Off Grid: more generators or more solar panels?

Рет қаралды 40,722

Күн бұрын

Visiting a 10 acre off grid property. There is solar, batteries, inverter, and lots and lots of generators!
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:38 Current Solar System
2:14 Why Schneider?
3:46 Military Generators and Equipment
9:15 Propane vs. Diesel
10:10 Future Plans
14:44 Conclusion
Chis has an off grid property with solar and generators. Currently he is using salvaged BMW, EV batteries. A Schneider XW PRO inverter and charger. The Schneider 60 Amp, 150 Volt, solar charge controller. This is keeping his shed conditioned. He built this little shed first, so that he has a place to store his solar equipment and get out of the rain as he embarks on building his future home.
Chis is an expert on the military generators. According to him, he fixes them up for fun and sells them. I've personally bought the generator shown in the video and it can be seen in this video: • DIY Jump Starting Batt...
Contact information for Chris, if you want to buy a military generator: mepgenerators@pm.me
If you are also interested in saving money and building your own battery bank, check out Battery Hookup. Here is my favorite deal they currently have: batteryhookup.com/products/ne... Please use discount code DAVIDPOZ at checkout for a discount, and to help out the channel. The discount code tracks the affiliate program.
Signature Solar is my recommended place to purchase Schneider equipment. signaturesolar.com/?ref=4_rHc... (affiliate link)
Disclaimer:
My videos are in no way intended to be instructional "how-to" lessons. I am simply documenting my project for informational purposes. Property damage, personal injury, or death may result, even when following manufacturer's instructions. I cannot be held liable for such damage or injury. It is YOUR OBLIGATION to ensure that you are complying with any local and federal laws as well as code and permit requirements.
David Poz, LLC

Пікірлер: 99

@raptormatt21 Жыл бұрын

Passive house building principles make for a perfect pairing with off-grid when it comes to energy conservation!

@GeeCeeAte Жыл бұрын

My #1 Advice from personal experience. Dont buy AGM batteries. My 1600AH bank only lasted about a year. I never cycled it below 80% either. (Im still running those batteries 4 years in, but its miserable). Also, you will actually SAVE money by going lithium. I didn't realize this at first. A 200AH agm was about 500$ and a 200AH lithium was about 1000$. So I bought the "cheaper". But you can only use 20% of a lead acid / AGM battery, and 100% of lithium. So you are getting 5X the storage per battery if you go lithium. Also, This was one of the MOST informative off grid videos i've ever seen! This guy knows whats up. I learned a lot, thank you!!

@TrackGeeks Жыл бұрын

Totally agree. Lithium has a higher up front cost but it is the low cost option for the long term. Had a friend convert his AGM bank to Lithium a couple of years ago. Once he was done he said he should have done it sooner.

@offgridwanabe Жыл бұрын

Well thought out system for sure. More panels for me they are quiet and require very little maintenance but the generator has it's place in the system.

@jeffsmith6208 Жыл бұрын

Wow! Thanks for sharing! It’s nice to see some diy on the battery side. I didn’t know about the shelter thing. I will look into that.

@shaymus1968 Жыл бұрын

It's not necessary but a lot safer. In case of fire, would be better to lose the shed over your house.

@Deveak Жыл бұрын

I have free natural gas and panels always win. It’s hard to find a high quality and easily serviced generators. More panels is more quiet and less maintenance. Oil changes, valve adjustments, filters, spark plugs, etc. they all add up. I’m slowly expanding my system but plan for 10k. A consistent charge every day greatly extends the life of batteries. My l16s are 13 years old. I expect 15 years. Over paneling greatly extends the life of the battery.

@TheSiprianus Жыл бұрын

Yeah, a generator should always be the backup; it shouldn't be part of the main or everyday source of power.

@asus12351 Жыл бұрын

Very cool setup. The mans a practical thinker I see why you heed his advise cheers.

@tomwilliam5118 Жыл бұрын

He has a wealth of knowledge and a lot of great ideas

@DOCGENIUSWILSON 7 ай бұрын

Chis is a genius, you guys got it all figure out with the backup system for survival, Thank you for sharing this....Peace

@stormmountain2521 Жыл бұрын

I wish I knew 25% as much as you. two do. Great video. A lot to think about in this video.. thanks for another great video..

@peterking1134 Жыл бұрын

Very well thought out. Thanks for sharing your insight.

@chisight7521 Жыл бұрын

Love it Chris! We came to the same conclusions about a lot of things like DC lighting and automated source selection. I just wanted to suggest you consider one change; rather than 3 days of autonomy, consider more panels and less battery. Even on a cloudy day, you get some power from a solar panel so can recharge batteries during a long cloudy streak. By balancing the dollars spent on panels and batteries, you may see the least generator run time for your money and on good days you get extra power to store as heat or other cheap energy storage. Also, really like your arched top gazebo. Nice!

@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369 Жыл бұрын

HOWdy D-P, ... Thank YOU for introducing us to CHRIS & Thank you Chris for walking us through your system COOP the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA ...

@timtim-ef7xu Жыл бұрын

Yes, more please.

@offgridnaija7922 Жыл бұрын

It's always a delight to watch your video ❤

@loucinci3922 Жыл бұрын

Great info. I want the same thing. Thanks for sharing

@StriderAngel496 11 ай бұрын

AMAZING guy and house and plan!

@kojakdurham Жыл бұрын

Welcome to North Carolina! We have a great state, here.

@ShaneFromSA Жыл бұрын

As someone who has done the 48v lighting, if I had to do it again I would just install a small 1200va Victron multiplus dedicated to lights. You then have redundancy as you can switch it over to the other inverter system if you have a problem. Running all DC lighting is quite the hassle and doesn't really give you any benefit.

@rdcabal Жыл бұрын

I would just install a small 48-120 inverter in the house for ligth breakers

@TrackGeeks Жыл бұрын

@@rdcabal Absolutely an option. Something to consider when building out your system is any standby losses you incur. Running an inverter continuously when you need it mostly for lighting in the evening could cost you more energy than your realize depending on how much power the inverter uses to just be turned on. Even a very efficient inverter may cost you 500 to 1000 w/hr per day to operate. That can easily eclipse the amount of power you need for the lighting itself. Everything is a tradeoff. Evaluate your options carefully.

@benchoflemons398 11 ай бұрын

Yeah, just put it in a small Victron Phoenix inverter.

@shantaloft Жыл бұрын

I like solar over generators but not exclusively. dc to the house is a great idea but not just for lighting. Appliances are another option for dc as well.

@FragEightyfive 11 ай бұрын

Schneider is a fairly reputable brand from my limited experience. I have seen them installed in critical applications in power plants.

@jesusislord-ht1nj Жыл бұрын

Those generators are awesome

@trophyfishn9757 Жыл бұрын

I manage a schneider system just like this one but with 10kw and using 2 80 amp 600v charge controllers. I have a ground fault on one that doesnt go away regardless of replacing fuses or adjusting the string. Did everything in the manual but no change.

@TrackGeeks Жыл бұрын

Have you had anyone come in with a leakage meter to help isolate where the ground fault is located? Could be caused by a faulty panel or even a bad spot in some wire insulation.

@ditlofj3280 Жыл бұрын

Great video

@jasoneulette3291 Жыл бұрын

Schneider inverters truly the most reliable inverter out there yes n outback fx series

@gravelydon7072 Жыл бұрын

Depending on who is doing the wiring, a simple relay setup would allow you to run the lights on either AC or DC. Sylvania makes an incandescent style LED bulb that can run on either. Rated at 120VAC they also will work on 60+VDC. I have a 24VDC system where I step the Voltage up to 65VDC for lighting in the shed using a MingHe MPPT 7210A. It would take a lot of those LED bulbs to get to a 10 Amp load. They actually start to light up at 30VDC but you need the higher Voltages to get better lighting.

@TrackGeeks Жыл бұрын

Very true. Many of the lights can be modified internally to run on lower voltages as well. If you choose to run the LEDs at lower power levels it dramatically increases their life and reliability .

@lancealderman2755 6 ай бұрын

@gravelydon7072 So you connect the 7210a straight to battery on the solar side and then on the battery side you run lights without any battery? I have always been hesitant to hook my input side straight up to a battery. I'd love to do some battery to battery charging with it, mostly 12v to 48v but never wanted to risk frying it. Haha. (What I'm afraid of is supplying too many available amps to the solar input side). I have speculated that the controller will throttle some mosfets inside of it and keep the output amps down and be ok. I've just never seen it done before. So I assume in your case the controller raises to the set desired "battery" voltage that you set and stays there?

@williamhanna5224 Жыл бұрын

Awesome video Great work!!!

@DavidPozEnergy Жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@Bqyden 8 ай бұрын

As someone who works on RVs, the future plans sounded like a camper without axles, lol

@dan32one44 Жыл бұрын

Good stuff 👍

@jamesstoffel6835 Жыл бұрын

Great video with great info / content. Question: I am looking to convert my wood shop to 'all solar' - would Chris or you recommend a particular book or URL to gain proper knowledge in building such?

@rongray4118 6 ай бұрын

David - thank you so much for posting this video. I will contact, Chris - directly on the mil-spec generator.

@mickwolf1077 Жыл бұрын

i've run my lighting in my house from dc for over a decade which has worked great. now i plan to run everything else via inverter. cooking and hot water is gas but will be converted to LPG which i can fill at service stations myself.

@norsk54472 Жыл бұрын

really cool video

@tylerdyer5883 Жыл бұрын

You should revisit the alternator generator and use two alternators instead of one

@richardriehle4159 Жыл бұрын

i'm always bewildered when i see people putting in massive and capital intensive systems.

@bentleyjarrard885 Жыл бұрын

I don't recall them mentioning the price of anything at all and given that the property has no utility power how could anyone possibly know what the cost comparison would be between Off-Grid equipment and bringing the grid to the property maybe thousands of feet or even a couple of miles. Its entirely possible the proposed solar system described in the video costs LESS. So really what is your point? Lastly, we have no control over utility rates so when electricity gets to $1+ per kWh that so called massive, capital intensive system will be looking pretty good and cost effective as well.

@TrackGeeks Жыл бұрын

Cost can vary a lot depending on if you DIY a system vs have a turn-key install. I personally don't mind sharing what I spend on things but my concern is whether those prices would translate to your location if it is different from mine. I tend to not have labor costs in my projects since I do the work myself and at most have friends to lend a hand when its something I can't physically do alone.

@jfbeam Жыл бұрын

They aren't as expensive as you might think. The key difference is the size of the check you write once, vs. the ones you write every month to the power company. It's not hard to do the math. (and with rising electricity costs, these systems look better every day.)

@TRYtoHELPyou Жыл бұрын

Heh, "im so glad you asked!". This video is the best.

@energydreamer5347 Жыл бұрын

Great share - enjoyed! - David - do you have any material that discusses taking a current grid-tie system and net metering system to a either adding a battery bank system or incorporating a battery bank system and maintain current grid-tie setup; or is that even possible?

@TrackGeeks Жыл бұрын

You can net meter with or without battery storage. You just have to buy an inverter that can handle all the different power options you are interested in. As an example, as nice as the Schneider inverters are they can't be used without batteries. They can do grid tie and sell surplus solar power but you still have to invest in some battery storage. There are options such as SMA inverters that can start as grid tie whiteout batteries and if you decide to add batteries later, you can. Its best to lay out your energy goals then start doing the research on what equipment fits those goals.

@MrButuz Жыл бұрын

Great vid. Not sure I really agree on DC everything as AC is much safer and better over long distances, and easier to integrate things in the future. But I kinda get it.

@cosmin4760 Жыл бұрын

You guys in america use so much power! I live in europe and i have 3kw solar aray and i never use more than 400Kw a month even with electric water heater, Ac, dishwasher, dryer, 2 frezer, and all the usual stuf

@synapticaxon9303 Жыл бұрын

How do you energize your electromagnetic shields and raygun howitzers? :)

@davidaman5682 9 ай бұрын

Chris is a legend in these here parts...LEGEND

@DavidPozEnergy 9 ай бұрын

Please remove the last name, or I will have to remove the comment.

@davidaman5682 9 ай бұрын

My bad, didn't think about that.@@DavidPozEnergy

@DavidPozEnergy 9 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@bobcole3852 6 ай бұрын

Awesome! What batteries does he use?

@skipwilson5086 Жыл бұрын

Sweet.

@Cake41579 Жыл бұрын

I too have this exact military generator and I can honestly say. They’re amazingly powerful.

@RichardT2112 Жыл бұрын

Nice setup! Any concern with vandalism or theft? I’d be terrified to leave this unattended.

@Deested 10 ай бұрын

Sentry gun

@billjenkins687 11 ай бұрын

I have an MEP803A and plan to use it at a mountain home. I wonder if I could use it as sole power for a garage/shop

@logangaskins9003 10 ай бұрын

You absolutely can! I have an 802a These sets will literally just run and run and run until it’s out of fuel Their known for 20-30k hours without issue if you change the filters and oil

@josephpuchel6497 10 ай бұрын

Hey just came across this tutorial video. I like that setup. Im looking for a Mep-802 Have any for sale ?

@DavidPozEnergy 10 ай бұрын

Check the description for e-mail address.

@D2O2 Жыл бұрын

Better get going....time waits for nobody!

@OmarMekkawy Жыл бұрын

Wow, this is a great video. Chris, do you have a KZfaq channel?

@ChrisDIYerOklahoma Жыл бұрын

Awesome! Retired USAF mobile radar guy here...we used most of those generators and shelters in the field. We also used the MEP-806A units (60kw) quite a bit and the TAC-quiets. I wasn't an AGE troop, but had to know how to run these generators. Do you have a mobilizer for that S530 shelter?

@alvinhyman6838 6 ай бұрын

Yes, build for efficiency from the start and it won't require as much power. I'm currently building on 7 acres doing as much of it myself as possible and yes I am over building.

@mackfisher4487 Жыл бұрын

Good survival instincts

@perrysantoro5901 3 ай бұрын

Hey Dave, I took out my outback charge controllers and put in 2 Victron controllers and now my generator back won’t charge the batteries with my outback inverter and the error light comes on in the inverter, any suggestions

@DavidPozEnergy 3 ай бұрын

I have very limited experience with Outback equipment. Short answer is, "no" I don't know why that's happening. I can suggest the same thing I personally did: When I tested feeding my generator through my Schneider inverter I had some problems. Nothing major, but it was glitchy. I didn't like it. So, instead of running the generator through my inverter, I bought a separate charge controller. This is what I bought: signaturesolar.com/eg4-chargeverter-gc-48v-100a-battery-charger-5120w-output-240-120v-input-pre-order/?ref=4_rHcgZ9x-TiF- (affiliate link) I also have a video on it. (My video uses the older model which is yellow)

@chrislewis9345 Жыл бұрын

Hey David which bms would you recommend for the 280ah catl cells from battery hookup?I want to build my own 48v battery from these cells.thanks

@DavidPozEnergy Жыл бұрын

I've had very good success using Battery Hookups 100A BMS: batteryhookup.com/products/12v-lifepo4-smart-bms-w-low-temp-cutoff?variant=42745018286242 You will want to select "16s LiFePO4" from the drop down list. If you have a unique situation where you need more Amps, for example, a Golf Cart, then go with the contactor based BMS: batteryhookup.com/products/7s-21s-24v-75v-300a-lithium-ion-bms?variant=43085312884898 If you would like to help support the channel, then please use my discount code during checkout DAVIDPOZ

@chrislewis9345 Жыл бұрын

@@DavidPozEnergy thanks David I will certainly use the promo code!

@sylvester4207 11 ай бұрын

If you just put 2 24v dc lights in series you wouldn't need a buck converter and that would be even more reliable

@stephengreen2898 Жыл бұрын

I do not see where the info about CHRIS is…. You say the info is in the description …. ???

@stephengreen2898 Жыл бұрын

Sorry…. I found the info…. Thanks David

@latymz Жыл бұрын

Panels without a doubt.

@nspro931 9 ай бұрын

Those MEP gensets are nothing but trouble, anybody who uses them much has ripped them out and replaced them with something commercial. 10x the wires, relays, and complication than needed to produce a working genset.

@TheJakeRobinson Жыл бұрын

So, I am guessing the batteries are from an electric BMW car? wasn't aware they had one - and wonder how a person can find some similar?

@jfbeam Жыл бұрын

BMW i3 (1st gen) Not the greatest tech these days, but for the cost, they get the job done.

@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity Жыл бұрын

For the money spent on all of those diesel-sucking generators, you could have oversized your array enough so that you wouldn’t need a generator. For my off grid home/shop…34kWp, 17MWH produced, less than 10 hrs on my LP Generac 10kW and 5 of 400 gallons of LP consumed. I have a smaller backup 48V Solar system and then an even smaller 24V backup to that. Then two tiny 12V backups to all of that.

@jmr Жыл бұрын

Well he hasn't put any thought into this. 😂 /teasing

@ninja5672 Жыл бұрын

Yes, people who install an inverter 6x the capacity of the load will have no over-load issues. Duh.

@perrysantoro5901 3 ай бұрын

Plug burned Honda geni, put a plug on, good to go

@davefroman4700 Жыл бұрын

Generators are dangerous. You never want the zombies to hear you.....

@TrackGeeks Жыл бұрын

A good reason to keep them out at a power house and away from the main residence. :)

@bobbellar6238 7 ай бұрын

Overkill!

@wyliedank3868 Жыл бұрын

Generators are awesome for a backup to solar. But the noise is horrible. Living out in the woods, wanting to hear the birds and nature an inverter generator is the ONLY way to go. A very quiet purr is fine. No thanks to military generators!

@matt1544zxc3 Жыл бұрын

handy for a few days after a hurricane takes out your grid connection, but certainly wouldn't want it to kick on every time you have 3 cloudy days in a row

@Fritz_Schlunder Жыл бұрын

Modern car engines are often really quiet, and relatively efficient, at least compared to most portable generators. Yet for some reason hardly anyone seems to consider it important to design generators with quiet engines, or for high thermodynamic efficiency. Additionally, no generator manufacturer that I am aware of is currently selling noise damping generator closets/boxes/enclosures. Instead, the generator manufacturers simply affix a warning label on the generator, telling people not to operate them indoors, so that the generator noise pollution can more easily annoy the neighbors and enable thieves to more easily steal the generator by virtue of being operated outdoors in an unsecured/unattended fashion. One would think that the US military would value "stealthiness", when invading another country, and that they would try to minimize noise generation, in order to better hide their campout positions from the adversary forces. However, that does not appear to be the case, at least to a large extent. Apparently, extremely noisy generators are totally okay, as the US military evidently does not think it needs to be stealthy, nor does it need to provide its servicemembers with a good night's rest so that they do not make unnecessary mistakes on the battlefield.

@ai4px Жыл бұрын

Those MEP802s are pretty quiet when the doors are closed. Good mufflers and 1800 RPM keeps the noise down.

@TrackGeeks Жыл бұрын

For sure the generator is going to be louder than mother nature. The low RPM of the military machines has a much different sound than the high RPM machines. Its not harsh or thrashy. Still not something I want to listen to often but it is a welcome sound when its really needed. Inverter generators are a great option for temporary power. They give you the benefits of lower fuel consumption and noise versus a high RPM constant speed generator.

@jfbeam Жыл бұрын

@@Fritz_Schlunder Anywhere you're likely to run a generator will be MILES from the front lines. And these things are way quieter than a tank rolling by. Many of the larger generator manufacturers do sell enclosures, but you aren't going to find those in the isle as Lowes with your 2kw honda. They put those idiot labels on there _because people are idiots_ who will run a gasoline burning (CO spewing) engine inside their house. A running generator should never be "unattended". (you'll be in the house, near it, and notice when idiots turn it off/disconnect it and drag it across the yard. In my parts of NC, you'll get shot for shit like that!)

@jaredeggel8984 Жыл бұрын

Have you ever entertained wind turbines?

@TrackGeeks Жыл бұрын

Wind turbines are viable in some locations in NC. You find lots of them at the coast. You don't find them inland because the wind patterns don't support enough generation to make it worth it.