WHAT I PAID - CHEAP - ENTIRE DIY SOLAR SYSTEM

[@keiboman]

Hi! I've been watching quite a few videos on DIY solar over the past couple of weeks, and this is one of the best. Very straightforward, thorough, and nicely presented. Thanks for taking the time to do this, I have subscribed and I hope your channel finds success if that's what your goal is. Cheers!

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Mike thank you for the kind words, very appreciated and inspiring.

[@coryj1811]

Appreciate the video. Been researching and looking into solar the past 6 months or so and besides the basic maintenance stuff around house I haven't messed with electricity much. Not gonna lie was bit to take in at first but just like with alot of things in life, if you take the time to learn about something you'll understand it more. Plus the help of people like you and others I've found and that share their knowledge and experience. Finally about to take my first step and make some purchases. Thanks again 👍

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for watching and sharing your comments Cory!

[@Smackvttv]

Living off grid for 15 years now I just upgraded to lifepo4 battery’s At this day in age I would never recommend led acid to anyone they may be cheaper in initial cost but to get the same amount of storage you need 2x more . 100 ah led acid = about 40 ah irl. Don’t buy led acid

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Hello Smack, this is good advice given all the alternatives now available for Lithium and cold or even Salt battery solutions. Couldn't agree more on storage capacity and discharge rates. Where I live currently, 46 degrees north everyone relies heavily on Lead acid as the temperatures can get really cold (-50), with people living off grid 100% they have no alternative for charging there batteries in the event there is no sun. Of course there is allot of Lead acid batteries available as well on the market, making them a very cheap additional energy source when rebuilding old units.

[@ssoffshore5111]

Nice job! It looks like you're running the 24v batteries in a 48v configuration. I noticed these are easier to get and a little cheaper as well. Any regrets with not using the 48v models?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Thank you for the review and words of encouragement, kindly appreciated! I purchased the 24v originally for my greenhouse, the need being for lower voltage ranges at 12v. If I could go back I would've purchased the 48v batteries from the beginning, it only makes sense when all other equipment is running on 48v, not to mention the BMS of the 24v batteries doesn't match with the Growatt inverters communication correctly.

[@harryv6147]

William, great summary video of describing the various component of your solar system. Very organized and clearly presented!!! Great job and very informative!

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Thank you sir, really nice compliment! Been working on how to improve the videos.

[@evjedi4061]

Great job. Very clean very Pacific and to the point. Next time I would explain how doing it yourself makes it easier to troubleshoot if there’s a problem. Pretty obvious but you know.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

-Thanks EV Jedi for the kind remarks and pointers, duels noted as I move forward. "May you be embraced in the force"

[@BigHeinen]

As opposed to being very Atlantic?? Oh My!!

[@smallshoptalk589]

By the way, I had 2 solar companys talk to me about using MY ROOF to produce electricity just to sell it back to the electric company. No Batteries. Over $50,000.00. But with government credits so it will be lower. Credits not guaranteed, but I still would owe them over 50 Grand. I told them to hit the road.

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

Enjoyed the video. Nice to see someone who has a clue As opposed to so many videos that claim to be a budget build and then end up costing as much as having a contractor do it.

[@mkonvo]

Just curious, are you using 2x6 or 2x8 for your panel mounting? Planning mine out now. Thanks for all of the great info. I'm in Michigan also but southwestern side.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

I used 2 x 6 for a more rigid strength.

[@johnparkerthegimpygardener]

The place cut you a big break ? They are more than double that now.

[@mikedoingmikethings702]

Little money for me is $5 bucks LOL Great video sir!!!

[@colinstace1758]

What do you estimate the pay back time ? And how long do the batteries last ? Looks like a pretty neat install 👍🙂

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thank you for the comments - I just answered another viewer on this and have added to your additional question on battery time: "Great question, savings or return on solar investment wouldn't be until after the 7 - 20 year mark for most people, depending largely on size (cost) of your investments and if you use tax credits to write off your investment. My system will pay for itself in 3 years, if I use the tax credits. The option that I have backup utility to me in the event there is no Power is without price."... Battery Discharge rates will depend on how much electricity you consume and for how ling you'll need it. These time variables can differ immensely, as well as the costs can get astronomical with battery banks, very fast. As for how long the batteries last, well the manufactures says 7000 cycles (apprx. 15 yrs) at 80% discharge. Whether these numbers ring true, we wont know until they've been on the market long enough.

[@bigblockcutlass123]

A guy at work paid $50,000 for a generac 7000 k of panel and about 7000k on battery's. not sure on that compacity of the battery's, but it was not a lot.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- WOW! That's a hefty price tag to pay, I highly encourage the DIY market to dive in. It's allot easier to install these systems than people think. I'm here to help if people have questions on how to. Cheers and thanks for the comments

[@brandongroth4569]

Very interesting. Do you have a estimate of how much research, buying, and installing hours you did? I know that installers typically charge about 10k-20k for a system, but then you are paying someone else to have the equipment, shopping, and knowledge to install for you. Everyone values their time different, but it might be good to explain how much effort goes into doing something like this.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Brandon, that is a very good point to address as the research time involved consumes many hours, days and weeks for those not familiar with how these systems work, under what conditions and what your energy needs might be. I couldn't tell you how much time I've vested, been very enjoyable to this point thus far.

[@bigcheese4454]

these vids have answered 90% of questions I have had, so thank you for taking the time to make them. 1 question I still have is, I see you have a ground rod for your pv combiner boxes and solar panels. Did you run a ground wire out of your PV combiner bow back to the inverter? or just 2 reds and 2 blacks? If you did run a ground wire where did you terminate it inside? Again thanks

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Big Cheese! Going from the combiner box to the inverter I only ran both DC hot wires, no ground. I did however connect a physical ground to the case of my combiner box directly to a grounding rod at the panels chasis.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Great video. Would really love to see more about how you constructed the array, and what hardware you used to attach the panels to the superstrut.

[@xiaowei1]

That was very cheap given you are in the US. In Australia, it cost me about $8,000 ($5,765 US) to have a 13.2kw system installed on my roof (2 x 6.6 half cell systems, with 5kw inverters for each system). I do not have a battery set up though, and a 20kw system would cost well over $20,000 ($14,413 US) here as tehre are no government subsidies for batteries yet.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for sharing neighbor, the price you paid is relatively inexpensive factoring installation costs, other viewers have been much higher in comparison. I hope all is well in the land down under mate!

[@donrad]

The main way to reduce cost is to design the house and lifestyle to use less electrical power. Q: Did you look into whether or not it would be cost effective to have a solar rack that could be manually adjusted to change the panel angle for different seasons?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Hi Don - The first sentence you have written is stated perfectly. No I haven't calculated the cost differences as of yet on being able to adjust the panels to follow the sun but I can assure you this is very important topic that needs allot more discussion, the difference is big for people like myself with limited sunlight as opposed to others.

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Does the inverter have a charge controller?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

These inverters have built in charge controllers, very nice option with these growatts.

[@jeffmichael113]

Hi! I checked out pricing for the panels and batteries at the website you mentioned, and the prices are much more expensive (almost double). Did the prices jump up since you purchased yours or was there an error there. FYI I did price those panels in bulk (pallet pricing). Please let me know. Thanks, great video!

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Wow!!! The prices I quoted were pretty close to right on. I bought a pallet (25 panels) one year ago for $2000 including shipping. I can only imagine the prices have went up with all the political issues these days, along with inflation

[@hozettes]

Im impressed with how well organized and researched this was. I learned alot watching this. Thanks

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thank you for the comments, glad it helped.

[@douglashilton4048]

What's your reasoning for using 4 - 24volt batteries that I can see you wired 2 in series then paralleled them to make 48 volts. Why didn't you buy 48 volt batteries to begin with?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- At the time of purchase I could only get the 24v, I would recommend using 48v batteries with a 48v system if you have the option.

[@andykillary6989]

Ian is the man! I bought 20 panels from him.

[@paulfry7378]

Great video! I'm subscribing. How much per month are you saving, and how much do you charge to come to Minneapolis and put it together? LOL 😂😂

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for the comments Paul, I'm saving on average roughly $200 a month in electric costs. Albeit the best part being is that I'm not dependent on the grid if something should go wrong or electric prices start to match that of inflation. Having that next level of independence is gratifying. I can be contacted directly if you go to the "About" page on my channel, I can point you in the right direction if you're serious about installing a system.

[@benjones8977]

I’m wondering how 200 A on four batteries gives you 20 kW? I have eight Battle Born Batteries and this gives me a total of 9600 WH. That’s 9.6 kW.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hi Ben, when speaking in 24volt batteries which is what I have not by choice at the time of purchase, so at 48v it'd be 10k amps as you suggest.

[@OW...]

Great info thanks..

[@TheWadetube]

Signature Solar has solar panels for 40 to 43 cents per watt on the low end and averages around 50 cents per watt. The cheapest battery is 24 volt at `100 amp hours or 2.4 kilowatt hours for $500. Two for me was $1,000 dollars for a 5 kilowatt hour pack. I spent about 3,600 dollars for 7 kilowatts of panels each being 370 watts. My dad and I split up 33 panels, 14 for him and 19 for me. His inverter was 1250 dollars and he also got a 5,000 watthour battery pack for a thousand dollars. Together we spent over 9,330$ and I don't have my inverter picked out yet but I will probably get the same as his, a grow watt 6000 watt system and I will put 16 panels on it ,two series of 8 in parallel connections to keep the voltage down and the amps to about 16 to 18 amps. When finished this system will have cost me over 5 thousand dollars and I will upgrade it later with more batteries and I will also have 3 panels left over to run a separate small system of 3,000 watts with a simple inverter and 3 or four lead acid batteries. Two systems so I can avoid total shutdowns if there is a problem.

[@cowboymcq6711]

How much was the pallet of panels ?

[@dougsagal5860]

Been in solar stuff for35 years = you did very well in your selection sizing etc = should you advance to the green house I would suggest looking at nife batteries tied in so as to use the browns gas/ hho that is a buy produce the can be used to enhance plant and health situations = read up on George wise browns gas

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Doug and thank you for taking the time to share you comments and advise, much appreciated!

[@larrymacdonald4241]

Dual purpose panels, they use water to cool the panels and the hot water can be used for domestic.... sold in California, my idea over 10 years ago...small sail boat wind generators... there is a guy in NJ who gets temps over 100 fahr using a similar system in the winter. LTO cells for battery packs, Daly BMS.... silicone wire, high strand count, high conductivity and less line losses, resistance etc... the larger the wire or multipule strands of smaller wire the less heat and resistance you have. Combining all 3 types of passive energy gives you more options, more reliability more self reliance. Heat is the worst enemy of solar panels... so using water to cool them, makes them last longer.... there is a guy in Aus. who builds tesla type power wall units, he does some nice work...

[@toddb9313]

Looking at it at 1am going "Solar System", "Solar System", what does he mean the cost of buying an entire solar system planets and all, then I realised it was about a solar POWER system.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Nice! In some fashion we're creating the universe within the conceptual boundaries or form of understanding in the mind, cheers to life!

[@finpainter1]

Nice set up. Did you apply for your gov. rebate..?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for the comments Fin, I haven't applied for the credits as I plan to use them as tax write offs, though the credits is a nice option.

[@michaeldomanski2472]

Informative and a great benefit. Thank you for taking the time to produce this content!

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thank you for the kind words and watching.

[@MrHowieZ1973]

Power companies are going to hate you. lol

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Unfortunately we've already seen this change in states like California and Florida where legislation has already been passed to compensate lost revenues for the electric companies.

[@aearnest]

how did you run the wire from the panels to the house ? did you bury it and did you have to put in a conduit?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Yes I buried the cable in electrical conduit.

[@thomasbranson7237]

I am in the process of changing my system from a 12 volt to 24 volt at present. Not you got me thinking about going to the next step above that. Thanks, you give me something to think about.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Thanks Thomas for reaching out, if you're in a house I would most definitely go with a 48v system if you still can and there's not allot of other components needing changing, cheers mate!

[@TurbineGuy]

Greatly system !

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thank you sir, was just out cleaning of the morning snow that seems to fall on this system in this region almost daily!

[@roberthill4239]

You killed me on your panels so badley im in disbeliefe. But i killed you on lithium bateries. Nice system

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks Robert for the comments, please share how you built or where you bought your batteries? I'm looking for a mich better deal as I can imagine everyone watching this video is. Thank you

[@MaximeDulude]

I think that it could be a good video if you could let us know what s your plan with solar + greenhouse. Are you trying to be self sufficient as possible? What are your upcoming goals?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Great idea for an up and coming video, thank you!

[@TimBee100]

I skipped over a bit of the video. Is that enough power to run your entire household or do you still need to be connected to the grid?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Time Bee, yes the system does provide enough electricity to power my house entirely, but of course you need to be very conscious of the amounts of loads you're using or demanding of the system and if the sun will shine ro replenishthe batteries. I would recommend a minimum of a 10000 watt system for a house, I only have 6000 watts currently.

[@geeadventures]

This is such an overkill! Are you running a Crypo farm?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for the comments, my system is actually a pretty small system in comparison to average household consumption rates. If one wants to use electric heat with this system you'd run out of juice daily at noon! No crypto farming here, never know which direction the virtual market is going, I'll stick to Green farming for now.

[@prilep5]

Great system and excellent video with text inserts of the important info. I enjoyed every minute you’re very smart man. Subscriber

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thank you for the inspirational comments, this keeps the energies flowing on the positive cables! Happy DIY'ing and welcome to the channel.

[@prilep5]

@@ahhlifesgood1956 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

[@houseofancients]

hows your system running, and did you ever get in contact with ss about the comms ?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello House of Ancients, I gave up on the comms. issue for the moment. My system is working flawlessy, amazing performance in winter with the added sun reflection off the snow, averaging between 12 and 32 kwh daily as compared with summer it was around 10 to 20kwh daily. Cheers

[@angelsuniverse6021]

Thanks...now the.pallet of panels is 4000$😕

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

I was just noticing that myself, all within 9 months prices have almost doubled on so.e components.

[@Chris-ie9os]

Another place you can cut cost is fuses. Fuses are only required on PV lines if you're paralleling 3 or more strings. 1 or 2 strings do not require over current protection.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for the comments Chris!

[@rklauco]

I don't understand one thing. The Growatt supports up to 4.5kW of solar, but you have 7.5kW array. Does it mean that by having 2 of the inverters, you also doubled the solar capacity it can handle?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Hi Robert, the array on paper is capable of 7.5 kw but it never reaches 100% rated capabilities, at best I get close to 6kw but for only a second or two but normally bouncing between from 4kw to 5.5kw on the peak performance. Most solar panels from what I here never reach full capability of performance, pending the multitude of conditions and variables of course. As is the case where I'm at, were farther from the sun and the angle right now I believe is around 14% above the horizon, making intensity minimal. At best peak performance I reach almost 95% capacity of each inverter for a second, almost total capacity of 3000w (3kw) each inverter. So almost full capacity of just under 6kw of power from both PV arrays when the sun is peaking at it's best, no obstructions, clouds and tracking angles are exactly perfect. Which is RARELY the case when you have a stationary solar rack. Now if this system were in the desert or closer to the equator I would imagine the array would be slightly to large for 2 inverters that can only handle 6kw, these measurements need to be taken by each person pending location on the planet. Its also a good thing to not be peaking the full capability of your equipment, the lighter the load on your inverters I would imagine the more optimal they'll perform over the long-haul.

[@butcher9266]

One of the best and most informative videos. WELL DONE !!!!!!!!

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thank you sir, glad ot helped!

[@upnorthandpersonal]

I've got a 10kW solar system coupled with a 28kWh LiFePO4 DIY battery with BMS. The system includes 2x100A charge controller and a 6kW low frequency inverter. Together with all wiring, and my DIY ground mounts the total cost of the system was

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- That sounds like a really nice system and at a great price, was planning myself to DIY the next round of batteries. What did you use for the BMS?

[@upnorthandpersonal]

@@ahhlifesgood1956 JK BMS. It's a 2x16 280Ah cell battery pack, so 2x that BMS. It's been running for almost two years now without issues. I'll probably double the capacity this year.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

@@upnorthandpersonal - Thanks for sharing, I'm in the market myself for backup BMS to my EG4'z and for expansion of my current system

[@upnorthandpersonal]

@@ahhlifesgood1956 No problem. Are you on Will Prowse's forum? If not, I would recommend dropping by there :)

[@webguyz1]

How long did it take to build the ground mount system?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

It's a fairly quick build, probably 4 full days from digging holes,pouring concrete, structure build and mounting panels. Wiring the panels and installing combiner boxes more time was needed but also relatively quick.

[@douglashilton4048]

I have 4350 watt Solar, with a 6000 watt growatt inverter (240 volt split phase)and 3 - 48 volt eg4 batteries (15.3KW) .. all on a 40' motor home.

[@breezeg3542]

Sign me up for the same panel deal you got right now

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Myself and everyone else, prices have increased since my build.

[@henrylee8092]

William been watching a lot of videos on solar systems and have gotten bids thru energysage. Debating whether to DIY or Quoted Installed. My main question is where you an electrician prior or learned on your own with reading and YT? So your system produces up to 7.5 KW but your inverter combined could handle only 6KW. Would the excess damage the inverter?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Henry and thank you for writing. I have not had any official electrical training, allot of reading, questions to freinds who know about electricity and watching allot of videos before proceeding. My original plan was to hire an electrician to help in the design, have a professional revision during installation and then a final check, all while doing the work myself. In the end I felt confident enough in my work to continue without hiring anyone. This system is capable of 6kw, in summer I don't reach max capacity due to the angle of panels, but in winter I do given reach max given the reflection from snow. The inverters automatically are only allowing in the max capacity of electricity, never shutting down, maintaining at pr near the max capacity.

[@hansgruber2509]

How much energy does it produce per month?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Hans, currently I'm producing around 300KW a month on average for the last 6 months. To give you a more precise idea, in Summer I was producing around 380kw a month and now in the full blown of winter the amounts of energy (sun light) has dipped. Clouds, snow, angle of panels to sun, etc.

[@joanies6778]

I am guessing you are in Canada... amazing info.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

On the border of CA in the UP... Close enough, great area to be currently.

[@topeye4202]

If you build the batteries by your self, which is quite easy, they cost less than half ($2500/20kWh) My 14kWh (16pcs 280Ah Lifepo4) battery + JK smart BMS (balance current 2A, 200A load) + 5A active balancer (+ his voltage detection controller to activate just above 3,4 Volts) + offline monitor was in total $1750.-

[@dice468]

Thanks

[@justinrrizzo]

I'd pay that price for panels today!

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- They're are some good deals out there still today, look for purchasing an entire pallet to get a better deal.

[@GregHassler]

I have a 17kW, 50-panel (340 watt panels) grid-tied microinverter system that was installed by a local solar contractor last year for $20,000. No batteries yet. I thought it was a pretty good deal.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for sharing Greg, sounds like you have a powerful system at a very reasonable price.

[@leifhietala8074]

To help put this kind of info in perspective, count up how many kilowatt-hours you've produced with your system. Divide that by your total expenditure to put your outlay in the same framework as what on-grid electricity consumers pay: money per kilowatt-hour. While it's early days it'll look like a terrible comparison and you've thrown your money at a losing proposition, but unlike ratepayers - like myself - your spending is pretty much done. Every kilowatt-hour you generate without spending more money works to the good. The longer it lasts, the more affordable your system looks until eventually it becomes pretty obvious that your way is the best way: it costs a hell of a lot up front, and is cheaper every day after that.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Leif and thank you for taking the time to share your insights. Solar to me really comes down to the question of "if you need it," if you need it well then the cost is justifiable. In truth we really don't need electricity but we've conditioned ourselves to think we do, therefore we spend most time and money more often than not on luxuries we never needed at all. Cheers

[@hortensejones5213]

I must say great video but can i ask some question. Between mono and poly , solar panels..any of these two type can be connected in series. How would you calculate the wire needed from the solar panels from rooftop to your growat inverter, am considering to install a 3600w solar system and 3000w inverter....i would need the calculation for the size wire from inverter to battery bank. How many battery it would require for an off grid system? I see you install a breaker box in this video which a great idea.. can i ask a question on that..for instance install a breaker box too. How would u calculate the size wire for the output current, coming from the inverter to the breaker box.. For instant there is a 2 (40amp breaker install) what type wire should be connect to those 2 amps. And there is 1 (15amp breaker) what type wire should be connected to that... Can you please explain so i can understand..and if you any video ..that can help , i would appreciate that too

[@Scoopy2022]

Very cool setup, however, living in Canada as I do, I wouldn't ever consider setting up an offgrid system without some ability to charge your batteries besides solar!! I talked to one older fellow after he had solar installed, and he said in 2013, there was a stretch of 3 months during the winter that he never saw more than 3 days in that entire period that had good clean sunlight!! Thankfully he had a backup generator!!

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Kevin and thank you for commenting. I would agree with your recommendations, those living in the northern climates where snow or rainfall, conditions are high causing literally causing "sun outs", having either extra panels, and a few more batteries than you're normal solar setup is recommended. If you have the luxury to do so, a backup wind generator would also be ideal if you're 100% off grid. The luxury of Hydro probably isn't an option unless you have a fast enough current where the river doesn't freeze and or you have the space to put the turbine low enough in the water table where it won't freeze.

[@walktheline21]

Great video. I'm sure i can find this somewhere else, but you promoted the concept of batteries or wind/water to generate power at night. However, with what you presented, can this feed into your existing power? i.e. feed into the grid or do net-credits for not using anything from the grid? I cannot process that without batteries this would be around $4K for me if I just went with panels...

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

This system could feed into my grid but I chose to run it entirely independent so when I transfer the system to my greenhouse I should have the bugs worked out. Which I'm happy to report, the bugs have been minimal.

[@juliemcmahon111]

Did you use copper wire or aluminum?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Copper wire

[@mainerdiy8399]

Thanks for all the excellent, detailed info.

[@IlyaDemidov]

Finally a video on solar station that does look like it was done DIY. I have very similar station and its cost is around 7k USD (I have lead-acid 10 kWh batteries), also bought 7 kW gas generator (2 liters of gas for each 7 kW of energy; up 80 liters of fuel a year). I have Discord channel where I encourage people to go solar. And in the end of the winter I will give results of living in an off grid house with similar video.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for sharing Llya, I'll be having a look at your channel. Living Off Grid has become the new place to be.

[@richardpayne9640]

wow! great information Thank you for sharing

[@dper1112]

You mention upgrades as a benefit to 8 gauge wire, which it is. Another small but real benefit is less transmission loss.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Good point and thanks for sharing.

[@philippekuster]

Hey nice to see a new channel on preparedness and homestead. Im from Southern Brazil 🇧🇷 Already subscribed God bless your homestead and work

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Welcome aboard the channel and thank you for the kind words of aspiration!

[@tabbott429]

Im using a 3.5KW setup for backup power, Ive had it set up since 2014. Im still using 24 golfcart lead acid batteries since they were affordable back then at 85$ each. I dont use the system unless the power goes out but 75% of the panels are hooked to grid tie microinverters for lowering the electric bill. Id like to upgrade my batteries in the near future with lithium but I aslo want to move so I will probably just do a new setup at my new place. I will definitely make a rack for the panels instead of roof mount in the future. Thanks for sharing your info

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Hello TDA and thank you for the sharing your comments! Good advise for newbies.

[@vgames6792]

7000 cycles, is that mean 7000days?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- A cycle is as simple as the "charge and discharge" of the battery being 1 cycle, this could be done several times a day but in most occasions for solar it'll only be once a day. Whether its deep cycle discharge or full state of charge is another question. Theoretically in this example you'd get 7000 cycles on the eg4-LL, at 80% discharge? Those are manufactures statements, not mine. Once we go 7000 cycles (7-15 years) we'll be able to report.

[@kameljoe21]

If you plan to add more panels I would just go with getting something like a midnight charge controller if you do not need more inverter space. Adding another array or 2 is always easy. Did you run the wires in conduit? if you did then it might be easy to sting in a few more lines for new arrays. You can never have enough solar. Winter time is one when having extra panels really pays off. In the summer it really helps as well because you can turn on another ac unit and not feel guilty about it. The all in one inverters are nice. I like the MPP solar ones because of their higher voltage rating. 450v for one of their battery-less inverter. Also you can only make them battery less if they are ran as single units. Though there is not a larger unit out there. I would like to find a unit that is 20kw inverter with 30kw of solar and can be battery-less. As the current way my home is set up adding in a few kw all in one battery less inverter if futile. With the battery less you can also back them up with the grid which is great for those who want to cut their day time electric cost by larger margins. This could also be the means of running air conditioners with out the extra monthly cost, running electric heat with out the extra cost.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for weighing in William and offering good advise for myself and others, most solar enthusiast would agree I'm sure that you just can't have enough panels, especially those in the areas where sunlight is a higher priced commodity! I was also at a tossup between MPP Solar and Growatt, the only deciding factor for me was that these smaller growatt series are perfect for the greenhouse, while being scalable for my trial period In-House until the Climate controlled greenhouse has been built. Battery-less option inverters are a great option to have available.

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Why do you need 2 combiner boxes?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- I used 2 combiner boxes to regulate the volts/watts for each inverter based on panel and inverters sizes, along with the type of setup I'm needing.

[@hawaiidogs9277]

I have a question if you don't mind me asking I'm just kinda starting out so how do you insure everything the solar panel systems batteries, cabin land etc and if anyone else has any information it would be really appreciated ty

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Hawaii, I would imagine for each person and location insurance options or availability may very. In my case I added extra coverage to my policy in the event of any losses, one would need to contact your Insurance company to ask.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Nice! Our 6,400 Watt system was around $7,000.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Very nice to hear, extremely affordable for plenty of power.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

@@ahhlifesgood1956 It was a challenge. We ordered the major components and batteries from Alibaba.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

@@RedandAprilOff-Grid - Good information, how long did you have to wait for merchandise when ordering direct from Alibaba? I looked into ordering direct myself but shipping was outrageous for heavy items, unless you order an entire container for me the cost difference wasn't feasible.

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

@@ahhlifesgood1956 We ordered everything in December of 2020 before all of the shipping issues and delays. It was a pretty large order because we also ordered the components for 2 more systems for family, so that helped bring the price down too. It took about 6 weeks to get everything in. We have a video on our channel about the system and components.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

@@RedandAprilOff-Grid - Thanks for sharing, I like your video on laying out the house direction trying to find due south!

[@terrywinningham5405]

Very informative, hopefully the battery options will improve and hopefully pricing comes down.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello sir, thank you for the comments!

[@MrShowwoff]

Great video breakdown of DIY solar. How long do you believe it will take for your efforts to pay itself off in savings? 2-5 years or more? Thanks in advance.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- This system will be paid for in 3 years using tax write offs, if I didn't use any type of credits it'd take 7 years. Having the system in place if needed, priceless if you're energy equipment dependent.

[@qvrty6]

Awesome dude! Great job! I'm following your lead!

[@bobturner6516]

great video, but I think it would even better if you gave examples or demonstrate what you can run or power with your set up such as appliances, furnace etc.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Sounds like a great video, pushing the system to the limits and see how well it'll perform without being connected to the Grid. I'll do that at the point of moving it to the greenhouse in the event something goes "haywire", Thanks Bob

[@littlespressurewashing]

Thx for sharing bro

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for sharing your comments.

[@therealpeterburke]

the wire now costs $966 per 500 ft 8 gauge reel at Menards. Copper prices are off the charts

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Like everything else these days, inflation is off the charts and continuing.

[@knurlgnar24]

Could you make a video walkaround of your pressure treated solar array setup? I've been wanting to do something like that and yours is the most efficient and well designed I've seen anywhere based on this short video. Wood may not last 30 years and so people poo-poo it but most solar installs only make it about 10 anyway before theft, hail, moving, etc so that makes sense to me. I was also thinking of using superstrut but am unclear on how those Ubolts fit in and such. Thanks for the video!

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- I'll make a more detailed walk around on the solar rack, thanks for asking.

[@Off-Grid]

Nice layout. Wish we had gone with another brand. We did Schneider.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks Journey, was a joy implementing this system. We'll have to see how the Growatt and EG4's do overtime!

[@electricandlspower]

How is it working this spring?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

The system is and has been working fantastic, planning to make another video soon explaining what I've learned over the course of one year while operating in 4 seasons. Quite interesting!

[@ianmburke]

Great walk through and production on the video, subbed, and will be referencing this in the coming months when I take on my own diy solar project very similarly. Keep up the great content

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks Ian for the kind words, I hope the video helps as you move forward!

[@wkinne1]

Grats, best video I've seen on this topic. As a noob I have a question: Why only 6k of inverter ( 2 @ 3K each ) for 7.5K of solar panels? Why 1.5K short/ TIA

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Wayne - This setup is actually for the greenhouse I'm building and a test model prior to making the design around how we can control climate most affordably in these northern areas. The original idea was thought around 120v only, 1 inverter using 12 panels. That lead to an immediate expansion after realizing how little energy 3kw is daily when connecting to electric heaters, given amounts of daily sun intensity. The only difference in the plan now for the greenhouse heating is to rely more heavily on geo thermal heating and use the passive solar to only power max. 120v fans, with minor heating elements for heating underground water tubing. I will upgrade the house Inverters to 2, 5000 min. Inverters and add a minimum of 36 panels 300+ watts.

[@wkinne1]

​@@ahhlifesgood1956 I live in Michigan between 43 and 44 degrees North, so I am seeing cold weather too. I am curious as to what tubing you will be burying 15 ft deep for geo thermal, diameter and type. The thin corrugated black stuff similar to drain field pipe would crush?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

@@wkinne1 - Hello neighbor! I haven't taken a decisive direction on the exact material I'm planning to use for the underground tubing but I am leaning towards the rigid perforated tubing, I think it's 6" in diameter? Depending upon what's below the earth in your area you'll need to plan according from for frost lines, water drainage, depth and length needed for the amount of air you plan to exchange. In my case I'm going to need to dig even deeper than my tubing, creating an escape area and drainage for excess water, given our proximity to allot of water in these areas. I'd image we'll be using rocks of different sizing, plastic and sand as the fillers, to what levels, I have no idea at this point. Once known that'll play into the type of tubing we can use or not for the project.

[@TheFatman819]

Why do you need quick disconnects when you can shut each of the Batteries? It dosent hurt anything, where did you get your U bolts to connect the super strut

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Happy Holidays Tony, good question on the Quick Disconnects, in principal they're not needed I added them for convenience and if for some reason I have an issue at the batteries there is another means to cut the current. I actually plan to put in place DC breakers at that same point of the disconnect for added protection.. The U Bolts for rear leaf springs on cars I used for the super struts I ordered online at I beleive NAPA, they're a third of the price than those made for the super strut connectors.

[@Mripoststupidstuff]

Dude your set up is 20x the size of mine, lol. I have 2x 24v panels on a single controller, going to 2 truck batteries. That powers a 24volt inverter. Off that I can run a small fridge, and charge my laptops. I have a single panel on a car battery to run the 12volt Car Stereo and the lights. If I ever get around to cleaning the place up I might do a video about it. :)

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Hello Rowen, sounds like a nice start to your system! I've seen a few of these guys put there systems on Dolly's when there smaller, yet very powerful, making it portable and more versatile for alternative applications.

[@denisshavaliev1849]

It would be interesting to see solar panels efficiency to understand how much power you can get in reality versus information given in data sheet

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Sounds like a great video on efficacy of the panels, capabilities, costs and time, thank you Denis for your comments.

[@patrickknapp8539]

My biggest question is what do you see in savings every year and what would be your total time for return on investment?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Great question, savings or return on solar investment wouldn't be until after the 7 - 20 year mark for most people, depending largely on size (cost) of your investments and if you use tax credits to write off your investment. My system will pay for itself in 3 years, if I use the tax credits. The option that I have backup utility to me in the event there is no Power is without price.

[@miketanner1920]

Thank you for the great info brother Have a great day God bless Just saying

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- And thank you Mike for the kind words, brothers we are!

[@MichaelWaiteMusic]

Thanks for putting this video up. It’s been helpful. I’m a fellow DIY Yooper over by Big Bay, planning on building something similar.

[@prowebber1]

Great video! Could you please tell us (or do a video) about how you wired your panels, ie. how how many in series/parallel, open volts/amps, max volts/amps, etc.? I'm wondering because I want to buy the exact same Growatt 3000 ES model inverters but the manual says only 18A max solar input and it looks like you have more in parallel that exceed 18A. Also how does the cold weather affect your panel voltage? Does the voltage exceed VOC on really cold mornings? Thanks!

[@harrisidiens564]

Gyll look really good

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thanks for commenting Harris, the EG4's (supposedly GYLL) work great, it's only the BMS speaking to the Inverters that is the issue for myself. Thankfully the BMS of the EG4's is good enough to allow AMPS in or OUT intelligently enough where the inverters help is not needed. My plan is to install an additional BMS between inverters and batteries as a backup prior to expansion.

[@bdjm8595]

Excellent video, thanks for the breakdown !!!

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thank you sir!

[@jimanddiana4103]

Very helpful. Thanks for sharing what you did.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Glad it was helpful Jim and Diana!

[@ruudfalun]

Nice video! One remark, two questions. Remark: your batteries have a total of 20 kWh (not kW). Questions: What is the maximal output of the 4 batteries combined (in kW). Is this limited by the batteries or by the Growatt inverters?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Each battery is Lithium Iron Phosphate battery 25.6V (24V) 5.12kWh with 200AH internal, combined I have 4 x this.

[@luckydogfarms]

Always learn more when I watch your videos! Thanks, J

[@bobcole3852]

Great job, on installation and the video. One question, do you have 2pole breakers in the panel from grid to supply inverters or are you off grid? And, what size breakers are you using to send power from inverters to panel? Assume a one pole 20amp... Thanks for doing the video, again, great job and I subbed to see what else you're doing

[@electricandlspower]

Great video. Thanks for doing a full overview of the system.

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

Thanks EV, appreciate the kind comments!

[@pdashness]

DO YOU CONSULT ?

[@ahhlifesgood1956]

- Thank you for your comments, I don't professionally consult at this time but am happy to assist those that I can, email directly directly at [e-mail]