Seeking more guidance on solar project please

Hi folks, I have been using
diysolar.com
As a resource while working on a whole house solar project, it is helpful. Moreover, it has helped me to  adjust....my last system install of this type was in the late Cretaceous, well, about 30 years ago.  One or two things have improved since.  

My fervent plea:   what are your best suggestions on other solar sites, so I can avoid the haphazard realm of misinformation and hyperbole?  Of course I learn plenty here on Permies.  But it is crucial to perform my due diligence to read, search, ponder before posing questions to our collective brain trust. Any referrals will be appreciated

Rico

The best resource is to ask questions.

Actually, I just kept reading and researching, hoping to ask specific questions....well informed or not.  
My first question is  on "Query about LiFePo4 charging. "       This is my dominant issue at the moment
Learning a lot along the way

Hi Rico,
There are many good resources on Northern Arizona Wind & Sun's  website, especially their forum, which is a fairly old & mature one by the scale of the internet. It has the advantage of being focused on more house-scale and code-compliant projects, and is a little less hacker-y than some of the DIY forums. Nothing wrong with hacking, but for a whole-house project you really do want to do things like correctly size conductors and conduits and interrupts. I'll also note that most manufacturers of decent equipment (not cheap-o import ebay stuff) will publish very detailed manuals, which are terrifically helpful. If you're comparing equipment before a purchase, read each manual and see which one you'd rather be poring over with a headlamp to troubleshoot from when something goes wrong :-)
Good luck!
Mark

He is risen indeed.     Thanks man, that's a new source for me.  I will peruse later today. If my brittle brain could just synthesize all this info then retain it forever  in a well ordered virtual file cabinet........

https://diysolarforum.com/ is a great site for beginners.  I post there on various topics, including solar water pumping.

The very first thing I would suggest is to sit down and draft a plan, before you attempt to purchase anything.  

The first part of the plan is to determine what loads you intend to power, and during what time of the day.  For big systems, I recommend identifying your single largest load, and build a system that has 2X the capacity for that.  You could go with either kWh/day, or W of your load.  Let me give you some examples.

I typically consume ~4-5 kWh of power per day, which powers the frig, TV, computer, lights, and stuff.  My location gets about 3 sunhours (sh) in December, and 6 in June.  So, if I need 5000Wh in December, I'd need 5000Wh/3sh =  1667W of solar panels.  It would be good to double that to ~3200W for catch-up after cloudy weather.

On the other hand, my 1hp well-pump is my single biggest load, consuming ~2100W of power, so following the 2X rule, I installed 4500W of panels.  They are on rotating ground mounts, so I can turn them East in the morning, and West in the afternoon.  With rotation, I can run the pump from 8am till 4pm with zero battery depletion.

I'd suggest sizing your inverter to 2-3X the size of your biggest load.  So, for my 2100W pump, I purchased a 6800W Schneider inverter (XW+6848).

Lastly, size your batteries to what what your biggest load is.  Traditional lead-acid likes to be drained at no more than 1/10 of C, while Li might tolerate 1/4th of C.  C being the capacity listed in amphours at the 20 hour rate.  Taking the example of my pump above, the inverter will draw 2100W/50V=42A, so I purchased 400Ah Trojan L-16 batteries.

Rico,
When I sit down with someone the first things I try to get them to articulate is what their goals are. So many people who do solar start with gear and build the picture around it. Usually those are the systems I visit to troubleshoot and rebuild. So what are your goals? With the property: size and intended use? What are the growth plans? how much care do you want to give the system?  Will a central power connection be involved? Would you feed back excess?  Will you be fully off grid? If so can you accept shortfalls in production or will a generator be required? Is it going to be a portable occasional generator or will it be an auto starting unit in case you are away for prolonged periods? Does gasoline work best for your area or propane or diesel? You are starting out in an area blessed with regular predictable sun with a large solar presence already which is nice. So before you ask for gear choices and advice you need to tell a story about what it looks like in your head. Keeping it all close to your chest results in poor advice. I enjoy Permies because by and large we are a very easy group to talk to and not much prone to judge. So tell me a story...
Cheers,  David Baillie

Rico, a bit more information from you.  What's the general location you're at?  Not pinpointed, but generalized, like East Texas, or Western Washington.  Design makes a big difference when you take into account your sunhours (sh), and what time of the year your sun is shining.

Can you come up with an itemized list of things you want to power?  What you power, and when is as important as how many watts they consume.  Items with electric motors that start under load have what's called "starting surge", or "inrush current".   The inverter you select needs to be able to handle the starting surges your stuff will generate, usually 3-5X the running amperage.

For example, my well-pump, with a head of ~250 of water above the pump, has a starting surge of ~9000W for about 500 miliseconds or so.  On the other hand, a free-spinning window fan in the bedroom only a starting surge of 1.1X.  So, my 100W fan consumes ~110W right at startup.

This makes a big difference in the choices of inverters you select to run your house.  Basically, there are two main types of inverters, low-frequency transformer based inverters, and high-frequency transformerless ones.  The LF models are big, HEAVY, and expensive, but they have massive surge capacity.  HF models are lighter, and much cheaper, but have almost zero starting surge capacity.  Ignore whatever claim they make as to how MUCH the inverter can surge to.  Pay close attention to how LONG they claim the inverter can surge to.  That is the number that will make or break an inverter in terms of starting a big-ticket item like a well-pump, or shop air-compressor.

The big LF inverters typically an surge for 5-60 seconds.  The HF models typically can surge for only 8-16 miliseconds, not long enough to start big motors.  You definately get what you pay for with inverters.  This is why the itemized list is so important.

Inverters on the market now can be divided into two styles, component, and AllinOne (AiO).  Component means you need a separate charge controller, and breaker panel system to feed into the inverter. Some of the component models are LF, but cheaper component models are HF.  The AiO models combine the charge controller in with the inverter in one box, making wiring more simple.  Almost all AiO inverters are HF.

If you go the component route, you'll also need a charge controller.  Again, they can be divided into two types, PulseWidthModulation (PWM), and MaximumPowerPointTracking (MPPT).  Just skip PWM completely!  They have no business being in a modern system.  MPPT is vastly superior in every way except price.  PWM is appropriate only for the cheapest, low budget systems.  Beware though.  Ebay has sellers marketing FAKE MPPT controllers.  A real MPPT will have a voltage limit of at least 100V, and weigh a couple of pounds.  If it says "MPPT" but only has a voltage limit of 36V, and weighs only 8oz, it's a fake.

The best solar panel deals around are local purchasing with cash and carry pickup.  You pay a steep price premium to have solar panels delivered to you via shipping.  Shop local venues like Craigslist for panels, and then drive over to pick them up.  If you worry about panel quality, bring a voltmeter with you.  Every panel has a specifications sticker on the back, listing Voc, Vmp, Isc, and Imp.  With the unconnected panel just sitting out in the sun, your voltmeter will be measuring the Voc, the open-circuit voltage.  Don't buy a panel if the measured Voc is more than 10% less than the published value.  For example, if the published Voc = 37.5V, and you measured 35.0V, that panel is OK and good to buy.  If however, you measured only 32.5V, then I'd say skip that one.  It's worn out.  A good deal with cash and carry panels is 4-5W/$.  With shipping to your house, you won't do better than 1-2W/$.

Battery choice is becoming a religious issue.  Every battery type has some kind of weakness.  Traditional lead-acid dies with chronic undercharging.  Small solar arrays kill lead-acid batteries.  On the other hand, LI batteries can not tolerate low temperatures.  They can be destroyed by placing them in an unheated shed that goes below freezing.  If you buy a goodly number of panels, and charge lead-acid at 1/8th of C, they will be happy and give you long years of service.  If you keep Li batteries inside a heated cabin that NEVER gets cold, then Li will be happy and give you long years of service.  Let your personal situation dictate what type to chose.

Some of my thoughts.

permies.com/t/357816/Replaced-lead-acid-batteries-LifePO#3462378

Thanks everyone for opinions and tech expertise.  Tommy Bolin, I hear you, LA is a tried and true system of power storage.  It seems you scored a major set of batteries, so fair play to you.  And I agree with you, the jury is till out when it comes to newer battery chemistry used over decades.  

I just returned from 2 weeks on the lash, so to speak, camping out at the job site with buckets of cold water overhead for a shower. A diet of sardines, beans and raw vegetables.  A quiet spot with few distractions, very meditative.  Some progress , and repair is moving along. My project is an old stone house in a Mediterranean climate, coldest month is still average 45 F, so freezing battery is not an issue.

I now have two AIO units, one 250 Wh and the other 1100Wh.  Using the larger unit with a single 450W panel is working well, even with some foggy days.  I have one backup LA 12v battery that I charge during daylight hours, it is set up to then pass along DC current to my small AIO unit.  My only big power draw is a Bosch grinder with a variety of wheels....normally needs 120 watts but only for short periods.  Most of my power is to charge batteries for tools and phone, and 2 Led lights.  Sawing wood by hand, then using power for drills, reciprocating saw and a multi tool.  

Most of my days thus far are heavy on concrete and stone work. I hand mix all mortar and occasional special buckets with 1 to1 ratio of fine sand/Portland. Power production is keeping well ahead of power demands
I will say I appreciate the lighter LFP batteries,  they have some drawbacks but it seems they are about half the weight of the LA ones. Time will tell if they are a good choice versus the old style.  This is a leap of faith....