10.6Kw System
 

Hi Folks,
My first post here so bear with me, I seem to have a problem with pages not coming up.

A little background. In 2006, I started installing an off grid system at my home in the Catskills. I Installed 8 Shell (now Solar World) 175 modules for 1400 watts into an Outback VFX3648 inverter, MX60 charge controller, mate and 8 Rolls 530S batteries. I mounted the modules on a wood structure I made thinking I would continually update the system as time went by.
In 2010 I added an other inverter and an autotransformer to balance the system to run 220 for my well pump.

In 2011 my rural electric coop gave me a grant for an intertie system through the New York Power Authority. I installed a 6.44Kw system using Bosch 230 watt modules and Solaredge micro inverters on my newly built garage.

In 2012 I added 12 Sharp 240 watt modules and built metal mountings for all my off grid modules (now up to 20) and added an Flexmax 80 charge controller for the Sharp modules.

This summer I found that Outback would convert the two VFX3648 inverters to GVFX2648 inverters for just my shipping cost to them in Washington State. This enables the inverters to work as interties except when the power failed in which case they would revert to off grid and run on my batteries.

(Admin edit: Photos added a few posts down the thread...)

Rob

Welcome to the site Rob!

Sounds like quite the system you've put together over the years. We woud love to see pictures, but you'll need a few more posts (5 if I recall) to post images.

OK, thanks for the info, I'll put my profile in to ad to post numbers. I think you will enjoy my photos, I did CAD drawings of the mounts that might help some of you building your own mounting systems.
Rob

Just a couple more post and you can add pictures. Welcome.

OK, Looks like a neat bunch of people with some great ideas! So I'm eager to share.
Rob

5
 

Five posts.

Photos of my installation
 

Here's some photos of the installation. I have CAD drawings of the mounts I'll upload in another post.
The roof system is the 28 module intertie using Solaredge micro-inverters. The field mounts are the Outback intertie/off grid system of 20 modules.
Rob

More on the mounting system
 

Here's how I set up the pole mounts to the concrete form so that when the concrete was delivered all I had to do was press the jig into the concrete and not worry that the register to the bottom of my pole flanges would be off. The anchors are 3/4" by 18" long.

This system worked very well. I cut two pieces of 1/2" plywood a little larger than the base of my pole flange, inserted the anchors through holes in the first plate, put bolts on the them, put the top plate on with the anchors coming through it about 3/4" of an inch and screwed everything together. I then pressed this into the concrete, put a level on it and let the concrete cure.
The last photo shows the 1/2" metal base flange before I welded it to the 7' long6" diameter pipe.

Rob

Wow!!
 

So this is how solar PV systems are suppose to look..
Like a Work of Art!

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...-solarhp-2-jpg

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/attach...rid-panels-jpg

Rob, your work quality indicates a lot of attention to detail.
More so than the typical professional solar installer.

All I can say is Wow, good job!!

Thanks,
You have to realize this has been built over a few years, gradually adding on each year which I think is the great thing about alternate energy.
The mounts were originally designed to track but the modules were so awkward that I felt high winds could create problems. This along with the fact that modules are dropping price so fast that adding more modules became cheaper than buying actuators and designing electronics for tracking systems.
If you look at the frame pics you'll see where I put the bearing mounts. I took them off and adapted the frame system to work stationary.

The battery box has a homemade venting system and I used Ice Shield around the base of the box in case the batteries spill. So far things have been fine, even with the box in my basement to protect the batteries from our cold winters.

It did take me about a week to wire the inside of the AC and DC side boxes and making the frames themselves took about 3 weeks of cutting and MIG welding. I also made the cables for the batteries which worked out well and saved me some money.

Here's the illustrations for the mounts:
I think you can get a good idea how things work incase anyone wants to duplicate it.
Rob