[budgetprepp-n]

Hi,
I have a small solar panel set up mostly for when we loose power. I have 3 - 100 watt panels a 30 amp mppt controller
and 3 Walmart deep cycle batteries and a 1500 watt inverter.
It is wired in so if I flip a few switches my regular house lights and plug ins are running off the batteries.
Can run my TV, computer, wireless phone, cell phone booster and two of the regular lights for about 6 -7 hours.
If all I run is one light or just the TV I can go quite a while. Or I can run the batteries out in 2-3 hours if I go nuts and runs lost of lights and stuff.

I am planing on adding to this system as time goes by. I just picked up 2 more batteries last night that I haven't installed yet.
I also have two more panels to install

Even if all you have is a small one battery set up you are way ahead of everyone else.
when the grid goes down solar panels will be hard to come by

I'm also working on a complete water system out of a camper as a back up < 12 volt with a 5 gallon propane water heater.
I figure if I have lights and running water (hot and cold) after TSHTF it will make things much more comfortable

 

[PalmettoTree]

How often does your power go out?

 

[HuntingHawk]

You'll be right at the same size I have which is 520watts in panels which are a mix of 80 & 90 watt panels. A 30amp controller. Three 125AH batteries. And 2,000watt inverter. I full time run a 5cuft chest freezer & power left over for other stuff.

 

[thegtwyo86]

Where do you guys get your panels from?
James

 

[Montana Rancher]

Battery Life

Ok, you need to monitor your battery capacity.

Every time your batteries go below 50% charge you take a HIT

100 HITS and your batteries will be completely worthless.

My point is using your batteries between 50 and 100% capacity will give you a lot of usable power

Drain them down below 50% and you take a "hit" and after 100 "hits" the batteries will be useless.

So design your charge/draw so that you never go below 50% charge and you will extend your system by months and years.

 

[HuntingHawk]

Where do you guys get your panels from?
James

I get mine from solarblvd when on sale & they ususally have a good sale every month. Their low end panels are good for 20 years.

 

[Piratesailor]

Battery Life

Ok, you need to monitor your battery capacity.

Every time your batteries go below 50% charge you take a HIT

100 HITS and your batteries will be completely worthless.

My point is using your batteries between 50 and 100% capacity will give you a lot of usable power

Drain them down below 50% and you take a "hit" and after 100 "hits" the batteries will be useless.

So design your charge/draw so that you never go below 50% charge and you will extend your system by months and years.

Exactly. Your charging capability needs to match your battery capacity otherwise you'll ruin your batteries and you need to be able to monitor the batteries.

 

[MI.oldguy]

Battery Life

Ok, you need to monitor your battery capacity.

Every time your batteries go below 50% charge you take a HIT

100 HITS and your batteries will be completely worthless.

My point is using your batteries between 50 and 100% capacity will give you a lot of usable power

Drain them down below 50% and you take a "hit" and after 100 "hits" the batteries will be useless.

So design your charge/draw so that you never go below 50% charge and you will extend your system by months and years.

And, may I add,keep them from freezing and, where are they vented to?

 

[budgetprepp-n]

How often does your power go out?

Well this time of year it's not to bad maybe once a month and then it's only for a few hours.
When we have a bad storm in the winter in might be off 3 or 4 days and if it is a bad winter that happens at least once a month sometimes a lot more

 

[9UC]

Hi, I have a small solar panel set up mostly for when we loose power. I have 3 - 100 watt panels a 30 amp mppt controller and 3 Walmart deep cycle batteries and a 1500 watt inverter......Even if all you have is a small one battery set up you are way ahead of everyone else.

That's in the ball park of what I would like to do to our RV, but I would have to stay withing the capacity of battery storage of two deep cycle batteries and the starter battery. On your idea of using a camper setup for a water heater, years ago, DW and I lived in our small Toyota Dolphin camper when I was transferred to Luke AFB and did not want to sell our home in Las Vegas as I lacked three years until retirement. We found that cutting the burner to pilot flame only and spreading the feed hose out in a loose coil, the five gallon propane tank would last two months instead of two weeks, even in the winter. We actually made a hybrid gas/solar powered water heater by accident. Second year while there, I added a second 25 ft coil and increased the amount of hot water available.