₦airaland Forum

GeorgeD1:
prof,
you have said it all. all the same, welcome back.
I hope you remember to incorporate the solar water heater as part of your new house design.

Oh yes. It's been done during the plumbing stage.
Very soon I'll buy and install mine. I am eyeing a 200L capacity.

@ GeorgeD1, I may not post pictures of my installations here. This is out of respect for those whom I have learnt a lot from the FREE knowledge they shared here. You're one of them.
I can only share them when I am sure it's not for advert purpose.
On facebook, I have the opportunity of selecting my target audience (friends or friends if friends) and it seems to be of benefit to me. Unlike here which is a faceless forum whereby you don't know who you're talking with. So you need to work hard to earn that credibility here ( kudos to all the marketers here) . It's not been easy convincing someone here to commit his hard earned money to some stranger on a faceless forum.
Atleast to some extent, who ever transact with me on facebook would have some little background info on my person.

Each time I meet a new potential client, I am always happy to use my facebook wall as good reference material.

It's been over a year now since I began living off grid. June 2016 when I relocated to another rented apartment in final preparation to move to my house.
I was issued a 6 months quit notice in January 2016, I began rushing my place thinking I could meet up with the deadline, unfortunately I was unable to do I had to go rent another place to stay for 6 months. The new place had a prepaid meter installed, the new landlord who is also a neighbor in the former house (his kids do come to my house to charge) kept the prepaid card. He wants me to come beg for it so I can use NEPA.
Instead, I increased my Pv to 3kw because I had a 4kw on standby waiting to be installed when I finally move to my permanent house.
A CO tenant was first to report me to the landlord that my panels were on his flat's roof out of jealousy.
Any way I was in that house from July to December 2016 without NEPA.
It's been like that till this moment. Free energy from the Sun.

But this thing too expensive Oooo.
To achieve what I am using presently, it will gulp several millions.

GeorgeD1:
prof,
i was almost afraid that u now value your facebook community more than this thread.
Anyway, welcome back.
And I hope we get to see a few of those installation pics too?

The fear of reading the back logs of post kept me away. I now have over 3000 unread posts from my different followed topics.
I had some family challenges around May this year so I missed several posts. I keep postponing the day I'll read all to catch up. It seems I'll have to ignore and continue from here.

DUNKA:
Abu Goodday please how are your Trojans doing now?

still doing good.
It's been 3 years now..

Wow. I can't believe I could be away from this thread for over 2 months. I checked this placed since May this year.

,

earthrealm:
@abunafiu, seems you are an alternative energy man, did you install solar pump in ur build?..if not do you know anyone who did. am toying with the idea of installing a solar pump in my build...what sayest thou?

edit: just saw this, it appears the discharge rate is too low, 360LPH., so more than 10hrs to fill a 5000liter geepee tank, no way i no do again

The solution to your remote water pumping needs. This pump is rugged, durable and built to last. This pump delivers a steady 96 GPH (360 LPH) at its maximum depth of 100 feet (30M) when supplied with 24 VDC. Its unique water-tight power connector stops water wicking and prevents potential condensation problems. Great for livestock watering, irrigation, pond aeration, remote homes and 30M deep well.

I have installed a number of solar pumps. But if u want more information about solar pumps, you may contact "Drealgeesam" a nairalander too.

https://www.nairaland.com/1793602/solar-powered-borehole-full-construction


The ones I have installed were very efficient and pumps at an average of 50 litres per minute.
It requires a minimum of 190Vdc to power it. Some require as much as 300vdc.
You will require a number of solar panels in series to achieve the target DC voltage.
The cost of procurement is not friendly at all. Apart from solar panel cost, a very good DC pump is from 700k and above.

So in my own case, I simply used my 0.5hp AC pump connected to my 5kva inverter. Remember my PV strength is 4000w so I can conveniently accommodate the pump.

kopell:
Sorry to say this, there in nothing called MEDIUM YEILD from my experience. That was where my predicament started, with this so called medium yield. The first driller, our agreement was to drill 60 meters according to the report. He drilled between 38 and 40 meters and he hit water. Unfortunately I later found out his machine could not drill through the rock above the 40 meters. He stopped and told me that it was a medium yield. Everyday we tried, he pumped for half hour with low pressure and it stopped pumping. We did this back and forth for over 2 months arguing about pump and generator. He told me that the generator had no power to pump. He made over 30 appointments in between 2 months and only showed up twice. I finally made up my mind and told him I am ready to pay all over again and that was when he opened up, and introduce me to the driller. That could drill it with the right equipment, it took about 2 days to get the guys to the site. In 4 hours their machine blasted through the rock, hit the water aquifer. I stopped them at 70 meters, according to my average calculation between the two tests that I did. The total length of the borehole 70 meters pumping depth is 46 meters laid out pipes to the tower is about another 16 meters. The total pumping length is about 62 meters. We were able to pump 500 liters in exactly 1 hour with high pressure pumping in every 4 hours . Enclosed is a result of the first medium yield pumping at 38-40 meters.

It was 5,000 litres in 60 minutes exactly.

Babaegun, option A .

I use 250w poly and did 4*4 with my classic 150 mppt.

GeorgeD1:
therealmccain,
brother, we have already discussed so no need to bring this up in public space.
the panels i had on sale were a mix of poly and mono. i could have upped the price
for the mono but for personal reasons, i decided to give them all away same price.
when i posted the price and specs on this thread i neither indicated which type of
panels i was giving out only that it was 200w. if you say you are angry because i
sent you poly panels then its rather regrettable because you didn't specifically
indicate you were after mono panels. as for nameplate, i did promise to send you
details on watsapp which you agreed to. besides, the history of every single one of
my modules are replete on the pages of this thread like an open book for everyone
to read.
should you still have any other issues you want cleared up, kindly reach me via my
mobile and lets resolve. i don't believe we should regale honorable members here
with back and forth posts over what could be regarded as a private matter.

i'm sorry for the heartache this might have caused you but i assure you it was not
intentional.

Lesson learnt.
Not everyone u can do biz with on Nairaland.
Always state rhe terms clearly to avoid unnecessary online drama.

therealMcCain:
I'm angry as I type this now & i want the house to be the judge

GeorgeD1 put up an ad for his panels for 30k, he stated he had SHARP and SUNTECH panels for sale 200w each, he equally stated that it was 1st come first serve basis

Immediately after his post I was first to indicate interest.


We spoke LAST WEEK and he told me he was not in town & that i should hold on with payment, that the panels will be RESERVED FOR ME.

SARTURDAY HE CALLED that he was in town & I promised to make payment on MONDAY which I did.

I paid for 4 panels including courier fee, the delivery date was Thursday/Friday which I agreed to.

Its worthwhile to mention that when the panels were put up for sale, the picture of the panels were MONO

When he later did a test on them using a multimeter, the pictures were also MONO

Imagine my disappointment when I went to pick my panel to see that they were POLY panels with no sticker or nameplate behind.

I am not happy at all. I called him, I couldn't really process what he was saying, background
Was noisy & i was really disappointed & down

It was when I got home to check the name plate, ALL 4 panels had no nameplate!

I called again & he promised to send a pic of rhe name plate from the initial installation


How do i know that these are really SHARP panels as I requested?

I am weak, disoriented & angry

The George D I know is a man with an open mind.
He will never call it white when it's black.
I suggest u iron it out with him first before coming online.
I can assure you that there's a mix up somewhere.
Do kindly take it easy sir.

earthrealm:
the attached DOD picture was just what i intended to search and dload.
my battery bank drops to 50.4v from idle voltage of 53.4v, 30-45mins after phcn goes...when fully charged and zero/minimal load, and drops to 50v in about 90mins with 200-300w load.
its the above behaviour that am not comfortable with, but guess i have to accept what bigrovar explained as voltage sag for flooded batts, when i was using smf batteries, they didnt have such a rapid voltage drop

Agreed.
Same here.

Otitokoropupo:
Can anyone please recommend a good welder to me who can interpret a sketch for a carport by himself?

Also, does anyone know if there's a minimum thickness to use for pipes going into the ground. Is 2mm thickness sufficient or to prevent corrosion, its better to go up to 3mm or above?

Thanks.

P.S.: In case there's also someone like me who was looking for sizes of galvanized pipes, I found a Nigerian site online who seems to specialize in sanitary wares and had this in their collection. Its frakem dot com. There'll probably be more variety and cheaper in the markets, but at least it gave me an idea.

If you're in KWARA state, I have a pro welder who can do it. He specializes in fabrication of designer car ports. His designs attracted me to him. In fact he has fabricated a number of solar car port for me.

@ desiji sir, the lifepo4 u mentioned is the game changer. It would make lots of sense if you can own few of them. Lead acid batteries are troublesome .
I still want you to review the specs of the inverter In the link.
My fellow installers have different experience with them.
I recommend Magnum inverter sir.

@maverick, most made in USA gel batteries will give you value for money. (Trojan, DEKA etc)

mavverick:
Very inspiring stuff
Excuse my ignorance, is it true that these batteries degrade over time if not used frequently ?
If one was to import his own stuff, what would you advice the person to buy ?
Lastly, I know you have written about this before, if one has NEPA & Solar, does one need like 2 plug sockets (1 for nepa 1 for solar or same sockets in the house can be used for both Solar & NEPA, similar to when using a gen ?)

Thanks

Just like chief desiji said earlier, yes batteries do degrade...with or without use.
And as for the sockets, your competent electrician can do all the sorting around your distribution board.
It's very easy to do. You will probably need to buy few meters of wires depending on the location of your inveter /distance between the distribution board and inverter.

When my batteries were still new.
I have moved to 2 different apartments with these before finally settled in my own house.
I cherish them a lot.
As at June 2014 I bought each battery for 40k approx. The same battery goes for 80k or more per unit today.
After buying the Batts, I upgraded my inverter to one that can charge the Batts (challenge with inverters).
Then kept adding more panels from 1200w in 2012 to my present 4000w. By His grace I'll hit 5000w by December 2017. With this I can afford to pump more water for neighbors (I currently pump 6000 litres per day).

Solar systems is not a one size fits all.
Combo systems may lead to disappointments.
I suggest you visit the solar thread and take time to read.
We have reviewed several brands of inverters,batteries and other stuffs.

The inverter I'm the link posted by desiji is good but might have it's own limitations due to its design.
My type of load and pattern of use will determine my choice of inveter.
Over time, we have observed that customised solar systems do the job better.

Post your questions on the solar thread for answers by other knowledgeable guys there.

Solar is sweet if you are lucky to get the correct combination. Good products and then good installation hands.

Just like I posted about 2 months ago, I live off PHCN and it's been good here.
I have a 5kva 48v inverter unit. A 48v 450ah Trojan made in USA battery bank (16 units of Trojan T105RE bought June 2014) . A classic 150 mppt controller also made in USA. State of the art surge protection devices made in USA too. And a total of 4000 watts solar array that delivers up to 19kwh daily for me. What's else can I ask for.
All I listed above cost above 3m naira.
All my gadgets are world class premium products except my inverter which belongs to the mid range class.

It's obvious, the spam bot failed maths in school. I was even banned in the property section too while trying to code the msg to you.
Anyway, here's the snapshot

I have been banned for 4 days in a row for trying to share my battery absorption parameters.
I don't understand nairalands anti spam algorithm.
I wanted to contribute to the discussion on flooded mercury.
Let me observe sha before her banned again.

Again Los Allcopacetic, as an installer of solar energy systems, I use a lot of flex cables 6mm to 50mm. Do you also stock them.
Note we usually buy on demand so we buy mostly in few meters to use per project.
I don't think I can trust my Ilori cable sellers any longer.

I want to specially appreciate Allcopacetic for his support.
Yes I used to believe I have experience in buying wires but mehn my GP drop when I was faced with reality.
This shop is called JEZICO along Taiwo Road, Ilorin.
I went in with full confidence and demanded for Coleman wires. I was convinced I was holding the original wire since Coleman was engraved on the insulation. At first I thought there was no need to inform Allcopacetic since all he said was found on the cable. I sent him pictures and then called him. When I then told him the price (9.5k Pre coil of 2.5mm), he told me he was sure I was buying the fake, I even managed to convince him that it was engraved black bra bla he said its fake. I began to sweat because it was a stressful day already. I then begged him to speak with the seller so I called back. They were both speaking igbo on phone but I am sure the guy was arguing with him and suddenly he later agreed to bring another type for 13.5k per coil. I now had the opportunity to compare both. The fake has thin copper and fat insulator while the original has thick copper and thin insulation.
That night I came back home past 10pm so I end t round my house wiring, I discovered I was sold mixtures of both original and fake.
Anyway thanks so much for the eye opener.

So I want everyone here to always buy from trusted suppliers. Don't act pennywise pound foolish.

Allcopacetic has his name in gold in this.

I also want to commend him for the accuracy in his supplies.
I was privileged to to audit the electrical materials and fitting he spilled. All was intact. The owner then said "I told you he is a man of his words ". He never wanted to audit but I insisted.
With many of you in Nigeria, Nigeria is blessed.
Pls keep it up sir.

I hope to buy my electrical fittings too soon.
I hope you now stock 3w, 5w LED bulbs for those of us who use solar.

God bless you Dmerciful for your honest reviews.
Some peeps will just keep this to themselves.

Sold.

Haha!

Lol .

Miracle dey happen ooo

Oga Twinskenny, na only u Waka come.
Where is Ya pirincipal ?
OK kwantinue the good works.

Impressive performance.
More blessing brother.

Oga GeorgeD1 is about to give his boys some take home assignment.
oya kwantinue sir.
We're ever ready to learn.
RE RULES.

Otitokoropupo:
Hello house,
Does anyone have an idea how to get a carport made for solar?

Thanks in advance.

Contact a good welder.
He should be able to fabricate one for you.
I use wood though.

Oga GeorgeD1, na only u Waka come?
I am jealous oooo.
I think your choice of battery type and amperage paid off Afterall.
My fear is getting the same quality now.
Honestly, using any type of flooded batteries requires babysitting.
Congratulations sir on your wise choice of batteries.

Two days ago, my harvest jumped to 19.7kwh.
The rains are here again.

I want to stress the importance of washing our panels.

During the hamarttan, I saw someone wash his panels but his hands couldn't reach most part of the panels. Even after it had rained here for about 4 times, you can still clearly see the unwashed part of the panels.

Before most of us used to assume only rain can do the washing. But I just observed washing requires more than rain.

My Trojan batteries are improving performance by the day.

Good morning.

Oga Richmon74, your long absence here is not favourable at all sir.
Yes no doubt we give it to you. You're an advocate of flooded batteries. Most of us using flooded followed your golden foot step.
I agree with all the points you raised in your last post and as you rightly said, cash constraint is a major deciding factor.
I am happy you contributed to the discussion.
I would love you to kindly lecture us on how your client have been enjoying his 16 units since 2012. I am sure I will learn something new personally bcoz I have the original installation pictures of the unit (cyber power days) and every upgrade you have done to the system.
I would have asked you privately but for many others who I know will live to learn too.

Thanks for your kind words as you said all my methods are always on point but I believe there's room for improvement. I want to improve on those methods. 2012 is no joke. Gotta learn from the master.

Thanks sir.

EDIT. my younger brother whom I installed 8 units for at 2 or 3 months interval gas never complained too. He used 24v450ah but no solar. He eqauallises regularly as well.