James Anspaugh's posts

  Wow i just looked at the reciept  455 bucks apeace for a total of 7280

 Thank you both. Im leaning towards them needing to be equalized. The battery mfg said they dont need equalization so I had turned that option off on the xantrex power panels.
I have 2 sw5548.  the batteries are the mk gel 245 amp.
I will turn on the equalization, It seams a waste that the Gen would run 3 to 4 hrs to equalize but if it saves the batteries or is it to late. The inverters do control the max charge along with an outback controller for the solar.  Thank you both again.  Jim

thanks, Ill try that.

 I have 16 gel 12v batteries I bought new 3 yrs ago. I am using them in a 48v off-grid system with 2 inverters and a xantrex charge controller. Now when the system is fully charged at 54 to 57 volts on the charge controller. Some batteries read 13.6v, good. but some are 11.7v and one is 9.8v
 are there bad cells in a gel battery? could it hurt the other batteries? why would some go bad? Ive never let the system get below 45 volts, usually at 46 volts the Generator kicks in and at 44 the system shuts down. Can I or should I replace the batteries with new ones to my old ones or would that be worse.

  The panels tie into a combiner box then to a charge controller the controller goes to the batteries.The batteries feed into the inverter the inverter feeds into the power panel or box.The generator also connects to the inverter which
turns it on when needed and that is how it feeds the batteries and cabin.Mine turns the generator on when the batteries are at 45 volts and off at 52 volts.It is more complicated than that but im simple also. It will also turn it on when more power is called for than I have in the batteries.I also feed back an outlet for a battery charger on my generator. You probably could manually turn on your generator when needed, but your batteries may get to low.

  I guess the question is not specific enough. I am using a kohler generator with off grid cabin. It turns on when the batteries arent charged enough with the solar. The inverter turns it on and it is 115v.If a solar panel would have to feed a fridge it would have to have constant energy to keep it running and an inverter to keep the power even.The sun isnt
constant enough with clouds and such to stay the same.Im pretty sure you would need battery backups that would then feed the fridge. Does this help, maybe it will start a conversation of replies at least.

 Mine was instant, The elec co wanted 20,000 to run the wire
underground 1/4 mile so I chose 20,000 worth of inverters batteries and panels.

Thank you this helps that you give examples very much.
Right now it would be flashlights and candles. I would worry more about the fridge and furnace.

They say each one has 3200 lumins and you can get a dimmer.
Thank you I didn't know they were 12v which they are.  Im off grid with 110/220 volt I would have to run a separate line for the 12v.

  Thanks they dont list the lumens. Just the color spectrum.
Ill have to find out

  Thanks, I was actually looking at these basement led lights for my off-grid cabin up north to mount in a hanging ceiling.
  http://ledceilingtile.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=LED&Category_Code=PI     
         I have tried the led lights in the bedrooms that screw in like a light bulb equal to 60 watts.  They were way to dull encased in the glass, even dimmer than the new cfl bulbs. I want them for my cabin because it is off grid. Let me know if anyone has opinions or tried these kinds of led"s.

  Ok I see your point, but the difference in the bank from the 19.53 and the 18 could be saved and earned interest on.
 Also what will the 10 years from now yield in the cost lowering for led bulbs and the improvements?

 Wouldn't pointing them more east charge them up earlier
 I noticed here in Wisconsin the winter mornings are usually clear then it clouds up later.

  I would like to know what people think on where to mount the panels. example- on a grid system you would always point the panels to the south. On an off-grid you only have so much storage so if there all south when you use energy around suppertime you wouldn't gain as much in the evening for your batteries to last through the night. I have 3 220w facing south and 3 facing mostly west, my batteries are charged enough in the day for the generator not to kick in then in the evening the batteries are charged more. does this make sense.

thanks it may seem extreme but at 60 on the 1 roof it still is
2ft of snow and under snow the ice forms from melting a little.Also birds wont land on them, I will see in the summer how many watts I lose compared to the 30 degrees on the roof.
 I only need a little anyway in the winter to keep my fridge and furnace going without the generator turning on. But thanks for your input.

Thanks that is what I was hoping also the logs create an air gap anyway for cooling. I have learned I will pick up power also from the reflection of the snow on the ground. Thanks guys

  I want to mount 3 sharp 240w solar panels on my south wall of an off grid log cabin.I have 3 on garage roof facing south on an angle and 3 on house facing more west on a bigger angle.
 All 6 produce enough for the summer but are covered with deep snow in winter.Mounting 3 more vertical on the wall will be plenty to keep the fridge and furnace going while I'm not up there.The wall is in the sun from 7 am to 3:00pm in Jan.
We watched this and in summer it will contribute also. Where is a panel mount or screw brackets that i can just screw them straight into the logs this would be plenty strong and no snow could ever stay on them.

Im using a home Kohler 12kw that is propane and the xantrex inverter turns it on when needed to charge the battery bank ,a 48v system.  The kohler warranties it on solar system and Generac does not, that was my first choice but I am happy with the Kohler.

 I have 2 for the 220v or 110. The voltage reads  226 v  untill I put a load like a toaster then it reads 118 to120v
 is there a regulator to adjust?

I'm running on 2 xantrex5048 and go to the cabin once a month,
the clocks on the microwave, stove, and clock are the same time with no loss in time.

 The generator should be big enough to run your house and a little extra to charge the batteries. I am using a 15kw Kohler
 propane. The Generator is being used for the house while it charges the battery bank.

  What about a carb heater for the winter. I ran a line from the house back by the generator to have an external plug which my trickle charger and temp sensative carb heater are plugged into.  Never had a problem. now if only the snow would melt off my solar panels?

  I have the xantrex inverters and went with kohler generator because they are warranted for off-grid and I found out early Generac was not. Seems like the connection to the inverters is the part no-one explaines or understands. I opted out for the generator control box and let the inverter turn the generator on and off when needed or for the monthly run of 15 minutes. Working for a year now great. My electrition called xantrex to hook up to the diodes inside. I could take a pic if you wanted, I"ll be there next weekend.I am also in the boonies with no phone out there or electric.  Good luck, Jim A.

I have a 200 gallon propane tank that the company fills as needed.It is for heating and the hot water as again using electric to heat is expensive.  Good luck, Jim

  James, I have a propane tankless water heater.Love it and propane burns hotter than gas. I bought a commercial one for a small business not the home suggested one to make sure I could heat the water fast enough because they always underestimate. I use it in an off-grid and it only heats when
used. Remember any heating with electricity costs the most.
  Jim A.

  Im using 16 105 amp gels 4 rows in series and 4 rows parallel  for 48volt. works great also have outback controller going in one row and out the last row to the inverters.

for thousands of years people went to the bathroom outside and took 8 months to cross America. Doesn't make it better.
with one solar flare the earth can heat up to more than we could take. We can't control the sun or the temp. of the earth. Only in our homes with the least expensive energy as possible.

thanks for the clarity, it was the breakers. I should have run conduit but only ran a heavy wire I don,t remember the guage but it was heavy. lessons learned, conduit next time. thanks Jim

  Actually I have enough energy for Fridge, washer, dryer dishwasher chandelier outside lights, well pump.fans, no air conditioner though. and no electric heating: for all summer. Just in winter the generator runs 15hrs a month average charging up the batteries.

  I have the 6 on one fuse and the 3 west on another but in the same combiner box. So I could run to the garage and flip one fuse off then run to the basement and read the mppt controller. Up and down many times. But your right about the 2 controllers working better I just dont like the Idea of running another line to the basement. The one I have we put in while it was being built.