I know were lucky enough to have a people trying out all sorts of system designs, So I made a thread were you can tell people about your design and how well it works in real life. https://100up.com.au/off-grid-solar-ballarat/ I'd really like to hear from anybody whos made a wind turbine work in real life
We have 4400 watts of photovoltaic panels, with a 48vdc 600ah battery bank. Grid power [when it is available] comes into our system via an 'Aux input' breaker.
I don't have a system, but I have a plan... Totally Grid Independent 10 KW Generac propane genset 10KW Solar array with 10KW battery backup, thus the genset. 20 acre isolated wooded property with a live stream, creek or spring Existing 20GPM well and 5000 gallon storage tank Existing septic system or peculation test and mantle approved for said system
Years ago, I had a 600-watt mill but I didn't get enough wind to make it worth while. I had bought several used solar panels roughly 1000 watts worth. I used 6-v volt deep cycle golf cart batteries and an old automotive voltage regulator because I was always evolving the system, and I could adjust it as needed. After i sold my property things changed and i bought several 100 watt Harbor Freight solar panels and they seem to be working just fine however I had gotten some 12 volt boat boat lithium-ion batteries and they were seriously disappointing, fortunately the dealer took them back and traded me for some glass matt batteries which are now giving me far better service. The problem with the lithium batteries is that if the voltage drops too low they drop out completely or if the voltage is a bit high they completely drop out. I had to tie in a lead acid battery with them to prevent this fall out. And they didnt actually have that much service time for the money. They've got a ways to go before I invest again. The weight of the lithium batteries is impressive being about the same size as a truck battery and half the weight, but I think that's the problem. It takes a much bulkier set of cells in that battery for the depth if storage lead acid batteries are capable of. I've been through a few inverters; the best is a pure sine wave especially for fine electronics. Always get an inverter bigger than you anticipate, I built my system starting with used equipment and learning on my own from there. I put my solar panels and battery bank in an enclosed trailer, that way it goews with me when I move and is not part of the house or property I happen to live. If I had property again, I might be persuaded to build a car port and put the solar panels on it.
I have a small 12 volt "starter" solar set-up, and in the next few years I plan to increase the number of panels and get a LiFePo4 battery or two. I already have two generators (both gas) and would like to get a PTO generator to hang on my diesel tractor, thus giving me a mobile diesel generator. I'm still on the fence concerning a wind turbine, sometimes the wind doesn't blow but sometimes it does. I don't REALLY need the PTO generator or the wind turbine right now...maybe I'll never NEED them, but better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it!
Two 325 Kyocera panels, Renogy 60 amp MPPT, 4 100 ah LiFePo4. Not off grid because I like my air conditioning but not worried about power outages either. I have a sub-panel with the essentials that I can feed from solar, generator, or grid. Generator is either my 6KW ex-light plant diesel or my 12 KW 26hp one cylinder Chinese diesel with an ST head.
Same here basically, 500W of panels and 500Ah of trojen batteries. I have grid connect solar on the main roof, far too hot here in summer to go without aircon and I don't want to pay for it. The only people I know who live a "Normal" lifestyle offgrid are wealthy because a system of that scale costs 40~50 grand + replacement every decade and two.
