DIY Solar Backup Power! 720 Watt Portable Solar Array - Affordable Design - BougeRV 180 Watt Panels!
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- Learn more about these BougeRV 180 watt panels here:
www.bougerv.com/products/rv-s...
Use this DISCOUNT CODE: JasonoidLLC for 13% OFF off ALL BougeRV Solar Panels!
BougeRV 41in Adjustable Solar Panel Tilt Mount Brackets:
amzn.to/3GLrCkS
Renogy One Pair of 9In 12AWG Adapter Kit:
amzn.to/3JsRhAH
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Perfect...this is one of the best setups I've seen for this. Working on the exact same project today and just what I needed. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful. I'm still using it today and it's held up really well! I enjoy your content! You got some great spreadsheets for power stations. If you end up making content about the portable rack on your channel, I'd love for a quick shoutout of my channel, trying to grow the base 😁👍
@@Jasonoid i will most definitely reference your video as it was definitely a huge inspiration
Always wanted to go portable, this way to avoid permits, use for emergency Would anchor it in case of wind gusts
Yeah, because it's temporary and portable, no need to worry about permits. Also you can angle and face the sun at anytime of the day pretty easily!
Just caught this video, and for a newbie, it was clear,
concise and easy to understand. I need a system to keep my refrigerator and deep freezer running for extended power outages. Lookkg forward to watching your channel! Thanks again!
I really like this portable solar array. You can chase the sun and roll it out of the way for mowing.
Yep, it's been working great for me, I still use it!
As a newbie to solar generators I really appreciated this video! I have solar on my roof for my home but I am looking to delve into the solar power station world. I recently purchased the Ecoflow dual fuel gennie and also watched your video on that. Super helpful and so far I love the gennie. Thanks!
That's awesome. What a great idea. God willing, I'll build a humble mount like that for an off-grid setup.
Thanks.
Awesome vid. Exactly what I was looking for. I am going to build this but add a fold down handle on the back of it to make it easier to move throughout the day to track the sun. Thanks for posting!
This gives me some good ideas. I've got a bunch of 300W panels to do portable, rolling mounts for. I may scrap my plans for something more like this. I'd have to do at least a couple of carts.
Still working well to this day :)
Four of these and youll be good even in the winter
Hi Jason,
A big hello from sunny England (not), great video, I am learning so much from you in these videos, you make it so easy to understand for a complete noob like me!
I have just purchased my first solar generator inspired by your videos that I use in my house, garden and my Land Rover Defender, none other that the Bluetti EB70, I am really pleased with it, keep up the fantastic content Sir!
Kind regards
Tony
Once you get some practice all this solar stuff becomes natural :)
Really great idea and execution. Well done! I may have to steal this idea...
Great video! Thank you for walking through how you made this
Glad it was helpful! Thank you so much!
I love the cart. All my panels get moved around and it gets to be a little much, so a rolling cart would be super helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
Jason, That's a great idea. I bought a smaller tilt bracket from Renogy, but a think I would be happier with that bracket. It has longer legs than the one I bought. I was going to connect my panels together using angle aluminum as you did. I have two 180 watt Bouge panels run in parallel. I am going to mount them on my Rockwood A-frame. I also have two 100 watt ground panels. And thanks for the 12 gauge landscape wire tip.
Hey Kevin, great minds think alike! I'm loving the extra power from the sun vs having these panels just sit in storage
Excellent, great video. Can you please make a short video on moving it around and setting the absolute best angle using the stand as well.
Looks perfect for me. Thanks for sharing.
Thats awesome!
Nice portable system, congrats on a neat and easy build. Greetings from (very)sunny Jamaica.
Hey, thanks!
Wha gwan?
I really like the angle aluminum to mount the panels. It took me over an hour to take my panels down using Z clips. So many nuts and bolts.
It's been holding up real well!
Thank you for this video. I'm very new to this and wanted to build something like this vs putting holes in my roof.
Still going strong today!
simple but effective, thanks for sharing
You're welcome Axle! Finally have a somewhat permanent solution to start saving on my electric bill until the power goes out.
Very nice! thanks for sharing!
I like your cart idea Good job thanks for the video!
Still going strong and I love being able to adjust the level of the panels for the most power.
As usual you post what I’m thinking of doing. However I need a slight adjustment. I live in a city. I’d like the mobility to store it needed. I have room in my garage. I might need to put the wheels on the long sides.
Yeah, so many ways to do this, this is just one of them haha
I love this simple set up. Thank you.
Still going strong today :)
@@Jasonoid Nice. Getting ready to purchase the materials for my first mobile 4x100 watts solar panel stand build. Thanks!
thanks for sharing, hope the kids dont try and play with that setup, they like to get into everything and get hurt or break things sometimes, you might consider covering some of the sharp edges of the exposed aluminum frame with something, or trim it flush with the wood. take care.
Great recommendations, thanks for the feedback!
Nicely done!
At nearly two years old, it's still going strong!
Thank you for the video report .
No problem, glad you liked it!
Really like the solar panel stand! 🖖
Thanks Ben, it's been great so far!
Wonderful and timely video. I was researching a similar build but I am working with six, 100 watt panels and will hopefully receive the Oukitel 2000W kickstarter unit someday. Your design is one of the best and clearest I have seen and the tilting stand seems perfect for what will be just a copy of your design (hope you don't mind). I might have to use unistrut since I am using more but smaller panels that might require a stiffer upper frame but the bottom rolling design is perfect. I am in Los Angeles, CA and the laws are changing in interesting ways concerning solar although I am using it as a potential backup for a grid down situation. I am more concerned about a large earthquake which is very likely. I want to use the UPS feature of the Oukitel that your video reviewed to connect my frig and freezer. I also have the smaller unit that you reviewed and modified and that will be the next project so I can switch over charging should there be a grid down situation or just to extend the life of the larger unit as you pointed up. Thank you for the video.
Unistrut would work great! I just kept mine as cheap as possible.
Very Nice setup
Thanks Greg!
Great video my friend !
Thanks Derek!
Nice!!!! Do you have a video on how you made the stand with those wheels? I love that idea. Oh never mind , your video has more details
Excellent, thanks!
Great video, this is exactly what I want to do too! How long is the cable, can I run any distance without any problems? And is it okay just leave it during rain.
Sweet! Thanks!
Good job.
Thanks
Excellent ....
Thank You
Looks Nice
Good way to mix up the content Sir! I can't mess around with ground mounts until our next house. Plus I never want to build anything EVER. Ha
I wonder what will be my first big power station. Who will come to the table first? Oukitel, EF, Ctechi, Bluetti....we shall see.
Thanks Ive, you could always skip on the wood cart and just put panels together with aluminum angle and the adjustable stands, would take 30 minutes or less and then you'd have much better output since the angle could be perfect for the season.
I'd love to have more land for solar ground mounts, I love the idea of ground mounting, no need to ever mess with your roof and you can always clean them off!
@@Jasonoid "need to ever mess with your roof" exactly, it seems like "roof thinking" is blocking the whole industry.
Well done.
Thanks MrWinger!
City Prepper sent me over here for your solar panel stand build.
It's been a great build! It's somewhat easy to move around and adjust for the proper angle 😁👍
I like your project. I am looking hopefy to make one but not with 4 panels right now i have a 195 watts eco-worthy L02MO3 . i bought it to recharge my bluetti EB3A and also a second lifepo4 50ah or 100ah battery to augment my EB3A bluetti 268watts. I tried charging my EB3A that worked was getting 99watts of solar but it wasn't align like it could have been so i bought a sun detector to have the best alignment to the sun. That should improve the charging wattage?. I might try to build a multy panel eventually. For now i am experimenting with my Bluetti 268watts but next sale in fall 2024 i want to get a Bluetti 2048WH one. Thanks for sharing your project. taking notes here :)
Close to what I was researching. Put the wheels at a 45 degree angle so the rack pivots around a center point. And add a cross member and a bolt to the ground in the middle. Then you have pivot and tilt. There is so much loss that I have not seen accounted for during the times when the panels are not pointing directly at the sun. Probably way more than a couple motors and a controller.
I'm sure there are many ways to design a similar system. I lift up the back and rotate it to angle it properly at the sun once or twice a day when possible. If I know I won't be touching it, I just leaving it facing directly south during that specific day.
I do the same but I would like to at least automate the pivot. I also use a Bluetti to power my internet and work-from-home work station.
@@mtsonic send the video link over if you come up with something that works! Sounds like a great project.
Hello and thanks for this video. I am attempting to replicate your build as it is by far the most accessible for limited spaces. I am trying to modify for Maritime Canadian winters and it has been a really fun project. Can you tell me what connectors you used on the landscape cable and the adapter you have connected to the bluetti. Thanks!
The Bluetti uses XT90 connectors, if you search for XT90 connectors on Amazon or Ebay you'll have a few options. Just solder that into the landscape cable and then it will plug into your Bluetti power station solar cable. You can also use MC4 connections.
Awesome
Excellent video and best portable design I've seen. Question: What size aluminum angle did you use and where did you get it? I love the wheels on it. Makes it easy to move for mowing.
I'd recommend 1/8th inch aluminum angle. I got it from Lowes.
@@Jasonoid Thanks. I'll check with the store.
Great video bro, quick question, how thick is aluminum angle 1/16 or 1/8, thanks.
I did one side 1/8 and one side 1/16, I'd recommend using 1/8th on both sides.
Bluetti needs some series mounting to another bluetti...
Thanks for the idea! Just wondering how it will hold strong winds?
It's super heavy, I doubt it's going anywhere!
That's nice
very nice set up. im curious on the length of wire and what gauge used for this set up. hopefully i could finish all your videos soon 😁
I am using 12 awg with this setup since it's under 40 feet. I'd recommend using 10 awg wire if it's longer than that. Here's a video I made testing voltage drop:
czcams.com/video/AZIBmFBzBGs/video.html
@@Jasonoid thank you so much Sir i really appreciate it
pleeze to answer kind sir but, how did you attach wheels? I havent finished video so if its explained, kindly disregard my opps!!
Nice.
Odd question, can you fold the panels completely flat on the cart? I'm thinking about doing something like this because my house doesn't get a lot of southern sun and I was thinking of making 1 or 2 of these carts that I can roll out in emergencies to charge a 5.12kWh battery (I'll add more later) that is normally hooked to and kept charged via shore power, then when power goes out for more an several hours, I unfold the panels (which would be relatively flat ... maybe 6" or 8" thick) from inside the garage along the wall, and roll them into place. When not needed, fold them back up and roll them back into the garage.
If you remove the support rod on each side it will lay flat. I'm sure you could find a way to get it to work.
Like it! What size screws did you use for the L-brackets and were they self taping?
On the top and bottom panel stiffeners....
Why the need for the pigtail and soldering? Why not just connect the MC4 leads with a MC4 connector on the end of the 12 gauge landscape wire? Thanks, Jim
Just the way I decided to do it since I don't have an mc4 crimper, lots of different ways to wire up something like this. Someone could also just use a long mc4 extension cable.
Jason, what was the brand of landscape wire that you used and where did you buy it? Thanks for the great video.
Home depot, 12-2 southwire landscape cable.
@@Jasonoid Thanks
What do you do with that configuration when you have strong storm winds coming?
Our prevailing winds come from the south most of the time, so the wind just secures haha... Not really an issue for my exact yard. It's fairly heavy though, it would have to be a crazy wind!
I want to put some solar panels facing due West to catch the afternoon sun. What angle do you think is best? I am thinking 30 degrees, catch the noon to 5pm sun.
The angle will change per season, luckily with these adjustable bars you can change it within a few minutes to match the best angle.
Are those brackets better if flipped over? See long ends hanging off edge of frame while panels aren't getting full support. ?
It's been working fine since I posted this video. Rain, snow, wind and sun, no issues :)
Is it safe to drill into the bottom and top of the solar frames to connect them together? Is that how you connected those top braces?
Yes, it's fine. Just don't hit the solar cells with your drill bit and your good. There's plenty of space if you are careful 👍😁
furniture moving dolly on wheels would work for 2 100 w panels ?
100w panels are much smaller and lighter. You could move those by hand. Or you could create a smaller dolly design like you mentioned.
Did you need to seal the wood or does it hold up being outside in the elements?
No sealing needed, It's 'pressure treated' and much more durable than other Untreated wood you can buy at the store. Looks brand new still
You mention using an external battery with your solar generator. Is it floating capacity? How is it configured? How is that controlled?
It's just a way to dump stored power into my AC200p, I have multiple 100ah batteries laying around. Sure I can use those batteries with separate inverters to run stuff but I think it would be pretty easy to dump power into my AC200p instead and not worry about multiple inverters. I'm thinking about putting an inline '12v to 48v' converter so I can get more DC to DC charging watts input vs just 100watts @12volts. If I jump the voltage up I can dump a higher amount of power 400+ watts @48volts (video idea still in the works). These 100ah/1280wh LiFePO4 batteries are CHEAP on amazon ($300 or so) so pretty affordable to get more capacity on your power station.
This really only works if you already have means to charge up these batteries separately, like an LiFePO4 MPPT charger and such (which I do).
@@Jasonoid Thank you.
@@Jasonoid An interest product based on you comments would be a module using the electronics of the AC200P but no battery. Then have ports to plug in several 100ah 12V batteries in parallel depending your required capacity. I am not familiar enough with the capacity or load to know if this is good or bad idea. Maybe this product already exists.
Hi, Jason,
I'm pretty new to all this, but your vid is answering a LOT of my questions.
I have an AC200P. I have four Bouge RV 180-watt panels. They are 19.2 Vmp and 23 VOC (whatever that means). I have 4 mcp4? 20' cables to connect the panels in series.
(I watched Rose Red Homestead hook up her AC200Max panels in series).
Will my panels in series charge my Bluetti? I will be attempting this tomorrow morning.
P.S. Ḍo you have a link for the soda can trick to find the proper sun angle? I believe you mentioned it?
Thanks, in advance! ❤
Connecting those 4 solar panels in series will be fine 👍 Soda can trick works by setting the can on the solar panel, when the shadow goes away it's facing the sun perfectly for the most power.
@Jasonoid thank you sooooooo very much for your prompt and encouraging answer!!
God bless you for this service, Jasonoid!
I have the Oupes 2400 and the Oupes Mega 3 with extra B2. I would like to build a mobile solar array on an old bumper pull trailer. Would you recommend going as big of wattage panels as can afford?
The prices on 400w residential panels have dropped significantly! They are much higher quality and perform so much better than these panels smaller 'Amazon' panels. I'd recommend going with something like this:
signaturesolar.com/canadian-solar-400w-mono-crystalline-solar-panel-black-cs6r-400ms-hl/
I just found similar panels on Facebook marketplace (check Craigslist as well) for only $150 each! I picked up three 400w bifacial panels for $450 this morning.
We are looking at the bluetti ac200p or the 200 max with a transfer box . Any thoughts on which unit is best? Also looking at the bougeRV panels 100 w, 180 w or 200w that you have talked about. Any preferences on the panels? Really appreciate your input and fast responses that we have gotten in the past. Your information has led us to this point.
Thanks
The Bluetti 200Max is a better option since it has expandable batteries, higher solar charging, and the RV plug you can connect your transfer switch with. I have the AC200Max right now that I am testing and it's been awesome so far.
It maxes out at 900 watts of solar input with the limit of 150volts. You'd probably be good building a 1000w system using five 200 watt panels in series. The BougeRV 200watt 9BB panels are excellent.
@@Jasonoid again thank you for your fast response and information. And you answered my next question about contacting in series .
Again thanks
@@Jasonoid do you know if we will need to get any extra cables from bougeRV to hook up panels in series?
@@lindaconway6146 no adapters needed for series connections.
Don’t think my delta 2 could handle my 3 newpowa 200 watt panels in series. Guess I’ll have to learn how to do parallel. I think the delta 2 only does 60 volts and each panel has a voc of more than 20.
Have you thought about putting some solar on that shed?
Yeah, I thought about that, I have a tree that shades it for a large portion of the morning. I still may do it in the future.
Hey I noticed that close to the end of the video you have a relibatt sitting there. Have you done a product review on this? Just curious.. thanks
Soon my friend, soon 😁👍 hehe I like to tease future products
@@Jasonoid well it work!
In your climate can you leave this out year round?
Yeah, snow/rain doesn't hurt the solar panels. These glass rigid panels are waterproof. You just need to adjust the angle of the solar panels as the sun drops in the sky through the seasons. Having them on the ground allows me to keep them clean easier too.
What kind of screws are screwed into the angle aluminum? Are they self-tapping screws or do you have nuts on the other of the screw/bolt?
I clamped and predrilled the holes and then used stainless steel nuts and bolts.
@@Jasonoid That makes sense. This thing is awesome. Thank you for sharing. And that was a crazy fast response for a one year old video. Just one more reason to happily be subscribed to your channel.
This sail would fly in windy areas am guessing?!
It's quite heavy, it weighs over 150lbs. My prevailing winds come from the south so it's fine for me since it's facing south anyways.
Very nice 👌, so how close to 700w was the imput to the ac200p?
Ive seen 625 watts so far, not perfect conditions. Been pretty happy with the build so far :)
Nice video!
Thanks Mike!
@@Jasonoid Do you see any benefit in getting the max? It's $1,999 vs $1,499 for the p. Not sure if it's worth spending the extra $500. Also thinking about getting 4-5 200w rich or bouge panels to go with it.
@@Mike-. the MAX has a little more power, charges with a little more solar, also has the ability to take expansion packs, also has the 30amp plug on it.
If none of that's interesting to you I'd pick up the AC200P.
@@Jasonoid Thanks! So I'm ordering the ac200p. Could I do 4 of the 200w rich solar panels and over panel a bit? I believe they are 20v 10.5 amp each so 80v in series.
I just got an updated discount code to take off an additional $30, so $330 total for that model if you havent bought it yet:
Discount code JasonAC200P
You can use solar panels up to 150 volts on this model and it limits itself to 700 watts max. That setup should work perfectly.
Nice idea! Do you roll it around daily to catch the most sun? Or on wheels for the convenience of just being able to move it around?
I only slide it back and forth about 6 feet to get more constant sun in the morning and evening, other than that I don't touch it and I get really good power.
What happens in the wind?
Nothing, but my prevailing winds in my area come from the south, and that's the way it faces
Was it cheaper to purchase the stands instead of making your own using the angle aluminum?
Yes, the stand was $40 bucks. Raw aluminum at Home Depot was double the cost, without hardware.
@@Jasonoid Now they are $61 bucks on Amazon. Man, don't you just love inflation?
@@troyyarbrough money printing has its consequences :(
I actually cant believe that one minute later you esplained it all. !!!!(see comment below)
How do you use that spare lifepo4 battery to give power to the Ac200p?
I dump the power into it via DC to DC Charging, I have an adapter cable that has alligator clamps to a female cig plug, then I plug in the Bluetti ac200p 12v cig plug into that. If I want more wattage I put a 12v to 24v converter inline to boost the voltage and charge at 200 watts.
I could also run the stock 500 watt charger off a inverter to charge faster. Just depends how much power I need and how quick.
@@Jasonoid does amazon have such an adapter cable?
bluetti's own add on batteries are so expensive compared to other stand-alone ones, for the price of the b230 I could buy an eb240 with more capacity, and that's a whole solar generator
@@Moes_Prep_and_Tech they don't make any adapters for this purpose but I'm sure you could find some simple tutorials on the subject on youtube, or purchase something off amazon. It would charge very quickly (12v charging is around 100 watts, 24v charging is around 200 watts) but it would act like a decent battery expansion
Hi, what is the size of those panels?
You can see all the specs HERE: amzn.to/3AizEBh
with the white wall behind.. bifacials would have been better
Bifacials weren't a thing when this video was created LOL, it's getting old now. But I agree, that would be the way to go now.
grounding?
It's a portable, temp setup, no grounding needed. Just like a gas generator....I mean you could ground it but 99% of people don't.
I guess the risk is different than a rooftop setup?
This is not going to work in the wind! The whole thing will be destroyed when it takes off!
I haven't had an issue with it since I built it and it's survived quite a few wind storms. BUT.... my prevailing winds come from the south and it faces south. It acts like a huge sports car spoiler and stays planted. You may need to adjust the design or 'tie it down' if you have a different scenario.
@@Jasonoid I really like this. On a regular basis it is quite windy where I live. This morning I had sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph coming from the west with wind gusts of ?. How can I make it stable?
@@shaneekathomas9395 they have ground stakes you can twist into the ground and anchor the cart. I haven't had issues with mine though.
You could just.... Weigh it down with stakes, water weights, tying it to a structure, cement piers in the ground, literally anything.