two wires into one screw terminal. They will eventually melt, not a matter of if it’s when. I hold a C-10 lic and operate an electrical company is California so trust me I’ve seen this happen multiple times. Appreciate the video though