ROBIN'S OFF GRID SYSTEM

While working for a local solar installation company, I received a call from a man who had four Canadian Solar 330W panels he wanted to unload from his garage. He said he had worked on installing a solar farm up in Wyoming and had received them to have on hand in case there were any damaged during install.  He said it had been a few years, and just had no need for the panels.  I was able to buy them for $60 each, and he was super sweet to even deliver them for me (he was certainly anxious to get rid of them!)      

I was living in my dad’s house at the time, the one that he was selling, so I wasn't eager to set my system up there.  They sat in the basement of my dad’s house for a year until I moved into my new townhome.  In my townhome I don't own my roof, and it is two stories up.  I would rather have the panels down on the ground level where I can work with and play with them, or even move them to a more suitable solar producing direction/tilt.  

Fast forward a couple of years and I finally scraped enough money together ($3,500) to get my battery and charge controller / inverter and smaller miscellaneous items.  Battery storage is the biggest key to an off grid system, and it can be almost 1/3 of the total project investment. depending on how many panels are being used.  The bigger the panel investment, the bigger the battery investment.  But the bigger the battery, the bigger the feeling of security.    

I have adjustable brackets mounted to my fence, with the angle set to 30 degrees. My fences put the azimuth of my panels at about 90 and 270 degrees. I have one and two panels on opposite sides of the fence. I originally wanted to build a platform on wheels for my panels that I could wheel out in to the open space behind my unit so that I could place the panels in any direction and try to clear any trees.  I would likely only do this in an emergency situation. I also wanted the battery to be mobile - it is very heavy! - so I incorporated all of the components Into a hand truck cart to make all of it easier to relocate where ever I need it to be. However, now that everything is set up, it is pretty permanent.  I have a small 13' x 13' backyard area so I am not working in a large amount of space and that cuts down on the amount of wiring. 

Three of my panels are wired to my DC Disconnect switch, and the DC Disconnect switch is wired to the Inverter / Charge Controller.  The Inverter / Charge controller is also wired to the battery.  There is a heavy duty AC extension cord coming from the Inverter, that I have running into my house. The wiring connections are relatively simple in the grand scheme of things (if a single mom can do it - you can do it!)    

I have four panels, but I can only set up three in series through the inverter I have. In order to add the fourth panel I will need to rewire everything, put two panels in series and two parallel.  There is a maximum acceptable voltage that the inverter can handle, so I need to make sure I don't overload it.  By wiring the panels in parallel I would actually be reducing the amount of voltage going into the inverter.  (Checking the label on the back of the panel is the first place to start in calculating the math of your system).    

Because I have a small house, I can basically run the cord anywhere in my house.  I have run my room air conditioner in my upstairs bedroom overnight, and my dishwasher, but it almost depleted my battery and you don't really want to do that.  It seems that I use the energy faster than I can produce it with just these three panels, so I am eager to get back on working out my design to add the fourth.  I'm just excited that I have gotten things running and am able to make a significant impact on my electric bill right now.

Soulstice Solar can teach anyone how to build and operate a solar electric system large enough to power a refrigerator for hours, charge a laptop or phone, or run some lighting in an emergency situation.  The cost is significantly less than a traditional residential solar system, and since this isn’t fixed mounted, you can take it with you if you need to move.  This also has great potential for giving a second life to used solar panels, giving them an extended life before breakdown of materials for recycling.

Every home is unique with its dynamics in:

• Is there enough room to place a few large solar panels in the yard?
• Can the panels be placed permanently or do we need to be able to move them?
• What kind of south facing (best solar producing) ‘real estate’ is in the yard?
• Are there any covenants in your neighborhood that might object to panels in view?
• What are the ‘critical loads’ you need to have running in an emergency?
• How often or how long have you experienced any grid outages through your utility?

Contact us today for a free personal consultation, 512.484.1888, soulsticesolar@gmail.com.