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Wiring the Battery Side of the Electrical Cabinet in the Solar Shed

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The second half of the DC wiring in the new solar shed. These are the connections for the ABB main breaker, inverter, and battery bank.
WARNING: Lithium batteries are dangerous and can result in fire! This video is NOT intended to be instructional or a "how-to" lesson. I am not a professional. Do not attempt anything you see here without first contacting a certified and/or licensed professional.
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21 июн 2020

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Комментарии : 116

@ForwardGuidance 4 года назад

Excellent series. Nice neat layout where the wire sizes are all identified in each video as you progress through the hookup and you mentioned shunt size/capacity as well. A lot of people do these hookups all in 1 video and since they're trying to capture so much in so little time, they forget to mention (for the beginners) all the tidbits of information that's so important. Thanks for breaking this hookup into small bits and explaining so well what you are doing and why. Now I'm going to draw a schematic of what you've done so far....

@VentShop 4 года назад

To strengthen the shelves get a piece of 2X4 and drill a couple holes in the front of the shelf every foot or so on the front and back then run a screw through the shelf into the 2X4. Will at least let you get things setup and running. One thing to think about for the bus bar's you are using is every time you make power run through the bar it will start to heat up especially on heavy loads. That bar looks to be zinc coated steel but even if it is coated copper the coating WILL increase resistance. Get a piece of copper tubing, beat it flat and drill some holes in it and slip that on the bar then mount your cables and you will see a reduction in the resistance. That is also another way to make crimp connectors for whatever size you need. All they are is a short piece of copper tube made to the shape you are using with a hole drilled into it. Copper tubing is a big money saver. Basically cut two inches of tubing and cut off 2 inches of the insulation on the wire. Crimp it on then beat the end flat and drill a hole. Added benefit is instead of the outer piece of copper flowing the power the cable goes through to the bolt point. Probably a good idea to solder the cable as well if you do it this way though. Soft copper works best but rigid copper will work too, just heat it up till it gets a dull glow and then let it cool and it will basically be soft copper. BTW since the ends of your crimps are literally just pressed together they will allow air and moisture up into the crimp you so lovingly sealed and heat shrinked. And after you make the first crimp rotate the connector 90 degrees and crimp it on the same spot to remove the high spot, they will look better and be more secure.

@AndyMcBlane 4 года назад

While I don't really have anything to add to the video, I'm commenting to feed the algorithm. Great job!

@ed-ey1yb 4 года назад

I like how you don't F around with cutting corners. You build things right with proper specs and safety margins.

@Richardj410 4 года назад

Enjoy watching someone doing work that is neat and clean. Nice work. How about putting angle iron under the edges of your shelves, with luck it won't show.

@askostadinov 4 года назад

I thinked of suitable boards with exact thickness and enough whide, hammered into the edges of the shelves.

@sporktar 4 года назад

Interesting solution with the shunt clearance. I just took a grinder to one side of my lug to make mine fit.

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

Grinding off part of the lug was the next option I had in mind if this didn't work out. I did check with Batrium and they confirmed this was an acceptable solution and would not impact the shunt readings.

@tkermi 4 года назад

Nice to see neat and properly made installation! 👍🏻

@thomasnyanfore8424 3 года назад

you are a very detailed teacher. thank you.

@pulesjet 4 года назад

Constructive criticism : I would have gone with the 90 mm after seeing that pinched crimp. Pinching the crimp causes the lug to protrude and could weaken the joint. If your serious about things you could solder the lug using a propane torch. We actually Dip Soldered those at times.

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

I have a hard time telling when it is or isn't crimped enough. The 90mm just doesn't feel right when I tried one. Maybe I need to see if I can find/order a size die in between.

@askostadinov 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar When combination of wire and lug seems between 90 and 75 for example, I would crimp first with 90 and then with 75. May be rotating the lug 60 degrees before second crimp. That way protrusion of metal is minimal. And crimps are more simmetric. I think if cable lug is massive enough and properly crimped, soldering after crimping is not needed.

@fluxington 4 года назад

Agreed about the size being incorrect, the seam was squashed out rather than compressed in, but I would eliminate guesswork and try to get a cable that has a matching lug, and a lug that has a matching crimp maybe from the same manufacturer. The cable although large was a very fine strand, I don't know if this makes a difference with larger lugs.

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

@@askostadinov That's a great idea. I'll give it a try when I crimp the remaining cables. Thanks!

@r.b.l.5841 2 года назад

@@LithiumSolar The Cable says right on it 103 sqmm, the 90 would have been the closest in your set. There are sets that are sized for typical N.A. wire ga sizes also, ie 4AWG to 4/0 - you may be able to get the correct sets for the crimber you have already. Good vid, thanks for posting.

@johnfitbyfaithnet Год назад

Great crimp tip!

@costynvd 4 года назад

Your work is so neat, it's just really satisfying to watch! Even though I'm not interested in building my own solar setup. Although electrical/electronics are a hobby.

@costynvd 4 года назад

@{// WTF! //} Yes, I'm aware of crosstalk etc. Good point on neat not always being good. :) Didn't know that cables expanded at high current. Interesting.

@johnfitbyfaithnet 4 года назад

Great video thank you for sharing this important information listening from Brownwood Texas

@ReversePeople 4 года назад

Super clean. Very well done. Thank you for these awesome videos.

@TheFlow2006 4 года назад

6:04 these clamp you refer to, you have to buy them seperate for this breaker, there are differnt ones for different ways to connect to it. but i think the breaker should come with screws and a nut insert behind the terminal, at least thats how we get them here at work

@BrightSparkIdeas 3 года назад

Well designed installation and your excellent communication skills make this a a really helpful and enjoyable instructional video.

@CanispaterChristmas 4 года назад

YAY! Red heat shrink! WOO HOO! 🤣

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

Haha yes, looks much better than red tape :P I guess I should have just used an inch or two of that to identify the THHN instead of the tape.

@yankey4 4 года назад

Nice work brother. Love your videos. Hope all is well. God Bless.

@loucinci3922 4 года назад

Looks great. Nice progress.

@RealHomerSimp2025 3 года назад

Great video, clear informative instructions to follow if I ever wanted to set one up like yours.

@dennisjiu1771 4 года назад

Your explanation shows how excellent the engineering mindset you have. I have a question . The loops you made for the cables are because of their bend radii requirement ?

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

I'm not sure if the bends meet the technical requirements, but it was for that reason yes. Even though the cable is very flexible, it's difficult and not good practice to have sharp 90 degree bends.

@mondotv4216 4 года назад

Great work mate. Nice and neat. I hope you didn’t nick the cable on all your strips though :) try using a Stanley knife instead. That is one big difference with welding cable. The insulation is a lot harder and the wire isn’t as flexible so you need bigger radius, and harder to strip cleanly. But cheaper.

@avejst 4 года назад

Looking forward to see your update Looking great 👍 Thanks for sharing 👍😀

@fisherus 4 года назад

Just wondering if you could use a piece of 3/4" plywood, cut to the shelf size, so that the load integrity of the shelf would become dispersed more evenly.

@Cptnbond Год назад

With a slightly more expensive welding cable, you get both double isolation, and manufactured with a heat-resistant material.

@svtelos4726 4 года назад

How far away from the back of the cabinet is the end of the 1/2" bolt?

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

I ended up putting the head end of the bolt in the back. There is plenty of space to get the combination wrench on, so I'd say at least a half inch. It might be a good idea to put some insulation material back there though just in case.

@bashaaksema94 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar i was wondering that where I work they put some board (stuff idk what) behind the connections

@DIYTechRepairs 4 года назад

Nice work m8!

@frankz1125 4 года назад

Looks great. Are you the longmon battery connections to the lugs on the batteries?

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

Yes, on these packs I used the ring terminals on the lugs. On some of my other packs, I had them soldered but am not doing it that way an longer.

@frankz1125 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar do you find any issues connecting this way?

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

No. I find it easier to service when I have to replace cables or longmons to troubleshoot problems (usually caused by me manhandling the tiny connectors).

@terminator1491 4 года назад

very nice

@Corvaire 4 года назад

I'd throw some insolation mats down on those shelves (under the batter packs.) Metal shelves are obviously conductive. Just say'n! ;O)-

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

Some sort of insulation is definitely a good idea ;) I'll figure something out.

@andyw3851 4 года назад

Rubber horse stall mats may be just the ticket, you can find them at tractor supply or similar store

@gamercoolihopeyouenjoymyvi5055 4 года назад

Thanks lithium solar

@rmhanseniii 4 года назад

Constructive criticism: you’re really not supposed to guess what size crimp you’re supposed to use. Crimping inserts for electrical use will have the wire size stamped on the piece. They are specifically engineered for the lug, wire size and wire type. As it is it looks like it’s crimped too far down, there by stretching out the material on the lug and potentially being a source of failure.

@tomnorman5461 2 года назад

I'd put a flat washer between the nut and the crimp connectors on the bus bars.

@dash8brj 4 года назад

Nice neat setup. Top marks :)

@smithwill9952 4 года назад

GENIUS

@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369 Год назад

HOWdy L-S, ... Thanks COOP the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA ...

@terryterry1655 3 года назад

Any spacing requirements between positive and negative bus bars? Thx

@LithiumSolar 3 года назад

Not to my knowledge, but I am not an electrician. They really should have covers on I suppose. I'll get that done somehow (maybe 3D printing).

@jadu79 4 года назад

If I were you I would have bought angle iron or flat iron in 25x2-3mm and either bolted or welded to the part of the shelf that goes down and should provide stability or any measure that would fit behind the shelf and put that reinforcement on the front and back. Then I thought it shouldn't give a better contact to put both big cables on the same bolt so it goes directly between the copper without passing all the metal and another one to the coupling?

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

Angle iron probably would have fixed the shelf, but I'd rather buy a properly-designed shelf from a non-deceptive company than waste my time trying to fix poo... I was rather frustrated with how much money I had spent on those shelves. And yes, both big cables on the same bolt would give better contact than the way I have them connected currently, but I think the difference is negligible in my specific application. Maybe if I was pulling 500A+ it would be worth re-doing. Maybe times when I have heavy loads, it's when there is full sun, so most of the power is coming from the charge controllers anyway.

@jadu79 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar with the couplings, I thought as you used as coarse cables as you used for the short distance, it feels like you will have more losses in the couplings than you would if you used smaller cables so that was to optimize everything. I hope you get the money back and can get shelves that keep what they promise when I thought it was shelves you already had before and then it was a different thing but I understand that companies that promise things and then seem to expect it anyway there will not be anyone who comes near that load so you feel cheated (but it may also be that the shelves can hold for what they stated before leaving if they are gently loaded but who wants something that fails and can collapse any day )

@thattoolguy9432 4 года назад

The terminals are over crimped.. although technically it's a cold weld joint, when running high current the joint will heat up and add resistance .. that's the downsides to cheap chinese products, better off renting a quality crimper .. we all have to learn somehow.. great videos though.. keep it up

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

Why would an over-crimped joint heat up and add resistance? The strands of wire are not broken and I would think a tighter joint, which is a cold weld, would be better?

@thattoolguy9432 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar it puts stress on the conductors and weakens the copper, hence the rise in resistance .. with pro hydraulic crimpers its best to use the same make crimp terminals as wall thicknesses can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer .. the crimping tool you have is designed for europe and probably not calibrated .. you need one for america using awg .. we tend to use mm over here.. keep up the good work.. its a great channel

@twobob 4 года назад

Decent, makes me wish for a country with sun

@offgridwanabe 4 года назад

Will the different sized negative cables on the shunt effect the readings

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

It won't affect the shunt reading but yes, I used a piece of smaller cable there 1/0. It will be replaced when I get the new shelving in. I didn't want to cut the 4/0 just yet without knowing where exactly it will run. You can't uncut cable and 4/0 is expensive :)

@allan80supra 4 года назад

batteries on metal shelf's freaking me out a bit, silicon sheet is nicely non-slip on steel and plastic

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

If you look closely, there is some insulative plastic under the terminals ;)

@kuhrd 4 года назад

At 51.8v nominal and 300A if your batteries are big enough to handle that, your 4/0 cable will easily be able to handle 15.5kW continuous even if the batteries were 100 feet away. Heck if the NEC didn't require the same ratings for 10 feet of cable as they do for 100 feet of cable that cable could easily be 1/2 the size and still be able to deliver more than the 300A of current without getting warm. As it is that cable can deliver 3.2kA for ~10s before melting. I was kinda wondering why you didn't use copper busbar of the appropriate size to make some of the internal connections in the chassis to save space. I guess it all depends on what you have available and how you want to lay it out. On the system, I am building, I plan to use 1/0 200C rated cable since I don't plan to ever go over 200A and that cable is rated for 325A in open air. Even with my system using LiFePO4 16S the nominal voltage is 51.2v and at 200 amps I will have 10.2kW available with a 200A shunt trip. I figure that I can always upgrade the cables and shunt trip down the road if I ever need more than 200A or add a second shunt trip with another pair of cables from the battery but even 10.2kW is a lot of energy to have available. All in all your system is looking great. Thanks for sharing.

@ElectroTechKh 3 года назад

Wow your cable seems to be bigger than the bus bar!

@bashaaksema94 4 года назад

Looks awesome

@johnivy5197 3 года назад

Where the heck do you guys find the heavy battery bus bars? All I can ever find is the small cheap useless ones

@LithiumSolar 3 года назад

Blue Sea Systems makes some heavy duty ones, such as ebay.to/3bUGuPX. I'm using Blue Sea Systems here. Honestly though, they're crazy expensive. If I didn't already have them, I would just buy a plate of copper and drill some holes to make my own. You can get a 3x3" 0.125" thick plate for $12 on eBay.

@johnivy5197 3 года назад

Thank you. Never thought about making my own. What a great idea. Thanks again.

@fisherus 4 года назад

Are you sure that the rating of your shelving wasn't a gross rating for the entire unit? Very clean job but, why aren't you using conduit to feed your wires to your inverter?

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

Yes, I'm sure. It very clearly says "per shelf" and I also checked with the manufacturer who was not helpful and just said that the weight needs to be spread out evenly (it was). I wasn't going to use conduit for the 4/0 cable because it's very thick and has rubbery-like insulation making it difficult (near impossible?) to pull through conduit.

@askostadinov 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar I thinked of suitable boards with exact thickness and enough whide, hammered into the edges of the shelves.

@al2207 4 года назад

what is the rating of interrupting capacity in DC for the breaker ??

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

I'm not sure as the specifications don't give IR for such a low voltage. I use two sets of HRC fuses down the line though so the ABB should never have to deal with breaking a short circuit current.

@al2207 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar the main reason to be careful about DC voltage , in several manufacturer the breaker may not operate upon short circuit if breaker was not tested for DC operation , if tested the nameplate must specify data about DC rating

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

This breaker is rated for DC, but the IR values it gives are at like 250VDC or 400VDC. Maybe it's because an arc is much less likely to form at a voltage that low. I'm not sure.

@al2207 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar that good , that mean the breaker was tested for up to these voltage it mean also it will trip upon any dc fault

@Empire350z Год назад

Do you have a video for enclosed cargo trailer setup?

@LithiumSolar Год назад

No unfortunately. I'd love to video such a setup but do not have a trailer.

@Empire350z Год назад

@@LithiumSolar if you live close by I’ll let you Video mines and help me setup one lol

@oogie-boogie 4 года назад

nice vid 2 thumbs up

@BillyBob-fd5ht 3 года назад

Your din rail extender made of aluminum where did you get that?

@LithiumSolar 3 года назад

I bought the raised DIN rail on eBay. It was used out of some kind of cabinet. I'm not sure and am having difficulty finding any others. Maybe a bracket like this would help? It might even be more secure than the style I used ebay.us/cFIUa2

@wasim21k 2 года назад

do you have wiring diagram of this whole setup ?

@LithiumSolar 2 года назад

No, sorry

@sreekumarUSA 4 года назад

062220/1736pst Thank you again for the video. It’s getting more n more interesting. This is like a serial movie. I wish the single Negative shunt Cable was straight n parallel. Just a thought. Once again fantastic job. Take care and stay safe. 73s...

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

Thanks :) There is plenty of bendability to straighten it out. I was just trying to avoid bending where possible. Maybe I'll move it:) I need to replace the 1/0 on the right side of the shunt anyway once my new battery rack is here.

@sreekumarUSA 4 года назад

Thanks much for the response. I can understand the myriads of changes, and alteration that’s going to take please. I was there once. Good luck and all my best wishes. 73s...

@bigviking0001 4 года назад

Try using DLO cable. I used this in 836 MCM for very high amp (1080) bbattery lightening ground systems. Very flexibly. Traditionally used on diesle/ electric locomotives. Available in a wide range of sizes. You #4 rates at 140 amps. DLO / RHH Cable DLO heavy duty flexible power cable is a multi-conductor cable used for wet/dry electrical power connections requiring flexing capability. Typical applications include control panel power distribution, VFD power feeds and motor leads, railroad/transit car wiring, mining equipment, and power for drilling rigs. DLO cable is also approved as type RHH/RHW-2. www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=DLO+cable+ratings

@stevedutcher3875 4 года назад

Nice!

@milesmoore5422 4 года назад

Wiring Diagram ?

@sectokia1909 4 года назад

If a wire comes loose from the bottom of the breakers, and contacts the other buss bar the shut trip won't activate, and the wire will explode. Seems strange to not just buy actual bus bar that connects directly to the breakers and avoids this. In my country what you have done wouldn't be legal.

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

I don't see how that could ever possibly happen. Even if it did happen, the wire would not "explode". The ABB breaker would shut it down and there are HRC fuses that will be installed (haven't been yet due to racking issue).

@pulesjet 4 года назад

Constructive criticism: I would have avoided crossing the Neg and Pos Cables. In your case you could have simply used shorter cables or Oriented the Bus Bar vertically. Crossing the cables is a bad practice. Bad Ju Ju. LOL Relocate the bus bar directly under the switch and your done. The leads going from Bus Bar to Breakers could be layered down in layers. Minimizing Crossing. We work with what we have. My set up is not coming out anything like this professional. Open Frame Construction.

@costynvd 4 года назад

Can you elaborate on what problems that can cause? Shorts if the insulation fails/wears out?

@babylonfive 4 года назад

Your breaker terminals looked REALLY tarnished, and could have used a very light buffing to get a better connection. You might put max load thru there and see if there's a point resistance causing some heating!

@LithiumSolar 4 года назад

It's been in use for a while now and haven't seen any heating problems. I do check with the flir camera from time to time. Wouldn't buffing remove any antioxidation coating that may have been applied? I'm not familiar enough with it, but it doesn't look like pure copper on those terminals.

@babylonfive 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar You make a good point... in fact it looked a little like a silver plating, but could be something else. A polish would by definition not remove the layer of material, but just remove the tarnish or oxide. That's why I suggested buffing and definitely not sanding.

@daemoncan2364 4 года назад

Agreed. I used to buff the mating surfaces on the bus bars when hooking up these bad boys: cdn.productimages.abb.com/9IBA213482_720x540.jpg

@BenBuildsDIY 4 года назад

@@LithiumSolar Negative, no buffing is required. The plating on those is silver and as you may know, the conductivity of silver oxide is almost identical to that of silver metal. Unlike copper whose oxide is much less conductive, silver oxide retains the low resistance of its parent metal. This is also why relay contacts are partially made of silver. Buffing or sanding would make the connection worse given sufficient time. Nice work!