Bad Idea? Now We Want Even MORE SOLAR POWER! (480 to 1230 Watt Upgrade)

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We've been making do with 480 watts in solar power for a little under a year and while it served our needs well, it's summer and we have a chest freezer, and we were finding ourselves running our generator every few days just to keep our batteries topped off. Not okay when it's 100+ degrees and sunny outside! Join us as we install our new charge controller and hook up an additional 750 watts in solar panels gifted to us from Alyssa's grandpa. Thanks grandpa! Now, we are rockin' and rollin' not having to run our generator to meet our daily power needs. This excludes the air conditioner though hehe... need a little more solar to run that off our battery bank! One step at a time!
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Опубликовано:

23 июл 2017

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Комментарии : 749

@mcseforsale 7 лет назад

I've been DIY for 25 years, doing drywall, framing, carpentry, etc. I learned the following things. A framer is the guy that covers up the mistakes of the draftsman, the drywaller is the guy that covers up the mistakes in the framing, the finish carpenter creates the illusion that the angles are plumb and straight.

@barbarahils6026 6 лет назад

I continue to salute you for taking on a project of this size. Most people from a non construction background wouldn't have the guts to do this. Just keep plugging away, you'll get there.

@just-dl 7 лет назад

Hey, Jesse...you don't have to defend your approach. You're doing great. Keep on trucking. You've given yourselves permission to fail, and that's awesome. I really enjoy what you guys are doing.

@Comicsluvr 7 лет назад

I liked your comments regarding solar posters. I know that you've caught a lot of negative comments from people, yet I bet most of them live in a typical house, safe and happy. My hat is off to you for bravely making this journey.

@mskiss7986 7 лет назад

the whole reason I watch and ENJOY your channel is because you are working your way to the system you want for your home. its a way for people who don't want to finance a system to build up to what they need. thank you for your great info :)

@RandomAudioGuys 7 лет назад

Glad you address this issue , but you will find on the internet is there are always someone that knows everything. So well said.

@motor2of7 7 лет назад

My favorite quote: "Experience is something you don't have until just after you need it". You guys are doing great as you gain experience from job to job.

@bruce1816 7 лет назад

You will never hear any bad talk from me.I think my own homestead is about the same phase as you folks. I totally understand your position. Jesse, you are very methodical to whatever work you have before you, and thats good. It's easier to keep track of mistakes or problems in that process. (Mental notes for changes) I totally agree with everything you said. Keep up the good work and march on!!!!!!!

@danburch9989 7 лет назад

Your talk about others commenting, criticizing your solar project takes me back over 50 years ago. I took 2 years of auto mechanics in high school. Those two basic courses has taught me all I need to know about cars. It has saved me $1,000s of dollars when I can do my own work. Even if I had to buy the tools and make mistakes, I still saved $1,000s. You'll be the neighborhood solar experts when you finish. That could be bad when others find out.

@oggzm4982 7 лет назад

Hey guys, recent sub here. All I can say is, I came here to watch you guys do your stuff, not listen to you whinge or hear about your negative feed back, stop feeding the trolls and get on with showing us what your up to.

@improprietary1 7 лет назад

A cheap way you two could use to lower the temperature in your battery compartment would be to run an air exhaust pipe up to the roof. The sun will heat up the air inside the pipe and draw ambient air into the box if there are air holes to do so. This would decrease temperatures when the sun is the hottest and would not cost you anything to run.

@AndrewMerts 7 лет назад

That's not going to do much of anything. Convection would cool the bottom a little but that's not going to be much more than what they would get with just a couple of holes from the heat they already have. An easier and more time proven idea is to get a small turbine for this. Those round ugly fan like things you commonly see on roofs are turbines, if there's wind blowing in any direction at all it'll cause it to turn and it'll draw air up and out. You don't have to get one of the huge 12" ones, people make and sell smaller 4" ones as well.

@jimhalther2107 7 лет назад

Wow, thats really cool! Thanks for the comment! Never heard of such a thing!

@everest3334 7 лет назад

tommy, but,but that doesnt use any electricity, so how can it be any good (LOL) its a sciency thing right (like blowing over the top of a straw, sat in the cool and refreshing heavy liquid of choice and yet it can lift and expel said liquid, or how taking a sip and closing the end before the liquid column sinks back down, how can it stay above the level....science, its cheap and can cost nothing but time and effort), so it's to hard to monetise this. and so the need to buy the most expensive mains powered gadget brand name as it costs more and so must be better somehow! form over function is the modern day humans ball and chain... even for the homeless and the low income consumer, not human...

@everest3334 7 лет назад

andrew it seems you need to re-evaluate the convection understanding www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zttrd2p/revision/2 but apart from that we are talking everything temporary construction (so why put the temp panels so far away and such a long unneeded cable run for zero pro benefit and many cons, as the whole flat area gets just as much sun,but whatever) we are talking a battery box, lead/acid batteries dont care about the worlds largest resource AKA water on the outside, so stand them in some water trays and get evaporative cooling in the whole box... just FYI you actually mean a "Revolving chimney cowls" are sometimes know as chimney spinners. They spin in the wind and are primarily designed to >>>stop downdraught in your chimney.

@grossteilfahrer 7 лет назад

There would be more than one plus effect in ventilating the battery box.. H2 and O2 gas bubbles out of the batteries when charging and together in a closed space they may recombine into H20 real violently.... how airtight is the box as it is now? With 3 times as much charge current you get 3 times as much gas out of the batteries. hydrogen gas in air is explosive at a small concentration.. (4%?) Also, charging "harder" in heat will make the batts need adding water more often, but I suppose Jesse is on top of that?

@bertbattersby2005 7 лет назад

I think both of you are doing great. I had a father that had 63 years as a Civil Engineer and a older brother that is an engineer at Stanford College in SF Californian. I believe that your approach is very good. I my self am work for a large government contractor. It is not that you are not willing to learn or listen to other sources of information. Because you do. You are making some great dissension. It is nice to see a young couple doing there best very day and have fun doing. Yes this is going to be a challenge but both of you are raising to that challenge and learning on the way to making a beautiful house. The way you want it. Please keep going and GOD HAS Blessed both of you.

@KyleSoldani 7 лет назад

I'm definitely one of those people who has solar and doesn't know how it works. I give you guys huge kudos on designing your own system, installing and maintaining. I'm slowly reverse engineering our system.. unfortunately within the city I had to conform to electrical and construction codes, of which I am by no means capable of handling. Hoping to get some land in the future and support an off-grid area such as yours. I empathize with the jack of all trades and master of none, I feel that way daily with my job! Keep chuggin on, really enjoy the videos.

@yankey4 7 лет назад

SOOOOO SOO HAPPY for you guys!! ! Hope I have been the guy that's been nice and trying to help. I live with a DIY solar so I know all about it. God Bless.

@SkyKing101010 7 лет назад

I think I saw the video (or at least one of them) that you're referring to. The guy mentioned your channel by name but had no understanding of the fact the you're doing it as you go, as you could. Evidently, he could afford to buy the best of what he wanted for his needs, and have a "professional" solar installer put it all in for him. All I can say is, I'm glad he could afford to have a totally adequate system installed up front, I expect it works well, and I hope it gives him at least 20 years of good service. He, evidently, has no better understanding of it now than he did when he started. I do appreciate the way you're doing this and your candidness, I know you'll get there, and I'll learn right along with you.

@silverdon55 7 лет назад

Always respect and admire that you do what you can with what you have. And when you have more you do a bit more. The folks who think there's only one magical way to do something can be really annoying. So you have my applause for what it's worth.

@rob_BMA 7 лет назад

Classy way to talk about the haters. The "other" RU-vidr that made a video about it showed his true colours and probably shows why you have way more subscribers. Keep up the great work and enjoy watching all the way from Australia

@MisterDusk007 7 лет назад

I don't typically comment although I have followed your journey since day one. Today i felt the need to commend you for the gentlemanly way you addressed the critics today...much respect to you and for the people who are new to all this, your thorough explanations of what you encounter step by step is actually helping us think outside the box and allowing us to be prepared should we encounter similar situations...most of us get it and thank you be both Jesse and Melissa for not letting the armchair quarterback dampen the spirit of your videos. Keep them coming, don't change the way you both produce your content... you're both great communicators and i get alot out of everything you both release. Bless you both and much respect 💚

@matthatton1007 7 лет назад

I love the way you guys are doing these projects. your not afraid to make mistakes to learn how to do the job. I've always done that with my projects. that's why I watch your videos. you don't 'look down your nose' at people for trying to learn how to do things. thank you for your videos!

@ShowemRight 6 лет назад

Not to worry about people, I find its best to be good at many things, rather than excellent at one thing, that way you have more tools to use in your life's tool box; this is why I subscribed to you guys.

@mp330600 7 лет назад

Don't let the negative trolls get you down. You guys are doing a great job. Some day you'll be living in your paid off house and all the negative trolls will still be living in mom's basement. Keep up the good work, I am enjoying the ride.

@kirstenwhitworth8079 7 лет назад

I have been on this journey with you for almost two years; I have learned along with you, for which I am profoundly grateful. I am able to benefit from your mistakes and celebrate your successes, There have been ups and downs, and plenty of opportunities for stepwise refinement, but overall, I think that you are making significant progress. Personally, I believe that we learn more when things don't go quite to plan. It baffles me that so many people in the comment section can't appreciate that, or at least do not acknowledge that adversity has its own benefits. No one is born knowing everything, but there seems to be a faction of your audience that cannot tolerate any deviations from their own paths, and who cannot refrain from criticizing every perceived flaw, and seem to take joy in character assassination when any bump in the path occurs. I pity them because I suspect they are very unhappy people. I continue to look forward to your videos. Thank you so much for taking the time to film and edit them under trying conditions in order to educate, edify and entertain us. Your positive "can do" attitude, cheerful perseverance, methodical approach, patient observation, thoughtful analysis and capacity for innovation are the stuff that once made this country the best in the world. Keep on keeping on. P.S. Glad you got to pick huckleberries! They don't wait around very long.

@mattw7422 7 лет назад

My Girl and i are getting ready to start the adventure that you all have been sharing with us. And we are doing it on limited budget and time. But, we are excited to do it together and learn from our foibles. So i am with you, you guys are great thanks for sharing. Don't let the negatives get to you.

@andresbranger1 6 лет назад

I have been viewing your videos with tremendous interest. At the age of 56, I’m venturing out to finally pursuit a life-style (part-time) that is more in tune with my soul in the woods of Vermont. Although I won’t be attempting many of your self-reliance feats, I’m grateful for the education, and impressed with your dedication and determination. Also, I love the tone you employ in your story-telling, a sense of humility and gratitude that helps keep it real and a joy to watch-something that most of us want to relate to. Keep up the good work, and best of luck. I’ll keep on watching!

@frankharmon933 6 лет назад

Watched several of your videos and you both have the kindred spirit of our forefathers! Both of you are awesome. Love watching and learning from your videos. Keep them coming as I am very interested in your crusade to be off grid!

@2manytoyz123 7 лет назад

Glad to see at least one more person DIY solar. The attitude you talked about is why I don't generally participate on the solar forums. Very few actually installed their own setup. That said, I'd recommend looking into an anvil style lug crimper. They run $15-$20. Really do a good job of crimping big lugs on big battery cables.

@rickieshannon7006 7 лет назад

keep plugging away, you'll get done sooner than you think. The two of you are learning a lot of lessons in many trades. Job well done.

@MrJamesPottorff 7 лет назад

odds are you are heating the tent up by adding the a/c unit (unless you figured out a way to vent it to the outside), and by overheating your tent, your freezer is having to work harder to keep cold. Either come up with to vent the excess heat the a/c generate out of the tent, or move the freezer somewhere else that is cooler!

@BuildHERHome 6 лет назад

you guys are so inspiring. my dream is to build my own tiny home totally off grid...and eventually build a tiny home community. you guys are living the way I will once my son grows up...keep on trucking and showing others how we can live and enjoy life rather than live to work to pay bills...love u guys

@maesto 7 лет назад

One huge advantage of doing your PV system yourself is that even when it breaks down in the middle of winter you probably can fix it.

@markn2904 7 лет назад

I have been watching and "Thumbs Upping" for a while. What I like the most about what you share: this is a shared journey with a common vision of where you are going, it is a team effort, you have demonstrated a strong work ethic, and you have a high level of perseverance. I look forward to the day you give us a guided tour of your debt-free home.

@kenc3622 6 лет назад

One thing to consider, is that you could always cover your freezer with a few inches of spray foam, on the sides bottom and even the lid to reduce heat intrusion, and make it a bit more efficient. You can also consider having a separate small fan to help keep the condenser cool when it's running.

@candyman658 7 лет назад

Again, I want to thank you. Your videos are very helpful for me. Keep up the great work and never mind the negative comments. All we can do is our best and never give up. Keep learning is the concept. I'd send you pics of my solar but I don't want a public u-tube.

@pvrs87 7 лет назад

Love the deer eating. Learn as you go and go as you learn. We all can't be experts on everything. Don't let them get you down. Keep up the great work

@DutyGeezer 7 лет назад

Haters gonna hate. I love what you do! I'm putting together an off grid cabin on 26 acres in sw Texas. I've had to learn a lot of systems like plumbing, carpentry, solar, rainwater catchment, etc...I learn from everything and everyone every day! I especially like your teamwork.

@jimr9954 7 лет назад

Hey guys you are doing a great job, a small hint on solar panel orientation, if you can mount them horizontal, in the winter time when the snow covers the bottom row, it will still generate electricity, especially with an MPPT charge controller. In the vertical position covering the bottom row will kill the whole panel until the snow is removed. I have an off-grid home and start getting juice as soon as the sun hits hit even with the bottom 3 rows covered with snow.

@Commsprepper 7 лет назад

Congratulations on the new MPPT controller! You will love it (we also use MPPT). Something you may want to consider (now that you have upgraded from the PWM) is running an equalization cycle (or two) on your batteries. It does wonders for flooded lead acid batteries. We have Trojan batteries and equalize once a month. Respectfully - CommsPrepper (Hank)

@ShortwickCreations 7 лет назад

5:30 I honestly felt like standing up and clapping. My wife and I purchased 20 acres last October; trying to learn about wells, water softeners, etc, etc, etc.

@WyldsideRadio 6 лет назад

Well said!!! "Get Started, you will make mistakes and you will learn from them" Nobody is perfect, your perfect for your world!!

@hortonshopping5124 7 лет назад

Looking good. Learning just like you. Had my OutBack for 2 years now an learned a lot. Planning on taking my entire house off grid and use the grid for backup. I'm sure you have a lot of people to help you but I can also add what I learned from my Outback setup. May the sun always shine brightly on your panels!

@tlindsey9769 7 лет назад

Great show. Thanks for allowing us to be a part.

@sbfilms7222 7 лет назад

Waited all day for your video! Haha thanks. I always look forward to your videos. They are so informative and please keep it up!!

@robbie2759 7 лет назад

Love the videos it's making are family think about how we will own and care for are land and home. Keep up the great work

@Red_Proton 7 лет назад

I think you guys are doing a good job educating yourself and doing the work yourself. Keep up the good work.

@kenshindoman9757 7 лет назад

The best education comes not from getting things right, but from getting things wrong. Kudos.

@kd4baoc612 7 лет назад

Solar power is an evolving industry. Building and performing maintenance on your own system has a learning curve. Having common sense and a basic knowledge in electrical theory will help with homestead system. Also, having the proper tools to perform the work makes the job easier to complete in timely manner.

@Elderos5 7 лет назад

Jesse! I have a simple idea for helping to keep your chest freezer cool. A friend of mine made a chest cooler cool box out of plywood and expanded polystyrene foam. Build a simple box to put around the chest freezer and line it with the foam insulation. However, it is important to note, do know cover up the fan ventilation at the bottom of the chest and in the back. You should be able to get away with a single sheet of each wood and foam. If you can spare the time and money for the resources, it might help out with the power consumption.

@jamxray 7 лет назад

I have an FM 80 as well, connected to 900 watts PV, and I run several things all day and charge the battery bank full (now that I adjusted the absorb time properly haha). Check with the manufacturer of your batteries to get proper settings. I only got a couple of cheap walmart batteries and limited space without modifying the battery box (luckily I can still switch to the pole if needed but don't like to do so as it costs someone else. Bulk will take the bank to about 80% and absorb for several hours to top off. I'm still fairly new at this too, and can appreciate you guys awesome attitude. Sometimes people with lots of money are real turdballs! I have tons of respect for those like myself who DIY, it's just an awesome thing. My philosophy.... Not one of us knows everything there is to know and only an idiot would say he does. Cheers!

@jimand9532 6 лет назад

LOL Jesse at 11:59 Ha HA its level baby then you moved it up an inch..... keep up the good work, Love the videos and the progress both of you have made!

@kiza4178 7 лет назад

I am in awe of how positive you two are, you make life an adventure!

@RaspberryRockOffGridCabin 7 лет назад

I like your honesty. I just did a video on my solar power system and I fully admitted to damaging my batteries because of a dumb mistake. We gotta maintain our integrity, amiright?

@xysix2548 7 лет назад

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!! It's a combination of your winsome personalities and your go-get'um-ness that I find so inspiring and edifying. Keep up the good work!!!!

@MikeVanHorn 7 лет назад

Congratulations on the power upgrade. I love the "incremental improvement" approach

@philplatts6433 7 лет назад

You two offer such a great variety of skills your learning I think you can be proud don't let the haters win

@gerryn587 7 лет назад

I have been watching your videos for a few months .I think your doing a great job. I enjoy your videos a lot keep them coming . thank you

@ClassALiving 7 лет назад

You guys got the coolest setup, glad I found your channel, videos like this help me dream thanks🙂👍

@jimdavis8804 7 лет назад

You are correct. I have a large system. But I started with one panel and one cheap charge controller and a harbor freight inverter. I learned by watching RU-vid. My next project is a solar powered hot water heater. Great vid as usual.

@ai4px 6 лет назад

Love watching all of your videos. The time spend talking about all the small issues is FANTASTIC. HGTV for example has so many shows where they show the tear down, a lot of fake reality tv bs drama, then the reveal... but they never say /how/ they did anything... and when they do, I cringe. Your project is so very informative. Thanks for doing this!

@1d1hamby 7 лет назад

I love the new watch at 20:15. Lol.

@act.13.41 7 лет назад

Jessie, I keep seeing comments that recommend wrapping your freezer with insulation to make it more efficient. Older freezers had a fan and an external condenser coil to dissipate the heat. Most all of the modern units route the condenser coil just below the external skin of the case and use the metal exterior to dissipate the heat. The sides of these units feel warm to the touch when they are running. There is nothing that you can do to make them more efficient.

@CarMaintenanceGuy 7 лет назад

I love your videos. The way you speed things up and add music or even such insignificant things such as loading the ATV trailer and hauling it off. It's almost like watching one of these video series on Netflix. I often watch your videos on my 55" 4K TV with the built-in RU-vid app and everything looks really clear. Everything you say in the videos is true. We are all learning together as you make these videos. If everything was perfect, they wouldn't be as interesting to watch. It's nice when you run into problems and show us how you make workarounds. Keep up the great work and don't listen to the critics. Thumbs up! The only thing I can suggest is for all that wiring you have running outside, it should all be put inside conduit and kept from the elements and the critters.

@athiesen2 7 лет назад

I must say that while some people are being rather harsh, however not all of it is without reason. The amount of power you are producing is more than enough to kill you or burn your place down (or both). Please make sue that stuff is in conduits, sized properly, and wired correctly. Some things you can't safely do by making do with what you have. Keep up the work. It's admirable what you two are doing.

@Titus-as-the-Roman 7 лет назад

I realize I'm a johnny-come-lately here but have been in Florida's N/E Gulf Coast fishing the last week. Don't know your humidity level there but you may be happy to know that Hazy, Hot and Humid conditions exist throughout the rest of the lower 48 also. Was keeping my eyes open for that piece of homestead property (above the polar melt limit), I can feel it getting closer.

@donbeeler49 7 лет назад

You're in the power!!! Congratulations.

@LaggyWizard 7 лет назад

Great job, good to see the upgrade work out so well

@southernohiosolarhomestead8477 7 лет назад

You are so gonna love the flexmax I was pwm for a year w 12 volt inverter worked good the flexmax totally made a difference for sure , great video

@oscarroque01 7 лет назад

Seeing those results put a smile to my face! 😉

@markbrown3587 7 лет назад

Congratulations... Excited to see how that works out in your next solar video. I just got all the pieces of my starter solar system delivered and am super excited to see how it works. 1.3kw of solar panels, 4x200ah 12v batteries, 6kw inverter 80amp MPPT charger controller in one, all on 48v with 120 and 240 output with up to 18kw burst for 30 seconds on the inverter = about $5,000 including wiring, connectors, breakers. The system can be upgraded with another 2.7kw solar panels and I plan on adding another 12 batteries.

@joephillips6634 7 лет назад

Totally agree about the "expert" mentality. I like to take my time learning about things and do them myself. At the end of the long project I am usually more expert than most "experts". Alas, time is limited so sometimes you have to just try some things and see where it takes you! I love how you guys are approaching your projects -- it resonates with me very much.

@aarondcmedia9585 7 лет назад

Your patience to do ongoing apologies to critical pedants is amazing. If I ever go down this route I am thinking I'd take the opposite route hahaha. Glad to see some more power coming your way.

@killernat 7 лет назад

As a note about your batteries make sure the vents (holes) on the refill caps face AWAY from the posts or the venting gas will prematurely cause corrosion on the posts. (this is a lesson I learned working on electric carts). The board layout is not a new Idea and is commonly used professionally I'm glad that you guys figured it out. FYI you are generating 609 Watts (P=V*I 73.4v*8.3a=609.22)

@msdaisyrv1135 7 лет назад

Can you connect 2 of the 12 volt panels in series and match the 24 volt panels? You could then keep the 12 volt panels and increase your wattage.

@patricklegault6383 7 лет назад

Jay. he can't do it with his old panels. if you look at the controller, you can see hes currently pushing 72V through it. he would need to wire the 6 legacy panels in series to reach that voltage. i think he only has 3 so it's a No Go however, he could use the current panels and add them to the new panels which could bring his voltage to 108v Dc however, the big question, what is the max input voltage the controller can handle? is it 120Vdc or less?

@DoRC 7 лет назад

I saw the crimper you used for the battery cables. I can tell you from personal experience to keep an eye on them. In the long run they will likely loosen up and cause connection issues. It might be a good investment to get a set of ratcheting crimpers. They make a much tighter connection that won't ever fail.

@jamesogle99 7 лет назад

39.3Amps @13.0V is 511 Watts. That EU3000i puts out 2600 Watts continuous... Still a long way to go but definitely a great upgrade!

@Chuffy1976 7 лет назад

Nice work guys keep the vids coming really enjoying them. :D

@yannicklocas4684 7 лет назад

Hi, love this video, especially from the 8th minutes, I've been building my solar system from may 2013 until today, slowly but surely, I've know what you mean with people criticizing, saying that solar wasn't worth it, well finally after 4 years evolving my system from 12V with 230W of solar power to 48V system with 4000 w of solar panel, having the 48V Magnum inverter, 2 Midnite classic charge controller and 220AH of batteries(yes it is a low batterie bank Ah, but that is my first batterie bank for the old 12V system), I can say this: Doing all those mistakes I've made building my system slowly from 12V to 48V today, have helped me learn a lot faster about wiring, types of connections(series-parallels), type of solar panels, inverters, charge controllers etc, doing it with a contractor wouldn't have helped me understand all the things I've learned building that system. Of course critics is good, taking some advice to improve etc, but some people, some people gives critic, without having tried themselves a solar installation. Theory is one thing, but practice in real world, with real life condition is another thing, solar energy really is working good, even in winter, Many people told me to forget about solar energy, that it was a wast of money...Well after 4 years finding solutions to all my mistakes, solar panel system with batteries, when used wisely, is not that bad of an idea. I'm doing my cooking, clothes washing, some heating in winter, in sunny and partly sunny day, not cloudy day, lights, computers, freezers, refrigerators, are also on my solar installation, water heater in spring to autumn is on solar, it is without a doubt a good investment, our electricity bills has been down around 50% less than before, which means in 12 years our system with batteries will be payed by itself. Of course without batteries, this number would be around 8-10 years, but in our case we do need those batteries. With the Magnum inverter and it's automatic settings it makes a huge difference from my old inverter that wasn't starting automatically by itself, it's efficiency in 48V is also helping a lot... anyway i'm happy that today my installation is finish and working beyond my expectations, and other peoples expectations with their theory on solar...

@bullsnutsoz 7 лет назад

I agree with your DIY learning as you go philosophy, its tuff in the center of the ring swinging the punches.There are many who will tell you how to do it. One thing is we are all willing you pair on.Its a great series. Thanks

@motivationlife381 7 лет назад

Thank you for this update I now actually understand what I need to do for my system. Thank yall

@jamesshanks2614 7 лет назад

Regarding higher voltages for your solar battery bank check to find out where the nearest forklift dealer is, the stand up forklifts use either a 12 volt or 24 volt battery and you can buy a good used forklift battery with 4 to 5 times the capacity of your present battery bank for a lot less money than buying new and I agree with another fellow who said run a pvc pipe vertically from your battery bank for natural convection ventilation just make sure you have an entrance point for air flow into the battery bank as low as possible with a screen to keep the critters out. Each standup battery cell is between 24 to 36 inches in height giving you far more capacity than what you have and is in a steel enclosure that the two of you can easily move around. Just don't forget to tie it down when transporting it. Best of luck.

@johnware5312 7 лет назад

The key indicator about learning/doing new things is in how much crap you turn to smoke or scrap. The bigger the toasted pile gets indicates you are learning.. :)

@wantblackwolf 7 лет назад

Dig a hole for the batteries it will take care of the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. You can use the backhoe to lower them down into it. You can use all the rocks you have to build the walls and timber for the hatch.

@montanamike53 7 лет назад

To quote David Kirkman "Guys it's YOUR DREAM, don't worry about the haters or nay Sayers. You're doing a great job.thanks" It's your journey do it your way and the others be damned! Stop justifying what you do. You already explained why you're doing it that way, that should be enough! Love what you do hang in there!

@martijnheeroma5492 7 лет назад

Switching to MPPT and more panels, this is the way to go, nice work, I'm happy for you the generator is now only needed for spare moments. #happyoffgrid for 4 years now in the Netherlands.

@splitpin1764 7 лет назад

When you think about mounting your panels, consider a 2 or more position mount system for summer and winter. the steeper angle for winter could also help them reduce snow build up.

@theshovell664 7 лет назад

love you guys! keep the momentum!

@homerbloodysimpson 7 лет назад

Guys, I know you won't pay attention to this, but you really need to oversize your PV and then look at incrementally adding to your storage. Long term strategy: Look at a 48V or 96V system. Maybe even go 120V and have two independent systems: One for low power stuff like lighting and then another for the power hungry stuff. Build in some redundancy. I hear you when you say you have the right to just mess about and learn as you go, but there are thousands of people that could help you do this better upfront! Get engaged with the viewers and make your project a success!

@karpetech 7 лет назад

Nice job on the new solar. Congrats

@cameronfloyd2160 7 лет назад

You guys are making do with what you have I find that amazing you both help me through my week by me just watching thank you

@weegie50 7 лет назад

I think you guys are awesome. keep on keepin' on!!

@aquasurfer9 7 лет назад

Last idea for your perusal. Use your old panels and batteries (When you upgrade, you will probably want new batteries). Make a bank of 24v batteries for the lighting or 12v. Those LED strips have remote controls that are all low voltage. I changed my bathroom fans with lights, and put in a dimmable light by cutting the strips to fit the length of the housing. I put in 6 rows of strips about 8 inches long. I used the remote dimmer to change the light from high during the day to low at night. I don't know if you can tap 24v off the battery bank before your high voltage conversion. Have fun. Food for thought.

@RelentlessHomesteading 7 лет назад

Happy Electrons == Happy Homesteader. Congrats on the upgrade.

@Approx_99 7 лет назад

(9:42) "... so I'll get off my high chair, ..." LOL! That, sir, is some fantastic imagery! Love the channel! Screw the haters! Keep on keepin' on!

@NeneExists 7 лет назад

I have a couple of suggestions. If you connect your old panels on the hill in series with the new ones, you'll have a higher voltage at the same current. This will give even more production, without having to change anything. You just have to stay below the maximum panel voltage for the controller. You could end up with triple the energy every day, and all you have to do is plug them in series. I do not like the look of that breaker though. The breaker's job is to stop things catching fire if there's a problem. You have the breaker current so far from the current capacity of the wire, that it's just a switch. The wire could glow red and melt due to a fault passing huge amounts of current, setting fire to your RV, and the breaker would do nothing. You could lose everything. I also think you could do with a battery breaker as well as an isolator, for the same reason. The batteries are capable of many hundreds of amps. If you're willing to accept the risk of losing your home and everything in it, then that's your choice, but these are some simple things that can reduce that risk to a much lower level.

@Manchew 7 лет назад

One of your best videos yet. Your spot on!

@rogermace4516 7 лет назад

Awesome work and very informative

@matthewevans4296 6 лет назад

I know this is an old video but I thought you might find this interesting. @18:10 the reason it reads 9.6v with nothing connected is probably due to what we call "floating pin voltage" or "floating voltage". When nothing is attached to a pin on a chip, it will always have a reading unless that pin is grounded (usually done via a high value resistor). Not all devices are grounded like that, especially if it's never intended to be used that way. But it is not uncommon to see voltages from 0 to even 200v with a floating pin.

@johnlnordlundjr 6 лет назад

Don't know if anyone has told you, but you can wire panels in series to increase voltage while keeping amperage to single panel level. The outback will take high ac voltage at low amp, convert it to low voltage high amp, and smart charge your batteries.

@robertnoraas2636 7 лет назад

You are doing good it helps me with what you are doing THANK YOU

@ddd228 7 лет назад

DAMN,Alissa is a tough girl! Solar can be a steep learning curve,indeed. I have up graded 3 times and re-wired it twice. I started out with ONE panel and a PWM 10 A. charge controller,after I took down my home built wind turbine. Now is different: MPPT,(5) 150 W. panels. I usually run around 70 V. from the panels and 5 amps. Almost enough to run my A/C(430 W.) in my 8X12 shed. I am not off grid at all. You are. 80* this week.

@purelivingforlife 7 лет назад

Our apologies to those that went to go watch this video early this morning only to find it missing... there was a glitch in editing so we re-uploaded a new version :-)

@tyler19xx76 7 лет назад

How dare you, day ruined! jk. Its worth the wait. Grats on more power. More bugaboo!

@TheConstitutionalGuardian 7 лет назад

me Note: Haters do very well for a channel that has 180K subscribers; go back to your blowup doll and give it a reach-around!

@OoznynKoo 7 лет назад

I caught it, but I didn't expect the video to be reposted for a missing clip about a second long :P

@acklan3 7 лет назад

me Note why don't you show us your channel? We would love to be in awe of your brilliance. Please lead us to your magic place and enlighten us. Please???

@8056443232 7 лет назад

You have learned a lot. Nice. I heard you mention the voltage drop common with D.C. What will you do to shorten up the D.C. Cables as the house gets a roof? Mount right on the building and put the controls in the attic? Then of course we want to see Alyssa carting the batteries up the stairs... :-) but it will work better to have the shortest possible DC cabling.