EASIEST Off Grid Solar Power System Battery Bank

This is the easiest off-grid solar power system battery bank we could find. We are doing the biggest upgrade to our off-grid solar system we have ever done. We are installing 8 Battle Born Batteries two Victron charge controllers and a new Victron battery monitor. This is a super-easy way to convert from lead-acid batteries to LiFePO4 batteries.
Battle Born Batteries are lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) and are great for RV, marine, or any off-grid situation. Check out Battle Born Batteries battlebornbatt...
How to build our Solar Panel Mounts • How to Build the Ultim...
OUR OFF-GRID SOLAR SYSTEM (Main Components)
2000w Inverter amzn.to/3ciOI3s
70A Charge controller amzn.to/34lsIT1
50A Charge controller amzn.to/2SmySNn
Smart Battery Monitor amzn.to/3k1j3I0
Fuse Block amzn.to/341HQpN
Solar Panels www.wholesales...
Batteries amzn.to/34mSKFP
TOOLS USED IN THIS VIDEO
Lug Crimper Tool amzn.to/2EUhwnZ
Heavy Duty Cable Cutters amzn.to/2SlYhXi
3-Pound Sledge Hammer amzn.to/3jso9No
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✩ Website - downtoearthhom...
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Martin and Julie Johnson
P.O. Box 2582
Sandpoint ID 83864
United States of America
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This channel is owned and operated by Martin and Julie Johnson. Martin Johnson - Off Grid Living is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.
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Thanks for stopping by our off grid cabin build channel. We recently moved from the city with all of its conveniences to the middle of the forest near Sandpoint, Idaho. On our channel, we are sharing our journey from grid life to an off-grid homesteading life. We are starting from scratch on bare land. I hope you will come and join us on this journey as we build our off grid cabin and establish our homestead. You can learn more about our story here • Why we Choose to Live ...
Thank you for watching our video and reading the description. You rock!
Hope you have a really great day and keepsm:)ling!
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[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

☀️ *NEWEST UPGRADES TO OUR SYSTEM SEPTEMBER 2021* kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5bEcoGwn9-qnJI

[@JourneyOnLife]

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.

[@DeepSnowRider]

Wish you listed how much this upgrade costed you.

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

Wow. Glad it was helpful.

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

The prices are in the links in the description.

[@brandonlacour1277]

what are you gonna do with all your old components and batteries?

[@fisherus]

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.

[@gastongonzalez221]

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?

[@kuhrd]

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.

[@aqpham84]

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.

[@kuhrd]

@@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.

[@johnb4183]

Craig Fisher Where are those batteries going to be after a moderate earthquake ?

[@KBC-69420]

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!

[@skeeterburke]

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

[@JJHDZ68]

💯❌💯 👍👍 same here!

[@nancyst.john-smith3891]

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.

[@starkenterprises2371]

Bear in mind there were several mistakes in this build. Some worse than others. Read comments for list of improvements.

[@viktorkosenko2461]

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

[@worldpresidentkongjakjaide1609]

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.)

[@lobsterDan22]

What do you suggest? I am building a off grid house currently.

[@Xyz12391]

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-ke]

really love how detailed and open he is, clean and slow explanation any one can learn from him even without prior experience

[@BrokeBeardedGuy]

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

[@TimYorty]

true - you need to remember you're building a small power generating station. You get what you pay for.

[@jasontilley4644]

Your solar setup is nice and tidy. That's probably my biggest issue with most solar installs. Cheers.

[@hwangeva1464]

but i did not see the solar panel set up yet

[@tonysmith26]

That’s far from tidy with zero mechanical protection of cables and all cables devoid of support.

[@theshmucky2956]

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!

[@offgridbydesign3826]

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.

[@falcons5683]

Quit using the term "bad boy".

[@sosteve9113]

Good advice

[@Nutzernameungueltig4]

...Don't use flammable plates to mount electric components on...

[@ThePunkin04]

Why didn’t he heat shrink the cables

[@Skashoon]

With all the money you’ve put into this, is it EMF protected?

[@QuantumBraced]

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.

[@kungfooed5999]

Honestly if they gave me that amount of free stuff, I would proudly display their gear as well lol.

[@kungfooed5999]

1k a piece for the batteries :o

[@christopher5194]

@@kungfooed5999 Yep, $11,000 for the system not including the solar panel frames and the 2/0 wiring (usually $1.75 per foot).

[@johnstancliff7328]

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.

[@luisderivas6005]

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.

[@billssolarpowerandgardenin1016]

@@luisderivas6005 I don’t like the inverter buried where it can’t get air straight thru.

[@orange11squares]

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.

[@danford4986]

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.

[@Joakimny]

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.

[@Hefek]

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.

[@hwangeva1464]

Sounds good suggetion

[@tonysmith26]

Or perhaps use proper circuit isolation? 🙄

[@BEASTmodeontheRoad]

@@Hefek its always think positive when working with power

[@harrywynne2839]

Use a graphite carpenter pencil lead to charge the capacitors, takes a second, then there wont be any sparking.

[@donnawells2533]

You did an A1 job on this video. The camera quality was excellent, great job.

[@HARLINSVIKINGLIFELNC]

Yeah!!!! Absolutely he did !!!

[@DeathbringerDrago]

HES RICH DUDE He probably has a 30,000 dollar camera

[@mr.smiley4263]

Looks good! Glad you got a sponsor to help you with your projects.

[@brenathedadal9929]

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...

[@ChatGPT1111]

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.

[@kimmer6]

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.

[@geradbruce7496]

Thanks, people trying to help you is helping everyone else.

[@omadeitz3340]

You just saved us. We needed batteries for our rv home now we are just going g with. Battle born.

[@BorcaMartin]

i quit all the news..al the movies i-m watching only your channel..God bless you..wonderful family..greatings from Romania

[@noneya3504]

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.

[@patmccormack8135]

The Sigmaform heatshrink has meltable glue on the inside. Stops it sliding and acts to stop moisture.

[@101markharris]

What about the bare lugs ?

[@dreamingcode]

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.

[@samarnold5952]

Yeah, Me too. I was lost pretty quick.

[@danielsundberg1977]

You should have an isolation switch/breaker on your positive lead, have it off when connecting leads and you will get no sparks!

[@wendyking9759]

Jm. Thanx

[@MrSummitville]

@@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.

[@bryanminugh9680]

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.

[@martin1500]

@@bryanminugh9680 where can I find resources on such detailed information like this. I want to build my system right

[@patmccormack8135]

@@martin1500 Me too..

[@northidahodreaming5657]

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.

[@greengooseman]

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.

[@jimmyjones9798]

Got yourself a new sub. I have just started looking into solar power energy and your videos are really informative. Cheers

[@RyanJWassink]

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.

[@kencissel5663]

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.

[@soulwarrior7721]

@Ken Cissel Im curious as to why he needs 2 charge controllers.

[@rodneypearson5217]

@@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.

[@Hudson96]

Why aren’t the batteries 🔋 connected in parallel?

[@christopher5194]

@@Hudson96 The batteries are 12v. He needs 24v for the system and can accomplish this by connecting them in series rather than parallel.

[@sichambers9011]

@@Hudson96 They are in pairs connected in series. Each pair is connected in parallel

[@thelostarchivesserialvault5353]

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.

[@MrSummitville]

Solar Heat might be even more efficient vs Solar Panel. Snow coverage is an issue

[@mccmike]

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.

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

That would be good. I should do that.

[@lydiaanderson9765]

@Mike How are you doing Hope we get to know each other with time and patience?

[@Dustindoesitall]

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.

[@marvelaturraz5405]

"Bam!!" This guy's excited! So nice to see such enthusiasm over batteries!

[@amishjim]

Yea, one could say that he's charged up.

[@mysilentprayersalways1913]

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.

[@jansmit4628]

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.

[@martinestorm3772]

Exactly what I was thinking aswell! 😄

[@starkenterprises2371]

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.

[@pixiedust1329]

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...

[@allan80supra]

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.

[@MrGUYSTYLAZ]

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.

[@denisw398]

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!

[@herculestubalado906]

Thanks!

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

You're welcome! Thanks for the Super Thanks!

[@kevkev5935]

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.

[@expatron]

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.

[@donaldwelch4515]

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.

[@BrainScrambler80]

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-hs6gm]

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

[@poppaluv]

Thank you! i wish stuff like that was mentioned up front

[@jameseden9380]

@Peter Evans a ten hour day that takes 3 days to recover from? Are you ok bud?

[@jameseden9380]

@Peter Evans why does it take you three days to recover? Are you broken?

[@mfla1477]

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

[@theological7150]

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

[@TheRetroStuffGuy]

Greetings from England! Very impressive setup! With extortionate energy bills now, this has given me food for thought, thank you!

[@DavidChambers-p8j]

what about the extortionate cost of lithium batteries?!

[@henryboyoutdoors4869]

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.

[@matiavicentigulu6748]

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.

[@matiavicentigulu6748]

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.

[@VideoByPatrick]

I liked the info; negative side for shunt with it's companion low current monitor and hot side for fuse.

[@silentbullet2023]

@@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.

[@ckzckw]

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.

[@morpheus8867]

GREEEEAT WORK!! If you're have some money, then, this system is the right for you to be electricity independent!!

[@offthegrid6276]

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.

[@mrziggy9067]

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...

[@stephanweinberger]

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.

[@gsantee]

Seconded.

[@tonyleverett1483]

3-way rotary switch for isolation - off/precharge (via 50Ohm, 50W resistor)/direct (bypassing resistor).

[@ElJasperino]

Question Stephan, if you don’t use the resistor, can it damage the equipment?

[@tonyleverett1483]

@@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.

[@ElJasperino]

@@tonyleverett1483 thank you very much for your detailed answer.

[@afos3462]

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).

[@nunyabusiness1499]

Illusion: It's American assembled. Battleborn buys cells from China and then assembles them in the US.

[@HippieHillHomestead]

Nice system. Just a few safety concerns but I see other people have already mentioned them. Thanks for sharing.

[@bigoz1734]

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

[@andrewsides1215]

I loved you on Cash Cab.

[@silversponge4259]

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!!

[@danielbaker716]

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.

[@CharGorilla]

Definitely a +1 to the Heat Shrink. Makes everything safer, and depending on your climate will go some way to preventing corrosion..

[@2Ply789]

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!

[@RandomPerson-sb5mw]

That is a sweet setup! 10 -15 Grand? You might want to consider putting a disconnect switch on the batteries. Great job!

[@hwangeva1464]

there is fuse i think,safety

[@TerryCassar]

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.69]

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.

[@rmr4173]

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-iz1od]

why wouldn't you fully discharge them, seems faster, safer, easier and more accurate.

[@GarthVader78]

@terrycassar I was wondering if its ok for the lithium batteries to be lying on their sides, is that fine for them?

[@stevenspencer9104]

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.

[@daddouuuu]

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.

[@hwangeva1464]

Sounds very useful suggestion,

[@louiscirillo55]

I was going to say the same thing... a master disconnect is a great safety feature

[@450kman]

Cheap resistor

[@УенделинБест]

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.

[@TheJessicaRoper]

Thanks for the advice! We are totally adding this to our system bc shutting it off to add on and whatnot is lengthy ATM.

[@darnellwatkins4031]

Dude, that's almost $8000.00 in batteries. That's insane! However, I love the setup. Great job!

[@andrewswingler]

@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.

[@pray4Liberals]

The batteries come free when you purchase an $8000 t-shirt!

[@martinwinlow]

@@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!

[@andrewswingler]

@@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?

[@martinwinlow]

@@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!

[@moto-rambler]

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.

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy JOHNSONS, Thanks for the UPGRADE Video from Golf Cart batteries to BattleBorn Lithium batteries COOP ...

[@menorah7]

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!

[@fairrider3346]

SOMEONE WON THE LOTTERY.

[@vxnova1]

Or at least 10k

[@monksapollo735]

Nah it's a partnership video, he's just a scumbag who didnt disclose that.

[@gug1970]

@@monksapollo735 23:42 - the "Scumbag" ( really ? ) discloses just that.

[@monksapollo735]

@@gug1970 once is the video is over, pointless

[@WFCinSC]

@@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!!

[@JCZ2601NL]

🇳🇱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.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🍀❤️

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

Thanks. I should do a livestream in the morning here sometime.

[@lydiaanderson9765]

@Hansmetcamper How are you doing Hope we get to know each other with time and patience?

[@pierrefenelus3792]

Hey Martin, I am a beginner. i watched for the first time yours videos. This is very helpful. Thank you

[@matthewpoltorak8956]

@Martin Johnson Awesome video, made even better by the fact you're a member of the Demolitia! @DemolitionRanch

[@props-model-shop]

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-shop]

@ Yep

[@jessyjohnson6220]

If I'm installing all of this electrical I would think putting more fireproof around everything would be more essential

[@SarahStuff-p5u]

I wish where I lived this would fly, that was such a good rundown even I have very little confusion, so simply done

[@mrmotofy]

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.

[@zalleywaalley8227]

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

[@RonCimo]

Do you have an example of the type of breaker? Maybe a link?

[@peterevenhuis2663]

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.

[@todddunn945]

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.

[@tonysmith26]

Yep. This ⬆️⬆️⬆️

[@mgpadi]

One of the best videos I've seen on battery banks and solar systems. Thanks for your time.

[@Wrensspeedshop]

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!

[@josephtabarejo7273]

Ok

[@scifycartoon]

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

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

Then you wouldn’t get to see the fun spark.

[@garrymetts2644]

I'm impressed. Looks like your doing a great job on everything.

[@MartinJohnsonOffGridLiving]

Thank you!

[@ajarivas72]

This a full course on off-grid electric power

[@hwangeva1464]

Haha,Martin loves you

[@PhillipCree]

Looks good , keep in mind Bluetooth has a limited distance abt 20ft, plus the shed will limit signal. Thanks for sharing

[@Chris-fo8wp]

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.

[@MrTimjwilson]

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-zq6pj5jo8j]

YES, AND ONLY $8000..!!!

[@migmigjohnson6083]

@@MrTimjwilson You're missing the fact Battle Born aren't the only lithium batteries in the world.

[@user-zq6pj5jo8j]

@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.

[@RobertDeloyd]

@@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.

[@JonathanBaileyn2u]

Good honest man, looking out for us fine folks. Thank you so much for all your time, effort, and vigilance.

[@n3uro42]

As a techie, when I got into RC cars, batteries was something I really delved into. Lithium polymer batteries were a HUGE boost over the Nickel Metal Hybrid batteries commonly used as they hold voltage until somewhere around 20% capacity. In contrast to NiMh batteries which start dropping voltage immediately. Lipo batteries are volatile. While they are super lightweight and hold voltage amazingly, they should be charged in special lipo sacks and preferably not in your house. Because after about 500 charge discharge cycles, they poof. And lithium fires are not good. Impacts can reduce that number of cycles, and in RC cars impacts happen a lot. Enter LiFe batteries. Lower voltage per cell than Lipo or increased weight per watt, (about twice as heavy as lipo) but in most ways as stable as nimh and even chargeable the same. (Lipo batteries individual cells in a battery need to be charged at same rate, so cells have to be monitored while charging to make sure that no one cell goes over 4.2V) Which means extra energy cost in charging and increased charge discharge cycles every time you plug in. Hope that helps someone google for more information on their battery mediums :)

[@nin1ten1do]

Nice, clean, simple powerwall.. with ez tool done.. with math... well this is one of best video about this topic.. :)

[@Uwishuknewhuhchump]

I own 4 battleborn batteries , and i freakin love them.

[@adamlabrie4391]

How much where they

[@spaceflan5629]

Everything looks great here, great explanations thanks for the vid. I would say though the VMAXTANKS lithium batteries have worked much better for me.

[@AnN-py2em]

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.

[@gerry7457]

OSB isn't very flammable

[@parmorama]

@@gerry7457 I think the residents of Paradise, California would disagree.

[@williammcknight5419]

@@parmorama haha, those fires didn't start because of solar... they started because of smart meters

[@nortavon]

@@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.

[@williammcknight5419]

@@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

[@bobwallace7487]

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.

[@smaple1618]

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.

[@chrisrichardson8908]

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

[@troystutsman1400]

Bam...!!! That’s a whole lota money...!

[@hondaguy9153]

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.

[@whatsnext8825]

Just wanted to take the time to say I've watched a few of your vids and really respect what you folks are doing. Looking forward to seeing more vids of your progression of both the build and the channel. Trying to get my feet wet myself with my channel. Im starting to be more active with my channel and have a shop build going also. Also I'm off grid and will be doing a solar set up. Definitely have appreciated your vids on solar...always good to learn! Keep at it...looking forward to your progress!

[@ChatGPT1111]

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.

[@francoiseebrardjoedaponte3739]

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.

[@normanjacques4092]

Thanks for dumbing it down for people like me when it comes to electricity 😁

[@jakealexander2447]

There’s a spark haha , always connect your negatives last , it may help reduce that .

[@joefudd]

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.

[@stargazer9172]

Always!

[@mjolnirswrath23]

@@joefudd wait till some novice adds water to the fire.....

[@stephanweinberger]

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).

[@joeshow8815]

​@@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

[@routerfixer]

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.

[@xani666]

All that flammable wood about high power electrics make me anxious

[@MrSummitville]

Many / most houses are made of wood ...

[@xani666]

@@MrSummitville Not here, and not relevant to the problem

[@MrSummitville]

@@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.

[@tiorontoron7531]

this is the most American and positive channel i have watched, which is really refreshing. thanks for the videos, i have a new channel to binge. top notch stuff. proud to share a country with you all.

[@cleversolarpower]

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.

[@btwbrand]

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.

[@cleversolarpower]

@@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.

[@cleversolarpower]

@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.

[@janglur]

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,

[@willparrish7646]

I have 2 80 watt cigs. They are pretty good.

[@lorettakinder570]

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.

[@supertman751]

I would stay with the midnite solar classic any day.

[@winkeyes]

I agree about the Classic. Why did you switch when the classic is the highest rated charge controller. Is the new cc internet connected?

[@davidlundy5007]

Maybe the Midnite is not programmable to lithium iron batts

@@davidlundy5007 news flash bud anything is programmable to anything if you know what you’re doing..

[@trojwarr1933]

You are an answer to my prayers!!! AWESOME VIDEO!!!

[@tumbleweed1976]

It would be helpful if you disclosed Battle Born “partnered” with you at the beginning of your video or in the description.

[@Hutzjohn]

yeah those batteries are about a thousand a piece on amazon with tax thats over 8 thousand dollars this is a bit deceptive.

[@tumbleweed1976]

@@Hutzjohn It’s a beautiful set up. He did great! My one Battle Born was $950 plus tax about 16 months ago.

[@sosteve9113]

Sound expensive

[@christracy130]

Ouch, $8k in batteries alone. You could get a Tesla power wall for that kind of money

[@logicwurx]

You can buy good solar batteries for about $250.00 each.

[@johnetheriedge8675]

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!!

[@RogerSayers]

Awesome set up... wish I could afford a system like you have.

[@commiesnzombies]

those batteries alone are like 800.00 each, i will just stick to my scrapyard frankenstein solar set up

[@stiaininbeglan3844]

What you do is start small. Do the set up you need for 1 or 2 panels, and don't expect to be running it right away unless you can afford each part of the setup from the start, and you start with cheaper options that work. Work your way up using savings. If you can power one or two things you use every day, then you can gradually power your entire house. If your usual power bill from the grid is say, $200 a month, and you've managed to take your entire house off the grid power, that's $200 extra every month, $2400 in a year, and then you'll be able to afford an upgrade or two. And if you can build your system to the point where you're selling extra power back to the power company, that's even more extra money each month. But the only way to never get there is to never start.

[@gehadel-habta4829]

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