Panels can exceed their nameplate ratings on cold sunny days. Watch your voltage, if you see your voltage higher than the VMP rating of the panels you're getting great power.
Watts = Cold Day ( higher volts ) X CLOUD EDGE Effect ( higher amps ) ... very common. And don't say, "better than 100% efficiency" because that is a false statement. It is more like, "at times, better better than average".
If it is not below freezing, you are getting cloud edge effect. This is where the PV array is getting direct sun as well as additional light reflecting off the edge of clouds. I have seen 20% boosts over nominal ratings, and have heard of 25% boosts under ideal conditions.
Yep I check out mine then spayed with cold water & that even made it go up iam running 48v system & if ur going to ever run a dryer then make sure u get gas or ur going to need a lot more lol.but if it's doing well that's a great thing god bless & take care
Glad to have come across your channel. Very interesting to see real world experience with transmitting higher voltage dc a long distance. I have been conflicted with the thought of whether i can send 300v dc around 200ft. The calculators say yes but until its proven in the material world the expense and effort to run long distance was daunting. I bought a MPP Solar 48v 5000w all in one unit which is better economics than buying inverter, controller separate. Electrical cable is much more expensive here in Australia. My jaw dropped when you said how much you paid for such long run of cable. That would have cost me approximately $5k here! Best wishes on your offgrid adventure. Very wise considering the future events that are arising fast.
Interesting video. Because you are running higher voltages for 550 feet, ie 37-38v per panel times 3 panels (series) = 110-114v, your line loss is minimal - the voltage drop is differential between panel rating and input voltage at outback. Try running same calculations where the same panels were wired in parallel and your line loss is significantly higher because its the higher amps confronting higher resistance - needs thicker wire to bring loss down. Consider a 3 in 1 (inverter, charge controller and dc battery charger) before upgrading inverter, and sell the legacy equipment. For 800-1200$, you get 3000-3500 watts pure sine at 24v or 48v model . Growatt is best value/quality, Renogy etc are options. Eg4 batteries for lithium are best value/bang for buck. I have victron battery shunt monitor which measures amp draw not just voltage drop. Next upgrade I will go from 12V to 48V system for sure.
I wanted to mention to you regarding your now 3 year old video about your panels out away from you. On aluminum wire joined with other metals like steel or copper you need to fill the joint with NoOx or a similar product otherwise the connectors will slowly degrade as the aluminum oxidizes and corrodes the connection.
I know this is way late, but check out Wild Wonderful Off Grid. The guy is an electrician by trade and they put their panels way away from the house in an open field like you.
love your videos !! .. is your panels still 550 FT away from the house (inverter) im looking at starting my off grid projects and have a ton of trees so finding a good spot to place my panels has not been easy as most info im seeing tells me i have to keep them 30-50 FT away
Ok. All that amp, voltage, power talk is totally foreign to me! I noticed you're local ( Coop bag, Backroads 😀) Now that you're a couple years in with your system....any advice for total newbies? We got a little plot with a teeny cabin, out in the valley that we're looking to solar up! Any suggestions, recommendations, advice, would be much much appreciated! 🙂
Any wood that has ground contact will root, sooner than non-ground contact. Better to use stone or cement pads. Keep your wood out of the dirt. Unless you like replacing it in a few years. Still like watching you make mistakes and Correcting them, not say I would have done better at your age. Learned of lot in my 77 years. Keep trying.
westinghouseoutdoorpower.com/products/wgen3600df-generator-dual-fuel cheapest one for the size and capabilities. Not a honda so change the oil / plug on a regular
@This Off Grid Life how has the Westinghouse held up for you? I'm got about 7000 hours on 2 Champions over 5-6 years and both still going, although 1st gen is a rough starr
Wow, thanks so much for this video; I'm in Panama in the jungle currently setting up my soalr grid and it's 100 yards from my container. I was wondering if I was going to have any probems with the distance Do I need to choose a different gauge of wire? I'm using 10 gauge for the entire length.
The higher the voltage the smaller the cable. We used 1awg because it's what we had, we could have gone down to 6awg for our panels. Look up a line loss calculator.
Just remember, displays are merely calculations done internally via a microprocessor, while actual usage is reality. Maybe you're seeing displayed calculations that are showing better capabilities than it possibly can, but actual usage is your reality...
Batteries are a consumable - the more you use them per day, the fewer days they will last - this is common sense. The above statement is true, REGARDLESS of the Depth-of-Discharge, Also, If you don't drive your car very far per day, your tires will last a lot longer, but they will NOT last forever - they will age & dry rot This is true for most things, not just batteries. With batteries you need to consider the AGING factor too, older batteries will have LESS CAPACITY ! And that is where the ".. 50% DOD rule-of-thumb ..." came from. Somewhere around 40% - 60% DOD yields the maximum total lifetime kilowatt-hours before OLD AGE sets in. You cannot ignore AGING !
Wow this is extremely insightful... Makes total sense. Ideally, you want to maximize your use of any resource before that resource decomposes/breaks down with age. It's a balancing act - I had no idea that was where the 50% DOD calculation came from though, which makes total sense!
Nicht übel....Aber das ganze Durcheinander und der wirre Kabelsalat, das geht gar nicht. Das machen wie Deutschen alles VIEL akkurater und ordentlicher. 🤧🤗
I just saw this comment from a long time ago. Somehow I missed it. YOU ARE SO WRONG ABOUT PETS THEY ARE FAMILY IF YOU DONT TREAT THEM LIKE FAMILY YOU HAVE KNOW BUSINESS TO HAVE ONETWO DIFFERENT OPINIONS FOR SURE
A dog is only a dog. Humans and animals should never sleep together in the same house. It is not hygienic. Animals are animals only. How can you live together with a dog in the same house? This is against the law for basic human safety and normal life.
You stated, "... Your Lithium battery bank will last 15 - 22 YEARS ..." What proof do you have? The mfr may have estimated 5,000 cycles max, but they *NEVER* stated that you have *15* - *22* *YEARS* time frame - you made that up.
365 days in a year , lifepo4 batteries have a 5000 - 8000 cycle life depending on use and abuse. 5000÷ 365 (the amount of times the sun comes up in a year) = 13.6 . 8000 ÷365 = 21.9 . I am not trying to be misleading, just trying to crunch the numbers I have to work with
@@ThisOffGridLife Your 3rd grade math is very misleading! Clearly, you do not understand what the manufacturer ( and I ) have stated regarding CYCLES. The manufacturer did those 5,000 cycles in less than 1 YEAR. The manufacturer *NEVER* stated that the battery will last 15 years to 22 years. Show me where the manufacturer states, "... The battery will last 15 - 22 years at 1 cycle per day". You can't because they have never stated that, and they never will state that - you have fabricated that information. You have failed to account for just 10 years of *AGING* . You cannot pretend that 10 YEARS of AGING has no affect on capacity degradation. You have made an extremely bad / false assumption about aging. I asked you for PROOF - but you have yet to offer any proof that the batteries will last 15 - 22 Years. The best that I have ever seen is a 10 Year rating but even that comes with severe capacity degradation. So, I am still waiting for your PROOF ...
@@MrSummitville Lol. It doesn't hurt to use common courtesy when you disagree with someone. People are a lot more receptive to information when you aren't trying to verbally skewer them with it and all but call them stupid. But hey, it's a free country. Just my two pennies worth. :)
@@ThisOffGridLife dont bother with him i have led acid with 15 year lifespan that i have been using for 9 years now and they are still going strong. now if you really want long life you could go with the batteries mad with caps they just keep going and going and going not cheap though. have an awesome day you guys are doing great
Does anyone know why we are getting better than max efficiency??? Please let us know why!
Panels can exceed their nameplate ratings on cold sunny days. Watch your voltage, if you see your voltage higher than the VMP rating of the panels you're getting great power.
Watts = Cold Day ( higher volts ) X CLOUD EDGE Effect ( higher amps ) ... very common.
And don't say, "better than 100% efficiency" because that is a false statement.
It is more like, "at times, better better than average".
Yeah I think panels are rated at 20C. Colder they do better, warmer they do worse.
If it is not below freezing, you are getting cloud edge effect. This is where the PV array is getting direct sun as well as additional light reflecting off the edge of clouds. I have seen 20% boosts over nominal ratings, and have heard of 25% boosts under ideal conditions.
Yep I check out mine then spayed with cold water & that even made it go up iam running 48v system & if ur going to ever run a dryer then make sure u get gas or ur going to need a lot more lol.but if it's doing well that's a great thing god bless & take care
What a beautiful project ... in a quiet and dreamy place ... good job ...
hey, i saw your comment on Cathrin Mannings video and decided to pop by your channel. hi!!
Glad to have come across your channel. Very interesting to see real world experience with transmitting higher voltage dc a long distance. I have been conflicted with the thought of whether i can send 300v dc around 200ft. The calculators say yes but until its proven in the material world the expense and effort to run long distance was daunting. I bought a MPP Solar 48v 5000w all in one unit which is better economics than buying inverter, controller separate. Electrical cable is much more expensive here in Australia. My jaw dropped when you said how much you paid for such long run of cable. That would have cost me approximately $5k here! Best wishes on your offgrid adventure. Very wise considering the future events that are arising fast.
so glad to see how much you love your animals.
Wild wonderful off grid built their solar around 300 feet from the power shed and used aluminum wire about a 2% loss
Interesting video. Because you are running higher voltages for 550 feet, ie 37-38v per panel times 3 panels (series) = 110-114v, your line loss is minimal - the voltage drop is differential between panel rating and input voltage at outback. Try running same calculations where the same panels were wired in parallel and your line loss is significantly higher because its the higher amps confronting higher resistance - needs thicker wire to bring loss down. Consider a 3 in 1 (inverter, charge controller and dc battery charger) before upgrading inverter, and sell the legacy equipment. For 800-1200$, you get 3000-3500 watts pure sine at 24v or 48v model . Growatt is best value/quality, Renogy etc are options. Eg4 batteries for lithium are best value/bang for buck. I have victron battery shunt monitor which measures amp draw not just voltage drop. Next upgrade I will go from 12V to 48V system for sure.
I wanted to mention to you regarding your now 3 year old video about your panels out away from you. On aluminum wire joined with other metals like steel or copper you need to fill the joint with NoOx or a similar product otherwise the connectors will slowly degrade as the aluminum oxidizes and corrodes the connection.
I know this is way late, but check out Wild Wonderful Off Grid. The guy is an electrician by trade and they put their panels way away from the house in an open field like you.
Check out Will Prowse. He does this stuff in his sleep.
Was going to comment the same.
Also the internet is not an electrian cource.
Try a University or college.
I like your videos! Not a fan of the constant music..... just turn it down a little. I subscribed, am looking foward to your off grid adventure.
You have such beautiful views while working !!! Just subbed your page :)
Thanks :)
Thanks for the demonstration this is really good info !
Like your channel. New subscriber.
Thanks :)
love your videos !! .. is your panels still 550 FT away from the house (inverter) im looking at starting my off grid projects and have a ton of trees so finding a good spot to place my panels has not been easy as most info im seeing tells me i have to keep them 30-50 FT away
I'm thinking of a solar site for power outages.
I see PV wire and reg thhn
What do you think?
Ok. All that amp, voltage, power talk is totally foreign to me! I noticed you're local ( Coop bag, Backroads 😀) Now that you're a couple years in with your system....any advice for total newbies? We got a little plot with a teeny cabin, out in the valley that we're looking to solar up! Any suggestions, recommendations, advice, would be much much appreciated! 🙂
send us an email and we can give you our thoughts on solar equipment thisoffgridlife@gmail.com
Any wood that has ground contact will root, sooner than non-ground contact. Better to use stone or cement pads. Keep your wood out of the dirt. Unless you like replacing it in a few years. Still like watching you make mistakes and Correcting them, not say I would have done better at your age. Learned of lot in my 77 years. Keep trying.
What brand/model is your generator? I swore our next genie would have remote start. So much nicer.
westinghouseoutdoorpower.com/products/wgen3600df-generator-dual-fuel cheapest one for the size and capabilities. Not a honda so change the oil / plug on a regular
Champion 4250 watt makes a great off grid genie
@This Off Grid Life how has the Westinghouse held up for you? I'm got about 7000 hours on 2 Champions over 5-6 years and both still going, although 1st gen is a rough starr
Wow, thanks so much for this video; I'm in Panama in the jungle currently setting up my soalr grid and it's 100 yards from my container. I was wondering if I was going to have any probems with the distance Do I need to choose a different gauge of wire? I'm using 10 gauge for the entire length.
The higher the voltage the smaller the cable. We used 1awg because it's what we had, we could have gone down to 6awg for our panels. Look up a line loss calculator.
Just learning about these things but would you not be better to rectify to AC near the panels use AC cable then switch back to DC at the batteries?
TRY JAKE AND NICOLE IN BC ISLANDS. THEY USE SOLAR.
U could check out Marty t in NZ he has some very cleaver systems
"STC" = 25 C - volts@25C cooler than that more power in the winter perhaps...10-13% and/ or calibrate the controller btw this sh*t from CT great!
do you guys work anywhere ??
Just remember, displays are merely calculations done internally via a microprocessor, while actual usage is reality. Maybe you're seeing displayed calculations that are showing better capabilities than it possibly can, but actual usage is your reality...
Batteries are a consumable - the more you use them per day, the fewer days they will last - this is common sense.
The above statement is true, REGARDLESS of the Depth-of-Discharge,
Also, If you don't drive your car very far per day, your tires will last a lot longer, but they will NOT last forever - they will age & dry rot
This is true for most things, not just batteries.
With batteries you need to consider the AGING factor too, older batteries will have LESS CAPACITY !
And that is where the ".. 50% DOD rule-of-thumb ..." came from.
Somewhere around 40% - 60% DOD yields the maximum total lifetime kilowatt-hours before OLD AGE sets in.
You cannot ignore AGING !
Your analogy sucks, not even close!
Wow this is extremely insightful... Makes total sense. Ideally, you want to maximize your use of any resource before that resource decomposes/breaks down with age. It's a balancing act - I had no idea that was where the 50% DOD calculation came from though, which makes total sense!
lithium ion........
PO Box Number ?
how can we send help to you two, to support your adventure ?
We will be starting a merch store and patreon soon, those are two ways to support us :)
OK let me know when you do the contact info, Aloha Nui Loa to the both of you.@@ThisOffGridLife
Anything 12 volts (like phones and tablets) should always be charged at 12 volts. Much more efficient.
👍
Where did you find 214ah 6 volt batteries?
From a solar store on Vancouver Island. We have since switched to lithium ion Lifep04 batteries from China
stack it electric from ground, i think
Please no music!
What❤🎉
Cute furries!
Nicht übel....Aber das ganze Durcheinander und der wirre Kabelsalat, das geht gar nicht. Das machen wie Deutschen alles VIEL akkurater und ordentlicher. 🤧🤗
Hahaha 420 volts!
janky AF
I just saw this comment from a long time ago. Somehow I missed it. YOU ARE SO WRONG ABOUT PETS
THEY ARE FAMILY IF YOU DONT TREAT THEM LIKE FAMILY YOU HAVE KNOW BUSINESS TO HAVE ONETWO DIFFERENT OPINIONS FOR SURE
no business lol
A dog is only a dog. Humans and animals should never sleep together in the same house. It is not hygienic. Animals are animals only. How can you live together with a dog in the same house? This is against the law for basic human safety and normal life.
😂😂😂wtf are you talking about?
You stated, "... Your Lithium battery bank will last 15 - 22 YEARS ..." What proof do you have? The mfr may have estimated 5,000 cycles max, but they *NEVER* stated that you have *15* - *22* *YEARS* time frame - you made that up.
365 days in a year , lifepo4 batteries have a 5000 - 8000 cycle life depending on use and abuse. 5000÷ 365 (the amount of times the sun comes up in a year) = 13.6 . 8000 ÷365 = 21.9 . I am not trying to be misleading, just trying to crunch the numbers I have to work with
@@ThisOffGridLife Your 3rd grade math is very misleading! Clearly, you do not understand what the manufacturer ( and I ) have stated regarding CYCLES. The manufacturer did those 5,000 cycles in less than 1 YEAR. The manufacturer *NEVER* stated that the battery will last 15 years to 22 years. Show me where the manufacturer states, "... The battery will last 15 - 22 years at 1 cycle per day". You can't because they have never stated that, and they never will state that - you have fabricated that information. You have failed to account for just 10 years of *AGING* . You cannot pretend that 10 YEARS of AGING has no affect on capacity degradation. You have made an extremely bad / false assumption about aging. I asked you for PROOF - but you have yet to offer any proof that the batteries will last 15 - 22 Years. The best that I have ever seen is a 10 Year rating but even that comes with severe capacity degradation. So, I am still waiting for your PROOF ...
@@MrSummitville i will get back to you in 10 years and let you know :)
@@MrSummitville Lol. It doesn't hurt to use common courtesy when you disagree with someone. People are a lot more receptive to information when you aren't trying to verbally skewer them with it and all but call them stupid. But hey, it's a free country. Just my two pennies worth. :)
@@ThisOffGridLife dont bother with him i have led acid with 15 year lifespan that i have been using for 9 years now and they are still going strong. now if you really want long life you could go with the batteries mad with caps they just keep going and going and going not cheap though. have an awesome day you guys are doing great