☀️ *NEWEST UPGRADES TO OUR SYSTEM SEPTEMBER 2021* kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5bEcoGwn9-qnJI
@JourneyOnLife4 жыл бұрын
This is seriously the BEST video on this topic I EVER saw : ) Great products. Super good simple explanation. Thank you. I am totally gonna start thinking about what I want to do for my house.
@DeepSnowRider4 жыл бұрын
Wish you listed how much this upgrade costed you.
@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving4 жыл бұрын
Wow. Glad it was helpful.
@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving4 жыл бұрын
The prices are in the links in the description.
@brandonlacour12774 жыл бұрын
what are you gonna do with all your old components and batteries?
@fisherus4 жыл бұрын
I want to give you a little advice on safety on your solar system for two reasons. One is, you aren't aware of them and the second is those folks watching how you do certain things are probably going to be making the same mistakes. Never connect your positive wires last on DC current but, connect the "Negative" wires after placing a 1 ohm resister between your hot negative ( battery or power side) and the negative you will be attaching it to. Make sure you touch both leads on the resister to both negative wires or terminals and then immediately connect the two. This will keep from blowing up electronic components inside of your charger and inverter. I'm sure you heard the pop sound when you connected the positive side of your battery bank. Additionally, use shrink tube on all wire terminal connections. The cable terminals on your batteries look terrible and will corrode without using it. You have way too much bare copper on your terminals exposed. Finally, you should have a PV disconnect switch on the outside of your solar shed to turn off your system in case of fire.
@gastongonzalez2214 жыл бұрын
Great advice. It looks like there should be another fuse between the solar charge controller and main positive based on the amps the panels are pushing, right?
@kuhrd4 жыл бұрын
Using a precharge resistor is a very good idea and with most inverters and charge controllers is a requirement. As far as whether you connect positive or negative last or first does not matter since everything around the batteries is wood and non-conductive at the 24v he is dealing with here. The only time it is a good idea to connect the negative last when making a connection or disconnecting it first when breaking a connection is if the chassis of whatever you are working on is grounded to the negative cable so that if you are using a wrench it won't matter if you short it to the chassis. If the chassis is positively grounded which is still common in old tractors and some vehicles in countries outside of North America then the positive would be the best connection to make or break the circuit. Regarding the cable terminals, these crimps will be just fine, and since these batteries are in a shed protected from the elements they won't really corrode since they are lithium rather than lead-acid. At the most, he could apply a bit of dielectric grease as a barrier but it is never a good idea to heat shrink battery cables unless you are using it as a barrier to prevent short and then you should use clear heat shrink so you can see the connection since most heat shrink will hold in moisture making corrosion more likely. Having a PV disconnect is also a very good idea at both the array and in the shed.
@aqpham844 жыл бұрын
Are you saying he should connect both negative leads to the resistor to complete the circuit then bypass the resistor by connecting the negative leads together? Just asking to learn.
@kuhrd4 жыл бұрын
@@aqpham84 Yes the resistor bridges the connection first and allows the capacitors in the charge controllers and inverter to charge up and equalize to the battery bank voltage more slowly which also dramatically reduces or in most cases eliminates the spark when you make the final connection. You can also buy DC isolation switches that have the precharge resistor built-in which is the preferred method since an isolation switch is a code requirement in the USA IIRC even if off-grid and just makes common sense in any semi-permanent install.
@johnb41834 жыл бұрын
Craig Fisher Where are those batteries going to be after a moderate earthquake ?
@KBC-694204 жыл бұрын
For myself, someone who is just getting started in the world of solar/off-grid power/electrical systems, finding this video really helped me sort some things out. 100 Gold stars!
@skeeterburke4 жыл бұрын
are you a fan of Cheap RV Living like me? I think his name is Bob? great channel. Subbed to this one, I'm always looking for good ideas
@JJHDZ684 жыл бұрын
💯❌💯 👍👍 same here!
@nancyst.john-smith38914 жыл бұрын
Look for Will Prowse’s Book, “Mobile Solar Power”. I bought the Kindle version for putting solar in my van. It’s very straight forward and a good reference for understanding what it all means and calculating your needs. Another Bob Wells Cheaprvliving channel nugget of knowledge. He has had Will Prowse on his channel.
@starkenterprises23712 жыл бұрын
Bear in mind there were several mistakes in this build. Some worse than others. Read comments for list of improvements.
@viktorkosenko24613 жыл бұрын
good day. My name is Victor and I'm from Ukraine. I want to say that I liked the improved system. I respect people who strive for sustainable independence
@worldpresidentkongjakjaide16093 жыл бұрын
Agree. Let's help everyone becomes sustainable independence. (I do it by living naturally and self-reliantly in my private 0.4-acre arable land, which is a size that each of all 8 billion humans can own if all arable land on earth is shared equally.)
@lobsterDan223 жыл бұрын
What do you suggest? I am building a off grid house currently.
@Xyz123912 жыл бұрын
It was nice to see how much power a generator provides versus the solar power setup. Many of us have used a generator and are planning a solar panel setup. Thanks for providing a reference point for what to expect.
@coolmugs-ke3 жыл бұрын
really love how detailed and open he is, clean and slow explanation any one can learn from him even without prior experience
@BrokeBeardedGuy4 жыл бұрын
I find the comment section hilarious. Some people have no idea the cost and putting in on grid installations. I think you're doing an amazing job love the video
@TimYorty4 жыл бұрын
true - you need to remember you're building a small power generating station. You get what you pay for.
@offgridbydesign38264 жыл бұрын
Great upgrades. A couple of safety suggestions. 1. Add a disconnect switch at your panels. 2. Add a disconnect switch at your batteries (this will also prevent sparking in the future if you have to disconnect or you can use a resistor to drain the capacitor in the batteries before connecting) 3. Add a lighting suppressor to system. 4. Add a grounding rod at panels 5. add a grou d to your generator. Great progress, keep it going.
@falcons56834 жыл бұрын
Quit using the term "bad boy".
@sosteve91134 жыл бұрын
Good advice
@Nutzernameungueltig44 жыл бұрын
...Don't use flammable plates to mount electric components on...
@ThePunkin043 жыл бұрын
Why didn’t he heat shrink the cables
@Skashoon2 жыл бұрын
With all the money you’ve put into this, is it EMF protected?
@routerfixer3 жыл бұрын
Why don't you have any isolators in the cables? I have solar on my narrow boat in the UK and we have isolators on the positives from both solar arrays to the controllers. DC breakers between the solar controllers and the batteries, and the charger for when we are on shore power. Plus a main fuse and isolator on the main battery cable. It makes it easier to disconnect and the isolators stop the sparks when you reconnect.
@QuantumBraced3 жыл бұрын
This is the most objective review I've ever seen, complete with wearing the merchandise of the company that sent all the stuff for free.
@kungfooed59993 жыл бұрын
Honestly if they gave me that amount of free stuff, I would proudly display their gear as well lol.
@kungfooed59993 жыл бұрын
1k a piece for the batteries :o
@christopher51943 жыл бұрын
@@kungfooed5999 Yep, $11,000 for the system not including the solar panel frames and the 2/0 wiring (usually $1.75 per foot).
@johnstancliff73284 жыл бұрын
Martin, you should add a cut-off switch to your battery array. that way, if you ever have to change them out, they won't spark when you make-break the connection.
@luisderivas60054 жыл бұрын
Yep, that's what Sally Safety says at 8:35. Also, Martin should do himself a favor and place shelves between each row on batteries. If a batt on the bottom row goes kaput, its going to be fun balancing 90lbs of batteries to pull it out.
@billssolarpowerandgardenin10164 жыл бұрын
@@luisderivas6005 I don’t like the inverter buried where it can’t get air straight thru.
@orange11squares4 жыл бұрын
if one battery goes bad then all you have to do is remove the connection between that battery and the one along it connected in series with it. The current wont flow on 2 series batteries (one good and one bad) and you have 6 left. Shelves on each row is a good idea.
@theshmucky29563 жыл бұрын
I have watched so many videos that just confused me even more... thank you for finally explaining the basics to set up a decent solar powered system!
@Joakimny3 жыл бұрын
Just a tip, to avoid sparks, connect positive first, then the negative. When disconnecting take off the Negative first. The same goes for anything on DC power, otherwise 2 thumbs up.
@Hefek3 жыл бұрын
The "positive first" rule applies to conecting and disconecting booster cables when jump starting the car. To avoid sparks NEAR THE BATTERY, you connect the negative clamp to car body or engine block and remember to always make and break connection at this (far from battery) point. This is to avoid ignition of hydrogen / oxygen mixture gassed out by battery when charged at high rate.
@hwangeva14643 жыл бұрын
Sounds good suggetion
@tonysmith263 жыл бұрын
Or perhaps use proper circuit isolation? 🙄
@BEASTmodeontheRoad2 жыл бұрын
@@Hefek its always think positive when working with power
@harrywynne28392 жыл бұрын
Use a graphite carpenter pencil lead to charge the capacitors, takes a second, then there wont be any sparking.
@jasontilley46444 жыл бұрын
Your solar setup is nice and tidy. That's probably my biggest issue with most solar installs. Cheers.
@hwangeva14643 жыл бұрын
but i did not see the solar panel set up yet
@tonysmith263 жыл бұрын
That’s far from tidy with zero mechanical protection of cables and all cables devoid of support.
@noneya35044 жыл бұрын
Again, very nice setup. Just one step I would have taken. Your short negative wires have wire exposed between the lug and the coating. Always a good practice to use heat shrink or electrical tape to wrap the gap so there is no copper wire visible. Just for safety.
@patmccormack81353 жыл бұрын
The Sigmaform heatshrink has meltable glue on the inside. Stops it sliding and acts to stop moisture.
@101markharris2 жыл бұрын
What about the bare lugs ?
@RyanJWassink3 жыл бұрын
Love it - I didn't notice anyone else mentioning strapping the batteries to the wall or putting a cover of some sort in front of the electric connections. Knowing my luck I'd walk in there with a shovel or something, spin around, short it out, and zap myself. I'd then jump 2' high and knock those batteries off the wall. Personally (not that anyone asked) I'd probably a shelf out of OSB that would go between each battery and then some threaded standoffs so that you could put a sheet of plexiglass in front of everything as a guard. Attach with thumbscrews so that it would come off quickly. As a middle school teacher I'm always thinking about what a typical 7th grader would do - and unfortunately "zap himself" is the first thing that came to mind :-) LOVE the video and the content! Just getting ready to start a solar cabin project.
@danielsundberg19774 жыл бұрын
You should have an isolation switch/breaker on your positive lead, have it off when connecting leads and you will get no sparks!
@wendyking97594 жыл бұрын
Jm. Thanx
@MrSummitville4 жыл бұрын
@@wendyking9759 NO! You will still get a very high inrush current, when using a switch. The spark is not the problem, the spark is the symptom of the problem = high inrush current Battle Born suggests using an Inrush Limiter.
@bryanminugh96804 жыл бұрын
The center straps (between the left and right batteries) are meant to have a fuse link, for fire prevention as the cells bridge internally at the end of their useable life.
@martin15003 жыл бұрын
@@bryanminugh9680 where can I find resources on such detailed information like this. I want to build my system right
@patmccormack81353 жыл бұрын
@@martin1500 Me too..
@donaldwelch45153 жыл бұрын
Enjoyed the video on your upgrade to your solar system. Lots of descriptions of each component. The one thing that you forgot to mention is the expense and what it would cost for each battery at $900 each and you were running eight of them. Total cost close to 10,000 dollars just in batteries. It would good to know what these items would cost us and not what you got them for for promoting Battle Born.
@BrainScrambler803 жыл бұрын
Also in saying that....If you replace these batteries every 10 years it would cost you 1000 dollars a year to run this system on the low end.
@Wayne-hs6gm3 жыл бұрын
If it produces enough electricity. It could very well be a source of income of energy to sell back into the cities power grid. I mean spend 10,000 every 10 years and you may make more money back
@poppaluv3 жыл бұрын
Thank you! i wish stuff like that was mentioned up front
@jameseden93803 жыл бұрын
@Peter Evans a ten hour day that takes 3 days to recover from? Are you ok bud?
@jameseden93803 жыл бұрын
@Peter Evans why does it take you three days to recover? Are you broken?
@omadeitz33403 жыл бұрын
You just saved us. We needed batteries for our rv home now we are just going g with. Battle born.
@Dustindoesitall2 жыл бұрын
I enjoyed the video alot. The irony of being completely off grid and at the end pulling out the iphone with the fancy Bluetooth connected app was priceless. Poking all in good fun man this was great gave me alot of ideas for mine.
@marvelaturraz54054 жыл бұрын
"Bam!!" This guy's excited! So nice to see such enthusiasm over batteries!
@amishjim4 жыл бұрын
Yea, one could say that he's charged up.
@mysilentprayersalways19134 жыл бұрын
I have solar, so when the power goes out I will have light and heat. Winter in Iowa makes for cold bones with no power.
@pixiedust13294 жыл бұрын
Just a thought you might want to but a safety strap to hold the batteries in place as a safety precaution. Its just a thought all in all it looks great...
@allan80supra4 жыл бұрын
THIS, or at least a 2x4 in front of each row, also as others have mentioned a circuit breaker on your solar panels, a battery disconnect switch and a pre-charge switch with a resistor inline for the inverter.
@MrGUYSTYLAZ4 жыл бұрын
I was thinking this exact same thing as soon as I saw him stack them above head height without any straps, you certainly wouldn't want one or more of those falling on your head or foot.
@denisw3984 жыл бұрын
Good observation I would add since batteries are not really intended to stack on their sides at least use some spacers at the front to compensate for the width of the battery clamp downs at the back. Will also improve airflow when they are heating due to high draw rates or for the battery warmer below in Winter!
@greengooseman3 жыл бұрын
As much as I would have hated the labels being upside downon the batteries, the negative cable for the shunt would have been much closer. Love your videos. Keep them coming.
@morpheus88672 жыл бұрын
GREEEEAT WORK!! If you're have some money, then, this system is the right for you to be electricity independent!!
@mr.smiley42633 жыл бұрын
Looks good! Glad you got a sponsor to help you with your projects.
@geradbruce74963 жыл бұрын
Thanks, people trying to help you is helping everyone else.
@thelostarchivesserialvault53534 жыл бұрын
Just a thought...Why not spray foam insulate the shed? If you mount a small solar panel on the shed roof you can use it to power a small heater fan in the shed. With a shed that small and IF the shed is sealed and insulated then it will easily keep that shed warm in the coldest temps. Have you considered installing a wi-fi cam in the shed? Also, so you don't have to go out to the panels to disconnect power there, you should consider installing a disconnect inside the shed. Would make your life easier for maintenance.
@MrSummitville4 жыл бұрын
Solar Heat might be even more efficient vs Solar Panel. Snow coverage is an issue
@stevenspencer91042 жыл бұрын
Brother I cannot tell you how much I appreciated that video. I am 65 and when solar power first came on the scene it was extremely complicated. It appears to me, if you have a few dollars to invest, You could slap this thing right together. And do you ever run air conditioning? It’s warm down here in South Louisiana.
@ChatGPT11114 жыл бұрын
I love my Battleborn Batteries and recently added 4 to my existing 10 AGM deep cycles which are now serving as my backup. They do come delivered with only a 30% long term storage charge level so you should charge them before use. Also, don’t forget the cutoff switches and fuses. I have fuses at the solar cells plus a lower level DC circuit breaker to save the fuses and the hassle of changing them.
@kimmer64 жыл бұрын
I have 2100 AH in cell tower AGM batteries and a new set of 1600 AH in LiFeP04 batteries. Each has different charging requirements and both banks are isolated. I don't know how you switch your banks but my major improvement was to add a Blue Sea marine rotary selector switch that is sealed and spark less. The switch is rated 500 Amps continuous and you can select Bank 1 or Bank 2 or run them combined or switch the batteries off. The switch was $70 on eBay. You can tell the thing was built for serious Amps as the connection studs on the back are 1/2''-13. The smaller switches have 3/8 inch studs. I leave it on Bank 2, the AGM's, and its float charger. The lithium cells get a charge about once a month from their own charger when I run the Onan diesel gen set for 20 minutes. That $70 switch was dirt cheap in the scheme of things. It switches banks or disconnects in half a second. It might fit your situation. A hydraulic terminal crimper gets a lot of use here, too.
@kencissel56633 жыл бұрын
Two things surprised me about your installation. One that you would just stack the batteries rather than make individual shelves for them, and second that you didn't install any kind of disconnect switch on the positive side of the battery harness. The large spark when you connected it showed very clearly the need for one. Other than that, a good install.
@soulwarrior77213 жыл бұрын
@Ken Cissel Im curious as to why he needs 2 charge controllers.
@rodneypearson52173 жыл бұрын
@@soulwarrior7721 Start watching at the 7:50 mark. They will be adding (added by now - see 17:00 mark) a smaller array to the system.
@Adenya_E3 жыл бұрын
Why aren’t the batteries 🔋 connected in parallel?
@christopher51943 жыл бұрын
@@Adenya_E The batteries are 12v. He needs 24v for the system and can accomplish this by connecting them in series rather than parallel.
@sichambers90113 жыл бұрын
@@Adenya_E They are in pairs connected in series. Each pair is connected in parallel
@dreamingcode3 жыл бұрын
I'm a complete novice when it comes to solar energy but I want to learn. This was a great video but I feel is for someone who already knows what he's doing.
@samarnold59523 жыл бұрын
Yeah, Me too. I was lost pretty quick.
@danford49869 ай бұрын
One thing he got right, although he didn't state it explicitly is his wiring the battery. He correctly connected the wires to OPPOSITE ends of the battery bank. Connecting to the same end of the bank will result in uneven battery wear. You got it right Martin.
@northidahodreaming56574 жыл бұрын
Excellent video...very well produced and staged...you deserve more subscribers. I have six 24 volt Simpliphi lithium iron phosphate batteries (867 Amp hours at 24 volts) in my off grid system having upgraded from AGM batteries one year ago. My homestead is 18 miles from you, just north of Naples Idaho.
@mccmike4 жыл бұрын
I'm impressed at the simplicity of a great working system. The only thing I would have added is a disconnect to the panels so you don't have to shut the power off from the panels in an emergency.
@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving4 жыл бұрын
That would be good. I should do that.
@lydiaanderson97654 жыл бұрын
@Mike How are you doing Hope we get to know each other with time and patience?
@benkanobe75003 жыл бұрын
Could you talk about why two different charge controllers (more). How are two controllers going to the same battery bank??? How can that work? Why wouldn't you have first charged the BB to full capacity prior to putting them online? Thank you.
@BorcaMartin Жыл бұрын
i quit all the news..al the movies i-m watching only your channel..God bless you..wonderful family..greatings from Romania
@mrmotofy4 жыл бұрын
Just an FYI the BMV might give you a .2v low reading in some units. There is a little oopsy that happened and the fuse is too small making too much resistance, so needs to be switched out for a 1A. There's info in a search to verify this all.
@donnawells25334 жыл бұрын
You did an A1 job on this video. The camera quality was excellent, great job.
@HARLINSVIKINGLIFELNC3 жыл бұрын
Yeah!!!! Absolutely he did !!!
@DeathbringerDrago3 жыл бұрын
HES RICH DUDE He probably has a 30,000 dollar camera
@jimmyjones97984 жыл бұрын
Got yourself a new sub. I have just started looking into solar power energy and your videos are really informative. Cheers
@theological71502 жыл бұрын
i really wish i understood this stuff better ..soon i will be homesteading and need tyo learn this stuff thank God for the internet and vids like this
@menorah74 жыл бұрын
Cool setup and upgrade just to let you know battleborn batteries are assembled in the United States but all their components are made in China!
@AnN-py2em4 жыл бұрын
Just FYI when people see professional installations they are not mounting all the electronics on you typical osb/ plywood. They use fire rated plywood and you should if you can.
@gerry74574 жыл бұрын
OSB isn't very flammable
@parmorama4 жыл бұрын
@@gerry7457 I think the residents of Paradise, California would disagree.
@williammcknight54194 жыл бұрын
@@parmorama haha, those fires didn't start because of solar... they started because of smart meters
@nortavon4 жыл бұрын
@@williammcknight5419 really hope you are being facetious with your smart meter comment, but without a ;) or any other indication, it will be assumed you're just another gullible idiot.
@williammcknight54194 жыл бұрын
@@nortavon says the troll that hides behind a fake name... If you can't reason and logic things out for yourself, there's a Democracy waiting for you
@jansmit46283 жыл бұрын
Nice detail on positive and negative wire lengths to the 8 batteries which insures minimal wire impedance differences. Shrink tubing would finish each crimpconnection a little nicer and minimize short circuit accidents.
@martinestorm37722 жыл бұрын
Exactly what I was thinking aswell! 😄
@starkenterprises23712 жыл бұрын
A little grease under that shrink wrap as well. Many little things wrong in this set up, too many to list, read comments. Hope all goes well.
@afos346211 ай бұрын
Good to see you shop American made, all Patriots should do. Thats why I shop UK made equipment. Keep Safe you all (AFOS in the UK).
@nunyabusiness14997 ай бұрын
Illusion: It's American assembled. Battleborn buys cells from China and then assembles them in the US.
@TheRetroStuffGuy2 жыл бұрын
Greetings from England! Very impressive setup! With extortionate energy bills now, this has given me food for thought, thank you!
@DavidChambers-p8j7 ай бұрын
what about the extortionate cost of lithium batteries?!
@kevkev59352 жыл бұрын
This was awesome. I've been going down the rabbit hole off grid solar video binges as I'm planning on building a small 600W backup setup in my shed. We're in Central Texas and having gone through the freeze last year and a week without power, I want another power source as a 2nd backup along with the dual fuel generator. Y'all sold me on the Battle Born batteries. Those have some killer reviews and I love that they are American made. Here's to getting many years out of them. God bless.
@expatron6 ай бұрын
Just an observation. The Battle Born batteries are designed and assembled in the U.S. However, various components are sourced elsewhere. The Battery Monitor System (BMS) is made in China, and I'm sure the actual 26650 battery cells are also Chinese. However the design and assembly are top-notch. Lots of thought went into this battery.
@daddouuuu3 жыл бұрын
Amazing setup! To avoid sparks you can have a ON/OFF switch right after the batteries. It's also a great safety thing to have in case you need to disconnect quickly the power from the batteries to your system.
@hwangeva14643 жыл бұрын
Sounds very useful suggestion,
@louiscirillo552 жыл бұрын
I was going to say the same thing... a master disconnect is a great safety feature
@450kman2 жыл бұрын
Cheap resistor
@УенделинБест2 жыл бұрын
And use a resistor e.g a 25W 30ohm for the 12V system thats a dollar or two on the -ve end for few seconds to charge up the capacitors. This will avoid the sudden surge that causes the spark. Saw it off Will Prowse videos.
@TheJessicaRoper2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the advice! We are totally adding this to our system bc shutting it off to add on and whatnot is lengthy ATM.
@herculestubalado90610 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving10 ай бұрын
You're welcome! Thanks for the Super Thanks!
@johnetheriedge86753 жыл бұрын
Mr Johnson, you are showing us this bank of Battleborn batteries, & I did hear you mention Battleborn assisted you with your upgrade. You did not mention that batteries alone are $8,000.00!!
@tumbleweed19764 жыл бұрын
It would be helpful if you disclosed Battle Born “partnered” with you at the beginning of your video or in the description.
@Hutzjohn4 жыл бұрын
yeah those batteries are about a thousand a piece on amazon with tax thats over 8 thousand dollars this is a bit deceptive.
@tumbleweed19764 жыл бұрын
@@Hutzjohn It’s a beautiful set up. He did great! My one Battle Born was $950 plus tax about 16 months ago.
@sosteve91134 жыл бұрын
Sound expensive
@christracy1304 жыл бұрын
Ouch, $8k in batteries alone. You could get a Tesla power wall for that kind of money
@logicwurx4 жыл бұрын
You can buy good solar batteries for about $250.00 each.
@props-model-shop4 жыл бұрын
Use a Resistor between the cable and the terminal. Hold them together for a couple of seconds. This will discharge the sparking. Then add cable to terminal as per usual....
@props-model-shop4 жыл бұрын
@ Yep
@brenathedadal99297 ай бұрын
Satu mekanisme sistem tenaga Surya yg besar. Saya sangat menyukai video video anda, semoga diwaktu masa depan saya bisa membangun sistem ini untuk rumah keluarga besar kami...
@mfla14774 жыл бұрын
You have a great video going , very informative. I like the fellow who commented on using the resistor poor to making final connection. What I would like if for safety glasses be worn when making final connections. Eye protection cannot be overstated. Especially when living off the grid. Thanks Mike
@peterevenhuis26634 жыл бұрын
you forget your safety, you need a battery disconnect circuit breaker that works as a fuse and you avoid the spark. Same for the solar panels but a circuit breaker to disconnect from inside the plugs are not designed to disconnect under load.
@todddunn9453 жыл бұрын
Yup, I was just going to post the same thing. Also he can't use just any breakers/switches between the panels and he charge controllers because of the high DC voltages involved. On the big array he needs components rated for 100 VDC and he needs components rated for 75 VDC on the smaller array based on how it appears to be wired (series parallel). I also think the wires from the charge controllers to the shunt and batteries are undersized. That 70 output Victron controller needs #4 wire and the 50 amp controller needs #6.
@tonysmith263 жыл бұрын
Yep. This ⬆️⬆️⬆️
@TerryCassar2 жыл бұрын
Love the set up. Just be aware that lithium batteries operate completely different then AGM, Lead Acid etc. first rule of thumb is to fully charge the batteries individually. The reason is that they might be at different voltages. Lithium batteries don’t automatically balance themselves as do lead Acid batteries. Now if your batteries are not balanced within 0.2-0.3 of a volt of each other, the situation can snowball thus resulting in a severe in balance. If this happens whilst your using your inverter at full noise you can destroy one of your BMS units in one or more of your batteries. I’m not familiar with those batteries, wether they have some hidden BMS that balances all your batteries. I’m speaking for a general setup. Cheers
@V.Z.692 жыл бұрын
How does a lead batter balance it's charging in series and parallel, and lithium not? It would seem that circuitry (a programmed motherboard) with switches would be necessary if that's the case. But again, how would a lead batter stop charging and pass the voltage down the line to a more-depleted battery? Interesting subject, something I'm not familiar with. But we need some insight to make this a worthy footnote. Cheers.
@rmr41732 жыл бұрын
Good Point! that was precisely one of my observations. By experience definitely is very important to fully charge all Lithium batteries first no matter the model. If it is not done, in some untypical cases they start to register a false load readings and shorten their useful life. Unfortunately Lithium pricing will keep increasing.
@CR-iz1od2 жыл бұрын
why wouldn't you fully discharge them, seems faster, safer, easier and more accurate.
@GarthVader782 жыл бұрын
@terrycassar I was wondering if its ok for the lithium batteries to be lying on their sides, is that fine for them?
@silversponge42593 жыл бұрын
Your are living my dream life. Currently in the city and ready to get away from the craziness and be self sustainable. Congratulations to you and yours. I'm jealous!!
@darnellwatkins40313 жыл бұрын
Dude, that's almost $8000.00 in batteries. That's insane! However, I love the setup. Great job!
@andrewswingler3 жыл бұрын
@Mdnosliw Yeah these videos seem like a total infomercial for lithium. Lead has significantly better economics for off grid. Anyone who thinks the case for lithium is stronger for off grid solar is either lying or somewhat confused.
@pray4Liberals3 жыл бұрын
The batteries come free when you purchase an $8000 t-shirt!
@martinwinlow3 жыл бұрын
@@andrewswingler Sorry, but *you* are very obviously the confused one, here! In the long term (if not in the short-term also, now) Li far outweighs lead in *every* way!
@andrewswingler3 жыл бұрын
@@martinwinlow shall we debate the pros and cons with overall cost of ownership the ultimate decider? let’s start with the typical storage requirements for an off grid solar system. By all definitions a well designed system will perhaps store and release between 50 and 100 times the storage capacity of the battery bank annually. May we begin with the realization/acceptance that off grid solar does not inherently require high cycle life batteries?
@martinwinlow3 жыл бұрын
@@andrewswingler There is only one *potential* downside of Li Vs lead and that is their propensity for thoroughly dying if mis-used - lead-acid being a lot more forgiving. A properly designed system using the right kit (such as showcased in this video) avoids 99% of that danger, however. I've been using Li batteries for 10+ years and lead-acid for 40 years before that. So, no debate necessary, thanks all the same!
@RandomPerson-sb5mw3 жыл бұрын
That is a sweet setup! 10 -15 Grand? You might want to consider putting a disconnect switch on the batteries. Great job!
@hwangeva14643 жыл бұрын
there is fuse i think,safety
@stephanweinberger3 жыл бұрын
You can avoid the spark by precharging the inverter's capacitors. Connect the battery via a high power resistor (e.g. 25 Ohms/25 W) first; this limits the inrush current. After a few seconds the caps are charged up and you can remove the resistor and attach the battery cable permanently. This also doesnt stress the caps as much.
Question Stephan, if you don’t use the resistor, can it damage the equipment?
@tonyleverett14833 жыл бұрын
@@ElJasperino you ask about the use of a resistor - if you think of when a light bulb 'blows', it's always when you switch it on. This is due to the inrush current being much greater that the current when in use (the filament is cold, and so has very low resistance indeed). The use of the resistor limits the 'inrush' current to a reasonable level, thus pre-charging the inverters input components (primarily the capacitors), thus REDUCING the RISK of damage from the inrush currents. Over the time I've been looking at off-grid power, I've not seen any reference to them being 'needed', but virtually every KZbin channel I've seen (eg TheDigitalMermaid) seem to be using them, and as one with 50 years playing with electrics, electronics, computing and radio, I'd probably say that there is a greater risk of damage if you were not using it.
@ElJasperino3 жыл бұрын
@@tonyleverett1483 thank you very much for your detailed answer.
@SarahStuff-p5u11 ай бұрын
I wish where I lived this would fly, that was such a good rundown even I have very little confusion, so simply done
@zalleywaalley82273 жыл бұрын
You may already know this, but next time you’re working on that system get rid of that fuse and put in a resettable breaker, and put one closer to your positive battery terminal preferably within 6 inches that way if you have to disconnect and reconnect your batteries, your trip the breaker so that when you’re reconnecting everything you don’t run the risk of Causing an electrical arc. Just a thought nice looking system though
@RonCimo3 жыл бұрын
Do you have an example of the type of breaker? Maybe a link?
@ckzckw2 жыл бұрын
This was really educational and so so helpful. You people in the USA are so lucky to be able to do this, I'm not yet on the property ladder here in good old Britain but the charge on those battle born batteries has me thinking of havin a set for downstairs and one for upstairs so I have a good charge up for our lovely rainy and mild weather. :) Im so here for when storage can be as advanced as mobile phones. I'm looking into the same for residential wind energy that would be perfect to hybridise for UK climate. Thanks again every thing was easy to understand the steps to set up.
@offthegrid62762 жыл бұрын
Just a little advise, always protect your battery string with a inline fuse connected at the positive battery terminal of your battery string to where it feeds your equipment, lacking that fuse at the battery terminal, you can have one heck of a explosion should there be downstream fault, ahead of your system fuse. Always protect at the source, then another downstream to protect equipment. Also the wiring for the batteries is terminated with terminals, not connectors, terminals terminate a connection to a device, connectors splice conductors to each other.
@WindwalkerHomestead Жыл бұрын
Nice looking setup. Battle Born. Simple, plug and play. You technically don't even have to have a lithium setting on your controller to use them. Ane...made right here!
@bigoz17343 жыл бұрын
Always disconnect or recconect the negative side. Don't connect an active positive wire to a system. Also you need to secure or strap those batteries back so they're secure to the wall or ledge
@JCZ2601NL4 жыл бұрын
🇳🇱NL.This was an instructive video regarding your live broadcast, which unfortunately I could not see directly because then it was night with us and at night I usually sleep I have seen the video partly I wish you good luck with the current system greetings from the Netherlands Hans.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🍀❤️
@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving4 жыл бұрын
Thanks. I should do a livestream in the morning here sometime.
@lydiaanderson97654 жыл бұрын
@Hansmetcamper How are you doing Hope we get to know each other with time and patience?
@Chris-fo8wp3 жыл бұрын
I used to do a lot of big solar installs on Houseboats, we installed breakers on the panel inputs to the charge controllers, and had battery switches on the positive leads to the battery bank. Also adhesive heat shrink all connections, and cover all the positive connections. LiFePO4 is definitely the way to go, faster charge rates, better deep discharge rate. Cost wise compared to lead/acid, the break even point is around 7 years, not counting the labor involved, changing out the battery bank. The LiFePO4 should last 10+ years easily.
@MrTimjwilson3 жыл бұрын
With the cost of a 12V 100 ah no-maintenance at around $ 90 to $120 and lasting about 3+ years so 10 years = 400 and a lithium 100 ah at around $1000 for around the same time period, economically I don't see it yet for a typical dirt farmer off grid family. Maybe I'm missing something.
@user-zq6pj5jo8j2 жыл бұрын
YES, AND ONLY $8000..!!!
@migmigjohnson60832 жыл бұрын
@@MrTimjwilson You're missing the fact Battle Born aren't the only lithium batteries in the world.
@user-zq6pj5jo8j2 жыл бұрын
@Lyle Lathem Wow, thank you for your insight on this. I see the up front cost as a huge investment in something that is not quite ready yet. Very cool Tech, but not good enough for the normal home owner to jump into YET. I hope it will soon be though. We desperately need this to work well for your country and our planet. It's great to see the pioneers like yourself doing the "Crash testing" for the rest of us. So thank you for that.
@RobertDeloyd2 жыл бұрын
@@MrTimjwilson yes you are missing something... I've done SLA and AGM batteries; for many years both are very heavy compared to LIFEPO4. With SLA and AGM, I get a lot of messy corrosion on the connections and terminals but not from LIFEPO4. You'll draw more of the power from a LIFEPO4. They also charge faster than SLA & AGM... you'll notice the difference.
@pierrefenelus37922 жыл бұрын
Hey Martin, I am a beginner. i watched for the first time yours videos. This is very helpful. Thank you
@JonathanBaileyn2u3 жыл бұрын
Good honest man, looking out for us fine folks. Thank you so much for all your time, effort, and vigilance.
@cameronboyd60634 жыл бұрын
I would of formed the cable first then crimped it and maybe put little bit of heat shrink over the crimp to just for that little bit of extra safety
@lawrencekurtz1914 жыл бұрын
Better to just use copper straps.
@fairrider33464 жыл бұрын
SOMEONE WON THE LOTTERY.
@vxnova14 жыл бұрын
Or at least 10k
@monksapollo7354 жыл бұрын
Nah it's a partnership video, he's just a scumbag who didnt disclose that.
@gug19704 жыл бұрын
@@monksapollo735 23:42 - the "Scumbag" ( really ? ) discloses just that.
@monksapollo7354 жыл бұрын
@@gug1970 once is the video is over, pointless
@WFCinSC4 жыл бұрын
@@gug1970 I agree with Monks Apollo, kind of scummy... stealing 25min of my life to find out the system only makes sense if someone else bought it for you... but still he does disclose it, just not in an upfront and forthright way. And now he has me disliking the video and commenting, both of which helps his metrics! This guy is better than a used car salesman, Shut Up and Take My Money!!
@nin1ten1do3 жыл бұрын
Nice, clean, simple powerwall.. with ez tool done.. with math... well this is one of best video about this topic.. :)
@mrziggy90674 жыл бұрын
Martin, thanks for the clean, simplistic how-to blueprint! I've read lots of the comments of others (especially on safety and $$$), but I'll definitely be going back to this video as I get closer in...
@henryboyoutdoors48694 жыл бұрын
I like the organized layout and installation. Nice clear pictures that we all are enjoying and are learning from watching your videos. Appreciate your work and glad you taking action and getting these components up and working on plywood....AND I dont mind which plywood you use! Thanks for your videos.
@matiavicentigulu67483 жыл бұрын
Hello , I'm Matthew from Uganda East Africa. I work with poor and needy orphans. We are out of food and have gone 2 days minus eating anything, I hope you can imagine and understand how it feels going even a single day without food, I'm kindly requesting for your help to get food, let me hope to hear from you soon.
@matiavicentigulu67483 жыл бұрын
Hello , I'm Matthew from Uganda East Africa. I work with poor and needy orphans. We are out of food and have gone 2 days minus eating anything, I hope you can imagine and understand how it feels going even a single day without food, I'm kindly requesting for your help to get food, let me hope to hear from you soon.
@VideoByPatrick3 жыл бұрын
I liked the info; negative side for shunt with it's companion low current monitor and hot side for fuse.
@silentbullet20233 жыл бұрын
@@matiavicentigulu6748 Hello Mathew, I can show you a beehive design to keep bees without even knowing anything about bees. You can harvest 12 kilos of honey per year which would end hunger if every family utilizes this beehive idea. You’ll need mud or clay to build the hives. After the second year families can even sell or store the honey. Honey also has great therepeutic benefits. Wish you great luck with your endeavours.
@danielbaker7164 жыл бұрын
couple minor comments: 1. use tinned lugs for custom cables to prevent oxidation, and heat shrink over the gap between lug and cable insulation. 2. you'll get much better crimps with big 36" lever crimper rather than a hammer crimper, but they do cost $200 or so which may not be worth it for one job.
@CharGorilla4 жыл бұрын
Definitely a +1 to the Heat Shrink. Makes everything safer, and depending on your climate will go some way to preventing corrosion..
@2Ply7893 жыл бұрын
I thought about saying the same thing along with at least 2" of Marine grade (glued) heat shrink per lug. The proper crimper is designed to produce a "Cold Weld" with a soft return to individual strands. I also used tinned Marine Grade cables but my system is in a Vanagon so vibration and corrosion was more of a concern. Also, a LOT less cable needed. The price of one foot of 2/0 today was $7.38 USD... OUCH!
@gehadel-habta48292 жыл бұрын
I Don't know who you are, but i really like your videos. Thank you so much for letting me follow you and not fell alone
@scifycartoon4 жыл бұрын
The spark is cause by the capacitor in the inverter. You can solve that spark, by putting a 50 ohm resistor for 15 sec ,at the wire and battery post, for the last step before bolting that wire
@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving4 жыл бұрын
Then you wouldn’t get to see the fun spark.
@moto-rambler4 жыл бұрын
Appreciate the upload. My home has been off-grid since the mid 90's. Pretty much seen it all. I'd take your old FLA batteries over those Battle Born units every day of the week. I look forward to your battery updates a year or two from today.
@ChatGPT11114 жыл бұрын
You should always have all the batteries at the same level of charge when you hook them up together in series/parallel so as to not overload the weaker batteries and their BMS.
@francoiseebrardjoedaponte37392 жыл бұрын
Yes, lithium batteries do not equalize like lead acid batteries. I have the same batteries and hook them up in parallel for a week or so , charging and discharging at 12V until they were at equal voltage before I hooked them up in series for a 48v system.
@WiSeNhEiMeR-13692 жыл бұрын
HOWdy JOHNSONS, Thanks for the UPGRADE Video from Golf Cart batteries to BattleBorn Lithium batteries COOP ...
@matthewpoltorak89563 жыл бұрын
@Martin Johnson Awesome video, made even better by the fact you're a member of the Demolitia! @DemolitionRanch
@jessyjohnson62203 жыл бұрын
If I'm installing all of this electrical I would think putting more fireproof around everything would be more essential
@Bruce-ks7md3 жыл бұрын
Great vid, but did you see that doll move his eyes up towards the chain saw!!???
@normanjacques40923 жыл бұрын
Thanks for dumbing it down for people like me when it comes to electricity 😁
@HippieHillHomestead4 жыл бұрын
Nice system. Just a few safety concerns but I see other people have already mentioned them. Thanks for sharing.
@cleversolarpower3 жыл бұрын
Great instructional video Martin. I would recommend using a proper hydraulic crimper for these 2/0 wires with nickel-plated copper against corrosion and shrink wrap.
@btwbrand3 жыл бұрын
The wires are in a building. They aren't at risk of damage unless you spill something nasty on them. These battery don't vent acid gases that can cause damage. Hammer crimped is fine for this application. There are always better ways to do anything but there are limits to what is reasonable.
@cleversolarpower3 жыл бұрын
@@btwbrand I'm not saying that Martin should re-do it. I'm making people aware that a hammer crimper is not the right tool for such big wires.
@cleversolarpower2 жыл бұрын
@Kevin There is a video where a guy cuts open a hammer crimp vs a hydraulic crimp.. Hydraulic is much better, but hammer can be used too. You can check by cutting one upen.
@jakealexander24474 жыл бұрын
There’s a spark haha , always connect your negatives last , it may help reduce that .
@joefudd3 жыл бұрын
And make all of the brackets, shelves, etc. all out of combustibles such as wood. Nothing is quite like lithium batteries when they catch on fire.
@stargazer91723 жыл бұрын
Always!
@mjolnirswrath233 жыл бұрын
@@joefudd wait till some novice adds water to the fire.....
@stephanweinberger3 жыл бұрын
The spark comes from the inverter's capacitors charging up. You can avoid it by "precharging" them using a resistor (e.g. 25 Ohms 25W, or 50 Ohms 15W): close the circuit between battery and wire over the resistor first, which limits the inrush current. After a few seconds remove the resistor and attach the wire permanently to the battery (withoug too much delay so the capacitors dont have time to discharge).
@joeshow88153 жыл бұрын
@@stephanweinberger Right on. A resistor just as you described. Connecting neg last or using a disconnect switch I think will do nothing to prevent the spark
@bobwallace74872 жыл бұрын
This is a couple years old, but I’m glad I watched. I’m going to build a home in Costa Rica. Thinking about solar, but not sure if we will be able to operate a couple of ac splits. We get lots of sun, perhaps it is an exercise in MORE POWER! Anyway, I will get expert advice before I proceed. Thank you for the info.
@smaple16184 жыл бұрын
Basically $1k per battery, wowsers! Sweet system though. Just the batteries and charge controller upgrades it is $9260 (not including taxes or other charges. For those of you that might be wondering how much his system cost.) The solar panels, I believe he already had.
@chrisrichardson89084 жыл бұрын
Battleborn is the best battery u can get in my opinion with a 99% efficiently next to this would be discover battery that has a 95% efficient
@troystutsman14004 жыл бұрын
Bam...!!! That’s a whole lota money...!
@hondaguy91534 жыл бұрын
At that price why not go with an LG storage wall or Tesla power wall? You're right around $7000-$9000 and you get like 10kWh of storage.
@Wrensspeedshop3 жыл бұрын
I like your in depth descriptions of each of the products as well as what they are supposed to do and what they are doing. Keep up the great work!
@josephtabarejo72733 жыл бұрын
Ok
@xani6664 жыл бұрын
All that flammable wood about high power electrics make me anxious
@MrSummitville4 жыл бұрын
Many / most houses are made of wood ...
@xani6664 жыл бұрын
@@MrSummitville Not here, and not relevant to the problem
@MrSummitville4 жыл бұрын
@@xani666 What YOUR house is made of irrelevant. Most houses in the USA are made of wood. He lives in the USA. If his $10,000 Battery bank catches on fire, then $100 of wood is the least of his concerns.
@mgpadi2 жыл бұрын
One of the best videos I've seen on battery banks and solar systems. Thanks for your time.
@radiok2ua3 жыл бұрын
Did you strap the batteries to the wall somehow, or are they just sitting on the shelf? Thanks.
@thhtech3 жыл бұрын
I was wondering the same. Anything raising that high and is loose stuff should be strapped
@andrewsides12154 жыл бұрын
I loved you on Cash Cab.
@janglur3 жыл бұрын
Add'tl protip: If you add a second inverter (and that's supported in this system) you can add a string of amorphous cells (the flexible ones) or CIGS (if you can find and afford these) to get more stable power in cloudy/shaded/low-light conditions. These are often used for better performance in calculators and portable electronics. But they have a lower peak output. By comparison, i've compared all 4 types: Per watt of peak, at 50% shade, you can expect no useable output from mono,
@willparrish76462 жыл бұрын
I have 2 80 watt cigs. They are pretty good.
@lorettakinder5702 жыл бұрын
So can someone please tell me which solor panels are the most reliable in cloudy days. I am in Montana and we don't get but 153 days of sun a yr. I remember hearing there are different types of solar panels and if you don't know, you can end up not getting what you want or need then be disappointed at the out put.
@thewatchfuleyez1233 жыл бұрын
Enjoyed the video. I got lost a few times so I will have to watch it a few more times. Wish I could afford what you have.
@DirectCurrent4u3 жыл бұрын
I would definitely have DC Disconnects for Array and for Charge Controller as well as some Earth Grounding . Safety is MOST Important when it come to "Look What I Can Do" You Tube videos. This System would never pass NEC Code... I would hate to see all this nice equipment go up in Smoke for a lack of not completing Your Homework and not looking up basic Electricial Code. With this much power You can't have to much Protection!!!
@scottwilling53153 жыл бұрын
100% Unguarded terminals, open wiring... reminds me of my off-grid place when I bought it twenty years ago. I'll hook up all kinds of stuff on surface temporarily for testing but I don't leave it that way. Too much at stake if you fumble a screwdriver, and help is too far away, assuming you're able to call for it. Arc flash in your face can briefly exceed the surface temperature of the big ball in the sky that feeds those panels. Didn't know that myself, through a long life as a hobbyist, technologist and electrician. Found out while preparing to teach a class. I did have an early lesson when a neighbor came to help my mom with a stalled car and managed to touch both terminals of the battery with an adjustable wrench. The moveable jaw of the wrench vaporized. Imagine what this battery bank could do...
@tomsaywer98833 жыл бұрын
Boring advice, it’s not your house. 😴
@scottwilling53153 жыл бұрын
@@tomsaywer9883 OK Mr. "Running with chainsaw." 😁 It's true that most safety-related advice is a lot more boring that the consequences for the unwary. As the OP said, his concern is mainly for the amateurs viewing this stuff - as is mine.
@patmccormack81353 жыл бұрын
@@scottwilling5315 Actually the Battleborn batteries won't dump as fast as that but it'd still be spectacular.
@stephenburnage76873 жыл бұрын
Does code apply to 12V or 24v systems.
@xXTECHxKNIGHTXx3 жыл бұрын
Dang near spit out my coffee at that price of those batteries. Hopefully new battery technology comes down in prices.
@bryanriggs44173 жыл бұрын
There is a new generation 3.2v, that i got it is really a game changer and a little bit cheaper.
@Jutilaje3 жыл бұрын
Same dude 😳
@drewd78243 жыл бұрын
What’s the cost of batteries?
@Jutilaje3 жыл бұрын
@@drewd7824 They're ~$1,000 each.
@bryanriggs44173 жыл бұрын
@@Jutilaje So expensive!! I got a set of 4 for 700 bucks delivered to me in 7days.
@Uwishuknewhuhchump4 жыл бұрын
I own 4 battleborn batteries , and i freakin love them.
@adamlabrie43914 жыл бұрын
How much where they
@mutebijonathan14602 жыл бұрын
Thank you for teaching and getting what I want because am studying electrical installation and system maintenance as my course and am pursuing a national certificate.