It's the perfect little set up for a little spot in the middle of nowhere. What's even more awesome was the presentation. All that in minutes and kept me interested. One of your best yet.
This is the best video I have seen for a small solar setup I have been wanting to add to my home. After that ice storm in Texas a few years ago where I went 7 days without electricity, I have been searching for a way to power my computers, TV, Internet, and refrigerator via solar full time. Your video hit the spot perfectly. I was already thinking of the EG4 inverter. You sold me.
I'm glad I sold you on the inverter be sure if you go to buy one you actually buy it through my link in my description of the video so I get the credit ,thanks for your support
My gas generator kept my power on in Texas after a recent hurricane and the infamous snow storm. My solar was doa for most of it due to inadequate sunshine in the aftermath. This year it has produced only 55% of what it can on pure sunshine days due to rain and being overcast more than usual. Have a backup plan just in case.
@@jawick I have since purchased a large generator/inverter and also have a smaller one too. But, having a small solar setup seems to be the perfect compliment to power my office, fridge, and living room lights and TV, along with my Internet.
thank you for sharing your knowledge. i am just a regular guy who has 0 knowledge on electronics and carpentry and such but i hope one day i could build a similar setup just like yours for my family's forever home.
That "4000 cycles" refers to an 80% discharge - taking the battery from 100% down to 20%. If you size your battery bank so its cycles are shallower - say, 75% to 45% - their lifespan goes WAY up. Batteries don't like extremes, if you can size them so they spend more time in the middle of their capacity, they go way longer.
Wouldn't that mean, buying more batteries? And if so what's the math calculation to figure that out? Like what's using your total power draw, that way you could run absolutely everything at once for hours on end and not worry about a dam thing?
Im starting my first DIY 1200w solar , using it on my home instead of using a generator in the event power goes out and when power is on use it for a few things around the garage. Ive watched every DIYand dude yours is 100% the best info for it. Thanks for giving me the insite
This is the best and easiest to follow instructional video on a small solar set up I have seen so far on RUclips, you rock! Thank you. I think I can do this!
You ROCK!!!! I been trying to get an OVERSTANDING of Solar the like. Your Video is The Shizznit!!!! Just PERFECT & EASY TO Follow!!!! You helped me SO MUCH!!!😁😊
I have 8 of the 550w Sungold Power panels and a Sungold Power 5,000w inverter/charger/charge controller too. Great idea to have it separate from your house. I wired mine in series too, racked 15" off the roof of my motorhome. This produces 400voc, which is easily handled by my Sunpower all-in-one's 500v input charge controller.
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Our system is sized perfectly for our needs. It runs everything in our motorhome just like we were hooked-up at an RV park. We usually run our mini split heat pump either in cooling or heat mode 24/7. In the afternoon when the summer sun is beating in, we run both our front rooftop 14.5k A/C., which draws about 1,500 watts, our rear heat pump at the same time. We can even run our microwave for a few minutes to heat up supper, our TV and desktop computer without it overloading our inverter. When the sun goes down (and so does solar production) we no longer need our front A/C, so we can make it through the night on our batteries easy peasy. It helps that we have good insulation, dual pane windows, etc. in our motorhome to stretch our limited power.
@@eliasgutierrez8487 We started by building a 620-watt liftable solar array on the side of our motorhome. Our side array makes a nice bedroom window awning, practically lifting itself with a couple gas struts, and it's easy to clean, standing safely on the ground. Since we couldn't afford lithium batteries at the time we started 2 GC-2 golf cart batteries, boondocking this way for a couple years before we were able to build a 12v, 560ah LiFePo-4 battery using 8, 280ah prismatic cells and a Heltec 330amp BMS. These cells fit perfectly under the steps of our MH where our old pair of golf cart batteries used to reside. This powers all of our 12v appliances and can even run our residential fridge, computer and TV, if necessary. By mounting the solar array on the side of our coach, we left our roof free to rack 8, 550w solar panels down the length of our 35ft Coach, 15" off the roof, above our AC, vents, etc. It shades our entire roof, allowing plenty of cooling air underneath, increasing solar output and reducing the heat load on the air conditioners. Our 4,400w array can run both our A/Cs, our household appliances and charge our batteries at the same time. We mounted a Sungold Power all-in-one 48V, 5,000W Inverter/100A charge controller/battery charger, breakers and a Lnex battery monitor on the wall in our bedroom. It saves us space as well as money compared to a system built with individual components. Our 48v battery uses 16, 320ah prismatic cells and has a 200amp BMS. Together with our 560ah 12v bank, we have a total of 23.5 kwh of batteries onboard, (the equivalent of 18, 100ah lithiums) charged by 5,020 watts of solar. I hope this helps.
This is by far the best video on how to setup an off grid solar battery powered generator-ish backup system in case the electricity goes out! Just the kind of the video I was searching for. Great video!
Im in southern Cali out in the desert and I have that same EG4 inverter and it is amazing. You can do so much with 3000 watts and the capacitors are so big on the new EG stuff that they can run loads 100% off the inverter even if you had no batteries provided its a sunny day not putting strain on your battery. The new EG4 6000XP looks amazing, it has 2 independent solar inputs up to 500 volts and has all the breakers built in, its really as easy as it could get to make a 240 volt system for bigger stuff like washers dryers and welders, whatever.. This 3000 EG4 is awesome tho I cant say enough good things about it.
Great setup and grid tie ready (with permits where required)! Perfect for a RV shelter + shed. I have to add your editing is top notch without any unnecessary fluff, you have a new sub!
So glad I found your channel. I also live in Oklahoma and just purchased my RV that I will live out of while selling my house so I can buy some undeveloped unrestricted land and build my Off Grid homestead! Looking forward to going through your video history 🙌🏽
What a great idea.I think I gotta do the same thing around my house.I bought a couple of smaller solar panels just to see how they're going to work.But you're really giving me a great idea.Thank you for all your knowledge.Keep solar panel on
I like your "Can Do!" attitude. This is how DIY things get done. With that said, why didn't you buy the gland to run your PV wires into the building? They are super cheap, seal much better, and give a much better finished look.
Great video. I just wanted to say that you want to hookup your batter to your inverter first and then your panels. Likewise shutoff panels first before making battery changes. Since you had them turned off it was fine. Just wanted to clarify in case someone might not have realized you were isolated from the energized panels when you first hooked up. Love seeing more people setting up solar and showing everyone how easy it is.
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Thats Exactly what You did. You showed instructions that came w inverter to us.. 1st battery's to inverter than Went outside n flipped the switch from panels to inverter n Got a reading.. All Good. Made Me laugh was the 4 devices you used 75" tv.. modum.. microwave.. Funny part was Classic toaster which draws All the power.. n Seeing the Dog ❤ near by.. Thanks again.
This was a great example of how to create an affordable power backup solution for DIY people. I just went through one of those 7 day power outages not fun.
Pipe strap L brackets holding the panels - Check Fasteners supporting horizontal load - Check Amazon conductors in an outdoor environment with no conduit - Check Knock-Off DC switch - Check Seriously though great job on the build.
Great video production and no fluff information. Thanks! Really cool price too. In my 1100 sq ft place in CA, air conditioning last summer was over 400 a month. That would pay itself off in no time at all. Super video. My brother's place up north is even worse, costing .48 kWh !!! He lives under the trees, so not so good for solar, unfortunately.
That’s the same battery I had for my trailer I built.. mine didn’t have Bluetooth … but eco worthy is a great brand! All of my equipment was eco worthy and served me well
Great video. The power of 48V is being able to run a lot of stuff at the same time without needing thick cabling to do it. 2 AWG cabling would net you 5000W of continuous power with very little heat. I would suggest, though, that people building a 48V system get native 48V (51.2V LiFePO4) batteries and put them in parallel instead of 12V batteries put in series. LiFePO4 batteries put in series require a whole-battery balancer to keep them all equal (they won't self-equalize between the four batteries), so you would have to add that for sure in your example system. Series batteries also have a tough time when one or more disconnects on LVP or OVP and sometimes need coaxing to get them to reconnect. Parallel battery configurations do not have these problems, plus expanding the battery bank can be done one battery at a time. 2 x 50Ah 51.2V LiFePO4 batteries in parallel would be equivalent to 4 x 100Ah 12.8V LiFePO4 batteries put in series. But the parallel configuration is far more robust. Far far more robust. -Matt
Thanks for the video I like the simplicity of this system! I Just wanted to mention that EG4 inverters are supposed to be mounted to cement board or another non flammable material for safety!
Good stuff right here. I definitely watched the entire thing from begging to end. I would definitely get some fire proofing for your equipment. Had a buddy lose his entire house.
NIce setup. The only issue, personally for me would be the fact that your inverter can supply 3000 watts of power, where as your power strip is only going to be rated at around 1800 watts. You will melt it before your circuit breaker trips. Your proposed load should not be an issue, but you might consider beefing up your outlets to something that can handle more ampacity, just in case you want to run any additional loads.
This is awesome! I want to add that I think a good placement of this could be over an A/C unit or a window that gets too much sun. It would help shade said A/C unit or window, thus increasing any cooling efficiency
nice system, peace of mind for outages and also it gets to pay itself off....and once that's done it's like money in your pocket to expand or have a holiday or one afternoon at the track!!!!!
checking the blue tooth app they seem to be pretty close on the voltage. If they mis align too much they will have to be charged individually to get them into compliance
Hey fellow Okie. Great Video. I do a little amount of building diy solar backup systems and I also use solar generators. I have a EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra, so I can have 240 volt split phase to run my whole house. I live down in the Ardmore area. Have a great day.
I purchased a Jackery 290 and mono solar panel from HF both on sale and an Insider Tracker discount for right around 239. It's okay and have used it mostly for lighting during a couple of power outages.. Then I thought about making my own but without all the features of the Jackery. HF had their 35 aH battery on sale for 59 bucks then I bought a 400 watt inverter from WallyWorld for 35 bucks. That one equals 420 watts. I put all that in a heavy duty plastic tool box which I vented. Now the Jackery battery is actually a 20.3 Ah. So for working purposes, mine is a bit better but the downside is no way to monitor the flow rate accurately but it's pretty easy to estimate how long it will run something by knowing the power intake of what ever I am using it for. Mine is also considerably heavier than the 290. But hey, it works and I can always use a volt meter to keep an eye on the battery level if need be. So basically I spent a 100 bucks and I can always charge it using the solar panel along with a charge controller. Also, I forgot to mention is the fact that the Jackery 290's battery is a 14.4 volt.
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Your setup is great but if anyone is looking for something small, I would suggest they pickup a low drain battery, inverter and some kind of solar panel for emergency use. And I tell people, if they can't afford to get everything they need at once, just start with a battery they can afford and slowly build it from there. Anything is better than nothing at all. If all they can do is keep a phone charged and a small light for night. It makes a huge difference. I am fortunate in the fact that I also have a gas and a gas/lp generators as well. I see you live in Oklahoma, I live in SW MO. on Table Rock Lake and we know how fast these storms can rip through here.
GREAT VIDEO 🎉. The only MOD i would add to the solar structure build would be to make the structure top end rotate by hand crank into the optimal angle for best sun capture as the Earth rotates. That way you achieve the best sunray input to your solar panels...🎉
You should try to separate the box from your house with safe n sound Rockwool. I’ve insulated areas that needed fire proofing with that stuff, I’d suggest in case of thermal runaway to have that box inside another slightly larger box with a buffer of Rockwool in-between … with thermal runaway it wouldn’t take long for the fire to jump from battery to battery with how close they are.
Nice video production. Would suggest using a crimp tool that actually creates a "cold weld" between your copper cable and the copper lug. At high current, you don't want unintended voltage drops, as this will create more heat and current flow thru your cable. A hydraulic crimper or a Tempco hand operated crimper produce nice crimps.
I bought some pipe and i bought a tap and I bought some tools and i did some free work and in the end i had FREE water. It was a miracle. If we didnt know about science i would have thought it was God pissing on me.
You could - and should - further dress up those wires going from the isolator to the house by adding some wire loom to protect them from sunlight and weather, and add another layer of protection to the wire entry with a wiring bulkhead like RVs use on roof-mounted appliances and solar.
Great video. I already have a 1 KW 12 volt system plus a wind turbine but I run everything 12 volt from lights, fans, electric blankets, clocks everything is 12 volt. I was wondering where is your charge controller as you can not pump power directly into your batteries from the solar panels without a charge controller??? This will fry your expensive batteries in no time...
Just because I installed a system at a trailer house does not mean that I moved from a shed to a trailer.. I installed another system in a brick house a month ago I'm about to do a video on it and I guess I will have moved into the brick house here in a month just for you. And by the way I don't live off RUclips money $1,200 a month ain't going to cut it bud. I actually have a real job
I remember my first EG4 she had hair like long black silk, and legs like a goddess, and oh boy could she make that 1500 watt microwave hum . wait wrong chat . lol good job looks great
OG, (Oklahoma Off Grid) just a quick nickname I give you, Hey man , thanks for these videos bro because these things you do, I know for a fact will save us money $ and thats important particularly with all these high prices every where you look.
I really like the presentation, but I am wondering if there is a way to wire this panel to 30a generator plug to power my transfer switch directly to the breaker box.
Nice and simple but that power strip will overload and get hot over time. I would not run a ac window unit on that it will burn the power strip up. I’ve been a residential and light commercial electrician for 17 years and I’ve personally seen that problem happen. BUT in a pinch for temporary use it’s ok just not for long term safe use. You still get a thumbs up tho!
Great vid, I like your style, easy to understand and your editing is really good. One part that threw me a little, was when you measured your battery volts at 145v dc? I thought it was 53v DC when you measured earlier?
Stop watching videos, use your time to work and make some money, then build what you want, hate when people claim they are poor but are too rich time wasters.
Start small. Get one of those small eco flow things or whatever brand you want. Charge it at night when rates are low and use it to power small things you might use when rates are high. It will save you a little each month. Then, over time get a small charge controller and a cheap solar panel and use it to charge your little eco flow. That will save you a little more. Rinse and repeat. Before you know it you will have a nice little solar setup. I hope this gives you at least a little hope.
Start small I'm on a budget and I've started powering certain things I use the most on solar and as you save on your electric bill Start adding to it eventually your electric bill will be almost nothing
Then do t better by not using money but your mind. Used solar panels are everywhere and very cheap. Simple, rich people use ready build solar generators. Build one yourself from scrap you can gather with very little money. You can start with used car battery, charge controller and small inverter. Upgrade as better components come by. Work, earn money, learn new skills that you need, make connections with right people.
Since you did all that, myself, I would go ahead and tie it into your main electrical and have your fridge, freezer, a few dedicated lights, stove, water heater & whatever else you would label as NEEDED POWER, For me, since we already have it, I would run my computer + all high demand power to them, to use with or without main power being interrupted, that way, you can take advantage of already having it and taken them off your main power, your monthly power bill should be dramatically lower.. That being said.. I have already done that several years ago, it started out as being for backup, but I thought since I already had it installed and running, why not use it now and save on my electrical, and I have slowly over the years added a few more panels and better lithium deep cycle batteries.. Now 100% of my house & shop is powered by solar. after first doing it, before adding more & more panels, my power bill was cut almost in half having al the high demand ran through the solar then after adding more I was paying about $25.00. Now, I have paid nothing for 3 years and I have a several thousand in credit that the power co. owes me. in another few months, I will be getting a check from them for the power they are buying from me, since 30% +/- of my excess power goes back to the grid everyday, I live in the city, I also have had several of my neighbors do the same thing.. Sorry to have babbled, but I so completely, love what you are doing and I have already done it and everyone who owns a home should invest in it and do it like I did, little by little adding more, till you're 100% or just happy where you are.. I also want to say, the past 3 years the weather has caused outages where I live 5 times and I never lost any power.. Thank you for making and sharing this video..
Great setup but I have a question. Why did you run all your panels in series? The reason why I ask is because if one panel fails all the panels will shut down. I’m about to pull the trigger and install an off grid system at my cabin ( because the utility company wants an arm and leg to run power back to the cabin) and after consulting a few solar installers the advised to run a couple panels in series and a couple in parallel to prevent a complete system shutdown in the event of a panel failure. I would like to hear your reasoning for running all yours in series. Thanks in advance.
First off solar panels don't go bad until 25 to 30 years.. the second thing would be that it would be very noticeable on your voltage and your wattage if one went out and it wouldn't take much to figure out which one it was and replace the $120 piece of crap... Third off is very important to run a string in series up to the voltage that you need because it's going to be the most efficient and then the next string you'll run up to the same voltage and then you'll run those two parallel other than that this is how you wire an efficient system
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Solar panels do go bad and you will be lucky to get 25-30 years from them. There are several things that could cause them to go bad or lose their effectiveness.
Not to tinkle in the cereal, but you pulled the PV wire through the house without any chaffing protection. I saw metal sticking out of the siding, so you jammed the PV into the siding.? Never use an impact tool on an inverter terminal. This neat deal from SunGold panels of 4 includes shipping $1,220.00 price.
It's all good I'm ready for the critics.. the siding is plastic and there's absolutely no metal on this trailer house you actually have the plastic siding a piece of foam board insulation and then sheetrock and you're all the way through.. unless you hit a stud which I went between the studs LOL.. by the way this system was about building a system the very cheapest you could get it done safely. And you know that's a great question about the Sun goes panels they sponsored the video so there was no shipping charge but I guess you would have to put them in your cart to see... As far as using the impact I mentioned it in the video and said I shouldn't be doing it but I was in a big hurry to knock it out I only had about 2 hours left to get everything done so I was easy on it and I only used it on a couple of different things and I actually went back over everything with the regular screwdriver.. but yeah no worries brother we all have our ways we do things I guess
Are you able to do a calculation on how long the solar set up will become with it? Compared to electrical utility bill and when it will pay for itself?
the inverter/charge controller all in one Eg4 requires a minimum of 120 volts dc before it can even detect the voltage. the max input voltage for this inverter can be wired up to 500 volts dc. wired in parallel would not only need thicker cables running into the house because of higher amps but it would need to use more wiring to do it. the whole thing of getting the voltage higher is to cut cost and make more efficiency with the exact same power outcome
This is what the internet is for. Great video very informative thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
It's the perfect little set up for a little spot in the middle of nowhere. What's even more awesome was the presentation. All that in minutes and kept me interested. One of your best yet.
That's a flattering comment I really appreciate that I worked hard on it
This is the best video I have seen for a small solar setup I have been wanting to add to my home. After that ice storm in Texas a few years ago where I went 7 days without electricity, I have been searching for a way to power my computers, TV, Internet, and refrigerator via solar full time. Your video hit the spot perfectly. I was already thinking of the EG4 inverter. You sold me.
I'm glad I sold you on the inverter be sure if you go to buy one you actually buy it through my link in my description of the video so I get the credit ,thanks for your support
I survived "sno-vid" 2020 in Texas as well and this little setup looks perfect!
My gas generator kept my power on in Texas after a recent hurricane and the infamous snow storm. My solar was doa for most of it due to inadequate sunshine in the aftermath. This year it has produced only 55% of what it can on pure sunshine days due to rain and being overcast more than usual. Have a backup plan just in case.
@@freddiefamble4774 Amen on that one I barely survived that one in Texas that year
@@jawick I have since purchased a large generator/inverter and also have a smaller one too. But, having a small solar setup seems to be the perfect compliment to power my office, fridge, and living room lights and TV, along with my Internet.
thank you for sharing your knowledge. i am just a regular guy who has 0 knowledge on electronics and carpentry and such but i hope one day i could build a similar setup just like yours for my family's forever home.
That "4000 cycles" refers to an 80% discharge - taking the battery from 100% down to 20%. If you size your battery bank so its cycles are shallower - say, 75% to 45% - their lifespan goes WAY up. Batteries don't like extremes, if you can size them so they spend more time in the middle of their capacity, they go way longer.
this is correct...these things could last 20 years
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID More like 19 years.
Wouldn't that mean, buying more batteries? And if so what's the math calculation to figure that out? Like what's using your total power draw, that way you could run absolutely everything at once for hours on end and not worry about a dam thing?
Im starting my first DIY 1200w solar , using it on my home instead of using a generator in the event power goes out and when power is on use it for a few things around the garage. Ive watched every DIYand dude yours is 100% the best info for it. Thanks for giving me the insite
No problem if you buy any of the equipment I use make sure you use my links that way I'll get credit thanks for watching
This is the best and easiest to follow instructional video on a small solar set up I have seen so far on RUclips, you rock! Thank you. I think I can do this!
@@Faby246 good deal
You ROCK!!!! I been trying to get an OVERSTANDING of Solar the like. Your Video is The Shizznit!!!! Just PERFECT & EASY TO Follow!!!! You helped me SO MUCH!!!😁😊
Glad I could help!
I have 8 of the 550w Sungold Power panels and a Sungold Power 5,000w inverter/charger/charge controller too. Great idea to have it separate from your house. I wired mine in series too, racked 15" off the roof of my motorhome. This produces 400voc, which is easily handled by my Sunpower all-in-one's 500v input charge controller.
nice...sounds like a great system...how is it working out? what will it run?
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Our system is sized perfectly for our needs. It runs everything in our motorhome just like we were hooked-up at an RV park. We usually run our mini split heat pump either in cooling or heat mode 24/7. In the afternoon when the summer sun is beating in, we run both our front rooftop 14.5k A/C., which draws about 1,500 watts, our rear heat pump at the same time. We can even run our microwave for a few minutes to heat up supper, our TV and desktop computer without it overloading our inverter. When the sun goes down (and so does solar production) we no longer need our front A/C, so we can make it through the night on our batteries easy peasy. It helps that we have good insulation, dual pane windows, etc. in our motorhome to stretch our limited power.
thats what I like to here
@@SuperSushidogbattery info or specs for your system please!
@@eliasgutierrez8487 We started by building a 620-watt liftable solar array on the side of our motorhome. Our side array makes a nice bedroom window awning, practically lifting itself with a couple gas struts, and it's easy to clean, standing safely on the ground. Since we couldn't afford lithium batteries at the time we started 2 GC-2 golf cart batteries, boondocking this way for a couple years before we were able to build a 12v, 560ah LiFePo-4 battery using 8, 280ah prismatic cells and a Heltec 330amp BMS. These cells fit perfectly under the steps of our MH where our old pair of golf cart batteries used to reside. This powers all of our 12v appliances and can even run our residential fridge, computer and TV, if necessary. By mounting the solar array on the side of our coach, we left our roof free to rack 8, 550w solar panels down the length of our 35ft Coach, 15" off the roof, above our AC, vents, etc. It shades our entire roof, allowing plenty of cooling air underneath, increasing solar output and reducing the heat load on the air conditioners. Our 4,400w array can run both our A/Cs, our household appliances and charge our batteries at the same time. We mounted a Sungold Power all-in-one 48V, 5,000W Inverter/100A charge controller/battery charger, breakers and a Lnex battery monitor on the wall in our bedroom. It saves us space as well as money compared to a system built with individual components. Our 48v battery uses 16, 320ah prismatic cells and has a 200amp BMS. Together with our 560ah 12v bank, we have a total of 23.5 kwh of batteries onboard, (the equivalent of 18, 100ah lithiums) charged by 5,020 watts of solar. I hope this helps.
This is by far the best video on how to setup an off grid solar battery powered generator-ish backup system in case the electricity goes out! Just the kind of the video I was searching for. Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Im in southern Cali out in the desert and I have that same EG4 inverter and it is amazing. You can do so much with 3000 watts and the capacitors are so big on the new EG stuff that they can run loads 100% off the inverter even if you had no batteries provided its a sunny day not putting strain on your battery. The new EG4 6000XP looks amazing, it has 2 independent solar inputs up to 500 volts and has all the breakers built in, its really as easy as it could get to make a 240 volt system for bigger stuff like washers dryers and welders, whatever.. This 3000 EG4 is awesome tho I cant say enough good things about it.
Yes that 6000 XP is a beast
Great setup and grid tie ready (with permits where required)! Perfect for a RV shelter + shed. I have to add your editing is top notch without any unnecessary fluff, you have a new sub!
Awesome, thank you!
Great presentation. I love the way you crimped the heavy wires with basic tools.
Thank you! Cheers!
Thank you so much for showing us how to utilize solar energy without breaking the bank.
You are very welcome
So glad I found your channel. I also live in Oklahoma and just purchased my RV that I will live out of while selling my house so I can buy some undeveloped unrestricted land and build my Off Grid homestead! Looking forward to going through your video history 🙌🏽
great video i install solar myself and i've never seen a better video
Wow, thanks!
What a great idea.I think I gotta do the same thing around my house.I bought a couple of smaller solar panels just to see how they're going to work.But you're really giving me a great idea.Thank you for all your knowledge.Keep solar panel on
You are very welcome
I like your "Can Do!" attitude. This is how DIY things get done. With that said, why didn't you buy the gland to run your PV wires into the building? They are super cheap, seal much better, and give a much better finished look.
I was trying to get it done that day that I was filming that's why I did not even wait on the breaker or the fuse
If around sunset in Jerusalem today that day we are hoping is now, you are really dressed for it. Looks heavenly.
Nice video. Enjoy your freedom 👍🏻
Thanks, you
Great video. I just wanted to say that you want to hookup your batter to your inverter first and then your panels. Likewise shutoff panels first before making battery changes. Since you had them turned off it was fine. Just wanted to clarify in case someone might not have realized you were isolated from the energized panels when you first hooked up. Love seeing more people setting up solar and showing everyone how easy it is.
i literally said ok lets go back out and turn the switch off and get this wired up...but ya I Understand the sequence...thanks
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Thats Exactly what You did. You showed instructions that came w inverter to us.. 1st battery's to inverter than Went outside n flipped the switch from panels to inverter n Got a reading.. All Good. Made Me laugh was the 4 devices you used 75" tv.. modum.. microwave.. Funny part was Classic toaster which draws All the power.. n Seeing the Dog ❤ near by.. Thanks again.
This was a great example of how to create an affordable power backup solution for DIY people. I just went through one of those 7 day power outages not fun.
i went through one a few years back in Louisiana I know what your saying
The 48V 100ah batteries are a good way to go. Nice system!
I would love to have 200 amp hour
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Can you add more panels n battery's to achieve that.?? How does that work.??
Great video! Gotta love that security of backup power.
I'm saying
Pipe strap L brackets holding the panels - Check
Fasteners supporting horizontal load - Check
Amazon conductors in an outdoor environment with no conduit - Check
Knock-Off DC switch - Check
Seriously though great job on the build.
The cheapest do it yourself solar build by a diy guy not a licensed electrician 😂 and I can improve it here and there as the days go by
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID
100% respect the fact your putting solar to work cheaply and quickly.
I wish I can do this. I'm clueless when it comes to electrical stuff. Damnit
Man I was too!!!!!
I'm intelligent enough to learn, but my excuse I don't want to risk electrocuting myself
I just bought 4 used panels, 230w used. I’m looking to pick up possible 6 to 10 more
Good deal
Great video and the dude saved me some money just reamending the battery's however I will be living in a van so I need much less power. Thanks dude
Glad it helped
Great video production and no fluff information. Thanks! Really cool price too. In my 1100 sq ft place in CA, air conditioning last summer was over 400 a month. That would pay itself off in no time at all. Super video. My brother's place up north is even worse, costing .48 kWh !!! He lives under the trees, so not so good for solar, unfortunately.
Thanks for watching!
That’s the same battery I had for my trailer I built.. mine didn’t have Bluetooth … but eco worthy is a great brand! All of my equipment was eco worthy and served me well
thanks for the info...this is my first set with eco-worthy
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID no problem!
Great video. The power of 48V is being able to run a lot of stuff at the same time without needing thick cabling to do it. 2 AWG cabling would net you 5000W of continuous power with very little heat.
I would suggest, though, that people building a 48V system get native 48V (51.2V LiFePO4) batteries and put them in parallel instead of 12V batteries put in series.
LiFePO4 batteries put in series require a whole-battery balancer to keep them all equal (they won't self-equalize between the four batteries), so you would have to add that for sure in your example system. Series batteries also have a tough time when one or more disconnects on LVP or OVP and sometimes need coaxing to get them to reconnect.
Parallel battery configurations do not have these problems, plus expanding the battery bank can be done one battery at a time.
2 x 50Ah 51.2V LiFePO4 batteries in parallel would be equivalent to 4 x 100Ah 12.8V LiFePO4 batteries put in series. But the parallel configuration is far more robust. Far far more robust.
-Matt
Yes ..this is correct
This is such a great video showing how easy solar can be. You should have your own offgrid solar installation company!
Maybe one day!🤣
Great idea!
Thanks for the video I like the simplicity of this system! I Just wanted to mention that EG4 inverters are supposed to be mounted to cement board or another non flammable material for safety!
yes I plan on doing some safety upgrades to the system and this is one of them
That is such a great video! I have always wanted to do that but didn't know how. After seeing your video, it looks really easy. Thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent information excellent set up exactly what I need for my vacation home in Puerto Rico
My goodness, what a blessing you’ve explained it so well and took your time. Thank you. I’ve been so confused but you’ve helped me understand.
Good deal
Good stuff right here. I definitely watched the entire thing from begging to end.
I would definitely get some fire proofing for your equipment. Had a buddy lose his entire house.
Yes you are correct.. working on it now
If you got a gas furnace, you can run that off the solar also, really nice setup, Great job.
Great idea
Good! You are getting wood from your own land. But don't forget to plant trees to fill the gap.
Yes, thanks
You’ve came a long way from the ground mount . you’ve been going hams whit your production lately. good job keep it up sir
I appreciate that!
Awesome video. Highly entertaining yet immensely informative.
Thank you very much..I worked kinda hard on it lol
NIce setup. The only issue, personally for me would be the fact that your inverter can supply 3000 watts of power, where as your power strip is only going to be rated at around 1800 watts. You will melt it before your circuit breaker trips. Your proposed load should not be an issue, but you might consider beefing up your outlets to something that can handle more ampacity, just in case you want to run any additional loads.
yes for sure...my situation ws getting the video finished before the inverter actually gets ran into a critical load panel
This is awesome! I want to add that I think a good placement of this could be over an A/C unit or a window that gets too much sun. It would help shade said A/C unit or window, thus increasing any cooling efficiency
@@ktwboy2410 that would be great each situation will be a little different
nice system, peace of mind for outages and also it gets to pay itself off....and once that's done it's like money in your pocket to expand or have a holiday or one afternoon at the track!!!!!
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i have been looking for a video which explains a solar system setup for off grid living & yours is the best . Many thanks.
That's good to hear!!!
So simple, so clear. Thanks for the inspiration.
You are so welcome!
Thank you! I've been learning a lot from your channel. I want my hunting camp self sufficient.
This is a great system for that
great, but you need a battery balancer, to balance each battery with the same voltage
checking the blue tooth app they seem to be pretty close on the voltage. If they mis align too much they will have to be charged individually to get them into compliance
I sure am glad I found your channel ❤
Thanks...that means a lot
Hey fellow Okie. Great Video. I do a little amount of building diy solar backup systems and I also use solar generators. I have a EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra, so I can have 240 volt split phase to run my whole house. I live down in the Ardmore area. Have a great day.
Thanks for sharing
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID What general area of Oklahoma are you from?
Thanks so much for these videos A Ol Sick Lady like me could never Only in my dreams 😂 My Shed needs this ASAP😢
Right on
I like your video, very good information you are putting out, keep up the good work you are doing for all the people!
I appreciate that!
Thank you for this video👍. Best video I've seen yet on solar that makes sense for me!! Gotta sort out my fences first.
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I purchased a Jackery 290 and mono solar panel from HF both on sale and an Insider Tracker discount for right around 239. It's okay and have used it mostly for lighting during a couple of power outages.. Then I thought about making my own but without all the features of the Jackery. HF had their 35 aH battery on sale for 59 bucks then I bought a 400 watt inverter from WallyWorld for 35 bucks. That one equals 420 watts. I put all that in a heavy duty plastic tool box which I vented. Now the Jackery battery is actually a 20.3 Ah. So for working purposes, mine is a bit better but the downside is no way to monitor the flow rate accurately but it's pretty easy to estimate how long it will run something by knowing the power intake of what ever I am using it for. Mine is also considerably heavier than the 290. But hey, it works and I can always use a volt meter to keep an eye on the battery level if need be. So basically I spent a 100 bucks and I can always charge it using the solar panel along with a charge controller. Also, I forgot to mention is the fact that the Jackery 290's battery is a 14.4 volt.
I'm thinking about building a cheap powerful one and doing a video on it
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Your setup is great but if anyone is looking for something small, I would suggest they pickup a low drain battery, inverter and some kind of solar panel for emergency use. And I tell people, if they can't afford to get everything they need at once, just start with a battery they can afford and slowly build it from there. Anything is better than nothing at all. If all they can do is keep a phone charged and a small light for night. It makes a huge difference. I am fortunate in the fact that I also have a gas and a gas/lp generators as well. I see you live in Oklahoma, I live in SW MO. on Table Rock Lake and we know how fast these storms can rip through here.
im going to do a vid on a very small system
great video mate, making it happen in a straight forward way.
Great video! I see myself coming back in the future when I actually get down to it. Thanks for taking your time to break it down.
No problem thanks for watching
Maşallah...
Çözüm çok doğru ve kablolar için anahtar ve duvar geçisi kullanışlı...
Hayırlı olsun.
peki teşekkür ederim
GREAT VIDEO 🎉. The only MOD i would add to the solar structure build would be to make the structure top end rotate by hand crank into the optimal angle for best sun capture as the Earth rotates. That way you achieve the best sunray input to your solar panels...🎉
I was thinking about putting some blocks of wood up underneath them to raise it up for the winter time
@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Rt on sir. Great job though 👏🏽
You should try to separate the box from your house with safe n sound Rockwool. I’ve insulated areas that needed fire proofing with that stuff, I’d suggest in case of thermal runaway to have that box inside another slightly larger box with a buffer of Rockwool in-between … with thermal runaway it wouldn’t take long for the fire to jump from battery to battery with how close they are.
well I may do something like that in the near future
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID alrighty, happy to provide info if it happens to be helpful!
Truley AWESOME my brother, LOVE IT!!!!!!!
Nice work, sir! This is one heck of a system!
Thank you my friend
God bless you a lot more for sharing and showing with details. 🎉❤
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Perfect. Just what I was looking for. Thank you.
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That intro music slaps
I Agree 😎🤣
Great video easy to follow
Was it enough to run fridge over night?
yes tv fridge internet
Nice video production. Would suggest using a crimp tool that actually creates a "cold weld" between your copper cable and the copper lug. At high current, you don't want unintended voltage drops, as this will create more heat and current flow thru your cable. A hydraulic crimper or a Tempco hand operated crimper produce nice crimps.
yes i do need one
nice build, only suggestion remove the power strip use physical receptacles those power strips are not that great, prone to overheating
Gotcha
Nice setup. I was thinking of doing something very similar, only in my back yard and closer to the ground.
yes ...i have built one like that
Nice build, if that's a water tower your close to, bet you have great water pressure, ours is not so good.
on well water here..that water tower is for the city
Wow! Very nicely done! Extremely informative Thank 🙏
Glad it was helpful!
I bought some pipe and i bought a tap and I bought some tools and i did some free work and in the end i had FREE water. It was a miracle. If we didnt know about science i would have thought it was God pissing on me.
Always a hater in the house. Even Judas hung out with the good guys 😂
Make sure you also use some copper ground wire between each PV panels frame and then to grounding rod to protect from lightening.
ya i been hearing about that also to keep from getting feed back shock from high frequency inverters
You could - and should - further dress up those wires going from the isolator to the house by adding some wire loom to protect them from sunlight and weather, and add another layer of protection to the wire entry with a wiring bulkhead like RVs use on roof-mounted appliances and solar.
I have been watching a lot of safety videos lastly learning tons and i am definitely going to do that
Great video. I already have a 1 KW 12 volt system plus a wind turbine but I run everything 12 volt from lights, fans, electric blankets, clocks everything is 12 volt. I was wondering where is your charge controller as you can not pump power directly into your batteries from the solar panels without a charge controller??? This will fry your expensive batteries in no time...
No no..the Eg4 is an inverter and charge controller all in one.
good to see you upgraded from the shack! congrats 👏! looks like you got yourself some neighbors tho
this is not a video installation at grid my cabin..but in town at another house..i would rather be in my so called shack
Upgraded from a shed to a trailer off of RUclips money good job!
Just because I installed a system at a trailer house does not mean that I moved from a shed to a trailer.. I installed another system in a brick house a month ago I'm about to do a video on it and I guess I will have moved into the brick house here in a month just for you. And by the way I don't live off RUclips money $1,200 a month ain't going to cut it bud. I actually have a real job
He just jealous he not Man enough to do one for himself.
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRIDReally with all these subscribers. Well I thought it would been more. Congratulations 🎉
I remember my first EG4 she had hair like long black silk, and legs like a goddess, and oh boy could she make that 1500 watt microwave hum . wait wrong chat . lol good job looks great
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hi oklahoma my neighbor you do a good job
OG, (Oklahoma Off Grid) just a quick nickname I give you, Hey man , thanks for these videos bro because these things you do, I know for a fact will save us money $ and thats important particularly with all these high prices every where you look.
You know your stuff partner, good luck to ya.
I know just enough to make it 🤣
I really like the presentation, but I am wondering if there is a way to wire this panel to 30a generator plug to power my transfer switch directly to the breaker box.
yes there is actually. would work out good if you already had the critical load panel installed for a generator
Nice and simple but that power strip will overload and get hot over time. I would not run a ac window unit on that it will burn the power strip up. I’ve been a residential and light commercial electrician for 17 years and I’ve personally seen that problem happen. BUT in a pinch for temporary use it’s ok just not for long term safe use. You still get a thumbs up tho!
gotcha man...i normally wire them into a critical load panel..but this is a portable system..max amps from the inverter is 20 by the way
Great vid, I like your style, easy to understand and your editing is really good. One part that threw me a little, was when you measured your battery volts at 145v dc? I thought it was 53v DC when you measured earlier?
I'm sorry you got confused you're the second person to say that but no that was the power actually coming in from the panels volts open circuit
Wire gauge? Sequence of battery connection terminals? Will the batteries overheat in an enclosed case? No fan?
Those batteries don't put off enough heat to make a difference
Saw that water tower and immediately knew where they were at. I go to church right up the road
We go to church right up the road too❤️
U the G of preparedness
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PINE CREEK here. Thanks for the info
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"make sure nothing is backwards..." mannn you got that right, talk about how I ruined my first solar controller and made a 180 dollar paperweight
awe maaan...that sucks...i always check recheck and triple check now days lol
I see these videos on RUclips building all these tutorials. Unfortunately, I'm too poor to do what these videos show.
Stop watching videos, use your time to work and make some money, then build what you want, hate when people claim they are poor but are too rich time wasters.
Start small. Get one of those small eco flow things or whatever brand you want. Charge it at night when rates are low and use it to power small things you might use when rates are high. It will save you a little each month. Then, over time get a small charge controller and a cheap solar panel and use it to charge your little eco flow. That will save you a little more. Rinse and repeat. Before you know it you will have a nice little solar setup. I hope this gives you at least a little hope.
But it's free!! Didn't you read the caption? Or watch the video? It's all free. Free electricity. Free
Start small I'm on a budget and I've started powering certain things I use the most on solar and as you save on your electric bill Start adding to it eventually your electric bill will be almost nothing
Then do t better by not using money but your mind. Used solar panels are everywhere and very cheap.
Simple, rich people use ready build solar generators. Build one yourself from scrap you can gather with very little money. You can start with used car battery, charge controller and small inverter. Upgrade as better components come by. Work, earn money, learn new skills that you need, make connections with right people.
Damn Justin lol, that’s a set up, shit man, did you look at mine? I got several vids of what we got goin on. Way to go dude, good work.
No I don't believe I have seen yours I'll check it out
Bless y'all for this.
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Since you did all that, myself, I would go ahead and tie it into your main electrical and have your fridge, freezer, a few dedicated lights, stove, water heater & whatever else you would label as NEEDED POWER, For me, since we already have it, I would run my computer + all high demand power to them, to use with or without main power being interrupted, that way, you can take advantage of already having it and taken them off your main power, your monthly power bill should be dramatically lower.. That being said.. I have already done that several years ago, it started out as being for backup, but I thought since I already had it installed and running, why not use it now and save on my electrical, and I have slowly over the years added a few more panels and better lithium deep cycle batteries.. Now 100% of my house & shop is powered by solar. after first doing it, before adding more & more panels, my power bill was cut almost in half having al the high demand ran through the solar then after adding more I was paying about $25.00. Now, I have paid nothing for 3 years and I have a several thousand in credit that the power co. owes me. in another few months, I will be getting a check from them for the power they are buying from me, since 30% +/- of my excess power goes back to the grid everyday, I live in the city, I also have had several of my neighbors do the same thing.. Sorry to have babbled, but I so completely, love what you are doing and I have already done it and everyone who owns a home should invest in it and do it like I did, little by little adding more, till you're 100% or just happy where you are.. I also want to say, the past 3 years the weather has caused outages where I live 5 times and I never lost any power.. Thank you for making and sharing this video..
I have plans for a critical load panel..but this is for now for the video
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Mine, at first was just for emergency power, but slowly grew and, It was totally worth it now, being 100% off grid..
This is why I love reading the comments. Knowledge. Thankyou.
Great setup but I have a question. Why did you run all your panels in series? The reason why I ask is because if one panel fails all the panels will shut down. I’m about to pull the trigger and install an off grid system at my cabin ( because the utility company wants an arm and leg to run power back to the cabin) and after consulting a few solar installers the advised to run a couple panels in series and a couple in parallel to prevent a complete system shutdown in the event of a panel failure. I would like to hear your reasoning for running all yours in series. Thanks in advance.
First off solar panels don't go bad until 25 to 30 years.. the second thing would be that it would be very noticeable on your voltage and your wattage if one went out and it wouldn't take much to figure out which one it was and replace the $120 piece of crap... Third off is very important to run a string in series up to the voltage that you need because it's going to be the most efficient and then the next string you'll run up to the same voltage and then you'll run those two parallel other than that this is how you wire an efficient system
@@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID Solar panels do go bad and you will be lucky to get 25-30 years from them. There are several things that could cause them to go bad or lose their effectiveness.
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Thank you for that email list of items! Highly appreciate it!
You bet!
Not to tinkle in the cereal, but you pulled the PV wire through the house without any chaffing protection. I saw metal sticking out of the siding, so you jammed the PV into the siding.? Never use an impact tool on an inverter terminal. This neat deal from SunGold panels of 4 includes shipping $1,220.00 price.
It's all good I'm ready for the critics.. the siding is plastic and there's absolutely no metal on this trailer house you actually have the plastic siding a piece of foam board insulation and then sheetrock and you're all the way through.. unless you hit a stud which I went between the studs LOL.. by the way this system was about building a system the very cheapest you could get it done safely. And you know that's a great question about the Sun goes panels they sponsored the video so there was no shipping charge but I guess you would have to put them in your cart to see... As far as using the impact I mentioned it in the video and said I shouldn't be doing it but I was in a big hurry to knock it out I only had about 2 hours left to get everything done so I was easy on it and I only used it on a couple of different things and I actually went back over everything with the regular screwdriver.. but yeah no worries brother we all have our ways we do things I guess
@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID not criticism. But it looks sloppy. Couple bucks to make the pass thru look pro. It's worth it.
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i like that solar stand you made. gave me an idea. thanks for the vid
No problem 👍
Thanks for the video! I am looking to do something like this for myself!
You're very welcome
Are you able to do a calculation on how long the solar set up will become with it? Compared to electrical utility bill and when it will pay for itself?
sure..around 3500 in cost...so put that towards the cost of your own electric and figure it out
Man I really like how u broke that down im looking at sun gold now 8 400 watt panels 5400 definitely want purchase thx help
Good deal
Wouldve loved for him to have explained why he wired the panels in series rather than in parrallel?
the inverter/charge controller all in one Eg4 requires a minimum of 120 volts dc before it can even detect the voltage. the max input voltage for this inverter can be wired up to 500 volts dc. wired in parallel would not only need thicker cables running into the house because of higher amps but it would need to use more wiring to do it. the whole thing of getting the voltage higher is to cut cost and make more efficiency with the exact same power outcome