Add on #5.....6,000 more watts.

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by TnAndy, Mar 14, 2019.


  1. TnAndy

    TnAndy Senior Member Founding Member

    Adding another 20 -- 300w panels to my system over the last few days (windy as heck today trying to mount them) Panel prices are amazing. The ones (175w) on the trackers on the right side of the photo (directly above greenhouse) we $4/watt in 2007. (which is why trackers).

    The ones I just bought were $0.63/w. Amazing.

    Got all 20 mounted, but it was almost dark, so I didn't get a shot of the finished install.
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
    Zimmy, Dunerunner, Bandit99 and 9 others like this.
  2. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    After the blue sky wind disaster here I need my panels and racks to laugh at 100mph winds.
     
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  3. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    Be safe working , PIX can come later .
    I just bought 6 305W 72 cell Canadian solar panels for 155.00 per , I have no more room .
    58 in total , WAY over panelled, due to Chemtrails and wet coast !!
    Sloth
     
  4. Gray Wolf

    Gray Wolf Monkey+++

    Wow. Last time I bought solar panels was 27 years ago. I paid $6.75 per watt!
    Ten times what they sell for now!
     
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  5. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    We also upped the voltage to 3 X the battery state or datum .
    Then again 4 me this is for DHW heater , winter is wood heater with a stainless water jacket ( I built all)
    During Summer the PV panels send power to the DHW tank heaters .
    two weeks that the wood or solar is not all needed or working ,, SO cold showers & the wife is free and off ;)))
    S
     
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  6. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Pretty impressive TN!
     
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  7. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Amazing! Well done!
     
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  8. BenP

    BenP Monkey++

    I like those trackers.
     
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  9. TnAndy

    TnAndy Senior Member Founding Member

    Yeah....I did too initially. But they are a major PITA to keep controllers in them to keep them running.
     
  10. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    Cheaper just for more panels than lots of maintenance I hear
    S
     
    Gator 45/70 likes this.
  11. TnAndy

    TnAndy Senior Member Founding Member

    Which is why additions 3, 4 and 5 were ground mounted.

    When panels were $4/w, it made sense (barely) to squeeze out 20% more Kwhrs tracking. With panels pretty solidly under dollar/watt, adding more panels is the way to go.
     
  12. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    I contemplated trackers but I think I'd rather track by time rather then sunlight . reason being . a friend had that system tracked by light and the panels were working over time to keep up with the changes when it is cloudy . However if the system operated by time then they would not be shifting to bright light of a few seconds and back again to another bright light, but maintain the point at which the sun is suppose to be .At that the positioning can be then anticipated going a bit past anticipated target and not waste energy every few minuets resetting . make sense ?
     
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  13. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    Full NUTZ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^NO

    Replicate
    Many are so lost ..
    Won't learn up , but speeeeel !
    Plz , Learn !
    Quit teaching SQUAT !!
    LEARN !!!

    Done
     
    oldman11 likes this.
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