Going with Offgrid Solar

[Nashville Cat]

Using the sizing tool :



It says 5280 PV watts is excessive, but it is ok to overpanel about 10% ; correct ? I'm going with the 150 classic.
As long as the VOC is not too high, over-panelling will just cause the controller to clip some wattage at times ?

 

[kmakar]

Using the sizing tool :

View attachment 1312

It says 5280 PV watts is excessive, but it is ok to overpanel about 10% ; correct ? I'm going with the 150 classic.
As long as the VOC is not too high, over-panelling will just cause the controller to clip some wattage at times ?

In a perfect setting you "might" get that wattage output, but you'll never see it, so, even at the array power (wattage) being at 1.1 based on the array input, realistically you'll see around 4,000 to 4,800 from the array coming into the controller.

 

[Nashville Cat]

Maybe this thread will help someone build a system like ours , since I am pestering you every step of the way !
With 24 panels (about 10kw total), the classic 150 makes me do a 2S6P setup for each controller.
Midnite has a MNPV12 combiner box that I should be able to use for all 24 panels ? 12 wires coming in with each wire having two panels in series.
And $209 looks like a good price to me

Amazon.com

This box is much more popular. I would need two of them

Amazon.com

 

[kmakar]

Maybe this thread will help someone build a system like ours , since I am pestering you every step of the way !
With 24 panels (about 10kw total), the classic 150 makes me do a 2S6P setup for each controller.
Midnite has a MNPV12 combiner box that I should be able to use for all 24 panels ? 12 wires coming in with each wire having two panels in series.
And $209 looks like a good price to me

Amazon.com

This box is much more popular. I would need two of them

Amazon.com

On the Midnite combiner, if you look at the 2 boxes on the display, one has breakers, the other has fuse holders. The breakers/fuses are not included and you'd have to order them separately.

On the Eco-Worthy combiner, while it includes the fuse holders, the box is much to small to work in, and anyone installing it would be frustrated trying to wire it.

If it were me, I'd get the Midnite box and buy the breakers (and not the fuse holders).

 

[Nashville Cat]

On the Midnite combiner, if you look at the 2 boxes on the display, one has breakers, the other has fuse holders. The breakers/fuses are not included and you'd have to order them separately.

On the Eco-Worthy combiner, while it includes the fuse holders, the box is much to small to work in, and anyone installing it would be frustrated trying to wire it.

If it were me, I'd get the Midnite box and buy the breakers (and not the fuse holders).

The midnite box is on order. I found the box for $175 and the breakers on ebay for about 16.70 each (12 breakers)
The box will be like the pic on the right; the left side pic is a 600V setup. Here are the breakers:

MIDNITE SOLAR MNEPV15 CIRCUIT BREAKER 15A 150VDC 1-POLE DIN MOUNT | eBay

MIDNITE SOLAR MNEPV15 CIRCUIT BREAKER 15A 150VDC 1-POLE DIN MOUNT Midnight’s breakers are rated to break the full rated load at the rated voltage repeatedly, with NO DAMAGE. Always use a properly sized breaker for disconnecting. All MidNite circuit breakers are rated for 100% continuous duty...

www.ebay.com

Kevin, have you added another Midnite Classic 150 yet ?
I was thinking about adding a 3rd one, to handle more total PV. I'm at the limit of my panels now (24 panels X 440 watts= 10,560 watts)

 

[kmakar]

The midnite box is on order. I found the box for $175 and the breakers on ebay for about 16.70 each (12 breakers)
The box will be like the pic on the right; the left side pic is a 600V setup. Here are the breakers:

MIDNITE SOLAR MNEPV15 CIRCUIT BREAKER 15A 150VDC 1-POLE DIN MOUNT | eBay

MIDNITE SOLAR MNEPV15 CIRCUIT BREAKER 15A 150VDC 1-POLE DIN MOUNT Midnight’s breakers are rated to break the full rated load at the rated voltage repeatedly, with NO DAMAGE. Always use a properly sized breaker for disconnecting. All MidNite circuit breakers are rated for 100% continuous duty...

www.ebay.com

View attachment 1372

Kevin, have you added another Midnite Classic 150 yet ?
I was thinking about adding a 3rd one, to handle more total PV. I'm at the limit of my panels now (24 panels X 440 watts= 10,560 watts)

I haven't added another Midnite 150 yet. I was going to install a new array on top of the new shop roof, but that's on hold.

One of my clients decided to sell their business (found out in November, and the sale is probably happening by December 31st this year), so I'm losing a fair amount a month, so until I know what the new owners are going to do (whether or not the keep my services), I was holding off putting up the new shop. I have the cash right now, but I'm pretty frugal and like to make sure I have lots of buffer in reserves.

If the new owners keep my services (highly doubtful because most bring in their own staff) then I'd put the new shop up and put up 2 more arrays (requiring 2 more Midnite 150's), but not looking that way right now.

 

[Nashville Cat]

If the new owners keep my services (highly doubtful because most bring in their own staff) then I'd put the new shop up and put up 2 more arrays (requiring 2 more Midnite 150's), but not looking that way right now.

Would your current 18kw inverter be big enough to handle the extra PV ?

 

[kmakar]

Would your current 18kw inverter be big enough to handle the extra PV ?

PV has nothing to do with the inverter directly. The PV hooks to the Midnite Solar charge controllers, which are in turn tied into the batteries.

Think of it like this: PV gets the power from the sun, sends it to the solar controllers, which then convert and send it to the batteries. The inverter pulls power from the batteries, but if the batteries are fully charged and in float mode, then that power (form the charge controllers is supplied directly to the inverter instead unless it requires more than the PV is putting out, and in that case it pulls from the batteries.

 

[Nashville Cat]

PV has nothing to do with the inverter directly. The PV hooks to the Midnite Solar charge controllers, which are in turn tied into the batteries.

Think of it like this: PV gets the power from the sun, sends it to the solar controllers, which then convert and send it to the batteries. The inverter pulls power from the batteries, but if the batteries are fully charged and in float mode, then that power (form the charge controllers is supplied directly to the inverter instead unless it requires more than the PV is putting out, and in that case it pulls from the batteries.

Yes, that makes sense.
Have you ever measured the idle power consumption of the 18kw with no load on it ?
People are asking on the solar forum. SunGold is getting noticed more since this review :

 

[kmakar]

Yes, that makes sense.
Have you ever measured the idle power consumption of the 18kw with no load on it ?
People are asking on the solar forum. SunGold is getting noticed more since this review :

It pulls about 280w to 300w with no load for the 18kw.

 

[Nashville Cat]

Got a phone call from FEDEX today that the SunGold inverter had arrived !
They had never given me any notice that it was being shipped or even sent a tracking number, but that's ok.
Drove 30 miles to pick it up. The box was HEAVY, they loaded it in my car with a fork truck.
I have a come-a-long, so I'll use that to lift it in position when I mount it on the wall.
The specs say it weighs 180 lbs ! I think Kevin's is 220 ? Probably been some design changes (made it cheaper LOL)

 

[kmakar]

Got a phone call from FEDEX today that the SunGold inverter had arrived !
They had never given me any notice that it was being shipped or even sent a tracking number, but that's ok.
Drove 30 miles to pick it up. The box was HEAVY, they loaded it in my car with a fork truck.
I have a come-a-long, so I'll use that to lift it in position when I mount it on the wall.
The specs say it weighs 180 lbs ! I think Kevin's is 220 ? Probably been some design changes (made it cheaper LOL)

View attachment 1678


View attachment 1679


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View attachment 1681

Mine looked just like that, but when the LTL service came to deliver (was included with the sale price), drive said it weighed in at 220lbs.

 

[kmakar]

Using my new crane (home built) I'm setting the upper support for the new solar array above Lisa's she shed.

I'll have to level it, then concrete it in. The 2" schedule 40 steel pipe is welded (notched at the top) and setting in the ground 5'.

 

[Chevelle_Nut]

Sand. Makes it easy. Red clay here but red clay is better than mountain rocks.

 

[kmakar]

Sand. Makes it easy. Red clay here but red clay is better than mountain rocks.

Easy for digging, but tougher for concrete. I "belled" out the bottom of the holes so I figure I'll need like eight 80lb bags per pole.

 

[kmakar]

Top support for the solar array is in and only took (15) 80lb bags. Let that set for a couple of days, then I can back the crane up, and build and weld the front support.

 

[Chevelle_Nut]

I see why you like a ditch witch, very handy Swiss army knife.

 

[kmakar]

I see why you like a ditch witch, very handy Swiss army knife.

I had been looking for a mini excavator for 2 years and they were all running about 15k to 20k used (didn't want to spend that much), and this popped up on CL for $5,500, so it was a win win because it also came with the trencher.

 

[kmakar]

Setting the front support for the new array above Lisa's she shed. Lisa made me stop working for today. My youngest brought me lunch and baked me a homemade cherry pie.

 

[Nashville Cat]

Setting the front support for the new array above Lisa's she shed. Lisa made me stop working for today. My youngest brought me lunch and baked me a homemade cherry pie.

View attachment 2707

Great place to grow wacky weed (MJ)