S.P.A.T.-Testing used RENESOLA 250W panels 🍺 Have I wasted my money (again) on this brand?

[@saintkamus14]

I have 260w renesola panels and a 4,200 inverter since 2018. Both are still working great. At 300 bucks these are an absolute steal.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank s for sharing, glad some people have now confirmed that these panels work well.

[@manuelmuller6117]

Ich wollte einfach mal DANKE sagen. Durch deine Videos habe ich wesentlich mehr gelernt als durch das Lesen in diversen Foren. Danke, dass du dir die Zeit nimmst und mit uns in deiner Garage rumbastelst. Mach weiter so. Ich freu ich jedes mal riesig, wenn wieder ein neues Video von dir Online ist.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Super, danke Dir vielmals fuer das tolle Feedback ueber das ich mich sehr gefreut habe!

[@wayne8113]

Thanks Andy

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

No worries

[@benoittheminerandgamer]

What a absolute deal! I can wait to see the final installation!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

There won't be a final installation. This system will never be finalised, I guess 😁

[@OffGridBasement]

Now THAT is a deal! I wonder why they sold it for so cheap? Even if the inverter doesn't work, you still got a great price for the panels and the rails! Great find!

[@John-gm8ty]

because you have to pay big bucks to recertify panels to reuse them except for DIY off grid.

[@mondotv4216]

@@John-gm8ty no - because it’s Australia and used panels are cheap here. And if your selling a brand like Renasolar which is known to be not great then you have to sell it cheap, because you can buy decent brand second hand 320W panels for about $100 panel. There are heaps of those early 3kW systems being pulled off roofs in favour 6.6kW or 9.2kW systems. Plus they probably just wanted to get rid of it fast. You can get a Fronius 6.6kW system with tier one panels here for about $AUD5K - 6K installed. And you can get much cheaper if quality is secondary.

[@John-gm8ty]

@@mondotv4216 mate, my point is if you want to reuse them on a grid connected system, you HAVE to have the panels (and inverter if used) tested and recertified to be used, it is the law. and thus, they are a plenty because no one wants to pay for that vs just buying new panels and new inverter. and upgrading their current systems to larger ones. no company would touch us to add a second system to our 10 year old 3kw set up, so all we could do is upgrade to a bigger system over all and take the old one down. and that's why I have 10 panels in my side yard now.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The re-certification of panels and inverters is a pain in the bum down here. I stay off-grid and keep adding... Panels are not that cheap any more down here as they were a year ago. And far less choices of systems available. This was a very lucky deal.

[@guy7gsa]

Hi Andy you should look into making an led or buying a led light used for indoor plants to test second hand panels. Would make a interesting project.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Hahaha, I now what kind of plants you have in mind 😁

[@the_schmue2973]

Hey Andy. We're sitting in the same boat. Next Friday I will pick up 120 of used 235/240W. I have 20 used 175W BP Solar for about 5 years. And they perform really good. So hopefully the newer ones will do the same

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Good luck. I'm sure they will be fine. 120 panels is a lot. Hope you share some with your friends 😊

[@john_in_phoenix]

I purchased the solar panel tester based on your advice and have been very pleased with it. Thanks!

[@amathokkids5441]

Please can you tell the price Thank you

[@john_in_phoenix]

@@amathokkids5441 Price for what, the tester? Andy gives links for both aliexpress and Amazon.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks, John. There is now a new version with better display and higher specs. This one only rates to 400W, I believe.

[@kuhrd]

One tip for hauling panels if you have to stack many is to make some wooden corners out of dimensional lumber scraps and some screws that you then band the corners with a couple straps and this keeps all the panels locked together with the frames on top of each other so all the weight and pressure is supported by the frames when going down the road. Then you can have a couple straps over the top to keep the whole works from moving during transit.

[@DanBurgaud]

15:18 AUD300 for all that is a steal! That Growatt, even used, should still be worth like $200! 18:35 rails included? definitely a steal!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That was my thinking too. Just need to find some time and mount/connect it all...

[@bruch63]

Glückwunsch zum neuen Zuwachs in der "Solarfamilie", super Preis! 😄

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Ja, haben mal wieder Kleine bekommen 😆

[@smdindustries3699]

Andy, I picked up 6 x of the Renesolar 260watters cheap and i cant fault them. They are performing well👍

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Great, that's good information. Thank you.

[@mikedurham4448]

create rack over the walkway between the sheds .. extra sq. meterage and shade creation

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I need to access the gutters though, so that's not an option here. But I still have a lot of roof space for another 20kWp at least plus other locations we will explore in the future.

[@mikedurham4448]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia smiles .. i have designed mine to use no gutter and make/collect the water fall down sides and collect and drain at ground .. no more leaf litter ever ...lol.. i have pile rotten guttereing awaiting my burying in the next veggie plot .. waste not want not ... smiles .. so many ways .. but ideas spring eternal ..

[@lisathomas8498]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia how about utilising the space above the pool area?

[@BackyardAussie]

if you need more , I have 12x JA Solar (JAM6-60-250/SI) just sitting around you can have for free.. came down when I upgraded

[@CollinBaillie]

You're in SE Qld?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Sure, where about are you?

[@BackyardAussie]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Aspley

[@nateb3105]

I used some old Sharp 220w - if you have endless space to mount its good, but new panels from a wholesaler are pretty cheap & youll get a lot more power on cloudy days. great price for the rack mounts! grease it up to avoid corrosion & galling

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, some of the clamps I could not get off easily. Is there a special grease to avoid that with aluminium?

[@nateb3105]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia As always i look to marine applications, the harshest environments. TefGel gets a good mention. You need an anti-seize compound, but they normally have copper/metals - which make corrosion worse. I just did a quick Lannox lube or lithium grease from memory, as my setup was temporary.

[@BeastMovies]

Just keep adding. Sweet. The inverters use clipping(your solar charge controllers), so you can just keep adding until you reach the V I limits. My inverter/charger was rated for max 3000w and I put in well over 3000w. Clipped the access off and charged at 3000w. great stuff. You could call it a waste but panels never get to there potential in winter. When there this cheap just keep adding. I think solar company's now do this, add 20% more panels for losses.

[@robben8704]

don't forget to test for ground fault as some panels will show voltage from one of the terminals to the frame, I had some showing 15v to the frame

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, I'll do this before they go up on the roof.

[@robben8704]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia a lot of cheap panels have been taken off the roof due to a ground fault. This is normally due to 2 reasons is water in the panel and caused corrosion to the frame water in the panel or a short to rail.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@robben8704 This is a problem if you have grid-tied inverters as everything related to ground. My DC system has no relation to ground at all.

[@solventtrapdotcom6676]

I have some 260W Monocrystaline Renesola panels. They cells look different from yours. Much darker. But, they work. I currently have them in a 400V+ array

[@libertyauto]

You have probably mentioned it before, but is your garage cooler with the solar panels on the roof creating shade?

[@evil17]

I had a 10 kw system installed on a scillion type roof to fill the area above our main living area of our house, and the air conditioning effect is huge, it drops the inside temps so much in summer until around lunchtime at least and my house is so much cooler, we only use the air cons very occasionally. Cooling effect = HUGE!

[@libertyauto]

@@evil17 That is cool to know, thanks.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, it is a lot cooler already. The panels keep the heat away from the roof.

[@libertyauto]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Glad to know that, thanks.

[@jondavidmcnabb]

Heck just the rails are worth the cost!!! Great purchase!!!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That was my calculation as well.

[@extremeacc101]

Possibly on your next solar installation the next 3 kW do a ground mount installation. That is if you have maxed out all of your roof space. That would be a great video you could also have them adjustable for winter to allow maximum power over your roof arrays 👍 Thanks for the SPAT T-shirt🍺

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I will do a ground mounted installation at some stage. I have a special area in mind on my property but can only AC connect this back to the garage, so it will be interesting to hook this up to the off-grid system.

[@extremeacc101]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Excellent looking forward to that video

[@pmacgowan]

It’s great to see u recycling old panels, I think it would be a good business to harvest and test 2nd panel’s for resale

[@John-gm8ty]

requires recertification which would raise the cost of used to near new prices, no one would buy them.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

There is a company a bit north of Brisbane which has hundreds of these panels for sale. It was just a bit too far for me to drive. You could match all panels with the tester and sell them for different prices depending on their power output.

[@edwardvanhazendonk]

Great addition to your arrays. You've got the space, so there is no problem adding them. Also great you recycle them this way, they seem to be around 80%. But still fine for your wallet. What is the calculated turnaround time?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Edward. The panels will output full power of cleaned and we have clear sky. The 80-90% I saw during the test was enough for a light cloudy morning. I have not made any calculation in this regards. It's a hobby, so money well spent.

[@upnorthandpersonal]

Definitely an advantage of living in a country where solar power is commonly installed: cheap used panels!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I will buy some new panels at some stage for other roofs, just to see the comparison to the used ones. But these 250W panels just fit perfectly to the existing system, voltage, amps all this matches the existing panels, so I had to do it.

[@upnorthandpersonal]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia I would do the same if they were available here at that price!

[@hunter00047]

I think the discolouration around the cells is due to high current on the busbars within the panel.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Don't know, I have some other panels they are reversed in this colourisation, so dark in the middle and clear around each cell in the panel. Still output is normal.

[@soelin321]

good job bro.I have a wish that is a fine cell from the old year

[@hansmaier3689]

Check with thermal Camera for heaters in the Panel

[@michaelbouckley4455]

Will Prowse likes ReneSolar. The polys produce their full rated output. I have 4x 325W output up to 1.302Kw into Victron 100/50 and up to 45.5A into battery.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, the older 190W panels I have from them are all not good. So I was concerned. Luckily they all seem to perform well.

[@DrJGD]

hi Andy, now you have more panels wondered if you would be putting them in parallel with an existing string. I am thinking about connecting a string on an East roof in parallel with a string on the west roof. what would I lose if I did this - maybe only a small percentage and it makes sense rather than investing in more expensive Victron mppt. maybe it's an interesting study and you are the person with loads of panels.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Gary. Yes, they will be in parallel with the existing strings on the garage. I have all panels in a 3s configuration matching my solar charge controller. I upgrade the controller to a larger one when I build the PowerWall to accommodate these additional panels. Each side of the roof has 3 strings (with 3 panels in series) in parallel at the moment and with this upgrade there will be 5 strings, so I parallel an additional 2 strings. And I will have the exact same on the other roof side, so east and west are identical. I'll explain this again when we install the panels. Just waiting for material to come in for that...

[@DrJGD]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia thanks Andy. Thinking a bit more about this and looking at your roof angles I think your system will generate quite a bit off both east and west at the same time. I have a roof with an angle of nearer 45degs so I am thinking I will either get power from one or the other, so am sizing mppt to only one side but actually attaching twice the solar capacity

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@DrJGD that's correct, there is little difference between East and West in my case. Especially in summertime they are almost the same. I'm in the process of finding more spots on my property for the winter sun. That's when I need the energy.

[@DrJGD]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia on a side note, have you ever tested the difference in performance between a 2s and 3s with the mppt ? Is it better to have say 3mppt and 2s or 2mppt and 3s. Given mppt limit is the output current and ignoring the mppt cost for now - which would perform better ?

[@benkanobe7500]

Would getting someone in to trim the Eucalyptus be money well spent to improve your solar day??

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That would cost thousands of $$$. They are like 40m high. I will build my solar around them. That's far more interesting.

[@bishwagit]

Hi Andy, Greetings.... Today I have received Multiplus II 5000VA. In battery connection, +terminal contain a busbar but not present in -terminal. Is it ok? Please confirm....

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It's here in the video about the Multiplus. Read also the comments... kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYmqhZeulpajZsk

[@Ernest_son]

Seems to me you got yourself a deal. Which of the inverters will you connect them to?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Because I'm off-grid, I have to connect the grid-tied inverters to the output of the Multiplus and the Multi will handle the power coming in and also charge the batteries from that power. This all will be very interesting! I will potentially use the Fronius inverter I have but will keep the Growatt as well. I also ordered some micro inverters to some extensive testing.

[@neilmarshall977]

Your more than welcome to send the inverter to me over here in Nz so I can use it to start building my own off grid setup on the miniature farm I am buying. Not bad inverters those growatts

[@CollinBaillie]

It's a grid-tied inverter. You'd need to make a "private grid" with another off-grid inverter to bootstrap the grid-tied inverter.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

The Growatt can only be connected to a grid or a Multiplus which can handle that sort of AC connected inverter at its output.

[@a__133]

You are a lucky man! This little amount of money for these much panels incl. rails etc. I'm envy.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Discovered it on the morning, texted the guy and picked up 4h later. I had to charge the vehicle a bit higher due to the trailer load 😊

[@a__133]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Guten Morgen from lower bavaria Andy, thanks for your reply. How much increase in current consumption do you have when taking the trailer?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@a__133 I manage usually around 132Wh/km for this trip and had now 225Wh/km. It used exactly 50% of my battery for the 100km.

[@a__133]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia TY very much. Consumption increases similar to an ice car. 🤨

[@jasondevine6014]

Are you going to ac couple through growatt inverter?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes. But with the off-grid system. The Multi can handle AC-coupled solar on its output.

[@jasondevine6014]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia I think adding ac couple with its own set of challenges will be a great addition to the channel.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@jasondevine6014 This will be a rather larger portion of how I connect new panels in the future I think (at least in some areas). Due to shading, micro inverters could be the way to go...

[@jackoneil3933]

Good info and demo Andy thanks. Btw, does the Tesla Autopilot work with a trailer in tow?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, absolutely. No problem. Regen braking feels a bit less effective but it's more getting used to let off the gas earlier.

[@jackoneil3933]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Amazing! Thanks.

[@JayDee25895]

Please, What are your thoughts on them Spraying the sky's to block the sun...

[@AHMADKAMALZUBER]

That is a lot of shades. Parallel connection will do the trick but trimming the trees are best to get more sun

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

No trees will be trimmed, we will work around them. They are far too high.

[@AHMADKAMALZUBER]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia skylift / crane can do the job

[@uwe2030]

Herzliche Grüße aus der alten Heimat. Tolle Videos. Was hat dich in deine Wahlheimat verschlagen? Und wann? Und bist du dort glücklich (augenscheinlich ja) Über dieses gesamte Thema würde ich mir mal ein Video wünschen. Oder gibt es das schon?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Link zum deutschen Kanal ist in der Videobeschreibung 😎

[@rattusfinkus]

Hi Andy, I do enjoy your videos and have learnt a lot from them, thank you. I have had an idea for my off-grid set up that I thought you may be interested in, some videos perhaps?. I want to use excess off-grid solar generation to heat water and charge an ev (still waiting for a suitable one). The problem is my solar is in a shed 100m from where the hot water is and where the ev charger will be. An elegant solution has avoided me until now. I just saw a video on home automation with shelly relays. It is beyond me at the moment but it seams possible to sense the SOC of my batteries with my victron shunt relay and send that info to relays controlling my hot water and ev charger via wifi.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Colin. We ill certainly have a look and install some extensions on my system in the future to automate such functions for times when we have access solar available.

[@christophec252]

Nice video again Andy. In total how many Kwc will you have? Is there’s any regulation on this in 🇦🇺 ? In France we need an approval process in townhouse to install panels. This take approx 3/6 months. And the law does not allow to have more than 6kw injection into the load.

[@CollinBaillie]

Andy is running ~4.2-4.4kW already, and I believe has other spare panels as well. So this will expand the existing 4kW system. As he says at around 2:00, that will give him over 7kWp. As this is off-grid, there's no limitation on generation, as he's not feeding back into the utility grid.

[@rcinfla9017]

When you buy used panels, if junction box can be easily opened, it is a good idea to check all bypass diodes. Destroyed open bypass diode are common issue.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

We have opened quite a few junction boxes from panels here on the channel in previous videos. None of the bypass diodes were ever faulty though. It's very hard to open these boxes, plastic clips will break and the glue is fairly strong. Almost impossible to close them again afterwards again. I would not recommend doing this just to check on the diodes.

[@hendrikbock]

I was surprised to hear the price for the new half cell modules in Australia. Seems like this is one of the few things which is cheaper in Germany. I am pretty sure you made the right choice to get the 12 modules for that incredible price. It hurts to hear that otherwise old panels get shredded and used for road constructions. What a waste of resources. Now lets see how these modules improve the charging time for your DIY battery bank! What do you think of thin film modules as an extension for your system for low light conditions?

[@John-gm8ty]

there's no other option, due to safety, if there's a issue in the cells, there could be a fire, so they require recertification to reuse panels, and no one wants to pay the ludacris prices to test and recertify for safety over just buying new panels. plus new panels are virtually all higher output than used due to improvements in manufacture. you can still use them for off grid though, and many do. hell I have 10 panels in my back yard from when we upgraded the system here, and some are being used for a small battery bank (which does nothing currently)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Hendrik. I really don't have low light conditions down here in contrast to Germany where it can be grey for months. I was looking for the half cell modules due to the shading of the trees but found it may not make a huge difference and I rather look into micro inverters and optimisers. I've got both here but had no time to test it out yet...

[@hendrikbock]

@@John-gm8ty I wasn't aware of that. But doesn't that mean that there is no real used PV market in Australia because of this?

[@hendrikbock]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia I see. I was just wondering how much energy those modules would provide compared to the monocristalline half cell modules if the conditions are more on the low light side. But I guess Australia is not the right place for this 😂.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@hendrikbock I've got a lot of shading in winter through my trees, also lots clouds and rain in the last 3 months. I cannot imagine they make a huge difference to normal panels. It all depends how they are shaded, I guess and if it is a sharp shadow or just a random shadow form a tree or example.

[@excillisbank2611]

Super opérations ANDY , moi aussi j'ai acheté en 2019 des panneaux poly de 330W -72cel SHARP made in Germany , et jusqu'à ce jour leur rendement et efficience est incroyable (42V-319W-9,25A). Hâte de suivre l'installation de tes nouveaux panneaux solaire d'occasion et de voir leur rendement.

[@davidrknowles9792]

I need some more 250w panels and rails out Lockyer valley for my next upgrade

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Too late, I got them all now 😁 Not many of these 60 cell modules out there any more...

[@davidrknowles9792]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Yeah it's tough hunting, I got 24 275w ones the other day... I need more amps in this terrible weather 🤣

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@davidrknowles9792 I know, I'm in the exact same weather as you. Yesterday was the worst day ever 😔

[@davidrknowles9792]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia you have to come over for an Edelweiss sometime, we are in summerholm

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@davidrknowles9792 oh, that's just a few minutes from me... Got another viewer in Summerholm as well.

[@cjblacktube]

Hello, you became my reference for the creation of my DIY photovoltaic system. I have 20 used panels but with broken glass and some bent but they work on the tester. Can you suggest a solution to bring them flat and repair the glass? I have seen some videos with resins and adhesives dissolved in white spirit. What would you recommend? Thank you

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you. Oh, I would be careful with that. Moisture is getting under the glass and will corrode your connections.

[@cjblacktube]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia what way can i fix it?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@cjblacktube the question is: can they be fixed at all? If panels are in such desolate conditions, they can potentially cause a hazard in terms of an electrical shock or a fire.

[@cjblacktube]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia but wishing to venture which system will you use? new glass? composed of adhesive and white spirit? What? Please help

[@TheJuli1995]

Sorry Andy for that prices in Australia Here in Spain we have 450w for about 175 and 550 for 230€

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

So almost same price if you do the conversion to AU$... Much cheaper if I buy in China directly than locally. These local companies rip you off down here.

[@schwellenzaehler4564]

Its okay if you have enough roof space, and you can get the polys cheap!👍 You made a good deal. But i think its a problem of all the polycristalline modules, my monocristalline modules runs much better than my polys. Tested it several times, with different inverters, so i would never buy new poly modules. Here in the middle of Europe roofs/ground are very expensive, so its a good idea, to use your roof space perfect, with best performing modules.

[@henvan8737]

I would be interested in seeing your Tesla tow bar details for my car.

[@CollinBaillie]

Maybe check out Andy's other channels. Link to his other channels is in the description.

[@Dutch_off_grid_homesteading]

Heya, wel now you have to put them up I see an new vlog coming

[@nateb3105]

New panels are around 47-53c/W in Aus from distributors. thats $200 for a 400W panel new. i use raystech before & they sold me 4 panels no issues

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

And its around 0.25c/W ordering from China directly. $140 for a 500W panel. Plus shipping though...

[@mikedurham4448]

ROI shall be awesome ... smiles .. no way to lose ... we hope ...

[@benkanobe7500]

You did great on that buy!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yes, I'm glad all panels are working as they should.

[@icu9916]

Manchmal sind die MC4 Stecker nicht ganz wasserdicht, und das Kabel korrodiert. Dann erreichen sie nicht mehr die Leistung. Ist mir schon oft, gerade bei billigen Modulen, vorgekommen.

[@waltersigmund3821]

The never-ending expansion. It's like a drug . :-)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

It definitely is an addiction. I have also started looking for other locations on the property once the roofs are full 😁

[@David_11111]

yay... how many panels do you have ?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I lost count... still not enough.

[@wouter481]

Put some red insulation tape over the display, that will help for the camera.

[@carlossousa3285]

I have 4 of those units and although they don't look perfect, they produce the 250w on ideal conditions. good luck as if they work, its a bargain...

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

They seem to work just fine, just need to find time to mount them now.

[@shanesummerhayes7101]

Grace rail, nice.

[@DarkZoneV]

Hey Andy 👋.. How you and everyone keeps the panels clean...? My panels have bird crap every day 🙄 is really annoying 😒 Keep the show going i really enjoy 😉

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I have lots of leaves from the gumtrees around the garage. Not much performance gain when they are clean. I do it anyway from time to time for my own peace of mind with a sponge and water.

[@jameshancock]

Dc optimizers are wonderful things. Especially without half cells. Way better than string mppt.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I have the optimizers already here to test... not sure if it is worth it though.

[@jameshancock]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia I’m getting 15% more on side by side arrays with in full sun and 30% more power in shade. And shading of one panel in series doesn’t hurt output nearly as much. High voltage charge controllers become way easier which lowers wire loss for same number of panels. And you don’t need mppt in the charge controller either. Win all of the way around plus remote shutdown.

[@JH-zk6dk]

Great Deal -- we don't see deals like that in California USA !!! I paid $55.00 ea. us dollars for 16 190 w panels only.. They work great keep recycling ...

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That's not too bad either. I really don't like that used panels are getting destroyed just because they cannot be sold anymore due to a need of re-certification. That's just pure bureaucracy!

[@easyfix7041]

Can smart inverter to be connected to solar grid tie inverter i have 24v 2000va csn i use with solar grid tie inverter 1500w and use it ove 3000

[@SydRV7A]

You should visually inspect the modules for water ingress. This is the most common fault. Black staining of the lower tracks and disbonds of the panel material are a concern. They will leak DC to the frame - again you should check. Without proper grounding and inverters that detect riso fault dangerous and a fire risk.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

That might be only dangerous if you have one DC potential bound to ground. I'm free floating though. So even if there is a slight connection from one of the DC connections to ground there would be no current flowing. I've checked all the panels for water damage, all good.

[@SydRV7A]

@@OffGridGarageAustraliawhat about when you or someone else gets on the roof to clean them and becomes the ground?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@SydRV7A There is no closed circuit though. You can touch one side of the solar panel cables with 150V and ground with the other hand, no current... It would be different if I had grounded my negative of the battery. To make this clear, all panel frames are grounded but not the actual positive or negative potential of the battery or solar system.

[@SydRV7A]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia The floating system does not provide protection if there is more than one DC path to ground / mounting frames. i.e. two faulty panels, multiple wiring faults, moisture in connectors....

[@solarandwindinsouthtexasda1473]

Even if you get four panels to work the rails and the inverter you still good

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Seem to be all working well. Just need to find the time to mount them...

[@solarandwindinsouthtexasda1473]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia nice

[@thomasj.kappjr.929]

what are you doing with the beer can????????????

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

S.P.A.T. Solar Panel Alignment Tool Finding the best orientation...

[@jamest.5001]

If they all test nearly equal , they should be good, ??

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

They will be good without clouds, yes.

[@ShelbyGT5OO]

Love the can to aim the panels 😂

[@thomasj.kappjr.929]

I just described to your other channels keep the videos coming

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thank you very much!

[@jondavidmcnabb]

Build a structure over the pool with solar panels!!! That would be incredible.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

A structure... do you want to come an doing it? 🤭

[@jondavidmcnabb]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia If i can stay with you for free, I would definitely do that for you!!! It should only take a week or two.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@jondavidmcnabb free power and stay in the OffGrid Garage 😉 It will be very difficult to build such a structure over the pool with can withstand the wind load. Lots of concrete and a very strong structure spanning across the 15m of the pool. That's not an easy built...

[@jondavidmcnabb]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Aluminum structure and wedge anchors into the concrete. Aluminum can be cut with traditional wood working blades and won't really rust. The panels are the roof. Now you just need to collect a bunch of scrap aluminum.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@jondavidmcnabb Aluminium is not the problem. I have a shop not too far which can cut this all. I'm more worried about the wind load and how to mount it above a water filled pool.

[@JB1978]

Good old Outlander hay trailer... :)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yep, first longer rip with the trailer. Interesting experience...

[@evil17]

Good score Andy! Hi all, I wonder if anybody knows a ‘fix/tweak/ work around’ to enable a grid tie inverter to be used off grid? I have been pondering the possibility of using these grid tied systems to be used in an off grid situation and wondered if there wasn’t a simpler work around, or if I could inject 240v from a small sine wave inverter to trick it into thinking it was tied to the grid and allow the main inverter to be used off grid. I dont know how much power would be required to do this, but with 15kw of solar potential, Im sure it wouldn’t be a too great compromise. There maybe a simple internal ‘fix’ someone knows of. What does everyone think? Could this idea work? I have a 5 & 10kw systems with a single & 3 phase grid tie inverters I want to use on a shed project if possible. TIA Cheers

[@CollinBaillie]

Your only option is to have another inverter which provides a pure sine wave voltage. Andy seems to have plans to attach the GrowWatt inverter to his multiplus. The GrowWatt will see the Multiplus as the grid and sync to it. Of course you get no storage. You have to use the power as it is generated. I don't believe it will push all generated power into your "private grid", but will allow the "private grid" to draw what it needs, up to the capacity of the grid-tie inverter. So if you have storage for part of hour setup, that can be charged while the grid-tie portion powers your "home" and once the sun goes down, your storage kicks in to power stuff over night. This sounds like an awesome setup. Your storage gets to recharge during maximum production period, because it's not being used to power stuff. I guess it has to keep the "grid master" inverter active, but if you could have a way (say in the multiplus) to prioritise the (private) grid-tie power, and fallback to stored power, you would be set.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Evan, this cannot be done. A grid-tie inverter always needs a grid to sync on. If this master grid signal fails, the inverter will turn off immediately (anti islanding). I think only the Multiplus can handle a grid-tie inverter at its output and can also charge the battery from it. I have not seen any other inverter capable of doing this.

[@evil17]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Thanks Andy, appreciate ur reply, I know ur a busy fella!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@evil17 im always here in the comments 😊

[@evil17]

@@CollinBaillie Thanks for ur response & yes, this is what I was thinking also. The more I think about it the more possibilities I come up with. Let’s see if I can blow up my shed! I was considering using a 5 kw all in one or Multiplus to switch on one gridtie inverter at a set time when ur daily production would normally start, say the 5kw, which in turn powers/triggers the 10kw gridtie inverter for operation, & this 10kw could be run through the Multiplus to recharge batteries as well as any excess power from grid tie inverters above ur house & shed requirements could also be stored via chargers to batteries. I could also potentially have another 4-5kw of solar PV running through the Multiplus roof space allows it. So if I buy 1 Multiplus I thought maybe I could trigger the other 2 grid tie through the day for extra power production for house/shed & battery charging storage to be used by the Multiplus during non production hours. Obviously, this all will require some special safety features throughout, nut I could also have 2-3phases run to house from shed, 1 for Multiplus output 24/7, & the other 2 from 3phase 10kw gridtie which would heat water on one phase with Multiplus on another phase and a 3rd for Aircon’s during daytime with changeover at night, I may need some more inverter power for this as I have 3, 1@5kw & 2 @ 2.5kw efficient a/cons all at once run from 12A startup back to 6A @ 240v, so I could still run the 5kw easily on its own, or the both 2.5kw at once, but I figure I could still have the use of the gridtie’s for up to 15-20kw total of PV production by day. Cheers

[@gumpster6]

I think you got an amazing deal on those panels. I wonder if Australia might have the best second hand market for solar equipment.

[@CollinBaillie]

I reckon it does. And some states are better than others. I just missed out on a 4kwp system (16x 250w panels + inverter) which was listed for $600 here in WA. Someone bought all the panels, for somewhat less than the $600, I would think.

[@SabretoothBarnacle]

You're going to need a larger garage to accommodate all these panels!

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

I have another big shed next tot he garage plus the car port plus the roof space on the house. Should be ok for 30-40kWp...

[@Mr.J345]

Hey Maybe someone can answer my question I bought some second hand brand new panels and in full sunlight they will all of a sudden loose all voltage for a few minutes then it comes back and work as normal for about 10 minutes then same deal?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

How did you test them? What is the exact setup?

[@Mr.J345]

Two trina 255w panels connected in series connected to a Victron 100/50. I’m getting around 65v out of the panels and 495ish watts in full sun but then it’ll drop straight to zero almost as if something gets hot and cuts out. Then it will come right back a few minutes later. As for testing I’ve only separated the panels and tested for voltage which doesn’t drop unless there’s a load applied

[@RimdarRanch]

Andy... Is your Tesla right hand drive?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Of course it is!

[@mrsunelectronics544]

Wärmebildkamera Überprüfung von der Rückseite (Folie) wäre sinnvoll, um Schäden zu finden.... die können dann von der Rückseite aus auch gut Repariert werden... so kann das Modul meist gerettet werden 😋

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Danke fuer den Tip.

[@richeagleton5285]

Nice grid tie Min about 1500 dollar inverter

[@sreekumarUSA]

050722/0714h PST 🇺🇸 050822/0014h Brisbane🇦🇺 Thank you Andy. That was a good purchase. I bought a few "used" PV cells (AstroPower, 100W model AP-1000 made in USA) a few years ago. I didn't test it but trusted the guy who sold it. He said all are working. Reached home after the long drive, tested the panel and found the panel was not up to the mark as described rated voltage 16.1V. My reading was around 12.50V. the open Voltage was 19.1V and shorted Current was around 4.13A .All had MC3 cables and all tests were through it. I opened the sealed Black junction box and I found the cable ring terminals were loose. I tightened it well and tested the OP again. To my surprise the open voltage rose to 20.1V and he short circuit current rose to 6.1A. I tightened the nuts on all panels and they all increased OP voltages and Current. Those Panels are sill working well assisted by Victron 30/100 CC. Just my experience. 73s...

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks for sharing, Sree. That is awesome you found the problem and have now great panels to use.

[@giuseppevillella9445]

Ciao Amico sei un grande ⚙️🤓

[@John-gm8ty]

I think my peak hate of solar is the 300 different bloody rail systems/shapes on the market... it's bloody infuriating.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

So far, I was extremely lucky and had only one system for all my panels I ever picked up anywhere.

[@binauchich]

Ha, wegen dir nun Victron Multiplus II 3000W. Die Anlage wird immer größer. Raspi habe ich schon immer gehabt. Nun kommt noch der Smart Shunt. Suche dein Video wegen des Shut off. Du hast so viele Videos :-) Alles super. Vielen Dank. Gruß aus NRW Dinslaken

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Danke Dir Volker! Viel Erfolg, alle Info sind hier aufm Kanal.

[@SolarizeYourLife]

Why was the guy selling??? Not a solar believer???

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Many people are upgrading their system to larger ones, hence many systems on the market like this one.

[@tobiasmalyssek7792]

Da hast du wohl ein richtiges Schnäppchen gemacht. 👍👍300 Dollar bekommst ja schon fast für den Growatt. 😂

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Das hab ich mir auch gedacht. Und nun funktionieren die Panels auch noch! 💪

[@richeagleton5285]

The Growatts are nice make a second designated system if it's an off grid im a growatt dealer

[@hoosiersolarpower974]

how much for the inverter

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Do you want it?

[@hoosiersolarpower974]

@@OffGridGarageAustralia Yes Sir if the price is right lol

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

@@hoosiersolarpower974 send me an email...

[@caroman6761]

Good deal, in Alemania you have to wait -now- more than 6 years, you can get same deal because right now every one comes on the happy idea to install modules. What has been the happy idea the past ten years? Forget it ;-)

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

A lot of people from Europe are watching now... definitely the time to go full solar now and cover the roofs with panels. You cannot have enough.

[@BischesseHunting]

As James taylor Song "up on the roof" ;-)))

[@thompsonlover2]

You got yourself a smoking deal in any currency! AU$.10 per Wp! That's 6.7 eurocent per Wp!

[@davidrogers5343]

check the black box diode

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Never had a faulty one when we did the testing here on the channel.

[@Trent28888]

Ya got a good lot for $300,if that was here in tassie the idiots ask for $2k-$3k for the same kind of stuff (old panels go for a fortune here cause they think they are all experts) also when I seen ya trailer on ya tesla I thought it was ya long range battery ;) U could always make a fold out frame for that trailer and cover it in panels so if ya did go for a drive ya can charge ya car :P

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Wow, that's a rip-off... used solar panels are really cheap up here. Maybe I should send seme down to your beautiful island. The fold-out solar panels are a good idea when driving through the outback with no space limitations 😉

[@walterweese2527]

Daumen sind gedrückt

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Sieht gut aus...

[@randylenart9674]

Thats a good deal give ya a lot of time to save for new one's down the road

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

They should be OK for the next years...

[@trevortrevortsr2]

Santa came late to Andy

[@Victor-ut4zp]

Early!

[@hansmaier3689]

Duff (Öttinger) Beer for me, Duff (Öttinger) Beer for you, I have some Duff (Öttinger) Beer you have some too 🍻…. Nice PV Deal

[@andrewradford3953]

Congratulations on getting hitched. May many future weekends be ruined! (an endorsement by our PM for EVs) You won't even know that your towing that trailer. I upgraded to a heavier 7x4 trailer with a cage and now notice significant range decrease due to wind resistance. What will you do with all the energy in the future?. Cold room, Plug Share, mining rig?

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Thanks Andrew. It was my first drive with the trailer. The consumption wasn't too bad actually and I managed 220Wh/km for this 99km trip. Still used 50% of my battery. I need to install more solar for winter time due to the shading. In summer it will be far too much, so not sure what to do with all the energy then. I may fill it in batteries and set-up a swap system for others?

[@davidkettell6236]

You got a bargain Andy.

[@xsauce3858]

300 dollar for all of that. In my country I could get a 400w panel only.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Would have been the same price for a panel here as well...

[@t3chb0y67]

6:19 hello neighbour

[@dc1544]

the rails would cost more than you paid so win win.

[@OffGridGarageAustralia]

Yeah, they would be at this price point if I buy them new.