Jump to content

How about a solar car port on a budget?


Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

CrossyPowerCentral has expanded somewhat with the addition of 3 more 340W panels taking us to 13.1kWp on the car-port.

 

image.jpeg.ef852bb18351b5434f5b98be1d221b57.jpeg

 

Our motley collection of panels demonstrates just how widely the dimensions of panels vary. Except for the baby 100W panel on the right (which powers some of our floodlights) all those panels are 300-340W. This is one of the disadvantages of building a "bitsa" system.

 

Energy storage has also expanded, these are "Archibald" XDLP48-100 (51.2V 100Ah) LiFePO4 battery packs. Sadly, they've been in storage for at least 3 years and I'm not convinced they used new cells even then. They all measure at about 60Ah from full charge to BMS cut-off, they may improve as they balance with usage cycles.

 

image.jpeg.db4ebc3f75aa12d8b3fc78653bcb0f33.jpeg

 

I got these packs and a stack of other solar stuff which I'm still inventorying from the estate of a friend who sadly died last year.

 

There are inverters and a stack of panels that I'll need to clear so watch the forum for stuff becoming available.

 

Of course, with all these upgrades we are hitting the limits of our current inverters, so replacements are also on the cards.

 

EDIT Of course, life being life, this collection of stuff came up a week after I'd ordered two new 280Ah 48V packs from Shenzhen Luyuan Technology Co., Ltd.

 

All in USD3,774 for two including DDP shipping to Thailand. Saved a few hundred $$ by ordering them as kits rather than fully assembled. Amy Wan and Shenzhen Luyuan come highly recommended on other solar power forums.

 

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/14KW-48V-51-2V-280AH-Pre_1600894719244.html

 

image.png.217e53923bbc46fa3c364fd269394978.png

 

 

That look to be a good deal on a good solution. Looks great!!!

 

Pink

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

We have our UK grandkids (3F, 1M all teens) here for 3 weeks (they go home on Thursday). Our normal 30kWh per day total consumption is approaching 90kWh per day! :sad:

 

We love them very much, but with their energy and food consumption we'll be on bread and water for the next couple of months.

Until this month i been very confident on my solar power capacity, but with this heat, location of the sun (Im getting max 6000kwh now, 5-6 months ago 7000kwh was max) and school off so kids AC running in daytime also Im might a bit in the short side.

 

Pink

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

These really need to be on the roof, but no space, yet!

 

image.jpeg.c494058ae6d42e83419b91f7005bf26b.jpeg

Thats allot of solar capacity !!! You will built some kind of rack for it? Whats your plans for inverter for this?

 

Pink

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, Crossy said:

These really need to be on the roof, but no space, yet!

I should think you'd need some of your neighbours roof for that lot too.

Are you thinking of selling power by any chance? 🙂

Edited by Muhendis
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Pink7 said:

Thats allot of solar capacity !!! You will built some kind of rack for it? Whats your plans for inverter for this?

 

Not certain yet, we certainly need an inverter upgrade looking possibly at 3 x  Deye SUN-5k-SG05LP1-EU 

 

https://www.lazada.co.th//products/i4978816678-s20977309094.html

 

Plus a major upgrade of the ESS arrangements.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Current thought experiment.

 

image.jpeg.0ebb39c775a73520bd4523fc11fb5d40.jpeg

 

The 6 panels at the top are installed and working.

The 6 at the bottom should be done and working this week.

 

The additional 28 need some planning (how to support where the columns won't get hit).

 

All good fun.

  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Current thought experiment.

 

image.jpeg.0ebb39c775a73520bd4523fc11fb5d40.jpeg

 

The 6 panels at the top are installed and working.

The 6 at the bottom should be done and working this week.

 

The additional 28 need some planning (how to support where the columns won't get hit).

 

All good fun.

How many total watt solarpanel when all up?

 

 

Pink

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/15/2024 at 6:49 PM, Pink7 said:

With so good deal its worth the wait!

 

Being delivered today, probably came by train rather than boat.

 

A minor bump in the road to storage delight.

 

The logistics company called last evening "do we have a forklift?". The kit is in 18 boxes, but regulations required that these be packed in a wooden crate, total weight 250kg!

 

They were less than delighted when we said "No forklift".

Their happiness factor increased significantly when we said "But we'll unpack the box on the truck".

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Being delivered today, probably came by train rather than boat.

 

A minor bump in the road to storage delight.

 

The logistics company called last evening "do we have a forklift?". The kit is in 18 boxes, but regulations required that these be packed in a wooden crate, total weight 250kg!

 

They were less than delighted when we said "No forklift".

Their happiness factor increased significantly when we said "But we'll unpack the box on the truck".

Yeah.

I had some similar excitement with my battery delivery.

They were all on a single pallet and came in at a whopping 940 kg.

I used a local courier from Bangkok to Buriram where I knew they had a forkin' lift.

They fitted in the back of my Izusu 4x4 very well when I went and collected them.

Downside is It cost 1k Baht to get them to the Bangkok depot from the Bangkok port warehouse.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, Pink7 said:

Nice progress. Waiting to see more on your battery building.. Quite a upgrade you are on.

 

Luyuan have an assembly video for their kits (complete with cheesy music). 

 

 

  • Thumbs Up 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is what 28kWh of DIY solar storage looks like.
 
That's 16 series sets of 2x280Ah cells in parallel (2P16S) for 48V x 560Ah.
 
The empty space top left with the small burn mark is where my 5A "flying-capacitor" active balancer was until it emitted the Magic-Smoke. New unit on order.
 
image.jpeg.7ab3dff09f9caca485f3cbe7767bd30b.jpeg
  • Like 1
  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Crossy said:

The empty space top left with the small burn mark is where my 5A "flying-capacitor" active balancer was until it emitted the Magic-Smoke. New unit on order.

Those balancers can be a fire hazard if not fused.

Been there.

Done that.

Extinguished the fire and replaced the nearest battery.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's not a breaker.

 

THIS is a breaker!

 

The 250A DC MCCB which I intend using as an overall battery isolator sitting next to one of the more regular MCBs we find in our homes!

 

image.jpeg.fad56def6ac99c50e8be8eefc46ca2da.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now





×
×
  • Create New...