Building a Rain Proof 12 Volt Solar Power System.

Welcome to Country View Solar, we will discuss all aspects of DIY Solar.
Li Time Website: www.litime.com...
Li Time Coupon Code "CVSDIY" for 6% off
2000 Watt 12 Volt inverter: bit.ly/3NjUJ4x
12 Volt Battery - Self Heating: bit.ly/3NiD2T0
60 Amp MPPT Charge Controller: bit.ly/3zMU7Bi
Rain Proof Enclosure: bit.ly/3ZYFlC3
Rain hood for 120mm Fan: bit.ly/3XUDLyE
Screen for 120mm Fan: bit.ly/4eCg3OO
12 Volt Battery Disconnect: amzn.to/3XWMtfB
2 Gauge Battery Cable and Lugs: amzn.to/47Z61oj
Din Rail Terminal Blocks: amzn.to/3NhJKbN
Fan Thermostat: amzn.to/3NhTLFW
Zip Tie Mounts: amzn.to/3XT4mvX
Tools:
Battery Lug Crimper: amzn.to/485eTc8
MC4 Crimp Tool: amzn.to/4gSs7wL
Residential Solar Equipment We use:
EG4 6000XP and Wall mount Battery: bit.ly/4dzgRmN
EP Cube all in one Solar Energy solution: bit.ly/47dLudA

[@jasonbroom7147]

All of your builds are next-level...your background as a certified electrician really shows through!

[@stevemartinez6757]

That looks like a lot of fun. I worked for a solar company for a brief period of time during my career and I always liked building prototype stuff much the same way. My biggest accomplishment was building/programming an auto start/stop device for a generator. Basically if the battery level got too low and the solar panels couldn't keep up it would automatically start a generator to charge the batteries. Also while the generator was running it would bypass the inverter and supply generator power to the load. Once the batteries got to around 85% charge (if I remember right) it would shut the generator off.

[@otsu2cob]

WOW, just what I was looking for. I have a well to water our cattle as a backup to rain water harvesting. Right now I drag a little gasoline generator out to the well and refill the IBC totes when we are without rain for 10 days or more. This is perfect thank you.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

That is a great set up Evan, thanks for sharing with us. So simple yet such a big help for anyone. Stay safe and keep up the great videos. Fred.

[@tomedgar4375]

Heat kills or shorten the life of everything. In addition to your fan, I would put a sun shade over it, direct sunlight drastically increases the ambient temp inside the unit and will increase the life of your fan.

[@muiruri_ke]

Nice build. Book marked for future reference.

[@charleshill7184]

Awesome video! I've been watching some of the "solar on a hand cart" videos as an idea for a quick-deploy system for emergencies and my biggest concern so far was they're all using indoor-rated inverters. Putting something like this on an appliance dolly for quick, outdoor deployments could be just what I was looking for.

[@johnbargiel9358]

That was badass Evan! Thank you!

[@joshhartin78]

Nice build! I would love to see an update to this later on after you use it for a while.

[@skinner636]

love this setup. I threw together a crude version a year ago with a cooler. Been wanting to remake it nicer {build it nice not twice} because its so handy in the barn I never move it anymore. I used a 40amp mppt controller with the same battery and was worried about charging it to fast, I guess its not a problem if we can use a 60a and be fine. Love the solar channel!!!

[@John--qh9xl]

Super fun video. Thank you for sharing it. Makes me want to try it myself.

[@robertschroeder1978]

I very much enjoyed watching this video. The information and process was very helpful for possibilities for my own needs. Thank you...

[@jerrycopley9325]

Always enjoy :) I could see this being very useful in different applications maybe even a smaller one to operate a gate and cameras at the end of your driveway, push button open gate drive thru and hit button close the gate.... since you have become famous security needs to be improved :) thanks for bringing us along

[@allenferry9632]

I'd like to build that on a little trailer so I could have power on the farm industry if the house power have a little backup power. Thanks for the lesson.

[@groundspeed3954]

Nice! I like the arrangement, very neatly done. You must be a licensed electrician. If I took on his project, there would be lots of extra parts/fittings left over at the end!!

[@michaelawetter2779]

Hey Evan those tomatoes look very ripe !!!!

[@jazzerbyte]

Nice build! Also to add on the air louver: another wire mesh to the bottom to prevent mud daubers from nesting there?

[@DwightMitchell-zi9uk]

Very informative. You probably already know that anything (ie motors) with inductive/capacitor start will have a surge of power on start up. Thus the "beep"

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

Yes

[@SilverFlint247]

Very good but personally I would fuse the DC a couple of places. I really like the battery post mounted fuse.

[@Kevin_D1]

FYSA: I have had several issues with LiTime charge controllers. Good luck after sending several of them back to Amazon. I switched to victron. My LiTime inverter is still running strong after being used daily for over a year.

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

Thanks for letting us know, we'll see how long it lasts. It is running everyday.

[@Kevin_D1]

@@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects my first one lasted a few months. The second one lasted a little over six months.

[@deannaoverstreet4146]

Thanks Evan! Always enjoy your channel! There are jerks everywhere!

[@wileycoyotesr8623]

Nice work! 👍👍👍

[@FieldstonefarmOH]

Perfect for a hunting stand or cabin:)

[@just_russ4633]

Liked and subscribed. Nice video. Cheers.

[@billweinschenker8607]

I think the "inlet" air hole would be more effective if it were installed near the bottom of the side panel.

[@daverave3698]

I was thinking you could mount a small mirror at 45 deg. in front of the inverter screen so you could see it easier.

[@davidkarath6549]

Nice installation...going to use that idea next year for my garden...5*s

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

I would suggest a 3000watt inverter if you plan to use a 1 horsepower pump. This 2000 watt barely works in this application.

[@PtHough]

Excellent video, well done

[@ChrisN069]

@countryviewsolar - Can you also add a link to the solar panels you used, please? Love your videos!

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

The solar panels I used aren't for sale anymore. They were a Newpowa 200 watt panel. Here is a link to a Renogy 200 Watt panel. Should be similar. amzn.to/3Y1O4AX

[@seansysig]

Evan I don’t believe a ground rod is required for your setup. Look at the manual for the inverter. Also what was the total cost of your sprinkler Solar setup? I have a project for a pond oxygenation.

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

The Li Time Equipment with today's sale price is $588. The enclosure is $183 and the rest of the parts are around $225. So the total price would be around $1000. I am not sure this inverter would start a pond aerator. Compressors can be extremely hard to start. I would suggest a bigger inverter.

[@bobflores]

You said you ran the pump until the battery ran down and the inverter shut down, but you didn't say how long it ran. Will it run long enough to complete the garden watering? Are you going to build a solar panel mount on the fence or a growing mount? Cool setup. Thanks for the video.

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

The battery wasn't fully charged to start. It ran about a half an hour, before the inverter shut down on low voltage, the battery was around 11.5 volts. So it shut down before it was completely drained. Since then, I have ran it a couple times, and with solar panels charging, it ran for an hour before I shut it off. It hasn't shut down on me since that first day.

[@rozmoran1840]

Hi Evan, could you do a video on building and or buying bits and information on “Rotating Solar Panels” ? I have 30 solar panels using micro inverters on the house with 2 batteries in the in-house garage but I would like to add more. My double garage / shed has a gable roof but the two faces are in the wrong orientation to use. But my carport has a skillion roof, all I need would be the rotating solar panels and using your outdoor setup with micro inverters and battery. Is that possible ?

[@diegojines-us9pc]

i would highly suggest using a center punch for marking the holes. drill bit wondering is alot of pain when working with such tight layout. you dont want to start rimming out holes to get them to fit. and what about grounding? no external grounding? even a GFCI wouldnt be consider as safe since they are no ground, so dont touch the box. other than that. great little system. mobile for a small shed or out building. or mounted to roll around stand mount. and some what cheaper than your ECOFLOW>

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

@diegojines-us9pc i did use a center punch. And i showed it once in the video when mounting the terminal block. I can't show every step or the video would have be 2 hours long. The gfci will work. If positive and neutral aren't equal it will trip. Around a 7 milli-amps difference causes it to trip. It doesn't monitor the ground. The ground provides a safe path back to the source. And I did mention a ground rod in the video.

[@diegojines-us9pc]

@@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects sorry about missing the ground rod part. by the way. the code states you can replace a non grounded outlet with a GFCI, because the code thinks a GFCI is better than no ground. but not to be used a replacement for not having a ground. just for all your watchers. be safe.

[@RoadKillsRanch]

The manual reset for low voltage on the inverter is a bummer. Is that a safety requirement for all inverters? Nice video! I've made Christmas light controllers in boxes just like that.

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

No, some inverters will reset themselves

[@johnzink3309]

Thx

[@laurencenarcisi4370]

Such s tremendous protection of the inverter. Did you do the same for batteries?

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

@laurencenarcisi4370 the battery is in an outdoor battery box.

[@gdad0683]

Fuses, Fuses on the battery cables.

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

The BMS will shut off the battery if it goes over 100 amps.

[@nvwilderness6902]

You are mitigating heat - but what about cold - will this set up work for areas that get lots of snow and months of freezing weather?

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

hopefully the inverter and charger will make their own heat.

[@stenandersen4696]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

👍

[@ArtWagoner]

You really need to fuse your DC and GFCI on the AC side.

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

That could be done. But the battery BMS will shut off the battery on high current. And the outlet is GFCI

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

@@ArtWagoner you could get din rail mounted fuse holders to fuse the AC side.

[@swingreach1]

why are their so many commercials on your channel now?

[@Ron-sp7lw]

why are solar panel making dc insted of ac ?

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

Solar panels make DC voltage. You have to install a micro inverter on the panel for it to make AC voltage.

[@VicVidrine]

but you are blocking the ventilation. No ?

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

No, the air flows just fine. This is exactly how it is done in industrial applications.

[@VicVidrine]

@@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects Yeah, once you turned the box over I could see the fan housing had an opening in the bottom. Couldn't see that the first time. Great job as usual.

[@nomoreusmc]

Why continuously screw people with 12 volt solar? You spend twice the money for half the power, then you spend as much on a 48 volt system as you do on your cabling to move current instead of voltage. You're doing people a serious disservice shame on you

[@CountryViewSolar-DIYProjects]

For a small system like this. (2000 watts or less) 12 Volt can be more economical and will work fine. For Larger Systems, 48 volts is the better choice.

[@michaelpetty8416]

Did the system work for what he wanted? I didn’t hear him say “it can only be done this way”.

[@brcc6535]

Excellent I'm going to build the same after seeing this. Cheers from OZ 🦘