Building an Off Grid Growatt Integrated Solar Power System - Part 2 of 3 videos

Part 2 of 3 videos for Building an Off Grid Integrated Solar Power System
Links:
richsolar.com/...
richsolar.com/...
richsolar.com/...
richsolar.com/...
Items I used for my Solar Basement Build:
PV:
I am using 4 RICH SOLAR 100 Watt, 12 Volt Polycrystalline Solar Panels.
For the Solar cable I am using Temco 10 AWG Gauge PV Cable Wire with Black + Red Male Female Connectors.
I have 2 sets of 2 panels connected in Parallel, that are connected in series to give me 24 volts using LINKPAL Y Branch Connectors in pairs for the Parallel Connections between the Solar Panels.
For connecting and protecting the PV input I am using an ECO-WORTHY 4 String PV Combiner Box with Lightning Arrester, 10A Rated Current Fuse and Circuit Breakers for my 4 Solar Panels. Room to expand.
Integrated off Grid System:
Growatt SPF 3000TL LVM - 24V - Integrated 3KW rated output, pure sine wave inverter. 2000W Solar Charger. 60A AC Charger. Grid or solar input priority.
Battery:
I purchased 2 Battle Born LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Battery - 100Ah 12v with Built-in BMS - 3000-5000 Deep Cycle Rechargeable Battery.
Using TEMCo WC0178-20' (10' Blk, 10' Red) 2 Gauge AWG Cable, Copper Wire BLACK + RED it is MADE IN USA and great to work with. 5/16 SELTERM UL Listed Heavy Duty Wire Lugs 2 Gauge AWG, Battery Cable Ends, Ring Terminal Crimp Connectors. Young4us 3/4'' Heat Shrink Tube Adhesive-Lined Heat Shrinkable Tubing Black & RED.
I have a 200A WindyNation ANL Fuse Holder + ANL Fuse in the battery box.
I have a Jtron 150A AMP inline Circuit Breaker, protecting the Growatt battery input.
The Battery Cable Quick Connectors (Anderson type) are Ruikarhop 175A AWG 1/0.
AC:
Circuit Breaker Distribution Box, Outdoor Waterproof Distribution Box Breaker for 5 WAYS Circuit Breaker Indoor on The Wall.
EHAKL - DZ47-63 C40 - 40 Amp 2 Pole Din Rail Mount Circuit Breaker UL 110 Volt 50/60Hz 4500 Amp
EHAKL - DZ47-63 C20 - 20 Amp 2 Pole Din Rail MCB Circuit Breaker 4500Amp @ 110V 50/60 Hz
Journeyman-Pro 5279 15 Amp 120-125 Volt, NEMA 5-15 Flanged Outlet, Black Commercial Grade, 2 Pole-3 Wire, Straight Blade Plug Charger Receptacle (w/Front Cover)
Journeyman-Pro 5278 15 Amp 120-125 Volt, NEMA 5-15 Flanged Inlet, Black Commercial Grade, 2 Pole-3 Wire, Straight Blade Plug Charger Receptacle (Front & Back Cover)
10 AWG Gauge 3 core for the power from Home Depot for the AC cable in and out of the system.
I added a P3 P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor to monitor the AC output to my appliances.
Helpful Links:
richsolar.com/...
DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse:
/ @willprowse
Will's Website: www.mobile-sol...
Watts247 Website: watts247.com/
This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only endorse products that I have benefitted from and personally used.

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy B-S-I, Thanks for #2 COOP ...

[@benkanobe7500]

Link to crimper?? In your very good list (Thank You), I wasn't able (I am a beginner) to tell what your breaker box was for the AC In/out. It really looks clean. Also, what are those "nut" looking things you are using on the AC wires in and out of boxes, breakers, .....?

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Ben, good questions. The breaker box (it has HT-5 on the front) was a cheap box ($15) I purchased on Amazon. The two circuit breakers I purchased on ebay. The nuts, called cable gland locknuts I found at Home Depot, when I purchased the AC cable. Circuit Breaker Distribution Box, Outdoor Waterproof Distribution Box Breaker for 5 WAYS Circuit Breaker. EHAKL - DZ47-63 C40 - 40 Amp 2 Pole Din Rail Mount Circuit Breaker UL 110 Volt 50/60Hz 4500 Amp EHAKL - DZ47-63 C20 - 20 Amp 2 Pole Din Rail MCB Circuit Breaker 4500Amp @ 110V 50/60 Hz I hope this helps.

[@BadKarmaM3]

Very clean build.

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Thank you, I appreciate your response. I think there is always room for improvement, but it was my first attempt, so plan to add more panels and batteries in the future.

[@Vlfkfnejisjejrjtjrie]

Nice setup!

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Thank you, It is still a work in process, I plan to add two more Battle Born batteries and four more Rich Solar panels later in the year.

[@huysworld701]

Great vid... is there any way to connect the growwatt to house main panel? Thanks

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Hi, Huy’s World. Good question, to my knowledge the best way to have your solar power feed into your home system is via a sub panel. There are a lot of good videos on KZbin describing how to do that. Make sure you view several videos because you are working with AC power that can kill you. There are also other safety issues that need to be understood. You could start by checking out this one - DIY Off Grid Solar Panels with Sub Panel wiring - Let me know if this helped.

[@huysworld701]

thank you, something like a transfer switch panel right?

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

@@huysworld701 The Growatt already has an automatic transfer switch for connecting to the grid, but I don’t think that was what you were talking about. I thought you want to send AC power from the Growatt inverter into your main breaker box or load center that provides power to your home. If that is correct, you would need a qualified electrician to make that connection, as there are major issues with doing that which require expert knowledge and experience. However, what some people do is add a sub panel, which is basically another small breaker box (connected to the main breaker box) that feeds certain appliances or areas within the home. Once again you really need a qualified election to make those connections.

[@huysworld701]

@@BrightSparkIdeas thank you 👍

[@putteslaintxtbks5166]

It sounded like your tinning (soddering) wires befor you crimp the lug on. That's how I use to do them, till I watched anther u-tubber, and he explained that you don't get a cold weld between strands that way. Nice set-up. Thanks for the vids.

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Hi, yes I had heard that too about the cold weld, and ordinally I had been soldering lugs, not crimping them. Then I found a good tool capable of crimping the large lugs, so now I do not solder them or tin the wire before crimping. I have a video of crimping the cable using the jig I made to hold the crimping tool to make it easier to use.

[@benkanobe7500]

I'm having trouble finding "real" Anderson Connectors (their actual website is a pain if you are a beginner like me). Where did you get your large handle-equipped red Anderson connector? Did you solder or crimp the wires? Thank you.

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Ben, I purchased mine for Amazon. I think this was the ones I ordered - 175A 600V Battery Connector AWG 1/0 Quick Connect Battery Modular Power Connectors for Winch Auto Car Trailer Driver Electrical Devices 1-2 Gauge. I am not sure if they really are from 'Anderson' , but they worked well for me. I have tried crimping with my hydraulic wire crimper (you can see my video where I upgraded my crimper), but I was not happy with the results, so I went back to soldering. I just use one of those small blowtorches and get good results.

[@onlinelabs]

Thanks for vids, helped a lot. Any chance you have vid of your line in/out assembly, breakers ect? Most just cut extension cord in half, and use for line in/out. Thx again

[@mikenewman4078]

@@BrightSparkIdeas Agreed the barrels of the Anderson connection inserts are too thin to crimp. They don't work well with my indent type crimper either.

[@williamseptember640]

Hi, if I’m on SOL and the battery is fully charged at mid day, why does the SOL disconnect ? and inverter runs from the battery again?

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Hi William, that is an interesting question. Perhaps some of the other KZbinrs on this channel can add their suggestions too. My Growatt is also set to SOL and this setting has worked well for me for several years. Solar energy provides power to all my loads as long as there is sufficient amount of direct sun on the panels. If the solar energy is not sufficient then the battery bank will supply the power. This has worked well during the summer months, but even here in California the battery kicks in and eventually the utility takes over especially during prolonged cloudy days. I had to double my battery bank to improve the situation. Perhaps you have insufficient number of solar panels or you could improve their location. Shading is an issue with panels and some people find it necessary to have panels with different locations and orientations to compensate for the movement of the sun. You can always test the output of the solar panels after mid-day to see if they are still providing sufficient power. Not sure if this helps, let me know.

[@williamseptember640]

@@BrightSparkIdeas I am happy your setup works properly, could u please share your settings. I have 2x 3.3kwh Growatt hope batteries and 375w x 6, in to 2 strings

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

@@williamseptember640 Hi William, sorry I am away on vacation and not returning until end of September. As far as I remember all my settings were the default settings, so I can't check unti October.

[@williamseptember640]

@@BrightSparkIdeas I will appreciate, if u can get back to me once you return from a nice holiday

[@leochen4891]

Nice setup. Questions please Do you keep the inverter always on? Are your solar panels big enough to offset the standby consumption?

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Hi Lei, great question. This system was a test project and as such has a very light load. This past Summer the four 100w Rich solar panels and my two Battle Born batteries worked well as a system, but not during the winter. Yes, I had the inverter on all the time, but during prolonged wet and cloudy days the load was supplied by the grid most of the time. Right after I completed the system, I got very busy and was not able to monitor or collect data about how well the system was performing. So, I plan to add, as soon as I have the extra cash, two more batteries and 400w more of solar to see how that works.

[@leochen4891]

@@BrightSparkIdeas thanks for the reply. Looking forward to seeing your update on the system.

[@zoleeeagle9339]

Thanks for this video. I have the same inverter and they did mention in the instruction manual the size of the Input AC breaker between the inverter and power sources which 40Amp, but they didn't mention the AC breaker size for the output line. You have installed a 20Amp AC breaker, is that correct? Thank you

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Hi, Zolee, yes, you are correct a 20-amp breaker. I only have a light load of two refrigerators and occasionally a washer and dryer, the dryer is gas, so really a very light constant load. I would check with an electrician and size your breaker based on the circuit and what your load is going to be. I hope you are having a nice summer in NZ. Best regards John

[@zoleeeagle9339]

@@BrightSparkIdeas Hi John. Thank you for your quick response. I definitely want to ask an electrician before I install any, 👍and yes we are getting a hot summer down here now 😂

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

@@zoleeeagle9339 Kia ora Volee, my system has been working great for over a year, I hope you have great success with yours. I really like the Growatt and I added two 200-watt 24V panels in the summer to my solar array, so that gives me plenty of power during the day, but I need to add more battery capacity to keep from using the grid at night during this time of year when we get cloudy days. Stay cool down there, John

[@flyHawaii989]

Great video! Really helps. I'm setting up my system this week almost identical to yours here on the Big Island of Hawai'i. I have a question about the smseace breaker box. Is it self explanatory on how to run the wire in from the Growatt to the breaker box for distribution out to different breakers? I have 3 20 amp 1/pole breakers that I want to split my 3000 Watts to and I'm not sure from the pictures on Amazon how to connect the power from the Growatt to the box, or is the box just a simple mount for the breakers and I'll have to use a splitter on an extention cord from the Growatt before the breaker box? Thank you so much!!

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Greg good to hear you are building a solar system, I think the Growatt is an excellent all-in-one unit. I am however, really uncomfortable about answering questions about how to wire AC connections, as getting it wrong can be dangerous even lethal. So, with that said, I have two circuit breakers, 40 amp on the AC input and a 20 amp on the output. Mine are dual pole, but single pole breakers are fine. If you look at my third video it shows the system in operation. Splitting the output after the breaker would seem a simple solution. I am not sure if this helps.

[@Drifty325i]

Subscribed. Is that some hybrid Kiwi American accent? nice setup

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Good-day mate. I am a Brit who has now lived in the USA longer than I did in the UK, so hybrid American accent is an accurate assessment ;-)

[@michaelbouckley4455]

Those hydraulic Chinese crimpers can get the die stuck in the piston

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Hi Michael, have you had that happen to you and how did you resolve the problem? I have not experienced that problem, even though I have used several different die sizes. I did make a jig that holds the crimper in place, while I am pumping that is really a big improvement. Please checkout my KZbin video of the jig and let me know if you think that might help. - I think it is called Improving my Hydraulic Wire Crimping Tool

[@michaelbouckley4455]

@@BrightSparkIdeas Not to me, but read a review on a sales site. I would suggest WD40 & or grease on the pin. Bigger versions may not have same problems

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

@@michaelbouckley4455 Thank you Michael, that is a good idea.

[@daryljackson3704]

I am confused..... You call this an "off grid" system, yet you have a grid connect coming in ?? Can this growatt truely be an off gid system ?

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Hi Daryl, My understanding is that "off-grid" implies that you are not feeding the grid with electricity generated by your solar. Unlike "grid-tied" where you are sending excess electricity produced by your solar system into the grid and storing it a grid account. My system only supplies one circuit in the property and only uses electricity from the grid as a backup when solar power from the panels or my batteries is not sufficient or available. So, the Growatt Inverter I purchased is described as a "Off- Grid" Inverter, however, Growatt also manufactures "Grid-Tied" Inverters. I hope this helps, best regards John

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Lee Hammond - Re your question about my hydraulic wire crimper. The one you highlighted is similar, but this is the one I purchased from Amazon: - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XR8BY65/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 You can see how I modified my hydraulic wire crimper to make it easier to handle lots of crimps in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6vVpaOGhJiLoKM

[@damianmarley7177]

I can’t get them to charge my SOK batteries to 100%

[@davidkettell6236]

you need way more panels to be worth your while .i have 3 200 watt rich solar panels and they will not keep my 6000 btu a/c running for more than a few hours

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

David you are correct. I started this system to learn more about solar, but have limited space for solar panels. I have recently added a couple of 200W - 24V Rich solar panels that acutely work well for my limited daily load.

[@davidkettell6236]

@@BrightSparkIdeas mine are rich solar also .they are quite efficient for the price. i think i can gey 2 more on my porch roof but i would hsve to upgrade my charge controller .thinking about a Growatt all in one.

[@capecoaster69]

i mean decent work done !!!!

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Thank you, my system is still working great. I just added a new KZbin video of adding more batteries to the system.

[@JjMn1000]

Kool

[@BrightSparkIdeas]

Thank you, I hope it was helpful.

[@MuhammadIqbal-uh6oi]

.