Solar powered cabin. (thumbs up)

[Rmart30]

Spent my first weekend in my solar powered cabin. This is on some property I will build my retirement home on in the future. We just needed somewhere to get out of the heat and cool off when working at the property, or to sleep at a couple nights a month. Power company wanted $5000 to run power to the site, and $40 is about their minimum monthly charge. So about $500 a year just to keep power at the site even if dont use it.
I spent less than $1400 on a 48v all in one inverter, 4 lithium 12v batteries, misc hardware, cables etc.
Had 6, 270w solar panels given to me. If id had to have bought them they would have been around $75 each. That would have brought the total to about $1800-1900.

I ran my MIDEA inverter type window ac unit, my tv, my internet box, a fan, outdoor lights, and security cameras. Im happy with the results. So now, i can leave my wifi box on for security cams and outdoor lights all the time and not have to worry about running up a monthly power bill.

Solar is so cheap and easy to do nowdays, plus you get a 30% tax credit on what you purchase. It literally took me about a hour and half to set this system up and its done. if you haven't looked into solar utube has some great videos showing what can be done and how easy it is. this system is portable and could be easily moved. I can put up a link to one of the solar guys utube videos to show how easy is to build if anyone would want to see.

 

[BackRoad]

The link would be appreciated!

 

[mike0000]

I eventually plan to build a second shop, I’m pretty much tapped out on my 200 amp house, 100 amp garage and 60 amp pool panels. I’d need another meter and panel for the additional shop, rather not go that route. I’m interested in going solar if it wasn’t too expensive for the system I’d need. It seems like solar electricity components have come down on price in the last few years.

 

[nyone]

I eventually plan to build a second shop, I’m pretty much tapped out on my 200 amp house, 100 amp garage and 60 amp pool panels. I’d need another meter and panel for the additional shop, rather not go that route. I’m interested in going solar if it wasn’t too expensive for the system I’d need. It seems like solar electricity components have come down on price in the last few years.

You dont need another meter. Running a shop off solar can get really expensive really quick and its definitely not hands off.

Do you own a DVOM?

 

[ponytug]

I eventually plan to build a second shop, I’m pretty much tapped out on my 200 amp house, 100 amp garage and 60 amp pool panels. I’d need another meter and panel for the additional shop, rather not go that route. I’m interested in going solar if it wasn’t too expensive for the system I’d need. It seems like solar electricity components have come down on price in the last few years.

What is your electricity cost per kWh?

It seems to me that whether you need another meter and panel depends on lots of details, but if you are tapped out on a 200A service, and you need more power, something has to be changed. Upgrading your service to 400A may or may not be pricey, depending on your utility and on site infrastructure. Are your main home loads summer time, or winter time, or pretty even year round?

Regardless, what kind of shop equipment are thinking of? Welding, metal fabrication, CNC, plasma, large sanders, etc? Supporting an off-grid set of 10kW loads (100A +/-), for six hours a day, in Southern Indiana in January might run you to a pretty sizable system, including batteries for three to four days of backup. If you can do without the shop when it is cloudy, or if your loads are smaller, e.g. mostly LED lights, it will be less costly.

If it were me, I would think about adding solar (and perhaps batteries) for the house to reduce the loads, freeing up power for the shop. I think that completely off-grid almost always requires being very aware of power consumption at all times, unless you go really big and have excess power almost all the time. E.g. battery powered tools, VFDs, low power ways of doing things. If it were for everybody, all the time, I think that we would already all be doing it. So...

All the best,

Peter

 

[HawkinsHollow]

@Rmart30 Congrats! Isn't it a great feeling to shoot the bird to the energy overlords and just take care of business yourself!?!? It really isn't hard AT ALL to do a small scale system like this. I have a similar setup to this at my property, just not quite as large. But I have the panels and LiFePO4 batteries are getting cheaper by the day so I could easily scale it up. A/C has always been the golden goose for me and I get excited when I hear that people successfully run A/C on solar. That will be my goal by the summer.

 

[mike0000]

nyone, I do own a Fluke multimeter.
ponytug, my current shop has all my heavy electric users, 220 welder, plasma cutter, air compressor.
Second shop would be more geared to storage, mini ex, tractor/implements, Man toys, room for maintenance on cars and equipment out of the weather. It would have an automotive lift, something I’ve wanted for quite some time.

 

[Rmart30]

The link would be appreciated!

Basically same as this but I used 4, 12V Lifepo4 batteries off amazon.

.

 

[Rmart30]

@Rmart30 Congrats! Isn't it a great feeling to shoot the bird to the energy overlords and just take care of business yourself!?!? It really isn't hard AT ALL to do a small scale system like this. I have a similar setup to this at my property, just not quite as large. But I have the panels and LiFePO4 batteries are getting cheaper by the day so I could easily scale it up. A/C has always been the golden goose for me and I get excited when I hear that people successfully run A/C on solar. That will be my goal by the summer.

Amazon has lifepo4 12v
for under $130 shipped.

I have 2 of these waiting to install on my new build. This guy has several videos on the systems from install to a year later showing the numbers.

 

[nyone]

Amazon has lifepo4 12v
for under $130 shipped.

I have 2 of these waiting to install on my new build. This guy has several videos on the systems from install to a year later showing the numbers.

I have a 12V system at a small cabin and would never build anything but a 48v system. Most of these cheaper lithium batteries dont have bluetooth so when something goes wrong your left guessing what cell has issues. Also most lithium you can only do 4S4P and for the OPs prety big loads prob isnt enough.

Really in the end putting a new bigger service in will be cheaper and more reliable for prob the first 10-15yrs. It also adds value to your property unlike a offgrid system. In fact in my area if your property dosnt have grid power you cant get a mortgage for it.