Our Solar System for our Off-Grid Pole Barn House EP14

[@tonysnow8668]

Thanks so much you have been a great help

[@LifeOnTheRidge]

Cool set up! Really wishing we would have done off grid...

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

Life On The Ridge there’s been a little trial and error but we’re really happy with it! Thanks for watching!

[@mikehonda7310]

Thanks for going into detail on your system! We had solar in the past and can't wait to get back to using it! Nice way to mount the panels!

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

Thanks!!

[@SmartEasyDIYer]

Hey thanks for the tour nice to see your setup! 😊

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

Smart Easy DIY We only made you wait for two years to get to see it LOL! Thanks for watching!

[@SmartEasyDIYer]

Projects by Knight You’re welcome. Yes it’s been a while! 😊

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

Smart Easy DIY maybe we’ll do our water catchment video in the next 18 months! Lol

[@SmartEasyDIYer]

@@ProjectsbyKnight yes you need to 😜

[@blindbasser]

Interesting stuff I built a pole barn house in 2018-19 and am living in it now ! Not using solar , but I’m interested in possibly adding solar!

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

That’s awesome!! That’s about the same time frame we built ours! You can also do a grid-tie but we love being off grid! Thanks for watching!

[@JonOffgrid]

nice we have a solar fridge to and the samlex EVO 24 VOLT 4000 watt inverter they grate inverters 2 midnites

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

john off grid trion solar thats awesome! 4000 watt sounds nice! 👍🏼 thanks for watching!

[@JonOffgrid]

@@ProjectsbyKnight they are a grate inverter s we have had it 6 years

[@chadliggett7988]

Awesome set up Congratulations! Dishwasher are you on A well? Propane? Wouldn't be cheaper being all electric? Thank you for video. Best Regards.

[@ronveil7216]

Very nicely done, informative, and answers a lot of questions. But, adds a few... you had mentioned “you can also do a ‘grid-tie’...” and that leads to my personal predicament: we want to “go solar” with our class-C motor home. Sounds easy(?) but I’ve been told “you use solar to charge your batteries, and you can run an extension cord to an AC appliance” to the inverter. My main question had been “how do you integrate solar into your electrical system (?), so you can use it with grid (AC) power, and the onboard generator - so there is an option to use any of the three options. I’ve yet to see a fully integrated RV! What about houses that are in an area that loses power, regularly, because of extreme weather - snow blizzards, hurracanes, tornados, or ‘brown-outs’?? These houses are connected to the grid, have solar, and a backup generator... I’ve called several major RV manufacturers and I’ve yet to get an answer to “integration” by ANYbody. Thoughts? ANY experience from ‘followers’?

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

If I understand your question correctly you would run your solar panels to a charge controller, then the charge controller would charge your battery bank in your rv, and you would use an inverter off the battery bank to run any 110 that you want to. They make a transfer switch that could be used to switch between your inverter or generator. Let me know if this answers your question or if you need more information! Thanks!

[@ronveil7216]

@@ProjectsbyKnight ‘bought the MPPT charge controller, 3000w inverter when the solar panels (2x 400W). Before I spend a lot of money on a battery bank I wanted to KNOW how to “integrate” this new “energy option” into the coach’s existing electrical system. The RV does have a transfer switch relay, that allows either using the grid power or generator. It doesn’t have the capability to “add” another “energy option”. I’ve spent weeks looking at dozens of videos claiming to have done this - I’ve yet to find one that *actually* accomplished this. I’ve also called several major RV dealers AND manufacturers - and NObody had an “answer”. Some have told me to remove my generator (OR remove my grid power cable!) and just tie the solar system into that “empty spot” on the transfer switch. These are UNacceptable answers. WHY hasn’t ANYbody done this YET? We camp quite a few places where there is no grid power, and I’d rather not turn on the generator to use cooking appliances (microwave, mixer, rice cooker, WOK, coffee maker), we rarely use AC, so power consumption wouldn’t overtax our solar array/battery bank (theoretically).

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

@@ronveil7216 would you be opposed to a manual transfer switch between the inverter & the where you plug it into the grid? Or you could probably add another auto transfer switch. Where are you from?

[@ronveil7216]

@@ProjectsbyKnightno, not opposed to a manual T S. ...or an auto T S. I’m just amazed this hasn’t happened already (?). The 2 main points: 1) it would be nice to have all 3 power options available, and 2) I don’t want to “fry” an electrical system ;-) “Where am I from?” ? Born ‘n’ raised in Nashville, live in Georgia... I’ve lost count how many RV dealers, repair shops, and parts places I’ve asked about this...

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

I think a manual switch might be the best way to go so that you could turn it off at night or anytime you want to quit consuming your batteries!… You do not want to take your batteries below a certain voltage. We live one hour north of Nashville, I just thought if you were in our local area I would try to see what I could dig up with the guys I get my solar stuff from.

[@zod5966]

New sub here. I noticed in some of your other videos that you have a bunch of machinery in the wood working barn to include planers, compressor, window AC, and others that I cant identify. Some looks to even be 220v. How on earth are you powering all that on solar and a total of eight 12v batteries? Not to mention the rest of the house, fridge, light, washer, dryer etc. Thanks.

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

The only thing we can’t run is the dual head 24” sander. We don’t run everything all the time, we run the big stuff when it’s sunny...we have timers & automatic low voltage shutoff to make sure we don’t drain the batteries. We also bought appliances that work with the solar, gas range, dryer & water heater and DC fridge & lights. Thanks for watching!

[@tonysnow8668]

Were did you buy the solar panels. Because me an my wife trying to get off grid

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

We bought them from an Amish solar place in Cub Run, KY. We can get you their contact info if you want. Thanks for watching!

[@shensuohao]

Awesome! We’re looking at doing something similar! Thank you! What make and model solar did you go with?

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

Boppin Beary I don’t know but I can get the brand off of them tomorrow! I didn’t think to add that! Thanks for watching!

[@brickly77]

You could do a video and go into detail about how to hook the system up. Still seems out of my capabilities.

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

brickly77 thanks for the tip!! We’ll try to do that!

[@jasonrathburn]

Do you mind sharing what type of cost went into the system? We have some friends who have solar and paid around $30k for their whole house system and I feel they got bent over just a little too far...

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

We have about $10k in our system, no labor. Ours is 18 panels (240 watt each). Thanks for watching!!

[@tonysnow8668]

Thanks so i sure like there number for the solar panels an the builders to if you got there number two i really need help because im trying to build a pole barn house

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

Tony Snow we’ll dig the number up for you! And we built ours ourselves. Where are you building?

[@banjobenson9348]

building materials have really gone up since you built your home, it is crzy

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

Banjo Benson yeah they have! It would probably be $10K more right now just with building material!

[@tonysnow8668]

Sweetwater tn

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

I don’t know of any builders in that area but i’d suggest you go to a local building supply place & ask if they know of any good pole barn builders in the area. There are some basic modifications you can do to make it easier to change into a house that I can help you figure out. We’d recommend Superior Solar in Munfordville KY. You can call Sam at 270-524-3932. They sell everything you need for your system. Thanks for watching!

[@tonysnow8668]

Do you all have a wel too

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

We considered doing a well but we ended up doing water catchment. Thanks for watching!

[@tonysnow8668]

Your welcome love the channel were do yo but the water catchment

[@ProjectsbyKnight]

@@tonysnow8668 we have 2 tanks, 1650 gallon each, one outside & one inside