Great work, one thing you should purchase that used a lot when installing/testing my house 48vdc system is a Flir TG165 thermal image camera, I found it on FB marketplace used for a couple hundred, well worth it, that way you can see if anything is heating up, fuses/breakers/wires/connectors great tool. Looking forward to your next video.
Good job repairing the damage. I would have put some kind of fireproof backing board, like Hardie Backer or Durock up and attached my various components to it. You might also consider getting a couple Fireball self-activating fire extinguishers for this area for inexpensive fire protection and peace of mind. Victron definitely makes very good stuff, but it's not the only manufacturer of quality solar equipment, as you well know. I think the strongest reason to go with Victron is that all their components integrate perfectly with each other, and why wouldn't they? But there are components by other manufacturers that can integrate with Victron too. It's smart that you decided to go with a Sungold Power inverter/charger. And hey, it's still blue like Victron. 😉 It's like saying that Mercedes makes high quality cars. However, there are other car manufacturers who also make quality cars that cost less, with different features and styling some might find more appealing. Some have features that Mercedes doesn't have, while Mercedes has features that others don't, though at a premium price. I don't drive a Mercedes. I drive a Chevy, not because of quality, but because it's price and features better fit my needs. It's the same with my solar system. I use a Sungold Power all-in-one 48V, 5,000W Inverter/100A charge controller/battery charger, saving us complexity and space as well as money compared to a system built with individual components. The disadvantage is that if one component breaks after their warranty has expired you must either have it repaired or replace the entire unit, not just one component. This all-in-one unit has the same 99% charging and 95% inverter efficiency as the Victron unit does, minus a few features that Victron has. The biggest advantage is price, as it only cost $764 and integrates everything very well. We chose this particular unit because it supports up to 500 volts of solar power which was needed to support our 400voc solar array. Victron doesn't have anything that will support a 48v DC battery and 500volts DC of solar, which threw them out of the running. Though to be fair, they do have a 450v/48v output charge controller only, but it's $1,100! Other manufacturers do have these capabilities in an all-in-one system, and though some are cheaper, quality, customer support and warranty were a big consideration too.
Great thought process! I spent a fair bit of time researching inverters before landing on the sungold over the Victron. I think it will do a great job. I debated the Hardiboard idea as well as carpet but the hardware store didn't have a decent color….
Great work, one thing you should purchase that used a lot when installing/testing my house 48vdc system is a Flir TG165 thermal image camera, I found it on FB marketplace used for a couple hundred, well worth it, that way you can see if anything is heating up, fuses/breakers/wires/connectors great tool. Looking forward to your next video.
Great suggestion. Could really help diagnose a weak point for sure! Thanks
Good job repairing the damage. I would have put some kind of fireproof backing board, like Hardie Backer or Durock up and attached my various components to it. You might also consider getting a couple Fireball self-activating fire extinguishers for this area for inexpensive fire protection and peace of mind.
Victron definitely makes very good stuff, but it's not the only manufacturer of quality solar equipment, as you well know. I think the strongest reason to go with Victron is that all their components integrate perfectly with each other, and why wouldn't they? But there are components by other manufacturers that can integrate with Victron too. It's smart that you decided to go with a Sungold Power inverter/charger. And hey, it's still blue like Victron. 😉
It's like saying that Mercedes makes high quality cars. However, there are other car manufacturers who also make quality cars that cost less, with different features and styling some might find more appealing. Some have features that Mercedes doesn't have, while Mercedes has features that others don't, though at a premium price. I don't drive a Mercedes. I drive a Chevy, not because of quality, but because it's price and features better fit my needs.
It's the same with my solar system. I use a Sungold Power all-in-one 48V, 5,000W Inverter/100A charge controller/battery charger, saving us complexity and space as well as money compared to a system built with individual components. The disadvantage is that if one component breaks after their warranty has expired you must either have it repaired or replace the entire unit, not just one component. This all-in-one unit has the same 99% charging and 95% inverter efficiency as the Victron unit does, minus a few features that Victron has. The biggest advantage is price, as it only cost $764 and integrates everything very well. We chose this particular unit because it supports up to 500 volts of solar power which was needed to support our 400voc solar array. Victron doesn't have anything that will support a 48v DC battery and 500volts DC of solar, which threw them out of the running. Though to be fair, they do have a 450v/48v output charge controller only, but it's $1,100! Other manufacturers do have these capabilities in an all-in-one system, and though some are cheaper, quality, customer support and warranty were a big consideration too.
Great thought process! I spent a fair bit of time researching inverters before landing on the sungold over the Victron. I think it will do a great job. I debated the Hardiboard idea as well as carpet but the hardware store didn't have a decent color….