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Thread: DIY Solar Kits

  1. #11
    LHBA Member rreidnauer's Avatar
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    The only warning I'd offer is, when you start stringing together panels, you get into a deadly voltage/current scenario pretty quick. It's not like there's a switch to turn a panel off. And DC is far more dangerous than AC. Just the four panels I'm currently running puts out 96 volts open circuit, and can develop 10 amps @ 72vdc. If I hooked all 12 of my panels in parallel, I have a 60 amp welder. (yes, you can do that with solar panels, as shorting them does not harm them) Battery banks are even more dangerous, especially when you go 24v and bigger. Higher the voltage, the higher the risk of a DC electrocution. A 48vdc battery bank should be treated like 480v three phase.

    I'm not trying to scare you off, but I also want to make sure you understand it isn't like playing with 110v house current.
    All my bad forum habits I learned from LHN

    Rod Reidnauer
    Class of Apr. 9-10, 2005
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  2. #12
    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
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    He's not full of sheep dip on this one. I had the pleasure of burning my wedding ring off me with a 12 volt battery once. HOT DANG!

    Sent from my LG-H631 using Tapatalk
    Every time I have strayed from the teachings of Skip Ellsworth it has cost me money.

    I love the mask mandate. I hardly ever have to bruh my teeth anymore.

  3. #13
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    Pigtails would work, but the combiner box probably has terminal strips/blocks/bus. Still, it's simple.

    Rod's right about the voltage getting up there. In the cold, the panel voltage goes up. That's just trivia in your case, as the seller of the kit has already worked out such details, selection of the charge controller in particular.

  4. #14
    LHBA Member rreidnauer's Avatar
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    If you really want to have some fun, try installing a regular 110v house light switch to turn the panels off. (have a fire extinguisher ready)
    All my bad forum habits I learned from LHN

    Rod Reidnauer
    Class of Apr. 9-10, 2005
    Thinking outside the vinyl sided box

  5. #15
    I guess I will have to install them in the dark

  6. #16
    LHBA Member StressMan79's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by thoner7 View Post
    I guess I will have to install them in the dark
    You are generally ok (against arcing) with "low voltage" (under 50 vdc) which is why dc systems are usually only 48 volts.

  7. #17
    What's the going rate for purchasing panels? I was under the impression you can find them for .50/watt.

  8. #18
    LHBA Member project's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by solarpower View Post
    What's the going rate for purchasing panels? I was under the impression you can find them for .50/watt.
    http://sunelec.com/solar-panels/

  9. #19
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    By the pallet, the price I see there today is $0.28/watt. I bought 2 pallets awhile back, and each was 225 watts, not the 300 watts on the site today.

    The last time I suggested sunelec.com on this site, they were terribly unresponsive, but IIRC, it eventually worked out. I would still do business with them again, as long as the prices are rock bottom low.


    Peter

  10. #20
    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
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    I remember when we thought $1 a watt was too good to be true.

    That back when we used real American dollars and not these new teenyweeny metric dollars.
    Every time I have strayed from the teachings of Skip Ellsworth it has cost me money.

    I love the mask mandate. I hardly ever have to bruh my teeth anymore.

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