Our Complete Solar System Cost With Battery Backup! 10kw Of Power
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- Our Complete Solar System Cost With Battery Backup! 10kw Of Power! ALL OF OUR SOLAR EQUIPMENT...CLICK HERE: www.signatures... $50 off on $500 Coupon: CountryLiv12
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Tools purchased for this job:
Cable Stripping Knife: amzn.to/3pkWlOO
Klein Wire Stripper: amzn.to/3Ib3tWD
Klein Crimping Tool: amzn.to/3E8gk9P
Large Gauge Hammer Crimper: amzn.to/3ro7rVZ
Large Gauge Wire Cutter: amzn.to/3lqUiI2
Ferrule Crimping Tool with Ferrules: amzn.to/32RgJQj
Copper Lugs: amzn.to/3EfLRGK
1.5" Wrench: amzn.to/3o9gh8c
24" Breaker Bar: amzn.to/3rrMQAk
1.5" Socket: amzn.to/2ZIqnn7
Emergency Items We Own:
Butane Cooking Burner: amzn.to/3rbVmAj
Primus Camp Stove: amzn.to/3sLqvLc
Isobutane: amzn.to/3uLvJsr
Mr. Heater: amzn.to/3bUCLlV
Sunglife Survival Radio: amzn.to/3qbKD7L
Solar Cell Phone Charger: amzn.to/3q8Nezn
Crosscut Saw: amzn.to/3bW3eQc
Scythe/Snath: amzn.to/3bdCTOx amzn.to/2PvDVNr
Items Used To Start Our Seeds:
Jiffy Peat Pods: amzn.to/3rtqaMA
Metal Racks: amzn.to/3oYsU2T
Barrina Grow Lights: amzn.to/3tDW0IA
1020 Grow Trays: amzn.to/2LuMF4v
Heat Mats: amzn.to/36W6lpv
Rack Cover: amzn.to/3cRX2KZ
Humidity Domes: amzn.to/3rzED9S
Pot Labels: amzn.to/36TDm5K
2" Seed Starting Pots: amzn.to/36OZK07
Tools And Products We Own And Recommend For Your Homestead:
Dewalt impact driver: amzn.to/2ptNXBY
Granite Ware water bath canner: amzn.to/2CQquOn
Bear Grease waterproofing compound: amzn.to/2CNDBzO
Greenhouse film: amzn.to/2poM2yn
DB Smith pump sprayer: amzn.to/2Qr9o1m
Marbles small camp axe: amzn.to/2KsbuKT
Cold pressed orange oil: amzn.to/2KvaaXo
Sea-90 organic mineral fertilizer: amzn.to/2rK9cA2
Pure neem oil: amzn.to/33WTmR4
Products We Own And Recommend For Your Garden:
Flame Weeding Torch: amzn.to/2Zf2Is3
Worm Castings: amzn.to/2mboTh8
Neem Oil: amzn.to/2ZgBDka
Rock Phosphate: amzn.to/2TJyE2L
Chapin Garden Sprayer: amzn.to/2KHld06
Garden Ties: amzn.to/2HgYk1H
Professional Weed Barrier: amzn.to/2Hhm7hM
Greenhouse Film: amzn.to/2KG3Ahj
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Our off grid system price was amazingly affordable since we did the installation ourselves on our homestead.
We got all of our solar components at Signature Solar. *CLICK HERE: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=countrylivingexperience *
@James Drew Well, in all fairness, Mars belongs to Elon Musk.
Did they supply a plan for the system?
@@sgtspaulding9461 I sat down with them in their office and we drew it out together.
@@CountryLivingExperience Now that's customer service......Jeff
@@CountryLivingExperience sounds great. Love this video..subscribed....here in california they have tons of regulation in the way....but i love the idea of having the option of off grid self sufficiency......been learning about all this and will check out your channel more....Ive also been watching will at diysolar for awhile. He has a ton of good info too and builds his own batteties from components!
Thanks
May you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers!
:)
To be debt free and mostly self reliant for power, water, and food is ideal.
Absolutely! Self reliance is worth a lot.
Be careful. That kind of talk will have the government going after you!
@@kuzadupa185
Shh, it’ll be our secret. 😉
You will always have to buy food, unless you can grow your vegetables in the winter at -25 degrees.
Unfortunately thanks to taxes we are never debt free.
Benefits of DIY
1. 50+% difference in price.
2. You realize how easy it actually is.
3. You can fix it yourself if it breaks.
4. You feel like you can take on the world.
Heck yea!
I’ll tell you what, I have a lot of DC in my house, from LED low voltage lighting, DC 24 volt deep freezers and refers etc… makes so much more sense to avoid converting from DC to AC whenever you can. Even our TV is DC. We’re not tv watchers in general, so the 27” we were able to find is more than adequate.
Cost =15.5K
Great Video, very good description of all costs. My Sons and I are Commercial Equipment installers and Servicemen. The Tools you chose to buy were smart, we own Pipe-Threaders, Jack hammers and Welders etc.. You’re a sharp man and a good example to take on the challenge. Your educating all of us out here and God Bless you for that. I plan on doing exactly what you’ve done. I’m on a hill on 20 acres in Eugene Oregon area. Everything I see your doing is very professional. 👍
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
You have yet to learn the difference in meaning between Youre and you are
YOUR - REFERS TO OWNERSHIP
Undertake an extensive reading program to educate yourself and improve
your knowledge of the English language.
Illiteracy is not desirable
@@andrew_koala2974 you’re a prick! Did I get it right?
@@andrew_koala2974 the video has given you $5,000.00 worth of information, your English comment is .02Cents. I'm sure the video author thought through the possibility of weird criticism, but decided to help out us who really appreciate the knowledge. Obviously I'm Quilty of using your incorrectly but the point I'm making is his expertise is so superior to you that you should shut up. Take ownership of that!
@@tcdavis66 ok Homer
Most thorough video I've seen on the cost breakdown (including tools need) on this setup, thank you Country Living!
Thanks. Glad it was helpful!
I figure bout 15 years to break even not figure replacement cost??
Great video. My off grid system ran me about the same price. I ended up spending more money on backup parts. I have a backup inverter, charge controller, panels, fuses, breakers etc.. just in case something goes wrong. I wanted it on hand with the way the supply chain is going 👍🏽
Thank you. Very smart to add backup replacement parts. I’ll be doing the same soon.
Store it in a faraday cage
@@AldousHuxley7 lol EMP much?
@@RealHank1791 Wait and see. Comprehensive cyber attack at the very least.
@@AldousHuxley7 Cyber will have zero effect on 99% of consumer solar equipment. Unless you connect it to a wireless network. Source. I'm a network admin. For the largest company in the world at their largest facility.
My general rule of thumb is that the total cost of any home project is 3X the materials cost if you hired a company to do it.
These solar power systems for most common folks never allow them to break even on their power bills...so many breakdowns and replacement parts and labor costs. Keeping wood fires in stoves and fireplaces honestly save money on power bills...nothing else works that I'm aware of to keep power bills as low as possible. I was raised having coal & wood cookstoves and buck stoves in rooms and we were warm all year around...my father, brother, and me never wore shirts inside during winter and my mother wore shorts...we were that warm and comfortable...but the work keeping wood was a little hard, but we planned for that all year having good stacks and piles of coal...we needed both of those all year for the kitchen cookstove.
@@curtischildress9580 And hundred degree days in the summer? How does your fireplace help with that?
@@steviesevieria1868 Summertime is Summertime! I'm a hiker/biker & can generate energy in the sun & heat & always have plenty of water & respect my pace & limitations on long trips. Biggest problem with summer is breaking in to getting a good tan started...bad sunburns on my back, chest, & shoulders are the most dreaded parts of summer...they're their own little hell for a spell. I wasn't raised with air conditioning...back then we never missed what we honestly didn't know about or think about or didn't have. We sat in the shade a lot, had ice water after my folks got a refrigerator, used electric fans in the house after we got a few of those, jumped in & out of the creek like all the time...I miss those good times. I didn't use my AC once during this summer...I was outside playing most always...I hike more than trails because I go off into the wild woods...plenty of shade & breezes in nature...we depended on them & appreciated them. My life & world might be real simple but I'm no fool who can be led to fall for a bunch of solar s-C-h-R-i-A-t-P!!!
We appreciate you for doing this! I’m planning for my home and this is exactly how I want my set up. 95% solar use with a generator and the ability to switch back to main line just in case
If in hot area we use larger wire in all wiring or use flat wire to cool the city down. Plus if you use solar add on accelerator coil wrap around your conduit and build control circuit then you can cool down the ambient by accelerate the circuit extract heat from solar panel like peltier cell and generate extra electricity too. But when they polarize the sun your power will be very weak. And so if you solar only use small one to reduce cost but back up electricity is best by hydraulic, or buhtan gas generator or lead acid battery
What are you talking about? Accelerate coil wrap? Lead Acid battery is useless technology also.
Wow......clean n concise video , well appreciated Sir. Under 17K for 10kw of power 😎 .
You're welcome.
Wow, that seems like a wonderful deal given the fact that you can do all of this yourself!👍 If I could do that myself I'd do it in a heartbeat!🤗
It is a wonderful blessing for sure.
Communal self sufficiency for the win! 🌍 what a world it would be if many people started living naturally again and without government/corporate dependence
Amen
I don't watch a lot of homestead videos, but I loved this one! What a great breakdown of everything needed!
Thank you so much.
Better start, sh!t’s getting worse!
This system will succeed because this is an educated consumer! He knows what he needs, and gets it. He has the basic knowledge that most people do NOT have! The placement of those panels will allow him to clean and maintain those panels, increasing their life span! This is the kind of insight that people who think they KNOW solar need to see!
Thank you! I appreciate it.
I love the idea of energy independence. At my current electricity monthly rate. A system like yours wouldn't begin to pay for itself until after 7 years.
7 years is actually a very good payback time and way under average. You have to factor in the value of that energy independence and don't forget the tax credit at 26%.
@@CountryLivingExperience and there is the grid failures that you don't deal with and that utilities have been rising 2% on average every year in a 20 year period and that you are "done" paying it off after the 7 years! Everything that comes after is a bonus.
If you are looking for a faster ROI, you can do used solar panels and literally just put them on the floor instead of mounting them. His mount was $1200 and the panels were only $4500. You could get the same amount of power for about $2,300 (but they are going to degrade faster) and throw them on the ground and get only one battery instead of three and one inverter instead of two, but then you are limiting your energy use a bit.
15471 dollars.
I love the fact that it pays for itself. NOW, To figure out how I can get my next car, boat, or anything else to pay for itself. LOL
I did.
Panels can go as low as 50 cents per watt.
Charge controller is under $20 and got truck heavy-duty batteries for $40 each.
Then 2000 watt inverter for $50.
Can't beat Signature Solar batteries for the quality and price. I own 4. Very happy with them.
Awesome! Thanks for the comment.
I know... I sacrificed my child just to get one. They're so worth it.
How old are they
@@kingscairn 1 1/2 years.
Are they LiFePO4?
Built my own system. One piece at a time and still expanding . You can't have to much power. I started with 200 watt kit and now I'm rocking with 3000 watt system
That's awesome! It certainly can be done.
I just purchased a large, mobile system from another company. In February or March it will be a year that I've waited for them to ship. I love solar and wanted a turnkey whole house system for the home I'm currently building. My estimate was $85,000 to $90,000. Building costs are so high right now I couldn't do it without getting in debt. I'll probably build my own like you've done because of the costs. I think it will be relatively easy for me to do. There's so much to do to get everything up and running for my homestead finding the time will be the real challenge. Really cool that you've done this!! Thanks for helping out others too!!
Glad we can be helpful. Hopefully you can find some time to put one together yourself. That estimate for a system is so high! I have a friend who spent $70k and his can power a small city. I know you can do this yourself. The company I went with really had reasonable priced items that have high value. Blessings!
You should 100% go into severe debt to save the environment. It's really the only thing you should be considering.
@@MST3Killa Whose talking about saving the environment? I'm trying to minimize disruptions to my way of life. I like electricity lol.
Better buy another ' complete ' system for spares backup
@@kingscairn Agreed. I purchased the Inergy Gold system and after almost a year of waiting it's finally shipped. I have most of the components for the back up system that I'm building. I have everything except the back up batteries. As they say two is one and one is none :)
Wow. The price is incredible. I was quoted almost $100,000 for an 19kw system. I am glad I did not accept.
WOW! That is an insane price! I am glad you did not accept too.
OMG thanks for breaking it all down 😖. I could pay 4k for a complete offgrid 3000wh system I could install myself, or pay 8k to get the system package installed on my tiny house by a professional 🤪 I think I'm going with the professional and just doing the solar panels array myself. 🤣👍🙌
You're welcome. If you do the panels yourself, you will save a lot when you hire the professional. They should charge you less.
As electrician for 30 plus years..your wire gauge to amperage is off, plus don't forget about massive dc drop over distance and wire gauge. Overall a decent breakdown on components, best of fortune. Fyi, inverters have about 5 year lifespan and lifepo4 battery's are about 10 year, lead acid is maybe 2. Plus generation needs to cover use plus battery charge.
I will take the advice of the solar company on the materials and parts. I do not have a "massive" drop at all. My inverters are warrantied for 5 and my batteries for 10 so.... Those lifepo4's will last at least 15 years on 80% dod.
Our complete off-grid solar system cost about $6,000. The solar room, panel racks, and the big wire to our house was another $2,200. We ordered everything about a year ago, and most of it came directly from China. The price has gone up since then. Solar is awesome!
$6k? Wow. How big is it though?
@@CountryLivingExperience It is a 6,400 Watt system. We have a video on the cost and components we used
What did you get for batteries and what was the cost for those alone?
@@ssoffshore5111 We bought 16 Lifepo4 batteries for $1,376. We have a video with the components list and price of everything.
Solar panels have come down dramatically since this was done. This spring my 500 watt bi-facial were $97 each. ( before federal and local rebates.). They went up to $150. With the increase in import duties. If I bought a full pallet of panels I got free shipping. While I only have room for 20 panels (24 to pallet) that left me with 4spare panes
Hi Eric,
It was this video that finally convinced me to follow your example and get my off grid solar generator system. And Signature Solar really helped with the details. As of Memorial day we are off the grid. Like you, I have the option to revert back if need be. But thankfully, we have not had the need.
In my design I chose a generator transfer panel where I could switch individual circuits back to the utility in case I need to service the system or need to run things that my system cannot handle.
Thank you for the series of videos you posted with detailed information on how you built your system.
God Bless you and your family.
HS
Awesome! So glad you are all set up. Happy we could help.
You did top notch at 15k on a 10kw system with batteries, hats off to you.
Thanks
If you're burying that conduit, you may want to add expansion couplings between the in-ground & attached to structure segments (Just below the elbow joint or junction box).
Thank you for that tip.
I like the ground mount. Never have to worry about your roof and in snow country can angle or brush off snow easy
Yep
A really nice breakdown. I'm super interested in going solar but electricity is just so darn cheap here. Most quotes I have heard are in the $30-50k range, and I figure I can cut that in half by doing everything myself. Even then $15K just puts it out of the park. Not that $15k is too crazy to spend on the house, but my annual electric bill is like $7-800.
I understand. Solar is not for everyone. However, you need to look beyond the one to one cost comparison. The grid is unreliable and getting more expensive. If the power is out, I still have power. If the price increases, it does not affect me. etc.
I'd think of it as an investment diversification. $400/barrel oil is on the table.
@@CountryLivingExperience , so, a system that just keeps the essentials operating to supplement the grid and act like a backup generator might be better for some.
@@Dave-sw2dm Yes, correct. There are many ways to do it. Scale it as you need it.
Besides the cost Factor I don't know what state that you live in but my biggest reason for wanting to do this was the current lockdowns. It happened in Canada and it happened in california. If you own a business and you decide not to do what they tell you to do they shut off people's electricity and their water. Now couple that with the current Administration and all the new things they are trying to pass like digital currency certain mandates and everything else if you do not comply with what they tell you they can shut off your electric and your water then what are you going to do?
I live in Florida and after one of the Hurricanes we didn't have power for 3 weeks many people that lived in Texas didn't have power for a while during their cold event last year and a lot of these northern states if there's an ice storm or whatever they lose power as well with the price of gas in generators I don't understand how people can afford that. So don't just look at your electric bill is only 70 to $80 a month my system that I price that was signature is going to be about $11,000 if my electric bill is $150 that return on investment is roughly 6 years so yours would be 12 years and you never pay an electric bill again. And you are also not beholding to the elites that try to force their decisions down your throat.
I prefer to have the peace of mind that I'll have power which equals security in a lot of ways.
If i have a financial crisis I won't have to worry about paying a power bill especially in retirement.
I do not have to worry about them raising rates on me either.
Right now I'm monitoring my electric use and limiting my AC use and it's miserable. I won't have to do this with solar. During the winter I'll be able to have heat and be warm I won't be playing that game either.
Hi, I have been living in Mexico these past 15 years but am moving back to North Carolina to have a little homestead. I have been watching CZcams videos of everyone posting them the past few years. I just want to say that I got so much information from your channel. I really appreciate what you do.
Thanks Dan. Glad our videos were informative.
Awesome job I love to see American families prosper smart desicon
Thank you
Thank you so much for sharing all the information in details. We’ve been trying to get as much info on solar as possible so we know where to start. Thank you and God bless you.
Glad we could help. I have tried to put as much info as possible into the entire series. I have a few more videos to make on the system.
Please DO NOT take this as an insult or belittlement. Your system is excellent....really excellent and shows the dedication and hard work you've put into it. There's a huge problem we're faced with- insurance. Most critical equipment isn't UL approved and there's zero chance of getting a building permit for off-grid. In the event of a fire the insurance company will not pay- no permit, no inspections, no approved equipment- no payment for a loss.
Prove me wrong....please. Yes, I know, I know there are always exceptions to the rule- any place 100 miles from civilization won't need permits.
No worries I surely don't take this comment as an insult.
Each State is different, each county is different, each insurance company is different. You need to do your due diligence related to your specific area.
As an Architect, I know for 100% certainly that you do not need permits to build in a lot of places. I am 25 miles from a city of 100k people and I do not need any permits to do anything on my land besides a septic system. I live in Texas and there are many States like this.
Additionally, you will have to coordinate with your insurance company if you choose. If you choose to, they may just raise your rates. If you use a professional solar installer, they may raise them still. Who know? If you choose not to, that is called risk.
If you want solar, you will figure out a way to do it one way or another.
Relax my friend, it will be ok.
@@CountryLivingExperienceYou're right! "One way or another" you'll find a way to do it! Well said. Trees will hide alot from prying eyes.
As an electrical technician, I don't like the idea of using conduit underground. Even with NO leaks you are still going to get condensation. UF-B cable is less expensive and (in my opinion) more reliable. Romex is a LOT cheaper at an electrical supply store. In my area it is about 1/2 what it is at home depot.
What are your batteries rated at?
PV wire is rated for direct bury per the NEC and in this case is way cheaper. (400ft of 10awg for $190). Not sure what the batteries have to do with anything. I have 2awg batt cable from my inverters to the batteries.
as an electrical technician...what?! running conduit underground is standard practice AND code...smh.
As a lineman for 13 years….every new subdivision and underground power line is in conduit. Primary and secondary. Everything is in conduit and we don’t direct bury anything anymore.
Thank you for your voice of reason @COLTS WAY
Tell me you've never done electrical work, WITHOUT TELLING ME. 🤣🤣
I did solar for $6,000 works very well and now doing 1 for my sons farm.
How big? What components?
A list of all your components such as inverter charger, batteries, solar panels etcetera. Would have been nice .
Great video... love the break down of the cost of each item. @ 10:02 time for total cost of $15,471.
Thank you.
Just stumbled on this channel. I've been wanting to install a split buss panel with a generator interlock on the main portion and a PV/battery/inverter feed for the secondary portion. Haven't seen it done, but I think it would be super cool for those of us that don't get enough solar to sustain.
That would be cool. System component are becoming less expensive now though. I plan on saving and adding to the system gradually until I can overcome my peak usage.
Remember your battery bank is your fuel tank. Fuel will be hard to come by. So look for forklift batteries.
@@CountryLivingExperience I need to see how to add EQUATORIAL MOUNTS on each large panel PLEASE
Free clean energy for everyone I am the father son and we are the children of the father the father of all things and I love you brother's and sister's everyone off grid and make are world a better place
Just came across this video. Is your home totally off grid? I love the simplicity of the system when it’s explained like you did. I’ll be watching the rest. I’m sure I’ll have many questions! 😁
Very cool. Yes, we are essentially off-grid. I have the solar set up as a generator. I still have a grid connection but don't use it much. I switch over to the solar 95% of the time. We use a generator interlock kit on the main panel to keep the two separate.
I just bought the eg4 6k split phase controller for $1300, 2 48v batteries for $3k, 24 315w panels for $3480 from signature solar for a total of $8134 for a 6kw system. Maybe 1k more for homemade panel mount, wire, etc. 2 more 48v batteries in spring when I install it. 5 yr warranty. batteries, panels, controller will last for 15 yrs, I don't use a lot of ac, but here in east Texas any bad rain, snow, or storm the ac goes out. I wanted my own power. They were very nice folks. Stay safe. Stay prepped. GOD BLESS GOD SPEED GOD WINS.
That is awesome. Glad you got your system in place. God bless you as well.
Looking forward to your upcoming videos. Been learning but can still learn more. I hope you make fairly in depth videos. Especially for the wiring of the panels and batteries. Thanks for such great informative videos...
Thank you. I will do my best.
Gosh, this is mind boggling! I feel overwhelmed, some people are just too clever.. I wouldn't know where to begin!
You can do it. Just watch videos, learn, ask questions and you will be ok.
Great video! I have a quick question, why go with the 240v inverter and the auto-transformer vs getting a split phase inverter? Thanks!
Thanks. At the time, I thought the price point was better.
A: 240V is true single phase and B: there is a lot of 'country' [farm] equipment that uses 240V, like welders
@@tsclly2377 yup.. There are plenty of scenarios where only 240 would be needed.. He however is using an auto transformer..
I'll answer my question for everyone.. The reason to go with a 240v and the auto transformer is your can get by without having to manage your 120 stuff nearly as much..
Hey Guy, you could save lots of by using aluminum wire. Just up the size a notch or two and used dielectric grease on the terminal ends. This is safe and it works. I'm an electrician. This would reduce your wire costs by maybe 50%.
I'll stick with dedicated solar wire made for the purpose. I understand aluminum is cheaper. I will use it to run a feeder line to my barn from the solar sub panel.
I'm just starting my 11.8Kw solar and it's almost exactly the same system as yours. Great video, and I'm looking forward to see it put together. (yours and mine) I have a question about the electrical. Hopefully you'll have some insight on it. The SPF Growatt 5000 ES advertises that the Growatt will "pair with the utility if Solar is not enough to power a load". I noticed you are using a Generator interlock kit to separate Grid and Solar power in your main breaker box.. Same as I am. Grid AC power has to be fed into the AC in on the growatt to do this pairing of solar and grid. My question is, Where are you getting the grid power from to feed it into the AC in port. Your main panel is isolated from the grid with the interlock kit and the sub panel is charged by solar, no grid power there. As you can see i am somewhat stumped. I have a solution but haven't been able to run it by an electrician to see if it is legal or safe. It seems to be safe to me but I'm not an electrician. Where I'm at there are no permits or any inspectors to catch a problem if I make one. Your input or just thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Glad you are getting yours going as well. Very exciting.
I did read that same feature but was confused by the purpose of it. To charge the batteries? I am not doing it that way. I wanted the two to be independent systems essentially with the solar being strictly off grid. I am not sure you can do it that way but I am no electrical expert by any means. Since mine is completely independent, I do not need any permit or inspection because they work independently of one another.
@@CountryLivingExperience The purpose for me is I want my solar power to be as reliable or more reliable than the grid. I consume probably more than my share of electricity and have some start surges that might concern me. I don't want to be manually switching back and forth from PV and Grid or have my generator run if the grid is up and running. I also plan to set up for the batteries to charge with PV only. It doesn't make since to me to use the grid to charge DC batteries just to turn around and convert back to AC to use it, unless there is time of day billing which I don't have. As the sun goes down on bad solar days I want the Growatt to automatically pair with the grid and take care of my appliance surges on start ups as my batteries hit their DOD and automatically use the grid when necessary. At 69 years old I am rapidly getting to the time that midnight fixes aren't possible. Is it your plan that if the sun doesn't co-operate for a few days then you'll just manually switch back to grid to give solar time to charge the batteries. I'm just trying to find answers to make life as easy as possible. ANY suggestions are appreciated. Thanks again for the videos, any Idea when you might have your next one. I KNOW, I'm just being pushy.
I understand. If I don't see sun for a few days, I can do two things. Switch back to the gird or charge the batteries using a small generator. I also purchased a separate 48v battery charger. I'll have another video tomorrow but it is very basic and highlighting a mistake I made when putting up my panels. I am also filming another tomorrow about set up clearances and planning for the equipment and possibly info on making your cables.
Since I don't know your system I can only give you a generic answer. You can search for whole home transfer switches. My system uses a 30 amp automatic transfer switch that connects the load to the inverter when it is on and switches to the grid when the inverter is turned off. It cost about $60. Whole home transfer switches could cost somewhere around $600. If you are not comfortable going this route, then contact a solar installation company. They would be thrilled blind for a chance to nuke your bank account but that is the safest route. I'm 61 myself. Good luck.
James where did you buy your equipement ? I`m thinking about unbound solar.
- I guess I need to check your solar panel wiring video. Depending on the voltage, you might want bigger panel wiring, (power loss over wiring is because of current. Higher voltage equals less current for the same wattage)
- I'm sure it's too late by now, and it's a good idea, for safety sake, to use a ferrule on EVERY terminal where stranded wire pushes into a clamp - for example, most of the wire connections on your controller/inverter
- As many wire connections as required for that type of system, you are REALLY going to want the automatic stripper for the stranded wire at least. Make sure it doesn't damage the solid wire, before using it throughout.
- As it us so easy to under or over crimp crimp terminals, I would HIGHLY recommend you use a ratcheting crimper for anything smaller than what requires that big, impact crimper. If your supplier doesn't carry them, Klein (a dependable brand) crimpers aren't expensive on Amazon, and will serve elsewhere, for example, car trailer or stereo system wiring.
BTW, Harbor Freight sells a hydraulic wire crimper that handles everything from 00 (or so) welding cable to 14 ga, so your 6 ga falls well within that. It's a little spendy at regular price, and I would trust that a lot more than the impact (hit with a hammer) type. David Poz uses something similar on his CZcams channel. A different type might be cheaper on Amazon.
Thank you for your thoughts. I do know what I am doing.
Panel wiring was sized by the solar company I purchased from. I have minimal losses.
No wonder why you have a million plus views....simply a great video!
Super impressed with that ground mount system and it's price......if you have the space can't really see any reason to roof mount.
I appreciate it. Thank you
I got 9.6kw 48V batteries for $1520 shipped on Amazon. LiFePo4
4 batteries 12.8V 200AH in parallel.
Got used panels off a solar recycler for $30/panel for 260W panels at 90% efficiency.
I’m at $4500 for a total off grid system with inverter, cables, breakers, etc.
Good. Hope that works out for you.
I like new stuff
That way I know it works
I must know more!!!
HOWdy C-L-E,
Thanks
I am building a very similar system ( but with a SINGLE GroWatt SPF 6000 DVM-MPV Split-Phase INVERTER )
Same Batteries = ( three ) EG4-LL 48 volt X 3
YOU are awaiting BATTERIES /// I have batteries - but - am awaiting my INVERTER 🙂
Thanks again
COOP
...
Very cool. I have 7 batteries now. Working like a charm.
Great video! I really like the way you review everything and tell the costs and you don’t waste a lot of time with non essential information or silly jokes. Thanks!
Thank you. I appreciate it.
I made my own racking the local scrap metal. It only cost me $450 ( I included $23 for gas for my pickup).
Prices of the various parts mentioned varied but not enough in total to bother correcting. Some of the tools I already had..
I mounted my panels on the roof. Vertically rather than lay them down. The advantage of that is early morning I get better solar gain. During the day when use is low power drops off and evening I get better collection as the sun goes down.
The real advantage is snow. Instead of almost no energy collection when the panels are covered with snow, snow doesn’t stick very well to vertical panels. Rain tends to wash them clean and in the event of hail at most they will get a glancing blow. Unlikely to damage them.
BI-facial so the back side picks up reflected sunlight. Typically that will gain 30% more power per panel but on sunny days with snow on the roof I gain 50%.
I just bought a house in Southern California and I’m installing Solar. Just doing research. Thanks and Go Spartans!
Awesome! Go Green! FYI, Cali is tough when it comes to do it yourself systems and certain types of solar equipment. You may want to check with your local city planning/building office to get a list of “approved “ equipment and the requirements. Good luck.
Best cost video I've seen in a while! Just got my Texas electric bill in actually! Perfect timing CZcams, thanks for listening!
Awesome. Glad it was helpful.
that is a lot of power to use and transfer to batteries.
Very clear informative direction.I appreciate it very much.Thank you! We are on this journey ourselves.😉
Glad it was helpful
My full system (28kWh LiFePO4 battery and 10kW solar, with inverter, charge controllers, etc. all bought 2 years ago) was under $10k. A lot of DIY, but it has been running for two years now without problems.
Very cool! Sounds like you got a great deal.
My hydro bill here, for a house that is totally electric: convection heaters, electric hot water tank, stove and dryer, no fireplace, is $153 a month. With the cost of installing your set up, it would take over 8 years for it to break even. If i were to install a a fireplace of some kind, it would drop that amount a lot as we live in a northern climate, and our electricity is hydro generated.
8 years is actually a really good payback period. After that it is free. You also have to factor in being self reliant and the age of the reliability of an aging grid/power generation stations.
Powers Solar Frames is currently requiring a minimum purchase of 20 sections of 5 panel for this frame so unless you are really going big, you'll have to go somewhere else.
Yikes. Probably increased shipping costs due to diesel prices.
Wow, DIY is the way to go, I live here in Florida, and they wanted 27000 and we have a small 1300 sq ft. home. There are lots of sharks to take advantage of people
Absolutely! Watch out for those sharks.
I used signature solars for my whole house system as well.
Nice!
$15,471 total
I've been living off the grid for over 30yrs, built my own system,....however it was the K.I.S.S system. My electricity has averaged out to be $50 a year.
Nice! I like the k.i.s.s. concept for sure.
Really excellent video, thank you for taking the time.
Glad it was helpful!
I recently needed and bought some 10/3 for a bitcoin mining project. I was able to find and purchase a brand new 100ft roll on Facebook marketplace for half of the big box stores. Doesn't hurt to shop around!
Shopping around is the best.
I also live in Texas and drove 3 1/2 hours to signature solar this Monday.
Cool
Go Green!! I was wondering if you were in Michigan, but apparently not. I installed a 2kw grid-tie system for around $3000. You can get used panels on ebay, in pallet sizes, for $160 per 1kw, or in your case $1600 for 10kw. Yeah it's not new, but the panels have 10-20 years left in them. Maybe more. My big question is did you look into grid-tie options? Net metering can be far superior to batteries. Batteries are basically the juggernaut that keeps solar expensive. Net metering allows you to just buy more panels which are cheap, to cover night time use. But that begs the question, how were you able to do this without the local or state government in your business???
Go White! I moved to Texas about 10 years ago.
I did not look at grid tie options because I want to eventually have nothing to do with the grid. It is not about saving money but having a self-reliant system. I did another video on our payback period where I discussed the intangibles that need to be calculated along with the dollar figure.
I live out in the countryside and I am off-grid (in Texas) hence nobody bothering me about my business ;-)
How are you able to do this without the state government in your business?
we are going solar soon haveing to have a new roof put on first, The cost will be $230 a month been paying $216 a month on the fix rate,, we are leasing it the solar panels have insurance in case anything goes wrong we had power outage due to storms wife has breaking problems so keep air going is a must we figured a AC window unit in the deal
Wow thats alot of money. Awesome video perfect explanation but if my light bill is less than $150 per month would be about 9 years more or less to see a break. Thanks i really wanted to hear that.
You're welcome. It is important to determine if solar is right for you. For me, my payoff is 4.5 years.
I'm obviously having a busy day, it's the second on of yours that I have watched today. Once again very informative and much appreciated 😊
Glad it was helpful.
When building panel system make it high enough to be a shade/cover for parking, animals, storage, etc
Not unless the rack is made for that purpose
I paid $32k canadian for an installed microfit system in Ontario Canada about 7 years ago. Feed in to grid no batteries. Paid for itself with subsidies in 7.1 years.
Nice!
Going solar makes since
My electric bill is 300 average a month.
That’s 72,000 in 20 years
With that money I can power 3 🏠 🏠 🏡
I live in Florida where air conditioning is mandatory, so my system cost would be much more than yours. My year round averaged bill is right at $100 a month. While I'd love to be able to go solar, the cost / benefit analysis just doesn't work right now. Assuming zero component failures, it would probably take 2 decades to break even.
I understand. Mini-split units will work with a system of this size. As for the ROI, you need to factor in other benefits such as diverting rising energy costs (mine have gone up), having power in a disaster, and being independent of the grid.
Pair of pliers, to types to strip wire. Have lots of the electronic wire straps like yours.
Wow! Great video, just what I was looking for, not only all the parts I need but a rough estimate of the cost. Now I have a big decision to make. Thanks for the help
You’re welcome
If you get an ev the savings compound quicker- no gas or electric bill
Not practical for most. Until the tech improves and the price comes down, only city drivers should get an EV.
My household runs on 1 thousand dollars of solar 3 panels 2 batteries ....people grossly over estimate the power that is needed...use a generator for tools if your not running cordless.loose most of modern appliances as you don't need them.down scale folks before you are forced to hard times a coming.
Make sure your PV wire is pure copper a lot of the cheaper wires made with aluminum which will just burn right through
All wire I buy is copper. A common misconception is that aluminum melts or burns. It only does that when it is undersized. Aluminum needs to be larger for the same amount of voltage as copper. Check the sizing charts.
Thanks for creating & sharing this, Country Living Experience - A Homesteading Journey! 🌞 congratulations on your energy independence 🕊
Thank you
I'm blown away that you are not an electrician. Where were you able to learn how to do this yourself? I live in a neighborhood in the City of Leander Tx, just 10miles outside of Austin Tx, I guess the first thing I'd need to do is see how much of this they would let me do without hiring an electrician, and what permits I'd need.
Thanks. I watched a lot of CZcams and read a lot of articles on websites. I mainly watched David Poz and Will Prowse. Luckily I live out in the county and did not need to pull any type of permit. Hopefully you won't either.
Use a microinverter at the pv array and it will increase your eff. greatly.
Yes, I will invest in those in the future. They are expensive and I don't have the money at this time.
ROI is going to take along time. And if you have heavy cloudy days.. you could be without electricity. Good luck
ROI depends on many factors. Sun hours, current electricity costs, desire for independence, etc. My current ROI is only 4.5 years and getting shorter because of increased electricity costs in my area. I also have adequate battery backup to overcome cloudy times. Good luck to you without it.
Wow! A good price - only 12k more than I want to spend
Guess you won't have much of a system then. You can get certain quality components and start small then scale up. An initial system may just be enough to power a fan and some lights.
I also have purchased all of my main components from Signature Solar. 12 440W panels, 12kw split phase inverter. I have 6 of the panels installed and wired to the inverter but not hooked up yet. Also the inverter is installed and all of the necessary wiring done as well, but still have the 240 volt ac input bypassing the inverter for the moment. That is because I too am waiting for my four $1,749.00 each batteries and the same battery rack from Signature Solar. I am so excited about getting this system online!
Very cool! Yes, they have some great products for those of us who do DIY projects. I am excited to keep working on mine too.
Did you get the 12kw growatt with the transformer already built in?
Just the batteries alone in my system talk to you about $11,000. I spent just under $2,000 on 4241 panels used from Santan solar. The inverter is going to cost another 3901 in temporarily on a smaller 6 kilowatt converter that cost 1100. Then there's all the copper cables Plus bars Etc add another $800 for miscellaneous stuff. It adds up. We are slowly making our way off grid.
Glad you are getting your system together.
@@CountryLivingExperience thanks. I'm waiting on a shipment of 28kWh of additional batteries. My two arrays today in hazy sunshine are making more power than my batteries can store with the base load. The BMS cutoff upper limit was reached at 10:30 this morning and I had to disconnect the panels, turn on the A/C and reconnect the panels to get the inverter started again. Even with the A/C running, when the sun starts to come out strong, the voltage starts climbing.. presently 54.8V. I plan to get the 18kW inverter with MPPT charge controller, which will help solve this issue as right now I just have the panels directly connected to the BMS.
That sounds like a huge system. 40 panels will produce a ton of power. Glad you are upping your storage capacity.
@@CountryLivingExperience it's what I call a starter/experiment/feasibility study. It's yielding positive results, so I think it will be worth expanding. We're intending to replace 200A service with an off grid system. Wife has electric dryer (7200W), electric stove and oven. High capacity deep well pump for fire fighting. Amp repair shop full of test equipment. Studio and theater with 20kW surround sound audio and commercial projector. I hope to be able to power these things off solar. I will need a lot more panels to accomplish that. And maybe 88kWh of batteries. Our current electric bills top $730 a month.
Ah, I understand now. You have a ton of high loads. Beautiful thing about these systems is they are very scalable.
Hi. We live out in Oregon now, but I grew up in Michigan just south of Lansing and I see you're a Spartan fan! We are building our own house on a piece of land in the country after living in the city our whole lives, and I stumbled on your channel when searching for solar set ups. I'm looking forward to watching your other videos about your solar system and components. Thanks so much for sharing!
Go Green!
Thank you for watching.
@@CountryLivingExperience LOL, I hope you won't hold this against me, but while many of my family and best friends have graduated from MSU, I (and my dad, grampa, brother-in-law, niece and nephew) all went to U of M. So in my case, it's Go Blue! 😉 That said, I'm a Michigander through and through and very proud we have two such outstanding schools (and really many more) in our great State.
But when I looked up Signature Solar, I see it's in Texas. So I imagine you're down there now, which is interesting because I too lived in Texas for 12 years. In fact, it's where I met my husband. Then we came out here to Oregon for my schooling and never left. It's beautiful here, and we finally found a beautiful piece of land where we're doing pretty much what you've already done! We're building our own house (80% DIY or so), and are so grateful to be able to learn from people like yourself who are much further along on their journey, and frankly I was pretty shocked at how quickly you responded to my comment (really that you responded at all!). With your number of subscribers, that's pretty impressive. I hear that it's really a pretty full time job running a channel like this.
Anyway, I can see that you have a lot of great content on your channel so I subscribed. I'm just settling in now with my breakfast to begin watching your entire playlist on solar! We're in the phase of finalizing the design of our house, which includes what systems we'll have for our power, heat, septic, etc., and CZcams has become a great source of information, pros and cons of various systems to help us make our final decisions. Right now we're trying to decide whether to have a stand alone or grid tied system. Looking forward to seeing your story on this. Many thanks brother!
No worries. My sister went to UofM and I went to MSU. We had a divided house ;-)
We have lived in Texas for 12 years after a stint in DC. It has been a blessing.
I try my hardest to answer everyone who had a kind and nice comment or a legitimate question. Let me know if you have any question on solar or other topics. Have a blessed day!
@@CountryLivingExperience Awesome! Really appreciate that.
Thank you, for taking the time to share. Alot of questions as there should be. More independent living is need and wanted.
Best wishes. Keep up the great information coming. This has been a good starting point for many.
You're welcome. Glad it is helpful.
I do think that you are
a correct man
Thank you
It’s funny to watch this video now and realize it only two years ago solar inverter manufacturers were having people pay for expensive transformers in order to get the voltage requirement they needed.
Um, no. There are many types of inverter setups. 240v with a balancing transformer is still a viable option for many people.
This is a great and informative video thank you so much for posting it
Glad it was helpful!
At the price you quoted it would take 5 years to see any savings at all, and in that time you would have maintenance and repairs to the point that your not saving any actual money.
This is a blanket statement that does not hold true for everyone. I did a video where I said solar is not for everyone. I did a video on the fact that solar is more than just the equipment. For me (and many others) solar is financially worth is. For me, the payback period is 3.9 years at my current electric rates and consumption. My house is all electric and my grid is unreliable. I purchased this to not see only savings but independence and reliability. There is no maintenance. Study more about solar.
thank you. yes. trying
You're welcome. You got this!
This is fantastic thank you. The wife and I just bought in Belliare and by spring we should have the investment for this setup 👍
You're welcome. Glad we could help.
I had noticed in the past , that I would get a better deal when buying all my equipment from the solar dealer and not trying to get a better deal because you probably won't
That is what we found.
I drive by a place that has a solar panel array very similar to yours, every day.
Very cool video.
In these times of the unknowns...this is a worth while endeavor if you are not living in a apartment. I would like to do something similar for my workshop...if I like it...then expand into my house.
Thank you. It has worked well for us so far.
The price of coal jumped 46% in the last month. The costs of purchasing electricity could go up substantially. This is a good way to prepare for it.
Yes, exactly. My grid electricity doubled this year.
@@CountryLivingExperience wow!
I got had by using an installer. 60k for the setup and still have a partial electrical bill.
I have had friends get taken for the same amount.