Solar power for 100 year old barn

Hi all;
I  bought four 150-watt 12V panels to run my 12V chest freezers.   https://permies.com/t/216684/newest-volt-deep-freezer
For the last 5 years, they have been leaning against the wall in my shop.
Today they are in the sun for the first time!
I didn't have time to finish the wiring to the new MPPT charge control today, but I've got 77 open circuit volts at the wires!

I wired the panels in series, increasing the voltage output to a working level of 48 volts, but the amperage output remains at 8.2 amps.
My new Victron MPPT charge control will use that 48 volts to charge my 12-volt battery bank.

I use two six-volt deep-cycle batteries to run my two 12-volt chest freezers.
I have been charging them with a trickle charger that is plugged into our house's power system.
I finally decided it was time to step up my game and give them their own power system.

Tomorrow I will finish the hookup and disconnect the trickle charger for good.

thomas rubino wrote:Hi all;
I  bought four 150-watt 12V panels to run my 12V chest freezers.   https://permies.com/t/216684/newest-volt-deep-freezer
For the last 5 years, they have been leaning against the wall in my shop.
Today they are in the sun for the first time!
I didn't have time to finish the wiring to the new MPPT charge control today, but I've got 77 open circuit volts at the wires!

I wired the panels in series, increasing the voltage output to a working level of 48 volts, but the amperage output remains at 8.2 amps.
My new Victron MPPT charge control will use that 48 volts to charge my 12-volt battery bank.

I use two six-volt deep-cycle batteries to run my two 12-volt chest freezers.
I have been charging them with a trickle charger that is plugged into our house's power system.
I finally decided it was time to step up my game and give them their own power system.

Tomorrow I will finish the hookup and disconnect the trickle charger for good.

Looks great Thomas! glad you went with the Victron

I still need to install inline fuses, but for now, my new system is up and running!
The Victron app loaded easily on my phone( after Liz showed me how)
Unfortunately, the Bluetooth range is limited, so I will have to enter the barn to monitor battery condition.
It is really cool to see live input from the solar panels.
You can bet that I will be out in the barn at dusk this evening to see when I lose charging and again at daybreak tomorrow to see how early the charging starts!

thomas rubino wrote:I still need to install inline fuses, but for now, my new system is up and running!
The Victron app loaded easily on my phone( after Liz showed me how)
Unfortunately, the Bluetooth range is limited, so I will have to enter the barn to monitor battery condition.
It is really cool to see live input from the solar panels.
You can bet that I will be out in the barn at dusk this evening to see when I lose charging and again at daybreak tomorrow to see how early the charging starts!

Thomas, I still remember when I transferred over the same 12 volt panels from my trace 60 amp PWM charge controller to an Outback 60amp MPPT 18 years ago; it was a transformation. You will see, its not so much the gains you get on good days its how it can still pull watts from the panels on the crummy days, earlier in the day and later into the evening. That unit is still doing work to this day on the garage system.
Cheers,
David

Thanks, David, for the encouragement to buy the Victron and your knowledge about all things solar.
I  should mention that when I have a personal solar question, I PM David to ask it, and I always get a concise reply!
I am already so impressed with what I have seen and learned...
I am considering replacing the entire house system, including the possibility of eliminating the hydro or reducing it to nighttime use only.

Today I installed inline 30 amp fuses on the positive solar output and the Positive Battery lead to the charge control.
These newer solar products all use a weather-tight snap-together connector.
Fast and easy, it makes connecting the wiring a breeze.
Other than removing the access ladders and caulking holes, my solar install is complete!

Next up is the house system, followed by the shop.
My welders all run 110V, it would be cool to run them from a solar system!

Today I finished wiring a string of 12-volt lights.
No more juggling a flashlight and frozen food while traversing the maze on the floor of the barn.
Heck, it is so bright in there now, that I might even clean it up!
We will be able to see everything in the freezers without needing a flashlight.
Power is in abundance!
The new solar system is large enough that the batteries are in float mode most of the day.

Awesome. That bodes well for the short and cloudy days coming up a few months from now. Isn't it amazing what a little bit of strategically placed lighting can do, too....

Official sunrise was at 7:07 this morning.
At 7:22, I was receiving power at my freezer batteries!
These MPPT charge controls are amazing.
The sun will not rise above the ridge to my east until apx. 9:30... I'm getting power at 7:22!
If only I had understood about these sooner...

I now have plans next summer to replace the entire house solar system, upgrading to a LiPo 4 48-volt system.
Currently, the house uses four solar panels: two 150-watt, one 120-watt, and an ancient 58-watt, wired in parallel for 12 volts, providing apx. 25 amps @12Vt in full sun.
The two 150-watt panels will be relocated to my shop building next summer, after the new 48-volt system is up and running.
The 120 panel may be moved down to the Subaru parts room in the field; time for some better lighting than a flashlight!
The 58-watt might get listed on the F.B. marketplace.

Meanwhile, to help go through the coming winter, I have purchased a second Victron MPPT controller.
I intend to separate the four panels on the roof. Leaving the 120 and 58-watt panels in parallel, but taking the two 150-watt panels and wiring them in series to 36 volts open circuit, and running them separately through the new MPPT and directly to my batteries.
The remaining two panels and the hydro will continue to run through the TriStar constant diversion charge controller.
This will boost my charge time for this winter.

thomas rubino wrote:Today I finished wiring a string of 12-volt lights.
No more juggling a flashlight and frozen food while traversing the maze on the floor of the barn.
Heck, it is so bright in there now, that I might even clean it up!
We will be able to see everything in the freezers without needing a flashlight.
.......(snip).....

These MPPT charge controls are amazing.
The sun will not rise above the ridge to my east until apx. 9:30... I'm getting power at 7:22!
If only I had understood about these sooner...

Ha!.... My wife likes to say "Keep those lights off....we don't need to see how dirty it is in here!... " :-)   Maybe we should go back to kerosene lamps!.... lol

Yeah, I bow in deference to those stout engineers who came before us and were installing solar before the plug-n-play days of today.  I've had one installer come out to give me a quote ..... an older gent who had been installing back into the 1970s.  After our discussion of power needs and desire for grid-interie vs. stand alone battery/solar, he said, "you know, with the technology the way it is today, you really don't need me at all!...Just have an electrician and the power coop approve everything and I think you could DIY the project."  Which was a bit funny coming from a guy who could lose his sale.  But my take was that he was well off enough being the CEO of the installation company and a local near-retirement installer.  So I admit I'm a bit glad to be diving in now when it is so much easier for the homeowner to do self-installs and I'm loving the educational aspect of it as well.   Great to see your project, Thomas, and agree with your mention of David B. and others on the group who have been super helpful.

thomas rubino wrote:Official sunrise was at 7:07 this morning.
At 7:22, I was receiving power at my freezer batteries!
These MPPT charge controls are amazing.
The sun will not rise above the ridge to my east until apx. 9:30... I'm getting power at 7:22!
If only I had understood about these sooner...

I now have plans next summer to replace the entire house solar system, upgrading to a LiPo 4 48-volt system.
Currently, the house uses four solar panels: two 150-watt, one 120-watt, and an ancient 58-watt, wired in parallel for 12 volts, providing apx. 25 amps @12Vt in full sun.
The two 150-watt panels will be relocated to my shop building next summer, after the new 48-volt system is up and running.
The 120 panel may be moved down to the Subaru parts room in the field; time for some better lighting than a flashlight!
The 58-watt might get listed on the F.B. marketplace.

Meanwhile, to help go through the coming winter, I have purchased a second Victron MPPT controller.
I intend to separate the four panels on the roof. Leaving the 120 and 58-watt panels in parallel, but taking the two 150-watt panels and wiring them in series to 36 volts open circuit, and running them separately through the new MPPT and directly to my batteries.
The remaining two panels and the hydro will continue to run through the TriStar constant diversion charge controller.
This will boost my charge time for this winter.

Sounds like a good Plan Thomas. When you go Lithium it will be time to invest in matching newer panels and retiring the PWM controller from that install. Lithium does not like the pwm controllers. Looking it up in montana new panels are going as low as $0.19 cents a watt... Wait until you see what lithium can do with a really sunny 1 hour a day exposure and a newer matched array; Full utilization of your panels potential... You could even install a pair of 405 watt panels for less than $200...
Cheers,  David

John Weiland wrote:

thomas rubino wrote:Today I finished wiring a string of 12-volt lights.
No more juggling a flashlight and frozen food while traversing the maze on the floor of the barn.
Heck, it is so bright in there now, that I might even clean it up!
We will be able to see everything in the freezers without needing a flashlight.
.......(snip).....

These MPPT charge controls are amazing.
The sun will not rise above the ridge to my east until apx. 9:30... I'm getting power at 7:22!
If only I had understood about these sooner...

Ha!.... My wife likes to say "Keep those lights off....we don't need to see how dirty it is in here!... " :-)   Maybe we should go back to kerosene lamps!.... lol

Yeah, I bow in deference to those stout engineers who came before us and were installing solar before the plug-n-play days of today.  I've had one installer come out to give me a quote ..... an older gent who had been installing back into the 1970s.  After our discussion of power needs and desire for grid-interie vs. stand alone battery/solar, he said, "you know, with the technology the way it is today, you really don't need me at all!...Just have an electrician and the power coop approve everything and I think you could DIY the project."  Which was a bit funny coming from a guy who could lose his sale.  But my take was that he was well off enough being the CEO of the installation company and a local near-retirement installer.  So I admit I'm a bit glad to be diving in now when it is so much easier for the homeowner to do self-installs and I'm loving the educational aspect of it as well.   Great to see your project, Thomas, and agree with your mention of David B. and others on the group who have been super helpful.

You would be amazed at the amount of sites I end up trouble shooting where the home owner bought a pile of equipment and just hired an electrician to install. I agree the design process has gotten much easier as panel costs fall, the all in one inverters remove all the complex wiring and the lithium batteries ad incredible storage capacity. The down side is the gear is changing fast and the learning curve never stops. My biggest headache is some people's belief that if they are off grid they don't have to conform to rules or have things inspected. While that might be true is some areas generally it is not so the gear has to be certified for home use and permitted or else they won't qualify for insurance. Again some people don't need to care about that.

David Baillie wrote:..... The down side is the gear is changing fast and the learning curve never stops. My biggest headache is some people's belief that if they are off grid they don't have to conform to rules or have things inspected. While that might be true is some areas generally it is not so the gear has to be certified for home use and permitted or else they won't qualify for insurance. Again some people don't need to care about that.

Agreed, and not to get too off topic, but I'll add another lament with a personal parallel.  For the bulk of my career I was engaged in laboratory research, at first working on my own biological research
efforts and later transitioning to training others.  In the early days, we often had to purify the chemicals or enzymes ourselves that we needed just as basic components of the research.  Imagine how wonderful it was some years later just to be able to phone in (or online order) an order for the same chemicals for delivery in pure form.  But it doesn't stop there:  Now imagine the later years of training when the new students or post-doctoral candidates would order the entire "kit"....enzymes, chemicals, protocols, etc....just add to the experiment and 'shazzam'!....you are ready to examine the results.  You might know where this is going.  The new crop of students and post-docs no longer know what is in the 'kits' because the components of the kit are proprietary.  So if I were to ask them how each step-by-step reaction in their experiment leads to their research result, they often had no clue!!  How that relates to the solar/battery plug-n-play example is that one can get lost if they aren't keeping some level of understanding of the quantities involved....watt-hours, efficiency levels, time-of-year impacts, etc.  And that is to be juggled with what you noted...the ever changing aspects of the technology, its delivery to the customer, and the regulations observed to keep it all safely deployed.