Moore, Oklahoma: My DIY partial off-grid solar power system

[Jacotenente]

My You Tube Channel is Chris DIYer if you want to see videos of my progress. Thank you for watching!

Chris

[ClassicCrazy]

Nice job -- but I don't quite understand your panel arrangement . You won't get much gain in the winter on those flat ones will you ?

Larry

[Resthome]

Looks like the panels get a little shade.

[Jacotenente]

Nice job -- but I don't quite understand your panel arrangement . You won't get much gain in the winter on those flat ones will you ?

Larry

I agree. And you're right. I built that pergola 9 years ago before I learned solar. The Sunpower panels I got on Craigslist for dirt nothing ($150/per)...and made some frames for them (they are laminates/factory seconds). The Renogy RNG-100D array actually is pretty decent with power. Wintertime power output is better with that extension I made.

[Jacotenente]

Looks like the panels get a little shade.

Hahaa! Yep...in this picture they did. However, we had an ice storm in Nov...no more shading! I also removed one globe willow in the backyard. So...now, zero shading (except for the AM shade from the house). The pergola is on the west side of the house. More panels coming and new ground mount pivoting stand in the works. Roof mount is not an option here in the HOA and weak old shingles. 

[dgd]

I see your Trojan battery bank image has three parallel connected banks of four cells.
Also it looks like the positive red cable  loops from bank 3 to bank 2 then bank 1.
This may (will) lead to unbalaned charging between the banks.

From Classic manual  page 10 - How to kill your batteries
*Not using ALL EQUAL LENGTH interconnect cables on each string

Your bank 3 has three times cable length to POS, bank 2 has twice cable length to POS compared to cable length to bank 1 POS.
You should have separate equal length cables from a POS common point to each bank's POS
Same for Negative

dgd

[Jacotenente]

I see your Trojan battery bank image has three parallel connected banks of four cells.
Also it looks like the positive red cable  loops from bank 3 to bank 2 then bank 1.
This may (will) lead to unbalaned charging between the banks.

From Classic manual  page 10 - How to kill your batteries
*Not using ALL EQUAL LENGTH interconnect cables on each string

Your bank 3 has three times cable length to POS, bank 2 has twice cable length to POS compared to cable length to bank 1 POS.
You should have separate equal length cables from a POS common point to each bank's POS
Same for Negative

dgd

Thanks. I did an EQ last week. Voltages for each string were equal. I checked all the cells and the the SG was the same for all the batteries...so, they are getting a full charge. I used a refracometer. I only run them down to ~75-80% discharge overnight. I know what your saying with the cable lengths and the strings...they appear to be "playing well" together with 2/0 welding cable. What about using a battery balancer? Justin Case in AUS using this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMOz-5JeAy0

[Jacotenente]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYztUij0L0M&feature=gp-n-y&google_comment_id=z12cdzciewbcdjsua231fnortpfpzbpy304

Panel re-arrangement is underway. Already have 1,800w in panels on a new fenceline racking system. And 1,200w in panels are in the works (see video). The flat laminates on the pergola will be moved also...have plan for them too.

Chris DIYer (Oklahoma)

[Jacotenente]

30 Renogy 100w panels are now OFF MY PERGOLA and onto dedicated racking systems that I designed and built myself. Yessir...power is MUCH better!

Chris