Going Solar building a house in Thailand

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  • čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
  • We continue to build out house in Thailand.
    In this episode we install a solar system.
    The total cost of this was 159.000 baht, which is a bit more than half the quote from the power-company to connect us.
    So, for half the money we get: No more bills, No more black-outs, and we contribute a bit to a better world.
    For those interested, all main components were bought at Lazada:
    PV panels: 15 half cut, mono crystalline, 380 watts. 58,485.= baht
    Inverter: Hybrid off-grid inverter, 5.5 Kw. 12,791.= baht
    Battery: 16 LifePo4 cells of 280 Ah. 73,440.= baht
    BMS: 200 Amp, 48V. 3,752.= baht

Komentáře • 156

  • @Ulbre
    @Ulbre Před 9 měsíci +4

    A bit stunned by that quote from PEA when you have the lines right out the front of the property.......probably the majority was giving themselves a "bonus" paycheck, so glad you wasted their time by deciding to go solar!
    What a great solar build you have made, congratulations. Particularly like the walkway addition for cleaning & maintenance.
    Also, the system is easily expandable should you want more power.
    Last month I added up my power bills since moving into our new house in April 2006......over ฿600K....so I have decided to start doing solar. I will start by doing an off grid system for the outdoor kitchen and laundry. And then each year take one or two of the main house's circuits off grid, with an Automatic transfer switch for back up grid power. I like the idea of using the grid as a back up solution!!!!!

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 9 měsíci +2

      Yes, the quote from PEA was absurd. And they never saw my face so it was not a "farang price".
      Good luck on your solar project. Sounds like a solid plan.
      By the way, a hybrid inverter (like I have) can be hooked up to the grid and it will automaticly use power from the grid if solar and batteries are not sufficient.

    • @Ulbre
      @Ulbre Před 9 měsíci

      @@Living-off-grid Yep, the extra hoops and cost to do a PEA approved grid tied system are why I am probably not going that route (although still considering every option), but also, by doing the outside kitchen and laundry first, it will give me a good idea whether or not to do the same at my inlaws place .They are in their early 80's and I would be thrilled for them to receive an elec bill that is next to nothing. They are 250 k's away, so the ability to transfer back to grid in event of whatever will be peace of mind for them and us!

  • @HaroldJackson
    @HaroldJackson Před 10 dny +1

    I think you could save some money by using server rack batteries. Oh! Great video!😊

  • @keeskit572
    @keeskit572 Před 4 měsíci +1

    Dank je wel Maarten, erg leerzaam ik ga me hier zeker verder in verdiepen.
    Ik loop al enkele jaren met het idee rond om zoiets te doen maar het leek altijd veel te duur, dit blijkt dus mee te vallen
    Groeten Jacques.

  • @Fundee.isaan.retreat
    @Fundee.isaan.retreat Před 5 měsíci +2

    Remember my struggle with PEA…..similar like you but initial quote was 800000 thb and eventually got it for 300000……..note i needed transportcables and poles put in place over 400 mtr so the 300000 was fair but the initial 800000 was just ridiculous

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 5 měsíci

      I think 300K is still a lot for a couple of poles (2000 baht a piece) and some wire, but it is what it is here in Thailand.

  • @ericsquarehead
    @ericsquarehead Před 7 měsíci +1

    Nice work! Clean and tidy!

  • @user-xg4fj5pf1j
    @user-xg4fj5pf1j Před 5 měsíci +1

    Thanks a lot. I will stay in touch 1:46

  • @dont9098
    @dont9098 Před rokem +2

    Excellent job Maarten

  • @Dave_Tae
    @Dave_Tae Před 11 měsíci +2

    Really good and detailed video Maarten, Thankyou this will help me and I look forward to any updates.

  • @Roger-mg8zh
    @Roger-mg8zh Před rokem +3

    Great work ! as usual I see at your on going house project...I guess your house are really on a high level with such many details nobody think about, as you doing, in all the planing and on going and doing by yourself...absolutely stunning your result ...jealous he he 😄👌👌👌👌👌..soon time to enjoy a beautiful home close be finish 👌💜

  • @americaninthailand8760
    @americaninthailand8760 Před rokem +3

    Very interesting and impressive system you designed. We are looking down the road to add some solar to our home mainly to have power during the blackouts our village encounters, or when PEA decides to shut off your power for hours to do some work in the area, and of course you are never given any warning.

  • @WallaceDunn
    @WallaceDunn Před rokem +1

    I started studying solar to do a small project on my Camper Van. If enough people go this route PEA will have to change its tune. Certainly looking at this for the future. This is one of the best videos I've seen on the subject. Thank you for a great video.

  • @darrensaunders8844
    @darrensaunders8844 Před rokem +1

    So well done. Power (literally) to the people

  • @somethingblueboatlifecambr1112

    Hi Maarten
    Great video as usual very polished and informative .
    My wife and I move to thailand 2024 october for half the year ie winter from the Uk
    I am looking forward to building our house your videos have been very inspiring
    This video about solar was great
    Our home which is a barge in the Uk has solar system with lithion too and back up generator for when not enough sun Oct-Feb
    I am glad you not a slave to power companys i intend on doing the same for our home and my wife family are near Korat
    Please could you supply me and maybe others where you purchased the above items from for your system , because as you are aware people will copy your ideas.
    Once again enjoy your videos keep them coming
    Gary

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +2

      Hi Gary,
      Thank you for the compliment.
      I wish you good luck with the build of your house.
      All major solar parts were purchased at Lazada.

  • @vikkymunda6729
    @vikkymunda6729 Před 5 měsíci

    Thanks, I have got the answer.

  • @ganesankpillay3768
    @ganesankpillay3768 Před rokem +1

    Thanks for sharing

  • @AC-ed6cz
    @AC-ed6cz Před rokem +1

    Very interesting video, 👍👍👍 opened my eyes. Groeten uit Nederland 🇳🇱

  • @TommySeiger
    @TommySeiger Před rokem +1

    Very good video. I love your work. Very well thought out work you do. well done.

  • @2010GBenny
    @2010GBenny Před rokem +1

    Nice Video, I had several Solar Systems (in the US) 2 - I configured and installed myself and the last one was a "professional" because I wanted to be connected to the Utility Grid. If I do something like this here in Thailand... I probably use Micro-Inverters (installed on each Panel on the back)

    • @darwinjina
      @darwinjina Před rokem

      Have both. Issue was that cost of micro-inverters is higher. (they didn't scale)

  • @douglastassell4070
    @douglastassell4070 Před rokem +1

    Superb as usual, thank you.

  • @rodhales9536
    @rodhales9536 Před rokem +1

    Thanks for the video, we dont have electricity anywhere near our farm but it has been said that it maybe coming as so many are building and living on their farms now, but if that is going to be the cost I may just have to bite the bullet and go solar I think, as we do have a problem neighbour who I know will try and use our posts for their supply. So if I may in future can I pick your brain a little on some of the finer points, the system looks amazing, we would probably use ground installation as we have the room and we are much more rustic.

  • @huahintrailrunners4030
    @huahintrailrunners4030 Před rokem +1

    Wonderful video!!

  • @patrickfarnburn5704
    @patrickfarnburn5704 Před rokem +1

    Veel succes Maarten met je solarcell-installatie, je toegewenst door een andere solarcell gebruiker, ook in LOS.

  • @leestephenfitzpatrick6373

    Looking at doing the same me'self, probably do a solar pv course here in London b4 hand. Still unsure how I'm going to wire our property yet, but definitely won't be using pvc conduit, I hate it with a passion, don't like installing it even when I'm being paid to 😂 but thanx for these videos, invaluable to people like myself. Keep up the good work.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      You could use vinyl-mantle-vinyl-cable. That does not need a conduit.
      But think about the sunlight outside. It is best to protect your cables against uv or make sure they are always in the shade.

  • @vincenzo7790
    @vincenzo7790 Před rokem +1

    HI... nice video...

  • @stevenclements1697
    @stevenclements1697 Před rokem +7

    I’m wondering how much you spent on the solar system that you installed. I understand that you did the labor. Great video and an inspiration!

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +12

      The total cost was 158.000 baht. There is a cost breakdown in the description.
      I should have included this info in the video. Sorry for that.

    • @christophercaruana7734
      @christophercaruana7734 Před rokem +5

      Thank you for sharing

    • @Scharrer23
      @Scharrer23 Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid did you got any quots what the costs would have been if hired a company to install all the solar and, batteries and cables?

    • @paolotrenti5913
      @paolotrenti5913 Před rokem

      @@Scharrer23 I did, for a similar implant, more than double!

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      @@Scharrer23 No.

  • @MrRWF2004
    @MrRWF2004 Před rokem +1

    The 280K might have been farang price. Good you decided to go self sufficient.

  • @larryhoffsetz3533
    @larryhoffsetz3533 Před rokem +1

    Hello Maarten. I am also building a house in Thailand.
    Your videos are very helpful. Locating building materials is difficult.
    Can you provide me with information on:
    1. Your 2-wire 3-way switch
    2. Your ventilation switch in every room
    3. Your ventilation fans
    Thanks for your videos and assistance.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      Hi Larry,
      Yes, it is not easy to find decent quality stuff.
      I get a lot from Lazada.
      The switches are RF controlled. (Lazada)
      They normally work on a battery, but I connected them to a fixed 12 volt system.
      The fan-switches are in fact small 12volt motor-controlers. (Lazada)
      They control 12 volt computer cooling fans that I installed in 4" pvc pipes.
      I hope this helps you.

    • @larryhoffsetz3533
      @larryhoffsetz3533 Před rokem +1

      Hello Maarten. I am amazed how you design and build your systems. I like how you built your solar battery system from basic components. Now you tell me you designed and built your ventilation fans from basic components. I want each bedroom and the living room to have a separate ventilation fan and separate controller. I was planning to use commercial off-the-shelf fans. Now I will consider building my own fans.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      @@larryhoffsetz3533 Yes. The commercial fans are always loud and ugle.
      The computer fans are very quiet and work for a long time.

  • @trevorloveday114
    @trevorloveday114 Před rokem +2

    Hi Maarten. I'm pleased to see this - you are ahead of me in doing this and you've set your usual high standard bar. 🙂
    I notice you don't have a separate charge controller for the batteries. Is this function incorporated in your inverter or might it be omitted for another reason?

    • @trevorloveday114
      @trevorloveday114 Před rokem

      Just realised that this function may be achieved by the BMS. I'd assumed it was just for monitoring, not controlling the charging, but I may be wrong.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +3

      Hi Trevor.
      The inverter has a build-in charger. It is really called an "inverter-charger" but that word is impossible to pronounce properly, so I shortened it. 😁.
      The BMS does have (limited) charge-control functions, but these are very basic (cutting off the charge when the battery is full) so it is better to let the inverter-charger handle this.
      Sadly it has no pre-defined LFP setting, so that has to be done manually by setting the charge voltage and lowering the float-voltage, but that is not a real problem.

  • @davesmith2150
    @davesmith2150 Před rokem +1

    I have the same panels and 16cell 48v battery mine are 40.9 voc if you hooked them all up your at 615voc and your going to blow that inverter put 8 per string@327voc @10amp you dont need a large wire and buy 1 more panel ive never seen an odd # for a total of 16 panels don't worry about the watts being over you can over clock the inverter but you can't go over voltage and 1 other problem steel and aluminum don't mix. The system works great I have a 14000btu air conditioner, 1.5hp water pump, 75in TV, washer, large freezer, its runs everything at once I do have to turn the air off when the sun go's down.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +6

      You are right. What I did not explain (gets too complicated) is that we only use 13 of the pv panels to power the house.
      Two other panels are dedicated to a (in construction) heat-battery that will pre-heat the water that enters the boiler.
      A heat-battery is basically a large vat with water that is heated by a electric element, powered by PV-panels.
      Inside the vat is a copper water-pipe (15 meters, coiled up). Cold water enters, warm water exits.
      The vat itself contains 400 liters of water.
      But it is still experimental so I did not mention it.
      Concerning steel and aluminium, it's galvanized and should not be a problem. The bolts are inside a plastic tube.

  • @alanshort4710
    @alanshort4710 Před 5 měsíci

    lucky you are a electrician I would have to pay people to do all this!!

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 5 měsíci +2

      Hi Allan,
      I am not an electrician, but I am able to learn... and so are you.
      Electrical wiring is actually quite simple and straightforward.
      Plenty of books that will make you an expert in one week.
      (If I get electrocuted this year, I take back what I said😂)

  • @TheJavasumatra
    @TheJavasumatra Před rokem +2

    Awesome job. Half the price of the stupid quote from the electric company. I’m interested if you have any power constraints, can you run the AC at full power on it? Very cool video.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +3

      I tested running all (4) AC,s and the boiler at the same time. No problems.
      The maximum output is 5.5Kw which is 23 amps.
      More than enough for a modern (power saving) house I think.

    • @t.q.6639
      @t.q.6639 Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid Can you run one or more a/c all night? How about running a/c day and night? That would be a game changer in Thailand.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      @@t.q.6639 I can't say 100% yet as we don't live there yet.
      I did run 4 AC,s for a couple of hours during the day and no power was taken from the battery.
      The good thing is, you only need AC when the sun is up, and when the sun is up, the system generates lots of power.

    • @2010GBenny
      @2010GBenny Před rokem

      @@t.q.6639 I think the Formula to calculate is : P(watt)= U(volt)* I(Amps) so for Example, I had a whole House Air Conditioner in the US - a 5 Ton Unit (House was over 280 SqM) the "draw" (Amps) of the AC was around 12A at 220V --- that equals 2640 Watts. Meaning 2.6Kw/hour... at 15kWh of Maartens Battery System.. it could run the AC (only the Ac running)) for 5.68 hours.... assuming the Battery is fully Charged. Measure the individual Amp Draws on each AC you want to run... use the Formula... then you can calculate.. :-)

  • @vikkymunda6729
    @vikkymunda6729 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Hi Maarten,
    Great idea, Can I ask you where from you buy the Hardware ? In Thailand or from open market online ?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 5 měsíci

      Most of it came from Lazada. (PV-panels, Charger/inverter, Battery-cells, Battery BMS) The mounting materials and cabling from the local hardware-shop.

  • @nigelmullen9546
    @nigelmullen9546 Před rokem

    Must admit this is on my list of things to do even though we have an electric pole outside I'm not paying that sort of money for it connecting they can #### off. I know a system will cope with things like LED lights no problem but what about say Western style ovens and running A/C for prolonged periods if its especially hot or you have family / friends visiting from Europe etc, also Li batteries inside not sure about given the instances of them catching fire, would probably house outside in a small separate building, like outside toilet size.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      Hi Nigel.
      It all depends on the size of your system.
      We have (should have) enough to run several airconditioners and the electric boiler.
      The oven runs on gas.
      LFP batteries are not the ones that burst into flames, but just for the sound of the cooling-fans it is a good idea to put all in a separate building.

  • @andyinasia0
    @andyinasia0 Před rokem +1

    Hi marten, I always look forward to a new video of yours popping up.
    I was looking for a larger lifepo4 on Lazada but could only find the lower capacity ones like 100-200Ah not the 380Ah like you have used.
    Would it be possible for you to give the Lazada links to the products you have used in the video please?
    Very much looking forward to if you make a video on the water heater you commented on above.
    Thanks, Andy

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +2

      Hi Andy. Sorry, it's 280 A. Here is a link: www.lazada.co.th/products/lithium-iron-phosphate-lifepo4-32v-280ah-32v280a-i4203131832-s16543031634.html?clickTrackInfo=query%253Alifepo4%252B280ah%253Bnid%253A4203131832%253Bsrc%253ALazadaMainSrp%253Brn%253A902d08193d13106d5dd106f3ef3979db%253Bregion%253Ath%253Bsku%253A4203131832_TH%253Bprice%253A17062%253Bclient%253Adesktop%253Bsupplier_id%253A100191120278%253Basc_category_id%253A12092%253Bitem_id%253A4203131832%253Bsku_id%253A16543031634%253Bshop_id%253A2143764&fastshipping=0&freeshipping=&fs_ab=1&fuse_fs=&lang=th&location=%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%87%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3&price=17062&priceCompare=&ratingscore=4.5&request_id=902d08193d13106d5dd106f3ef3979db&review=2&sale=4&search=1&source=search&spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.i40.1ae55a64RdOlaf&stock=1

    • @andyinasia0
      @andyinasia0 Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid Thank you

  • @jacobs2162
    @jacobs2162 Před rokem

    Bluetti solar bank might be good idea in case of extended cloudy days

  • @loexel59
    @loexel59 Před rokem +1

    Mooi werk! j wonder why PEA charged so much. Did you find out why?

  • @roymercer7043
    @roymercer7043 Před 4 měsíci

    Hello sorry to bother you Maarten great Video. did you Install the solar panel system yourself or did you arrange a company to Install? I am an electrical engineer but don't have the time to install if you employed a company can you provide the details we are currently building a house near Khon Kaen for my mother in law and are looking at Solar power as an alternative to PEA supply. And could you provide an approximate cost for materials.

  • @darwinjina
    @darwinjina Před rokem

    Who makes that Inverter? That price seems low. maybe its via Lazada? Would like to see an annual update so you can report on how everything worked and the upsides/downsides of it. And if yo would make any improvements.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      I will do that. 👍
      The inverter is from Y&H. Bought on Lazada.

  • @loong111
    @loong111 Před rokem +1

    Very impressive. Wish I was as handy. What will you do for backup power, if anything?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      We have a generator for backup-power.
      But, hopefully we won't need it.

  • @nitepharmer5866
    @nitepharmer5866 Před rokem

    In reply to Kevin Rummelhart 2 months ago, you mentioned that cool air is pumped into the house at night. How is this accomplished ?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      It is a pretty simple system.
      I thermometer-controlled-relais (when temp out is lower than temp in it connects) controls a few fans that have a grill in the ceiling of each room.
      But, to be honest, I am not satisfied with the results, so I am considering more or larger fans.
      It's a bit of an experiment.

  • @stephenainsworth629
    @stephenainsworth629 Před rokem +1

    Fantastic work you make it look so simple just wondering how you connected your earth rod and connection to the breaker box did you join the N and E on earth bar

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      No. I did not join earth and neutral. I did connect the inverter to earth with a copper rod. That should take care of it.
      I always learned that you should only ground the installation in one spot to prevent the creation of a difference in potential (I do not know the english word for it and this is what google-translate made of it 🤔)

    • @stephenainsworth629
      @stephenainsworth629 Před rokem

      Do you have a connection to the earth bar in the consumer box from the inverter so you can earth your sockets outlets

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      @@stephenainsworth629 The electrical system in the house does not have earth.
      Only a select number of groups such as aircons and boiler.
      All apliances have so called "euro plugs", a plug without earth for double insulated appliances.

    • @stephenainsworth629
      @stephenainsworth629 Před rokem

      So if I wanted to have 3 pin sockets how would I connect the earth in consumer box with the solar system

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      @@stephenainsworth629 You could incorporate earth in the entire system.
      The inverter provides (usually) an earth-point.
      You can connect the consumer earth to that point and then incorporate it in the entire system.
      I just did not do this as I have no appliances that require earth (except for aircons and boiler, but each has its own group with earth.)
      Important is that you have a single earth-point.
      If you would touch two appliances that "leak current" and they have different resistance in their earth, the difference will travel through you. (The potential difference I mentioned earlier. )

  • @mathiasgrahn4440
    @mathiasgrahn4440 Před rokem +1

    Hi Maarten.
    Thank you very much for a very good video. Exactly what I was looking for, I am building a house and have been trying to find information on solar installation solutions and costs.
    Do you have any idea how much this solution can handle in terms of fridge/freezer, lights, air con etc.?
    Best regards.
    Mathias

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +3

      Well, I hope it can handle a regular household, but only time can tell how things work out when we have a few weeks of heavy rain and little sun.
      But even on a cloudy day the PV panels put out at least 1 Kwh and that is enough to "survive".
      I will make a follow-up after the rain-season.

    • @mathiasgrahn4440
      @mathiasgrahn4440 Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid
      Thank you for your answer.
      We are connected to the regular electricity grid but intend to try to have as large a proportion of the electricity consumption as possible through solar cells.
      Best regards

    • @mathiasgrahn4440
      @mathiasgrahn4440 Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid Hi Maarten
      Hope all is well.
      Wanted to hear how the outcome has been with your solar park now after 5 months? Are you producing enough, too much or too little energy from the solar cells? Our house is largely finished but will only move down in a year and then the idea is that we will install solar cells to cover most of the need, but I have a hard time calculating how much you need for it to work.
      Best regards
      Mathias

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +2

      @@mathiasgrahn4440
      Hi Mathias.
      So far, so good. We ran out of juice one time and had to use the generator for about two hours. It had been very cloudy for two or three days and I did a lot of welding and used other heavy tools.
      For the rest, we run two aircos all night and one during the day.
      The battery does not get below 50 to 60%, so that is good.
      We are energy conscious, so when it is very cloudy, we don't switch on the airco during the day and when we are not inside we switch it off.
      The aircos are also running at a very low level as the house is well insulated.
      But, up till now the system has performed perfectly.

    • @mathiasgrahn4440
      @mathiasgrahn4440 Před rokem +1

      @@Living-off-grid Hi Maarten. Thank you for your answer, this will help us in our planning for solar cells to our house.
      Best regards
      Mathias

  • @Chevignay
    @Chevignay Před rokem +1

    Hi, very interesting thks for sharing. Did you learn everything by yourself from scratch?, I'd love to do a similar project for a house we are planning to build in a couple of years but I'm not sure where to start and whether it would be better to use a company..

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +2

      Letting a company install it will double the cost, but it will be less effort on your side.
      I did have some knowledge of solar systems, but mainly small 12 volt motorhome stuff.
      I watched many youtube videos about battery building and solar set-up and then used my own ideas in combination.
      We now live in the new house, and I am still busy fidgeting with the settings to find the sweet spot.

    • @Chevignay
      @Chevignay Před rokem

      ​@@Living-off-grid great stuff and glad you seem happy with how it went. Can u pse recommend good videos to learn? Many thanks again😊

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      @@Chevignay sorry. That was years ago. Just search "solar" or "solar diy" on youtube

    • @Chevignay
      @Chevignay Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid thanks for all your quick replies and all the best 🙂

  • @foodsgonewild7435
    @foodsgonewild7435 Před 11 měsíci

    Hi maarten where did you put your system to avoid radiation from the inverter ?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 11 měsíci

      The inverter is in the "battery room", which is a small (2x2) room at the far end of the carpark.
      It is not close to the house. Not for "radiation", which is bullocks, but for noise from cooling fans.

  • @DanInPattaya
    @DanInPattaya Před rokem +1

    Love the videos, an this on especially. Out of interest where did you source the batteries and what is your total KW of storage as looking to do something similar myself. Batteries seem really expensive in Thailand compared to other places especially on Lazada etc.
    Cheers

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      I bought the battery-cells, copper bars and BMS all on lazada.
      The battery is 15 KwH, but due to the lack of a propper LFP-charger it only gets charged to approximately 80%
      This is more than enough for my house.

    • @DanInPattaya
      @DanInPattaya Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid Outstanding, sorry be to be asking so much but if you happen to still have links to the products you bought that would be great. I will hopefully set something like this up when I get home (Pattaya) in 3 weeks and will use it to power all my IT equipment and 9,000 BTU AC - should save me about 4K per month with the PEA and it gives me something to "tinker with"

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      These are the links for lfp cells and bms.
      I could not find the copper strips, but just search Lazada for "busbar" or related keywords.
      The inverter is no longer there, but newer models are.
      Search Y&H. But don't believe "lithium support" as this just means "user defined" where you can set the charging voltage, but not eliminate float-charging nor set up "battery full voltage", so it will only charge to 80% safely
      Battery. s.lazada.co.th/s.QNxsm
      BMS. s.lazada.co.th/s.QNxv6

    • @DanInPattaya
      @DanInPattaya Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid Excellent Thanks,
      I am guessing you used 16 batteries to make a 48V battery of 280 AmpH - connected all the batteries in series. I will keep on reading and planning - thanks for the assist.
      Not related to this video, but the AAC blocks you used on the external walls - what size / thickness were they?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      @@DanInPattaya
      15 cm. From the outside in : fiber-cement (sierawood) siding, 5 cm airgap, radiation barrier, 1cm foam insulation, 15cm AAC block, AAC render.

  • @MrRWF2004
    @MrRWF2004 Před rokem

    Wonder if this 15KW is sufficient to run any air-conditioner

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      So far, so good.
      We have been living in the house for a few weeks now, so not really extensive experience, but we run a 12,000 btu in the evening (until around nine) and then a 9.000 btu from nine to seven in the morning and we have some 50% battery left.
      Of course these are inverter aircons and we set them to 27 or 28 degrees. This is just the right temperature as a compromise between me and my wife 😉

  • @party999acb
    @party999acb Před rokem

    Hi we recently had solar fitted (no battery) was wondering about battery capacity if your running any AC at night

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      We have a 15Kw battery and can use aircos all evening and night and have power left in the morning.
      Aircos draw more or less the power that equals their BTUs. Our 12.000 BTU unit draws between 1.1 and 1.2 Kwh.
      The 9.000 BTU draws about 0.9 Kwh.
      So, based on this a 10 Kw battery should be able to power a 9.000 BTU airco for the night comfortably (as it does not draw max power all the time).
      But... keep in mind any other consumers such as fridge, freezer, lights, tv (on standby).
      Also keep in mind that you need enough solar panels to recharge the battery the next day... also if it is cloudy.

  • @stephenainsworth629
    @stephenainsworth629 Před rokem

    Hi marten did you use 3.2v batteries from lazada giving you a 48v in series for the inverter

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      Yes, that is correct.
      16 pieces of 3.2 volts, 280 Ah.
      Fully charged it is 54 volts.
      With 5% charge left it is 45 volts.

  • @stephenainsworth629
    @stephenainsworth629 Před rokem

    Hi again just wondering how many air conditioning units you get to run on this system

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      During a sunny day we can run all 4 without using the battery.
      In the evening we usually just run 1, but we can run 2 and still have battery power in the morning.
      Of course, at night the aircon only draws some 600 watts.
      During the day each aircon takes 1 to 1.3 Kw.

  • @IAmThe_RA
    @IAmThe_RA Před rokem

    How do you cope during rainy season?

  • @BB-tm7gx
    @BB-tm7gx Před rokem

    can you possibly help please. what brands you used and where did you purchase them please as i want to do the same thing for my wife but don't know where to source this stuff inThailand.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      You can buy everything you need on Lazada.
      I used a Y&H inverter, Nikita pv-panels, CALB LFP-cells.
      Plugs and cables can also be bought on Lazada.

    • @BB-tm7gx
      @BB-tm7gx Před rokem +1

      @@Living-off-grid thanks very much you are an inspiration. Sincerely B

  • @kevinrummelhart
    @kevinrummelhart Před rokem

    What is the air conditioner setup you have?… I assume you have a mini split or two?… Can they be run during the day?… What about thru the night?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +3

      I've got 4 AC,s (3x9000 and 1x12000 btu). These are of course inverter models.
      All 4 can run easily during the day, though that would not be necessary as bedrooms ar not used during the day.
      They can also easily run all night, but again, that won't be necessary as
      a.) The livingroom is not used when we use the bedrooms.
      b.) At night cool air from outside is pumped into the house.
      Putting in solar power is one part of the story.
      The other part is to build the house as energy-efficient as possible.

  • @vincenzo7790
    @vincenzo7790 Před rokem

    Hello Maarten.. i will ask you .why use you panel mono crystalline ... in thailand don't better poly?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      I don't think so.
      Mono panels do better when the sun hits the panel straight on.
      Poly is better at lower angles.
      Where I am, twice a year the sun is directly above us.
      So, it is a matter of deciding what is more beneficial in your situation and I decided on mono.
      There are also other benifits , but this is the maun reason.

    • @vincenzo7790
      @vincenzo7790 Před rokem +1

      @@Living-off-grid However it was just an observation as in Thailand the hours of sunlight vary slightly over the year but it is a very hot country so the yield of mono crystalline panels is 20% lower and more than poly

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      @@vincenzo7790 Not really sure what you mean, but you can just use what you think is best for your situation.
      In my case, that was mono due to the much higher efficiency per survace and the higher heat tolerance.

  • @inchbyinch7759
    @inchbyinch7759 Před rokem

    Thank you for video but slightly confused on you buy all the equipment and when you install it becomes their property , so you paying 6.5x the original quote . Is that a price they pull out of the fresh air for some strange reason.

  • @nitepharmer5866
    @nitepharmer5866 Před 9 měsíci

    If you don't mind -what are the specs on your generator ?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 9 měsíci

      It is a simple gasoline (pull start) generator, rated at 6.5 Kw, but in reality it puts out less than half.
      It is able to charge the battery with 50 to 60 amps (at 58 volt) and keep the lights in the house on.
      Luckily we only needed it once... but of course, in the middle of the night. 😴

  • @Britonbear
    @Britonbear Před 5 měsíci

    I really like your videos but the background music is horrible. Why do people do that?

  • @TheChopper30
    @TheChopper30 Před rokem +1

    So what waste total cost for the complete solar installation

  • @8971felix
    @8971felix Před 8 měsíci

    What is your feedback after 9 month using your solar panels? is it worth it ?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 8 měsíci +1

      Absolutely. We run aircons when we want without worrying about the cost.
      And, when the village has a blackout (every heavy rain) we have power.

    • @8971felix
      @8971felix Před 8 měsíci

      ​@@Living-off-gridawesome! How many AC simultaneously?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 8 měsíci

      @@8971felix Well, we have 4 of them.
      During the day we can run them all together.
      At night we usually run 2 of them. That takes our battery down from 80% to 60%, so I guess we could run them all, but I never tried.

  • @johntheaccountant5594

    Some
    You state the solar panels were 380 watt each.
    What is the VOC of each panel? (normal is around 45.5 volt)
    What is the Amps of each panel? (normal is around 9.2 Amp)
    You stated that yours producing 500 volts and you had 15 panels and I am assuming that they are therefore in series.
    That would make me think the panels were 33.33 volt and 11 amps based on Watts = Amps x Volts.
    Can you please tell me the manufacturer of the Solar Panels?
    With regard to the batteries, I assume the batteries are 3.2 volt each but classified as 3 volts x 16 makes the 48 volts
    You state that the batteries give 280 Ah.
    I assume that they are EVE LF280K Rechargeable Power Energy EV Car Cell LFP Prismatic Solar System Batteries 3.2V 280Ah lithium ion Lifepo4 Battery. Is that correct?
    What manufacturer and model number of combined controller/inverter did you use?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +2

      Hi.
      PV panels are NK380M-60 from Nakita. VOC: 43.25 volt, VMP: 40 volt, ISC: 10.89 A
      I have 13 in series (2 others are for heating water) connected to a Y&H 5.5 Kw inverter/charger.
      The battery is build from 16 cells of 3.2 volt, 280 Amp from CALB (LifePo4).
      The BMS is from Daly. 48v, 16S, 150Amp in/out.
      I hope this helps.

    • @johntheaccountant5594
      @johntheaccountant5594 Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid Thank you very much for your fast response.

  • @terryn111
    @terryn111 Před rokem

    I still don't know why you have to pay for the electrical materials and PAE or PEA says" once finished all materials are theirs."

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      Those are their rules. I suspect it has to do with maintenance. If there is a problem it would be hard to fix it if they'd have to ask permission from the owner first.

  • @dronezinthesky
    @dronezinthesky Před rokem

    So this setup will allow you to run AC, kitchen appliances, etc at the same time no problem?
    Also how many hours does that give you of running hours at night

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem +1

      The house should be able to run several days on just the battery.
      But only time will tell if this is true.
      Wo don't live there yet, but as soon as the rain-season (least amount of sun) has past, I will make a "conclusion video".

    • @dronezinthesky
      @dronezinthesky Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid looking forward to that. This is something I’m considering doing as well. Just determining the best application

  • @martingoodef811
    @martingoodef811 Před rokem

    Cost of install please

  • @nickdavies3334
    @nickdavies3334 Před rokem

    Hi Maarten, What was the reason for such a quote of over 1/4 million Baht when the quote was only 41,000 baht which already had labour costs of 5000 baht as a line item. ? I’m really confused as to what the other cost is. ?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      I guess it was called "profit".
      The PEA did not tell me the actual cost of the seperate parts. I checked those with suply-companies.
      My guess is: They don't think people know the actual value of the parts involved.

    • @nickdavies3334
      @nickdavies3334 Před rokem

      @@Living-off-grid Hi Maarten, thanks for the reply. Can I ask where about’s in Thailand you are located. ? Our family is in Udon Thani.

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      @@nickdavies3334 We are in Renu Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom province.

  • @bornfreeprepperthailand
    @bornfreeprepperthailand Před 11 měsíci +1

    I'm building the same thing on my channel. I'm off grid as well and looking for a solar system. Can your system power a washing machine, fan, lights etc? By the way it's a very nice house you have there. Just sub to your channel thanks

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 11 měsíci +1

      Yes, no problem. We power lights (led), aircos, fans, washing machine (every two days), electric boiler (150 ltr), power tools, tv, wifi, everything.
      Only when it rains the entire day we need to run the generator for one or two hours to fill the battery. (A few days a year)
      Even on clouded days we generate enough power .

    • @bornfreeprepperthailand
      @bornfreeprepperthailand Před 11 měsíci

      @@Living-off-grid Thank you for the information. It's most useful as I'm getting quotes for my solar system. This will allow me to compare prices and if too expensive I might attempt it myself. Did you install it yourself ? Thanks 🙏

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před 11 měsíci +1

      @@bornfreeprepperthailand
      We did all ourselves and this saved about half the cost.
      We also did not use proprietary installation materials, but made our own, which also saved a bundle.

    • @bornfreeprepperthailand
      @bornfreeprepperthailand Před 11 měsíci

      @@Living-off-grid You done a good job. Thanks for the information you've got a nice solar system with good batteries. Thanks again 🙏

  • @dirkrabau4805
    @dirkrabau4805 Před rokem

    Hallo Maarten! Ik ben Belg en leef in Non Sila (Khon Kaen). Met mijn zeskoppige familie zijn de elektriciteitsrekeningen vaak pijnlijk. Kan ik contact met je opnemen om een gelijkaardige installatie te ontwerpen voor ons huis?

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před rokem

      Hoi Dirk.
      Maar natuurlijk. Hou alleen wel in gedachten dat ik nog erg druk ben met m'n eigen huis.

  • @andrevdende8244
    @andrevdende8244 Před měsícem

    Geen muziek volgende keer aub.
    Irritant.❤

    • @Living-off-grid
      @Living-off-grid  Před měsícem

      Dan draai je het volume toch uit?
      Een video zonder achtergrondmuziek is als een patatje zonder friet.
      Jij vind het irritant, andere kijkers vinden van niet.
      En ik vind het passen en dus....😊