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Old 09-03-13, 01:25 PM   #31
gasstingy
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Your progress reminds me of the progress I'm making on my garage / workshop project. It seems every time I turn around, something more important comes along and disrupts my working on it.

That said, I have not lost interest in your solar shack project. So, if you've made some headway, I'd love to see an update.

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Old 09-06-13, 08:00 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daox View Post
Have you got the panels attached yet?
I put up one last weekend. I plan another this weekend, and then get some output measurements. The two panels I have so far are 280 watt units from Grape Solar. These are 399.00 each with free shipping from Home Depot. I have seen similar units for in the $250.00 range, but with a shipping charge. I would like to find some of these cheaper units local so I could pick them up. Here is a pic with the one panel.

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Old 09-07-13, 10:36 AM   #33
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Woohoo updates!

Looks good so far. How many panels / watts are you planning on putting up?
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Old 10-16-13, 07:43 PM   #34
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A little progress

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Old 10-17-13, 07:39 AM   #35
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Woo, good to see. Are the panels wired up yet, or just mounted?
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Old 10-17-13, 08:00 AM   #36
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Looking Good!
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Old 11-03-13, 08:28 PM   #37
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Making a bit more progress


I have the panels connected to a combiner, and have started mounting some other components



It going slow but its going
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Old 11-04-13, 08:01 AM   #38
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Are we looking at Interstate Batteries on the shelf? I went beck and quickly scanned this thread and did not see the voltage your battery bank was going to be. So, will you fill us in, and add what battery size and capacity you're using?, please.... I really want to know what you plan to power with this too.

If I understand correctly, batteries need continuous exercise, so you must be planning to use the generated power on something as you go along, not just store it up for an outage.

Anyway, the work may not be the fastest on the planet, but the quality looks just fine.
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Old 11-28-13, 11:43 AM   #39
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Yes to the batteries being Interstate. They are GC2 XHD's (6 volt golf cart batteries) and are rated at 232 amp hours. I will initially be using 2 strings of 8 at 48 volts. I don't have an inverter yet, but have decided on an Outback GVFX 3648.

Presently I'm just maintaining them and have on order the last four to make up the 16. I am by trade a garage keeper and have an Interstate Account for automotive batteries which gets me the batteries at a wholesale cost. This is the reason I chose Interstate, not that I don't believe they make a quality product.

This page gives all the charging info from Interstate. Interstate Batteries FAQ :: How do I charge certain deep cycle 6-volt and 12-volt batteries? .

Yeah. I'm pretty slow. My initial plan is for a total of 3400 watts of PV and the plan is to set the inverter to sell and use the solar in that way. I just can't wrap my head around having solar panels and not being able to use it if the power goes out so that's why I opted for battery back-up.

I am sort of doing things backwards instead of measuring all my loads and building the system for my usage. I intend on squeezing my usage into the system I am building and eventually not have to rely on the grid. Just my personality getting in the way of common sense.

Thanks for the kind words.

Dennis
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Old 11-28-13, 06:57 PM   #40
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Looking Great!

As I learned building my system: Celebrate the small steps and milestones. I had a pallet of 220W panels in my garage for 15 months before I sorted out my design, came up with the funding I needed to buy all the remaining parts and $$$ to pay for my structural and electrical permits.

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