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Posted: 1/18/2024 10:15:14 AM EDT
[#1]
tag love to read more about solar setups for improving our own various off grid setups
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Posted: 1/18/2024 11:48:17 AM EDT
[#2]
Quoted: Helping a good friend solve his solar generator problem. We're both physicists so we're not encumbered by any of the technical stuff. He tried an Ecoflow Delta but found it supplied significantly less energy than rated. The internet is great at providing video reviews of specific generators, best of's whatever year, and peoples top x generators... But the needle in the haystack is finding a source that's made or keeping track of the results of testing to make a list.... suppose it's is not a glorious task for getting youtube views, what effectively adds up to an excel file. But this is exactly the kind of research that'd be great to see when making a purchase. So, are there any members here that have done this leg work we can piggy back on? Even if somewhat obsolete, it'd be good to see which brands were doing what at the time. Thanks folks Youtube creator Hobotech does measurements when he does a review of the various systems he gets. Not sure if he has a list of the ones he's done and their results. City Prepping used to do the same but I'm not sure if he still does or how current his spreadsheet is. Also keep in mind that your use case may determine the actual capacity you see. Typically, the higher the load, the lower the capacity ends up being simply because of the nature of batteries. So, any tests you do see on-line may or may not be similar to your particular use case. That, and typically the larger units claim higher output power than the smaller ones so the load being measured differs between them. Some testers try to use rated load as their metric so for a unit rated for 600W continuous, they try to put a 600W load on it and see how long it runs. That gets kinda hard to do when you get up into the multi-kilowatt load rated units. |
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Posted: 1/18/2024 1:38:16 PM EDT
[#3]
Quoted: So, are there any members here that have done this leg work we can piggy back on? Even if somewhat obsolete, it'd be good to see which brands were doing what at the time. Thanks folks My wife bought us an Ecoflow Wave 2 (heat/ac unit with battery). She did a bunch of research before purchase. The best source was some guy who was boring, but extremely methodical in his testing of the unit. I'll have to dig it up, but it was very thorough. ROCK6 |
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Posted: 1/19/2024 10:37:04 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted: ...City Prepping used to do the same but I'm not sure if he still does or how current his spreadsheet is... Kris still has the spreadsheet available, but he hasn't updated this one since his paid membership site went online. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1awHqs-0xKGT2xFsYSDaJ9ld7PRqCpeeVTQ_rt6bPxXg/edit?pli=1#gid=1034043500 He does keep an updated (current) sheet at the pay site. mm |
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Posted: 1/19/2024 3:25:49 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Kris still has the spreadsheet available, but he hasn't updated this one since his paid membership site went online. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1awHqs-0xKGT2xFsYSDaJ9ld7PRqCpeeVTQ_rt6bPxXg/edit?pli=1#gid=1034043500 He does keep an updated (current) sheet at the pay site. mm Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: ...City Prepping used to do the same but I'm not sure if he still does or how current his spreadsheet is... Kris still has the spreadsheet available, but he hasn't updated this one since his paid membership site went online. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1awHqs-0xKGT2xFsYSDaJ9ld7PRqCpeeVTQ_rt6bPxXg/edit?pli=1#gid=1034043500 He does keep an updated (current) sheet at the pay site. mm Oh wow this is absolutely PERFECT!! |
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Posted: 1/19/2024 9:19:01 PM EDT
[#6]
@mm38 is that fellow a member here by chance?
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Posted: 1/19/2024 9:38:56 PM EDT
[#7]
What's the planned use and what's the specific problem with the current unit?
Are you trying to drain the battery 100%? Have you accounted for 10% or so conversion inefficiency? Is the solar production not working as expected? |
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Posted: 1/19/2024 11:36:59 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Kris still has the spreadsheet available, but he hasn't updated this one since his paid membership site went online. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1awHqs-0xKGT2xFsYSDaJ9ld7PRqCpeeVTQ_rt6bPxXg/edit?pli=1#gid=1034043500 He does keep an updated (current) sheet at the pay site. mm Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: ...City Prepping used to do the same but I'm not sure if he still does or how current his spreadsheet is... Kris still has the spreadsheet available, but he hasn't updated this one since his paid membership site went online. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1awHqs-0xKGT2xFsYSDaJ9ld7PRqCpeeVTQ_rt6bPxXg/edit?pli=1#gid=1034043500 He does keep an updated (current) sheet at the pay site. mm Thanks for that! The Pecron keeps looking like a better and better deal. Someone posted the sale and an extra coupon that made the 2000LFP $82x shipped, after taxes, for me. Noted that getting that + the EB3000 Expansion Battery with the $400 off coupon, actually came out to under $2k for 5,000Wh vs $2,600 for 3,600Wh with the Ecoflow Delta Pro. I like that it’s also capable of taking up to 1200 watts of solar, for charging. *** the only other one on the list that looks like a consideration (to my way of thinking) is the Renogy Lycan, for its ability to take up to 4,400 watts of solar. Sounds like a system targeted towards folks looking for grid independence, with the expansion capability to 90kWh, and the ability to accept that high of an input from solar panels alone (with the ability to charge concurrently with another 2,400 watt input from the grid, or a generator, for a 6,800 total input wattage). |
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Posted: 1/21/2024 12:53:04 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: @mm38 is that fellow a member here by chance? I don't think Kris is a member here. mm |
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Posted: 1/21/2024 4:41:11 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Thanks for that! The Pecron keeps looking like a better and better deal. Someone posted the sale and an extra coupon that made the 2000LFP $82x shipped, after taxes, for me. Noted that getting that + the EB3000 Expansion Battery with the $400 off coupon, actually came out to under $2k for 5,000Wh vs $2,600 for 3,600Wh with the Ecoflow Delta Pro. I like that it’s also capable of taking up to 1200 watts of solar, for charging. *** the only other one on the list that looks like a consideration (to my way of thinking) is the Renogy Lycan, for its ability to take up to 4,400 watts of solar. Sounds like a system targeted towards folks looking for grid independence, with the expansion capability to 90kWh, and the ability to accept that high of an input from solar panels alone (with the ability to charge concurrently with another 2,400 watt input from the grid, or a generator, for a 6,800 total input wattage). @bluemax_1 are you going to claim the tax credit on your system this year? |
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Posted: 1/21/2024 5:11:16 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Thanks for that! The Pecron keeps looking like a better and better deal. Someone posted the sale and an extra coupon that made the 2000LFP $82x shipped, after taxes, for me. Noted that getting that + the EB3000 Expansion Battery with the $400 off coupon, actually came out to under $2k for 5,000Wh vs $2,600 for 3,600Wh with the Ecoflow Delta Pro. I like that it’s also capable of taking up to 1200 watts of solar, for charging. *** the only other one on the list that looks like a consideration (to my way of thinking) is the Renogy Lycan, for its ability to take up to 4,400 watts of solar. Sounds like a system targeted towards folks looking for grid independence, with the expansion capability to 90kWh, and the ability to accept that high of an input from solar panels alone (with the ability to charge concurrently with another 2,400 watt input from the grid, or a generator, for a 6,800 total input wattage). Pecron is a relative newcomer (less than 5 years in the US market) so their products seem to change from season to season. They seem to be making a lot of progress and are catching up with others..they also seem to be passing others with their newer products. Renogy can go take a hike. I started off with Bluetti and moved/moving to EcoFlow. Firstly because the EF products don't need a charging brick, just a standard 3-wire PC power cord. I also like EF's ecosystem, so many items that can communicate and can be controlled or automated to work with other products. A heads up, solar energy products have been going down in price for the last 6 months and look to drop even further. Several states have modified their net metering incentives in favor of the power companies, this along with the increase of interest rates have significantly reduced the incentive for solar and other renewable energy projects...and in some places, like California, basically eliminated any incentive. mm |
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Posted: 1/21/2024 8:50:28 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: @bluemax_1 are you going to claim the tax credit on your system this year? Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Thanks for that! The Pecron keeps looking like a better and better deal. Someone posted the sale and an extra coupon that made the 2000LFP $82x shipped, after taxes, for me. Noted that getting that + the EB3000 Expansion Battery with the $400 off coupon, actually came out to under $2k for 5,000Wh vs $2,600 for 3,600Wh with the Ecoflow Delta Pro. I like that it’s also capable of taking up to 1200 watts of solar, for charging. *** the only other one on the list that looks like a consideration (to my way of thinking) is the Renogy Lycan, for its ability to take up to 4,400 watts of solar. Sounds like a system targeted towards folks looking for grid independence, with the expansion capability to 90kWh, and the ability to accept that high of an input from solar panels alone (with the ability to charge concurrently with another 2,400 watt input from the grid, or a generator, for a 6,800 total input wattage). @bluemax_1 are you going to claim the tax credit on your system this year? Hmm… definitely gonna look into it now |
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Posted: 1/22/2024 11:04:52 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Hmm… definitely gonna look into it now https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-federal-tax-credit-solar-photovoltaics |
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Posted: 1/22/2024 2:09:44 PM EDT
[#14]
Quoted: Helping a good friend solve his solar generator problem. We're both physicists so we're not encumbered by any of the technical stuff. He tried an Ecoflow Delta but found it supplied significantly less energy than rated. The internet is great at providing video reviews of specific generators, best of's whatever year, and peoples top x generators... But the needle in the haystack is finding a source that's made or keeping track of the results of testing to make a list.... suppose it's is not a glorious task for getting youtube views, what effectively adds up to an excel file. But this is exactly the kind of research that'd be great to see when making a purchase. So, are there any members here that have done this leg work we can piggy back on? Even if somewhat obsolete, it'd be good to see which brands were doing what at the time. Thanks folks First off, stop calling them generators. Some purple haired marketing freak came up with that so they could normalize the rationalization for people buying a big battery box stuffed with 18650 lithium cells. Second off. None of these “generators” are really capable of running a home on solar, even with the loads reduced. Can they run a furnace overnight? Probably.. will they keep your freezer from spoiling for a few days? Yep. But that’s about all they will do for you. If you want to power a home with lithium batteries on solar, do it right and either build of buy a battery bank made with Lithium Prismatic or similar cells with proper balancing. These will take the charge current your panels will be capable of providing unlike one of these solar generators that manages the charging scheme to protect the smaller cells. |
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Posted: 1/22/2024 3:52:00 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Hmm… definitely gonna look into it now https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-federal-tax-credit-solar-photovoltaics Thanks for the link! |
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Posted: 2/4/2024 10:15:48 PM EDT
[#16]
Nice spreadsheet, that helped a lot
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Posted: 2/11/2024 11:10:39 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: First off, stop calling them generators. Some purple haired marketing freak came up with that so they could normalize the rationalization for people buying a big battery box stuffed with 18650 lithium cells. Second off. None of these “generators” are really capable of running a home on solar, even with the loads reduced. Can they run a furnace overnight? Probably.. will they keep your freezer from spoiling for a few days? Yep. But that’s about all they will do for you. If you want to power a home with lithium batteries on solar, do it right and either build of buy a battery bank made with Lithium Prismatic or similar cells with proper balancing. These will take the charge current your panels will be capable of providing unlike one of these solar generators that manages the charging scheme to protect the smaller cells. EcoFlow Delta Pro X2, extra battery X2, parallel cable/box can do home back up. Or the newest big unit with extra batteries. And they can use a good amount of solar input. But they are $$$$ |
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Posted: 2/12/2024 9:51:56 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: EcoFlow Delta Pro X2, extra battery X2, parallel cable/box can do home back up. Or the newest big unit with extra batteries. And they can use a good amount of solar input. But they are $$$$ How long is it going to run a fridge and furnace in the winter? |
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Posted: 2/12/2024 10:17:33 AM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: How long is it going to run a fridge and furnace in the winter? Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: EcoFlow Delta Pro X2, extra battery X2, parallel cable/box can do home back up. Or the newest big unit with extra batteries. And they can use a good amount of solar input. But they are $$$$ How long is it going to run a fridge and furnace in the winter? My Jackery 1000 pro can do home backup as well. I'm thinking it would last about 10 minutes. And yes, it's not a Generator. It's an electrical storage device, it's a battery. I have a gas powered generator. It turns gas into noise and electricity. I sometimes use it to charge my battery. |
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Posted: 2/12/2024 11:31:50 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: My Jackery 1000 pro can do home backup as well. I'm thinking it would last about 10 minutes. And yes, it's not a Generator. It's an electrical storage device, it's a battery. I have a gas powered generator. It turns gas into noise and electricity. I sometimes use it to charge my battery. Great. OP is looking for a Solar Generator, I.E. something that can run large loads for a long time. What he really needs is a proper battery bank, proper solar charge controllers, and a properly sized solar array, not a box full of 18650’s meant to get you thru a tailgate party. |
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Posted: 2/12/2024 11:32:37 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Great. OP is looking for a Solar Generator, I.E. something that can run large loads for a long time. What he really needs is a proper battery bank, proper solar charge controllers, and a properly sized solar array, not a box full of 18650’s meant to get you thru a tailgate party. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: My Jackery 1000 pro can do home backup as well. I'm thinking it would last about 10 minutes. And yes, it's not a Generator. It's an electrical storage device, it's a battery. I have a gas powered generator. It turns gas into noise and electricity. I sometimes use it to charge my battery. Great. OP is looking for a Solar Generator, I.E. something that can run large loads for a long time. What he really needs is a proper battery bank, proper solar charge controllers, and a properly sized solar array, not a box full of 18650’s meant to get you thru a tailgate party. Exactly. |
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