L Goodwyn

The door shutters if you split the panel and welded 3 hinges each side would require extensive welding. The slider idea would require a top and bottom deep channels. You could easily drill and install wheels then add bolted or weld 2" angle iron to both sides for stops on the verticle door edges.

Your end finished wall will be roughly 5" with siding and say sheetrock on inside.

I did 2x4 framing R13 batting vapor barrier and sheetrock. I have a dual venting system one for the shell and one for interior that is a convection flow. I also have a forced flow if needed using a 12v 4" Attwood blower on a prototype swamp cooler I designed.

I'm taping sheetrock currently 36 sheets installed.

Fyi the interior of a container is tapered to the top due to the top steel box bar. Interior top is 1"+ narrower than your bottom interior measurement.

Are you planning to reuse the CorTen steel cutout as storm doors over your french doors? You said your in tornado country.

I did a 24" setback from the door end of my 40' highcube.
Your space is a premium at 20'. I have an east facing door due to winds from the south and southwest.

I framed for a future french door but installed a steel security door and 2 sidelights. The door end install allows for me to lock up when I leave for extended time.

Edit- I also bought 90# bags of 4000psi concrete for my sonotube piers with 4 grid rebar wired at 6" square. Total of 20 bags and used only rainwater since I'm off grid.

Edit2- yes I installed jack studs, but I added bolts to the framing to floor under the jack studs.

denise ra wrote:L Goodwin, I take it you're happy with your system? What all do you run with it? I didn't quite catch what output your panels give.

I have 4 Hanwa Q-duo. Each panel is 310w 39v 9.8 amps. Mono panels great low light.  2 panels in series 80v max18 amps Flexmax80 only uses 15amps pushes 30amps to inverter (Flexmax CC's double amperage output) Total 1240w. I end up charged by 9 am, cloudy day it might be 11:30. My system went online 11/2019 have had 0 problems. If you need I can send info and photos by email. I am more than happy to help, I was an industrial mechanic in a past life.

Edit- the pv panels are a German design anti LID panels research showed great low light panels, 12 /25 year panels
Edit- I am section 608 and 609 EPA certified I have universal certification. Updated 410a compliance.
Your best bet is to install a Pioneer split mini for AC 240v running 5 amp per leg.

Denise

I have a 40' high cube. I built my pv rack out of superstrut(SS) from home Depot. I welded SS 4 hole brackets to the roof channels. I have a midnite mnpv6 combiner mounted inside, 2 breakers for my panels, 1 dc-gfp-63 breaker (ground fault protector) that feeds to a Outback flexmax 80. The Flexmax 80 feeds to a Conext DC switchgear/SW 2024 inverter (24v input, 240v AC output). I then wired to a 100amp AC service panel ($65 Home Depot).
My batteries are LifePo4. All my connections and batteries are inside save for the pv extension connectors on the roof.

Purchased a black iron bolt and nut from Hardware store, welded that to outside bottom channel of container. Purchased a copper lug for bolt for a ground connection. 8' ground rod driven into ground by lug .  

Interior is wired with 12/2 , 250feet is $65 @ Home depot

I don't have any fuses or disconnect switches. I can isolate anything in my system with a flip of a breaker.

Edit- I also have a lightning arrestor on my combiner box.
Edit- see if you can find the midnite solar DC-GFP-63 installation instructions online that will show you your PV basic wiring diagram, it does not show the inverter in diagram.

I can relate Travis, but I threw $200 at a complicated problem in a hostile environment. Turned out my timing belt slipped thank Toyota for making non interference motors. You have to remove the passenger motor mount to replace a timing belt, water pump, and crankshaft position sensor on 90s to 00 Toyotas. I was in the middle of the desert glad a tech that replaced my timing belt before painted the camshaft position on the pulley and head to recognize the problem.

If it had been an interference motor it would have required head work and possibly piston damage. I rather drive old tech ICE than any new throw away car.

98 Toyota RAV4
1976 GMC k15
1971 Porsche 914
1963 VW Ragtop beetle

I am a AAA certified mechanic I never persued the profession.

I am 100 percent off grid 60 degrees is OK. Propane space heater in a 40 foot connex box insulated. A Trombe wall will be built next year and piped in. Today we had snow in Tombstone Az yes snow in Az and hell hasn't frozen over yet.

Travis I have a background in construction I have always put blockers in for towel bars, door handles etc. A scrap 2x4 goes along way to preventing sheetrock repairs, plan ahead during renovation or new construction.

HF pvc pipe cutter failed last week cutting schedule 40 pvc on a water main repair. Nothing beats a spare hack saw blade in that situation.

The potmetal handle snapped not the blade.

Everything is made to fail now days. MTBF just stay safe using equipment. My hands and knuckles have seen many a equipment failure. Wounds heal crap goes in the trash.

What is the voltage of your system?

I bought a Outback Flexmax 80 it defaults to 24v, my setup is 24v it only needs the battery for the initial setup. It was a bit pricey at a little over 500 but has some nice features. Frog mountain on Amazon if I remember right.

The Flexmax80 can be setup for 12, 24, or 48v systems with a Max of 80 amp input.

I went with Lifepo4 batteries. They are not cheap but
I wanted to store them in my living space as they do
not off gas. They charge fast and have 90 percent
Usable capacity without harm to the batteries. Zero
Maintenance no checking electrolytes or water.
3000-5000 cycles depending on how aggressive
you recharge them.

With efficient lighting, and electronics and appliances
Modern PV systems work fine, until you throw in climate
control. Even then modern split mini and heatpumps using DC compressors can now run directly from a 900w PV system.

Phys .org had one of the most promising thermal storage
systems I have read about. A liquid that could store solar
energy directly from sunlight. Run through a catalyst to release the heat for cooking and heating. Then you rexpose the liquid to sunlight to recharge it. It had a extremely good lifecycle with little to no breakdown in testing.

Rancher had a Ruger Six he could not get within 50 feet she was not in a happy place. It was not in my realm to help or do his job although he is 30 years my senior. I did what I could at the moment.

I have had pets and have spent their final hours with them "I have witnessed death"  and when you understand that statement it will change your life.

I did what a could offer to end the pain. Nothing more nothing less.

The ranchers wife was present an distraught that it wasn't Swift but an injured animal has to be be brought down.