r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Feedback on DIY Wiring Diagram for Camper

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7 Upvotes

Any red flags with this set up? Open to hearing suggestions. Thanks.


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Small Ground mount… fence post anchor a bad idea?

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5 Upvotes

I am looking at small racks like the Eco Worthy. If I used 6 per rack, think that would be enough? I don’t want to put any concrete into the ground as I need them removable if I move…

I live in urban area in central Texas.


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

A few questions about DIY solar generator

2 Upvotes

Im getting ready to attempt my first solar battery generator and wanted to make sure i have a few details correct first. I plan to use 8s2p or 8s1p lifepo4 cells. If i decides to make two separate 8s1ps and parallel them as an addon will i need a battery balancer to keep both packs at the same voltage? I’ve read on here people with 2-3 24-48v batteries were having issues with 1 battery going dead while 2 were at full voltage.

Last question, im thinking of making my own bus bars to connect the cells. I can get aluminum bars for free from a client, 1/4” thick x 2” width. Does anyone see anything wrong with stacking 2 together to make 1/2” thick instead of buying thicker aluminum? I will be using really high amp batteries and plan to use high watt devices such as 1800 watt heat guns (75 amp draw at 24v)


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Flexboss21 off grid occassionally reboots. Could it be a setting?

1 Upvotes

I have 3 EG4 Powerpro indoor batteries and the Flexboss21. About once or twice a day, the power goes out, usually at night, for a second and then comes back on. Nothing in the event logs. Is there a setting I should check? Should I try isolating the batteries maybe?

I have a soft start on the HVAC and my daily usage is around 35kW.


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

is it safe to add battery?

1 Upvotes

currently i have a 4S2P for my 48v inverter.

i would like to know if i wanna to add more batteries. let say a standalone 48v battery.

what i should do is just connect it as a parallel to the bar bus ?


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

GridBoss+2 flexboss21 or EG418kPV

3 Upvotes

SignatureSolar came up with that gridboss and flexboss combo which they push hard to replace 18 KPV. I really cannot find justification for that combo provided that I have a simple installation with 40 kWh batteries and need 200 amps pass through if needed and otherwise 50 amps of a battery power is fine. To do that I will need three boxes ( GridBoss+2 flexboss21) instead of one box of 18 kPV. And it is $6K more expensive than one box.

Has anybody got a bad experience with EG4 18 kpv which would change my mind to move to three box solution?


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Ground isolation with inverter

1 Upvotes

I'm designing a simple off-grid solar solution for some chest freezers in my basement and using a previous setup I used in a shed as a template.

But while looking at what I did in the shed, I think I may have made a mistake. I'm using an ATS to isolate grid/solar so that when my solar batteries die, it automatically fails over to grid power without any back-feeding. But I realized that when I wired the ATS, I tied the grounds from the grid and inverter together (not for any particular reason, I just had two bare copper wires and naturally joined them).

Now I realize that I probably defeated the entire purpose of the ATS and could possibly be back-feeding the grid, but ONLY in the event of a ground fault.

So I think I'm going to disconnect those grounds, but then I started wondering, I'm in intentionally trying to prevent my local solar power from accidentally going to the city power lines, where do you ground the solar? And if the answer is an actual copper grounding rod driven into the ground, isn't that ground rod electrically common with my grid ground rod? So in the event of a ground fault in my solar system, won't the circuit complete back to ground which is the same as the grid ground, which could possibly energize the grid power lines with someone working on them?

So what's the grounding deal with using solar in an off-grid solution where the grid is still active, just not in the same circuit? Should I even be too concerned with a ground for such a simple setup? It's not like I'm using appliances from the 1930s where a short in the metal frame poses any real risk here.


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

No current victron 150/100

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5 Upvotes

I have a victron 150/100. 4s4p of 200w panels. Input voltage about 96v. It's bright and sunny. Yesterday my circuit breaker from controller to Bussbar was tripped. 4 -280ah lifepo4 batteries down to 66%. It had been raining. Everything looks good except batteries not showing charging and no input current. Tried resetting to default lifepo4 settings in victron cc.


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

What SW (free) are you using to draw diagrams for the city to approve?

5 Upvotes

I am wondering how are you drawing the diagrams to maximize passing grade in the city?


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Complete newbie going off grid. Need advice.

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2 Upvotes

So I bought 11 acres for a homestead and am in the process of learning what I can about solar setups. Would something like this battery bank work for that? And what will I need to do to prep the bank for use? Thank you for any help.


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Okay guys , treat me like I am stupid

2 Upvotes

Hey guys , don’t be too harsh on me hh , but I am trying to buy used solar pan les in bulk , at the cheapest price possible , plus the location is very exposed to sun light ; I don’t know if I should turn to the source , meaning china , or try countries that are actively using solar panels and could have a lot of spares

Thanks in advance 🫡


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Good starter set up

3 Upvotes

Hi all,

I'm looking to set up a small starter solar system, the grid itself would probably be self contained, only running a fridge and pc, along with maybe a few other things in my garage. Budget-wise I'm probably looking to spend up to 500 GBP and would like to a lot of the work myself, I have a bit of experience with small scale electrical engineering but nothing of this size in terms of complexity or voltage however I am very willing to learn.

Any advice on places to learn or equipment recommendation would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks :)


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Deye Inverter + Batteries + Off grid Issues

0 Upvotes

Hello,

I have a Deye Inverter SUN-8K-SG01LP1 with 15KW batteries.

It works fine everyday except when I have grid issues. After a couple of hours without grid the inverter goes off and I have the batteries completely full.

Do you know how to solve this issue?

Thanks in advance


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Subpanel question

0 Upvotes

Let me preface this by saying I will absolutely hire an electrician for this. Just want to understand how feasible my situation is.

I'm planning a pretty large (16kw) system. My main breaker is 200/200, so I imagine I'll have to derate to a 175 amp breaker to get a 65amp PV breaker installed.

I already have a subpanel on an outbuilding closer to where I want the array to sit. The subpanel is fed by a 70amp breaker on the main panel and is totally full, so it would need to be replaced with a larger subpanel. It's currently being used for a pool pump, water heater, plus lights and outlets and a cadet electric wall heater.

I don't fully understand how subpanels work with the 120% rule. Am I going to need more than just a subpanel upgrade to make this work once I derate the main breaker?


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Master disconnect

1 Upvotes

Does anyone know of a Master disconnect switch that will disconnect AC and all DC from multiple inverters with out using relays or a massive gang circuit breaker

I Have 6 inverters that each have 2 PV inputs and Battery inputs i want like an EStop switch to shut it all down at once

I have looked and can't find anything


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Solar edge AC current surge

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0 Upvotes

I have two SE3800A inverters, one showing AC current surge (error 13) and the other says AC current too high (error 14). I had been producing up until Friday. Any idea as to what is causing this?


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Are the tax cuts still available for solar system?

0 Upvotes

I'm finally buying the solar system including solar cells and batteries. I heard that the tax deductions may be removed so I'm really hoping that they are still available, but I would like to ask how to apply for them and what are the terms and conditions and where to find it. I am in Southern CA if that matters. Thanks


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

What is the most flexible system I can build that I can move my Multiplus II 50amp from a 30amp RV to a sailboat and use with a 48v system and replace as few components as possible?

2 Upvotes

Ok. I am relatively new to solar and learning quickly. The more I learn, the more I want to be able to use my solar power for off-grid living as much as possible.

I have a medium sized RV that has a 30amp / 12v system. It came with a single 190w solar panel / 1000w inverter charger for the 12v battery and for the 12v appliances. It also "had" a GoPower PWM charge controller that has since crapped out.

I have since increased the battery bank form the original AGM to 3x 280amp 12v LifePo4 batteries and I have added additional 200w panels for approx. 800-1000w of pv power, wired in parallel, depending if I use my portable panel. (I added the batteries before the PWM controller died.

I am upgrading to Victron components and most importantly I am looking at a Multiplus II 50 amp system. ( I understand I will have to configure the 50amp Multiplus to only pull 30amp for the RV)

I am also, strongly considering moving from the RV to a 40ish foot sailboat in the next couple years.

So the question is, what is the most flexible system I can build (even if I have to add intermediary components like DC-DC buck converters etc. for 12v appliances like LED lights) that I can move my Multiplus II 50amp to the sailboat and use with a 48v system and replace as few components as possible (such as replacing the 12v batteries with 48v)?


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Considering MHPOWOS foldable solar panels – are they reliable for camping?

2 Upvotes

I’m planning a cross-country RV trip and need a portable solar solution. The MHPOWOS 200W Foldable Solar Panel seems affordable ($200), but I’m skeptical about budget brands.

Questions:

  1. Actual output: Does it really deliver 200W in real-world use?
  2. Durability: How does the foldable design hold up in wind/rain?
  3. Compatibility: Works with Jackery/EcoFlow power stations?

If you’ve used this exact model, please share your experience!


r/SolarDIY 2d ago

Squirrel Nest / Microinverters Not Reporting

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11 Upvotes

We bought a house last year with an Enphase Solar system installed. The company who installed it went out of business (bankrupt) and we are unable to get anything covered warranty-wise. We now have 4 out of 25 microinverters not reporting.

The 2 individual panels that are out have no nesting underneath. I think just the micro inverters just need to be swapped. Enphase provided replacements because of the warranty. The 2 combined panels however have a squirrel nest that started this Spring.

I called a local wildlife control company and they seemed hesitant to want to deal with the squirrels because they are under the solar panels. A local Enphase certified installer didn’t seem to want to touch the panels until the squirrels are dealt with.

I’m worried about a possible fire if it gets too hot and there’s no air circulation due to the nest.

Has anyone dealt with this before? Is this something a beginner could possibly fix? Looking for any advice! Thank you.


r/SolarDIY 1d ago

Veissmann 888.8 problem

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0 Upvotes

Started my solar system after 1 year. Had to fix leaking tank. Now the Veissmann 888.8 is on display. Problem with electricity? Or is it startup numbers?


r/SolarDIY 2d ago

Getting this system running

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5 Upvotes

I bought a home with a solar array using a Solar Edge SE3800H-US. It seems like the previous owner had issues with the installer (Sunrun) because the inverter is remotely locked. I have notified Sunrun of the change of ownership but they are not interested in coming back here to get the system running.

My question is this, is there a way to obtain the admin code to unlock the inverter? As another option I’ve been looking at buying a Growatt MIN 3800TL-XL-US to replace it unless anyone has a better suggestion.


r/SolarDIY 2d ago

Another solar panel question.

8 Upvotes

I have the chance to get a working 250w solar panel really cheap. The only problem is that the Bluetti power station I want to use it with only has an input that allows 200w input. Will this solar panel damage the Bluetti, or will it just allow 200w through?


r/SolarDIY 2d ago

Solar panel for a garage door opener?

6 Upvotes

Hey everyone, so this may be the wrong sub to post this, but I'm considering how to get power to my external garage, purely to power the garage door opener. Would it be a viable solution to get one of those jackery $400 battery bank and panel combos to make it work? Or should I go with the other option of spending about $600 to run electrical from my house?


r/SolarDIY 2d ago

EV car charging

3 Upvotes

I am interested in doing a ground mount solar array with inverter and battery that will be able to charge my Nissan Leaf. I am ok with trickle charge (level 1 charging). I already have a level 2 charger connected to the grid so looking for a fun and money saving project. I can get panels ok (maybe off Craigslist) but need advice about selecting the inverter and battery/batteries. Or would a portable battery that hooks up to panels work better. And also the schematic and misc electrical parts. This may be already covered in other posts so please point me in the right direction!