making a solar powered battery set up to run a small grow room ???

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Basically just showing the difference between buying a couple cheapo panels and batteries and a real system that could be considered a reliable power source.
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Lot of little added costs with setting up a good PV system, like DC disconnects (required now by code), surge protection (DC), even the mounts for the panels (not free).
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Know that running a system with a lot of single panel / mini inverter type setups will be a massive maintenance headache in a few years, more inverters = more points of failure and those cheapo generic options will fail and fail often.
 

sarahJane211

Well-Known Member
This is more of the quality of system I would go with, any cheapo options are gonna be more of a headache than a productive setup.

Most of the charger/inverter equipment is the same, all imported from China, different badges stuck on the front.
I've gone for distributed solar generation with no batteries for most of my system using Suoer 600w (+2 panels) and Suoer 1000w (+3 panels) GTIs.
(work still in progress) These will repay themselves in 3 years, hopefully they will last that long, only 6 months in operation so far.
Only my living room has a battery/inverter ready for TEOTWAWKI, handy for power cuts.

Your 'really expensive' system has two problems.
1. After the end of the world, no parts will be available and one fault will likely crash your entire system.
2. Equipment costs are dropping fast (30% less in the past year) and your equipment will be out of date before it pays itself off.
 

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Renfro

Well-Known Member
1. After the end of the world, no parts will be available and one fault will likely crash your entire system.
Not planning for the end of the world, would rather have one inverter to fail than a dozen little ones. With multiple cheapo inverters you will be replacing them all the time after the first year or two.

2. Equipment costs are dropping fast (30% less in the past year) and your equipment will be out of date before it pays itself off.
That would apply to any system.
 

sarahJane211

Well-Known Member
Lot of little added costs with setting up a good PV system, like DC disconnects (required now by code), surge protection (DC), even the mounts for the panels (not free).
I have a welder, box steel is cheap, mounts cost nothing ........... unless you're completely useless in workshop.
 

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sarahJane211

Well-Known Member
That would apply to any system.
You're just plain wrong, and you've never tried to build or install a solar system.
And I've always found expensive brand name equipment just as likely to fail as cheap.

Small distributed generation is the future, one big expensive system was the past.
 
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Renfro

Well-Known Member
I have a welder
Me too, MIG and TIG, but does the OP have one?

Personally I wouldn't want to build a solar array with steel / iron mounts, but thats a personal preference.

Perhaps this works for you with a small one panel setup but for someone with larger needs I think your method is not the way to go.
 

sarahJane211

Well-Known Member
You are one of those that will argue a point forever because you can't admit you are wrong. I give up.
And you are an expert of solar power ........ but has never generated any.
Have 2 panels up and running, waiting for another 3 to be delivered.
 
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