Engineer775 Finally Off-Grid

[@jllarivee60]

Man... He mentions a few times that there are so many things he still needs to learn about, and yet, he knows soooo much more than the average Joe. Life is an endless sea of learning.

[@michaelbuckley4822]

That is how it works . The more you know , the more you know you do not know.

[@samualwhittemore228]

Michael Buckley High IQ = idiot , in his own mind.

[@wadepage7809]

Thanks for taking the time to walk/talk us through the process of installing your system Scott. Most of this is familiar to me, with the exception of actually installing solar panels. It "felt like home" from the backhoe operation, setting posts, pouring concrete, to the conduit and wiring. I come from a family of builders/mechanical engineers. We're fairly close neighbors and I've been watching you with pride for years now since you started on YT. It was a while before I realized you were right here in the same county. Great to see a home town boy make so good. Keep it up man, and thanks again for taking the time to share with all of us.

[@mazdalorean]

I love the approach you bring into the prepper " image". You are prepared if all of the technology fails , but you are not afraid to embrace all that it has to offer. I think once you can wrap your mind around all it can do for you , it makes it worth the time it will save you. Thanks for sharing. Joe

[@garyweeks6017]

I love watching your videos, some day when I win the lottery I'll finally be able to create/build my ultimate homestead. I've watched you for several years and am totally impressed with your builds and your work ethics. Thank you

[@ashforkdan]

I've been off grid for 28 yrs now and never stop learning. Johnny is like a walking encyclopedia about all the cool things that come out and make life easier. Good friend to have around.

[@theineffablehomestead3378]

Congrats on getting to work on your own system instead of others. It looks great. I just got a modest system to power a trailer while I start to build a homestead from raw land. Getting to see yours that you have been planning for a long term place was a great treat to see a more comprehensive system.

[@dananelson3534]

Happy for you Scott. What a system. Couldn't help but smile when I saw cows supervising. Thanks for sharing.

[@commonsgiant]

Thanks for your enthusiasm, and joy! It is so easy to get into a dark place thinking about the state of the world, and how fragile society is. Seeing you geek out about your new system makes learning about preparedness fun. Thank for sharing your knowledge. I am up in Charlotte. I you ever teach classes, I would love to learn.

[@engineer775]

Thank you! No time for doom and gloom. Yes, it is a mess out there but all I can do is prep and share!

[@cheriettejackson4248]

We don't have any grid here where we live, so for us, it's all solar or generator. I cannot say that we do without anything. Our system is not as big as yours, but serves our needs very well. Thanks for sharing, you have given me some new ideas!

[@GaryMeolaJr]

Congrats Scott !! That is an awesome system. Hope to have something of that scale on my property someday.

[@CSSIandAssociate]

Congratulations. Always nice checking in and seeing what is new.

[@919hammer]

Very nice, thank you for taking the time to post these videos, I learn something new every time!

[@MrWilliamtomkinson]

If they are true Traction Batteries, you need to keep them under pressure on the sides. (thats why they are in a steel cage in forklifts) the plates float and are not fixed and if you dont keep pressure on the sides, such as a steel case or multiple ratchet straps. the plates will separate over time.

[@engineer775]

Thank you. Ratchet straps seem to be the easiest way to go.

[@ModernOffGridDIY]

Good to see you finally putting your own system together. Takes alot of money Time and Labor but you will be happy once it's done. Looks like a nice clean install once its done. Keep up the good work buddy.

[@barryseverson2508]

respecting your work a long time now. get it in! you deserve it!

[@tomcat27557]

thanks for your answer....its always good to have a plan B and C!

[@JRCHomesteadTexas]

Thanks for walking us through your setup installation.

[@sundancer442]

Awesome set up, looks fantastic. I design and install systems for my own small business and I feel your pain ! I'm always squeezing in work on my own system in the evening, or somethin' like that! God bless, Sundancer ( Simon).

[@TheRealXesc]

Good for you, that you finally got your own system up! I hope it will work out for you! I agree, hybrid is the way to go, and of course you should use the grid, while it's still up. Sell back, and cut your costs. It would be silly not to, just in order to be a "prepper purist" - as long as you got your system ready for when the shtf.

[@homesteadprepper]

Way to go and a very good call on adding those extra pvc conduits for down the road.

[@ChileExpatFamily]

Very nice Scott. I would love to have this here in Chile when I do my upgrade. Just beautiful. I too worry about my cows and pigs and sheep rubbing on my equipment so I plan on putting the panels up higher. There is also the FOD factor from lawn mowers and weed eaters. Let me know how it goes. Jim

[@RCvolunteer1978]

Congras for finally getting your wants and needs done you and your friends are very lucky

[@Hiker63]

That my friend is one bad ass system!

[@engineer775]

Thank You Sir! We are running it hard and hopefully I won't destroy it before I master it. :)

[@yankey4]

Happy for you sir. I know it's been a long time coming. God Bless Brother.

[@Kevinegan1]

If it were me and the city was, maybe offering some incentives, I would as big as I could. Total electric independence is never a bad thing.

[@vestel777]

Question if I may - What kind of setup would I need if I wanted to run on Solar 24/7 365 days a year? And how much money do you make if you decide to sell electric back to the electric company?

[@MrLittleman777]

Excellent job. Very professional. I can relate to the $30.000 price. I'm somewhere around $20,000 and climbing. Easy to do when you start adding in all the parts and a battery bank. Keep at it and good luck. J

[@avelinogoncalves7217]

Engineer775, do consider using 24V LED lighting and power them direct from batteries, saving the losses on conversion!

[@sctpc]

Nice net metering is a thing of the past in Australia we get a whopping if we are lucky 5c a kwh but get to buy it back at night for 33c now thats a good deal for the power company.

[@timelwood2555]

E775. You are an absolute genius...very inspirational...too cool my friend. !

[@engineer775]

Way too nice! I will pay you later!

[@wpherigo1]

Well, that's awesome , Scott! Congratulations!

[@jeremyconrad9183]

is there a way to test your whole house for a day to see what you used to figure out how much electricity you need to generate to completely power your house?

[@PlanePreacher]

Having seen what cattle can do to a pickup truck by just rubbing on it, I strongly suggest fencing the panels from the cattle.

[@PopsShack]

Looks good. All you need now is some guttering on each array to divert water to an underground tank.

[@CSSIandAssociate]

That is a good idea. Don't let nothing go to waste. In any event can be used for the cows...

[@Markam248]

nice setup. glad you finally got a chance to set your house up. Mark

[@itsvash679]

For a backup just put a 24 volt pwm controller like a TriStar and a 2000 watt 24 volt Cotek inverter and put them into protective bags. Those panels are 24v so you could put up to five on a TriStar 45 in a pinch and run a cooking element, fans, lights, tools etc. Excellent work all around, fan since blogtv days.

[@mkoujan]

You are my hero man ! You make me wanna cry ! YES OFF-Grid!!!!

[@Sanwizard1]

That solar pathfinder is very cool!

[@BuildingOffGrid]

Very nice system. Huge! Hope to see more of it in the future.

[@solarpowerelectricityandel2915]

It's good looking take a look at my system too it's really well setup

[@GeordiePrepper]

That is one cool system, congrats on having the option to go off grid :-)

[@solarforfuture]

watched again. still awesome setup. might have used Lipos years later.?.. you are the king

[@yourignorant1]

Awesome Video! I'm inspired to setup my project now, thank you!

[@beverley8987]

why didn't you use solar self rotating cell plat form they are cheap to buy or build and very accurate at 0730 my system is at 100% and so simple sun tracking with freon.

[@offgridmangogrower]

How does your freon tracker wake up so early (0730?)...Mine are not moving till 9AM depending on cloud cover....

[@TheTuttleCrew]

I bought a new house and we are closing (pending) on our old house in a few weeks. I would love to talk to you about a solar system at the new house. We had a back-up propane generator 22,000 watt at the old house. The new house is a bit smaller but I have been binge watching your channel the last two weeks. How can I get a hold of you?

[@Tom-qx5nl]

Great looking system, hope it works well for you. Someday I hope to be as self sufficient.

[@engineer775]

Thank you! Just plowing away at it. Takes time for sure. It took at least a year to get my act together on this one.

[@WizzRacing]

Install Lead Lined Sheet Rock around the enclosure and size the main breaker with Surge Protector. That includes enclose the meters and main line side feeds outside. And you're good to go. That or build it under ground and use lead lined sheet rock on the walls and roof. That is how they protect high energy physics labs from radiation burst. Be sure to cover outlets at 90 degree angles, no back to back outlets or unprotected light fixtures. I build plenty of these...

[@DJRobbie54]

Look into a Faraday cage you can even build your own, consider that and make it sure that it's well grounded.

[@Recovering_Californian]

I think some of you are missing the point. These systems are not about a return on your investment or saving money on your grid electric bill. It's not about breaking even either. It's about peace of mind. How much is electricity worth if you can't get it from the gid? Anyone who has been without electricity for a substantial amount of time would understand. Not everyone can sink $30K into solar so you start smaller and work your way up.

[@engineer775]

Glad to work with you but what's with the negative comments homies?

[@jwsolarusa]

Sweet......system buddy and thanks for sharing

[@vaultsoferowid]

That solar path instrument was pretty nice. I have never heard about them before.

[@ChrisDIYerOklahoma]

Dream system! Nothing beats DIY home solar. Mine in suburbia (4.9KW arrays) is chugging along pretty well here in Oklahomeyland! Nobody really does solar out here...turbines yes, solar farms...meh. Dumb IMO...since this state has great sun/wind.

[@solarpowerelectricityandel2915]

How the power bill now chris?

[@jasonmushersee]

What it comes down to is how long the batteries last. Day after i bought my generator power went out for 4 1/2 days! Had to "learn fast" to keep food frozen but kept running out of gas. Gas stations/banks were closed down to.

[@krakenking1597]

You've come along way since I have been watching.

[@survivalsensei9321]

I am in awe of your system ! Are you considering a video on how to protect your system against a CME / EMP incident ? Great video ! Disregard ... just hear your comment about EMP !

[@joheffernan7216]

diversifying power nodes is smart for the power companies as well!!!

[@eper1875]

Very exciting, thanks for sharing.

[@timelwood2555]

Scott you're awesome. Love all of your vids.

[@mikemathews9277]

Impressive,Rome was not built in one day.You thought ahead and have a well planed system.

[@jeremydillard7012]

I'm going to say this everything looks fantastic what you doing is a great thing for your household electricity useless and conserving the Sun Ray and much more I'd like to see more videos of this if I may suggest something added windmill generator if that's a good idea I'll keep in touch and watching more of you videos

[@iwantosavemoney]

wow you have a lot going on in their. congrats on the huge build that is so awesome. I really want to do this am not sure I can go as big as you but am saving my money.

[@KiwiPowerNZ]

The cows will love scratching on that. Oh just as I'm typing this you mention the cows were scratching on it haha classic.

[@jameswest3890]

GE a short ways off I95 in Florence South Carolina has put up must be several hundred solar panels I don't know anything about them but it looks awesome.

[@786otto]

spending all money for it why not install panels on solar tracker ?

[@darangemaster1]

i have 9.3 KW the system is almost 9 years old and is grid tied only. i need to install a switch gear so i can use the power in the event of a power outage. i was under the impression i could use what i made if there was power outage but i was incorrectly informed. as i have lived with this system i have learned much more about it and need to get a battery storage set up as well.

[@bruceforster3709]

I LOVE how CLEAN your system looks! VERY professional!!!

[@royamberg9177]

looks like a very nice system

[@RobertBlevins]

Need a few high-mounted lightning rods around the critical areas of the property. These could help avoid lightning strike damage if the nasty things pass over your home.

[@MoondyneJoe]

Good Onya Scott ! it is about time you got your own system up and running. I bet you are as happy as a pig in the proverbial ? How long do you think it will take to pay for itself ? When I got my system up and running and grid connected we where being paid 49.4 cents Per Unit here in Western Australia now the price is way down to 7.7 cents per unit we residences are only allow to feed a MAX of 5.5 kw back to the grid so your 100kw seems like a pipe dream So happy for you Scott

[@4philipp]

That looks quite similar to what I envision for my system, only mine will be 1/3 the size, no grid to sell back to and of course I’m not planning on spending $30k. Makes me wonder what I can get for $10k and 2500watts of solar, with a 300amp 24v LiFePo4 bank

[@SurfviewTV]

Very inspirational! Thanks, man.

[@a12vguru]

You stated you can't harden your electrical system. Can you buy all the electrical boards that are replaceable and maybe some cheaper charge controllers that can be used as a backup in the event of an EMP. Also in the event of an EMP, I don't think it will kill everything, some sensitive electronics for sure, but not everything that is electrical.

[@adventurer247]

Awesome man! The hybrid system is definitely the way to go.

[@engineer775]

I agree!

[@ChileExpatFamily]

Well that is if you have the power on site! Here it is cost prohibitive to just hook to the power system. My little system cost less than the hook up fee.

[@engineer775]

+ChileExpatFamily $100 to interconnect here.

[@ChileExpatFamily]

That was the same as in Spartanburg when I live there. Here it was going to be $5,400 USD to connect with an additional $220.00 application for a power line that is on my property 50 feet from my house. They have Net metering here but it is just not worth the initial connection fee. Plus the power here is 35 cents a KW hour which I think if my numbers are right is 3 times the cost seen in Upstate with DUKE. I can not remember the exact numbers but it is 3 times more expensive for electricity. It just made more sense to go totally off grid for me in my situation. Are you now required to hook to the grid in SC? I can not remember but I had heard it was the law that you must hook to the grid?

[@engineer775]

+ChileExpatFamily what is the 5400 for?

[@k9forkids]

You could buy Tesla S Batterie Modules to replace or add to your Lead Acid Batteries. Each Module have 444 Lithium 18650 Cells and are rated at 5.3kw/h per module. They sell on Ebay for $1375 ea.

[@gatorred157]

nice system! i got grid tie but my meter only hold a 1 K all you do is slow meter down, i really use it best when grid down i got batterys and some power! my neibors how come he got power you said it did not work!!! there fighting outside!!

[@DOCSAFETUBE]

very good job buddy almost the same system I have I love getting paid by the power company LOL all of us need to get off the grid

[@engineer775]

I like to camp too! :)

[@TheMFrelly]

Nice setup mate good job.

[@ModernOffGridDIY]

looks really good.

[@rkaag99]

You seem to be well-financed. kudos to you.

[@matwalker6336]

Great set up. Very impressed. I have been doing a good of reading on said topic. The one simple question I have that you must have a good answer to would be why did you not mount your panels on a a mover. If you were off grid I would not ask but grid tie?! Given you have grid tie this would be the fastest pay back $ for $ money spent. By far. The key for all to understand is once you spend a good sum 2000? on panels the mover compounds your net off of each panel. So 70% on 200w set up is no big deal but on a 3000w array it is huge.

[@kberger8963]

trackers are largely a thing of the past. Panels are cheap. in most cases, if you spend the money on more panels instead of a tracker, you come out ahead. Exceptions for limited sq ft or extreme latitudes.

[@kylesherman3077]

nice system dude...keep up the good work

[@neilshurmur3901]

Either you have the outback up and running by now, I was wondering how you like it. As I am considering the vfxr3648a outback inverter instead of what you bought the radiant series, and using two of them to get 240 V for my system. No way I can put them out of phase with each other,, to get 240 Volt's split phase. And it also gives me one as a backup should one fail Engineer 775 nice installation.Neil Las Vegas.p.s. thank you for posting all your. Videos.....

[@IAmZen_007]

Nice job. Can provide a ROI calculation? Off-grid investments vs only grid?

[@Kevinegan1]

My dream is to go off grid, but man it costs plenty $$$$$ to do so. I have a couple of quick questions if you do not mind. First a Quick list of what I'm working with. I built (6) solar panels using (45) .5 volt eBay solar cells in each for 22.5 volts each panel. I have (6) Harbor Freight panels that come with their popular Solar Panel starter kit. I am using one of the Harbor Freight Charge Controllers (The one from the kit). I have 8 lord Humongous (Interstate Deep Cell L-16) 6 Volt batteries wired for 12 Volts. And finally (1) Aims 5ooo watt/ !0,000 watt peak Pure Sine Wave Inverter. I had a better charge controller once but did stupid and screwed it up. My Question is, Aside from needing a better charger controller, what can I do to improve the performance of my setup. It has been a great disappointment from day one. Just running a few (LED) home interior lights and a ceiling fan the system can barely run one night without exhausting the batteries. Is that normal? Often I would even have the LED lights out. Trying to run the refrigerator and maybe one or two LED lights the system starts giving up after just a few hours. Do I just need more batteries? Do I need a 24 or 48 volt inverter instead of the 12 volt? What charge controller do I need that will work now and be able to work with more panels and batteries without costing a fortune? With the batteries, panels and inverter I have what is a realistic expectation. I've tried reading up on how to improve things but I'm just a middle aged man with no formal electrical schooling and quickly get lost when instructions start using mathematical formulas and other stuff I don't understand. Solar panels, I know I need more but my God even making them is expensive. Everything is cool for an old scrounger and innovator like me but I'm screwed when I get to the encapsulating material. The stuff is outrageous. Any help would be appreciated.

[@mauldindoc123]

Great setup Scott!

[@mauldindoc123]

I think your cows were worried for a moment that you were digging a burial pit for them!

[@blissfulacresoffgridhomest2098]

I have a Harvest Right freeze food dryer. Any ideas of how we can use it off grid? Some foods take 2-3 days straight from start to finish. Our 24 volt system is 1.5 kw . Any suggestions?

[@keithwedoe1873]

Great System Scott!!!

[@kberger8963]

if you decide for whatever reason not to sell back to the grid, the Radian offers two modes that you'll want to look into. Grid Zero and Mini Grid.

[@michaelshin69]

Engineer, could be kindly direct me to what type of conduits and fittings for those knockouts on your system were employed?. Thanks

[@ngh325]

If the electric company is needing to work on a line do they let you know that so you don't dump power in the line? Is there something that lets you know that there is an issue with their line?

[@andrewford80]

Congratulations :)

[@JoseGarcia-px9xj]

are you going to be able to run you central A/C

[@charliedevine6869]

You mean to say dump 100 kwh onto the grid per day?

[@xiaogao5159]

hi, awesome setup but maybe I don't understand enough about emp. Shouldn't a regular faraday cage protect your system? does that really need to cost 100 thousand?

[@mark_osborne]

Hilarious !... how the cows had to come check-out the activity @ 11:55

[@78renton44]

Thanks for all the amazing info. I'm an 06 Low Voltage Electrician, doing mainly hospital, college and prison work : card access, IP security cameras, ADA doors controls and the such. Not exactly loving it. How could I take a sharp career turn in the direction you currently work in? I could easily take a year off for training or school if needed. I think getting my O1 Journeyman Electrician license would be a must, right. But are there specific courses or certifications you have or would recommend? It seems much more rewarding and useful in case of a large scale power grid failure. Keep up the good work.

[@LionheartedDan]

Excellent presentation thank you. Have you given thought to EMP?

[@JoseGarcia-px9xj]

If your are able to run you a/c. how much tons your a/c is

[@Subgunman]

Fantastic system! How much was the battery bank and auto water system alone? I've been wanting to get off of the grid as well but I need to plan out my system for efficiency and cost.

[@zubutv.]

Beautiful setup!!

[@joelhill4107]

Excellent!!! Do these panels swivel, or change pitch to catch the most sun throughout the day? Or to catch more sun when it is lower in the winter?

[@jdwatson6994]

Why the two orientations, SE & SW, and what's the panel inclination and your latitude?

[@notsheeple2019]

I don't understand the 30,000 dollar price tag. We have been fully off the grid running everything, well pumps, welders, the house, freezer, and fridge etc. Computers network and much more. Less than 8,000 dollars. We are even running solar tracker and have 2 more trackers ready to install to move all panels on tracked systems.

[@Grevlain]

Different people = different houses = different usage load. 775 is an Engineer and the house looks full size conventional. Lot's of appliances and gadgets most likely. Now...if you build an off-grid cabin ground up with appliances meant for off-grid solar, I can see how you could get away with such a small solar system...maybe. $8000 is a pretty low price tag.