₦airaland Forum

@ abunafie

I really admire ur set up. I wish to get to ur level one day. pls sit back and enjoy ur investment.

@ kiekie1
I have been wondering why you have been silent for sometime, don't be discouraged, you have diehard like us wishing you well.

pls let us have d pix of dat 4kw installation.

@ Dmerciful

do you mean Life POD batteries. I really respect that battery.

chris81964:
The plates for automotive batteries are not the same as what you have.
Where they ever equalized?
Did they use distilled water or electrolyte?
I can get you a wind turbine. What size turbine do you need.

oga chris. can you give us the pleasure of seeing the pix of wind turbine installed within Nigeria? am sure it will outlive most PV in the market. we are gaining from ur indept experience over the years

@ Pharyn

2. Can we open up these batteries, change the cell, seal it back, put fresh and right acid-distilled-water mix, and continue the battery life?
*********&&******
it can be worrisome observing a dying bat. I will like to hear if your experiments succeed. pls document stages for benefits of d forum.

thanx.

@ GeorgeD1

unlike PV it has installation disadvantage. it must always be on the roof to allow flow by gravity. PV can be installed almost everywhere/anywhere open even has ur car park/dog cage etc

well, from ur effort I admit it is practicable & can be factorized to cost of completing a new site.

as solar freak, I know it pays to live green may by it will add a decade to our original lives.

a big thanks to you!

@ ceelog

congratulations you are at the right place if you love alternative energy particularly solar.

the forum has you may have observed is packed with very refined members who are always ready to help you. they are practical with their suggestions only if you come clean with your difficulties.

I have come to love and respect them a lot.
believe me in a matter of few weeks from now you will be Speaking solar terminology to amazement of those who are still being battered by DISCOS.

ON what to buy. I will not tell lie.
initial outlay is always expensive but over time you will begin to simile then laugh, however pls don't compromise quality.

ON who to buy from. I have had dealings with 2 dealers here and they lived to their names and trust from members of this forum. like you have been advised, read through the thread take your decision.

I am eager to see pix of your installation my dear.

my best regards.

hazelj

keep dis thread transparent as possible. y not support ur stuff with pix & GSM NO. so dat gurus can help u sell it quickly. & return to whiteman land.

GeorgeD1:
so, for those still stuck with the mindset that solar water heating is a multi-million naira
enterprise, i think the above finally clears your mind.

if you can boast of installing at least 2 to 4 solar panels to power your apartment,
then you can afford solar water heaters. it is as simple as that.

need i say more?

what is the life span of those glass-boilers in solar heater or d whole set up. is it rated 25yrs also?

by the way big thanks.

kiekie1:
Efuro, howdy ?

cheers great kiekie1. ur simply great!
24/7 alternative energy sweet ooo

foonshur:
pls goons, what directions should solar panels face in Nigeria. Abuja to be precise.

TAKE PAIN TO READ BACKWARDS U'LL FIND IT SOMEWHERE
OR DRIVE ROUND ABUJA U SEE SOME OR STREETLIGHTS OR 'U-TUBE'

RECESSION DON HOLD MY MOUTH

BIKO!

dicksonadams:
hi all
need a quick advise, is it there a type of iron I can buy to use with my 12v 1.2kva inverter?

can't u avoid dat?
what type of battery do u have?
some how iron zaps power from battery bank fast before i spell b-u-h-a-r-i.
since u did not tell us if ur using panels & its rating.
i can only advice u not to
push the batteries too hard, pls be a friend of ur battery.
meanwhile i leave the floor to very experience gurus here to guide right.
their say is final!!!

cheers!

GeorgeD1:
efuro,

on the contrary, solar water heating is not a luxury as you seem to suggest but a necessity.
wait until you see the economics side of this as compared to the regular electric water heater
and you'll be in haste to edit your comment above.

as for 'mama put' using firewood to heat water to make garri and akpu, you and i know that
such is neither a sustainable practice nor is it environmentally acceptable in this day and age.
when we talk of renewable energy, burning of fossil fuels and other forms of earth polluting
substances cannot be a source of comparison - no matter how cheap they appear to be in
the short term.

noted with thanks Oga D1.
i admire u!

solar water heater. quite an investment on heating water. luxury is good my brother. I will need to advertise dis to 'mama put' for garri&apu to reduce her expense on firewood.

thanks for interesting documentary.

netotse:
Hi Guys,

I have 1200KW(6 X 200W) installed with a Xantra 24V, 60A CC,

haba! i will agree with you if u say you did DIY using 2x3 but an installer did dat knowing ur cc is 24v. lucky u ur xanta survived. at least with my little knowledge I would have taken VOC to notice & advice d installer.

anyway. congrat on ur achievements!

up AE/RE

foonshur:
hello gurus, I already have a setup which comprises of a 1.5kva inverter and 2 12v, 200amps batteries. I want to add a solar system to it. I got an advice that 2 200w mono panels and a 60amp mppt cc will be enough to charge the system and power 2 led tvs, 2 decoders, 1 sound system, 2 ceiling fans and about 5 nergy saving bulbs, although I dont put on everything at the same time. My 1st question, is this setup ok or does anything need to be upgraded as per the solar installation, and what is the price range of the panels and the charge controller in this "buhari period". Thanks.

welcome to solar world. i can recommend the great kiekie1 am sure you'll get best deal.
am sure he will also insure you against buhari prices 4 atleast a week.

l also have great faith in the ability of gurus in the house to resolve ur fears

kiekie1:
Yes its a gradual process...

nice, little Paradise shame on power holdings & discos

Dreamflyin:
Now am confused.
I thought Mppt is far better than a PWM?
What's wrong?
It's a 24v system.

i commend your bold choice going 4 mppt.
don't be discouraged, lucky u it has offered u a real opportunity to gain experience you can't buy off d shelves.

by the way it is too early to determine mppt is harvesting less using 2 to 3hrs. in my view.
1.check if ur cables is rated > 6mm (beta if is 10-16mm awg), if OK then

2. disconnect all ur PV config. if ur running 3x2, load & test each set independently, u will surely notice a set probably from ur last setup down d line drawing you down.

3. consider reviewing the type of ur grounding style.

however, try and draw ur installation so dat masters and gurus can attended to u quickly.

my regards

chris81964:
Major upgrade loading

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eojo9MpgEZQ

kool & totally efficient

na wa ooo

master will always be master.

Nigerians are always better where they put their minds. we are learning from you sir.

I wish there is no recession.

mank1234:
The components on the middle one look more rugged. Are you sure you're miskaking capacity (charging current) for quality? What are their respective cost and specifications?

I wish am a qualified technician. one is coil d other transformer. wot I understand is dat one designed for simple installation should not be used for complex purpose such as dat solar filling station in lagos. if u do, u tink it is not good.

however we should always ensure we get quality. my cracked PV has thought me dat lesson under 2 months of installation & buy from tested& trusted people.

Dreamflyin:
How much can a 80amp mppt harvest at full sun? My PWMs are doing maximum of 20amps.

pls beware I pasted reading of amp-hour harvest of 60A mppt. (11amp@peak)

theoretically, you should be close to 135AH-156AH per day as harvest.

mind you I figure out you're better experienced.

wishing you luck.

pls don't compromise quality!

Dreamflyin:
I'm tired of the poor harvest from my 2kw pv array by the PWMs installed.
Imagine am yet to see more than 24amp harvest for a 4 battery bank of 200aH any day.

Please anyone selling 80amp MPPT or 40amp MPPTs?

I understand my brother, I fill ur pain. ur are in a river but ur thirsty. using pwm is usually not satisfying even though they do their bit.
pls borrow money & buy mppt. even with my worthless 450w panels I get a minimum of 56AH per day ur 2kw with mppt will be rainstorm.

Biko! Pele!

I envy you ooo!

earthrealm:
from the lil kmowledge of physics i know, i think its the way you installed the panels, you fastened the sides firmly, thus the panel didnt hv space for normal expansion and contraction that happens in the life of a panel.

you can see even in the construction of bridge, the surface is made in sections, with pitch or soft metal inbetween each section.
without such a system, the bridges would undergo what is called buckling, and the surface would be irregular and undulating

thanx Bros.

DIY is interesting. am still learning.

kudos to Access Bank (ATM / rural banking ) sharing our dream of AE/RE.

POWER BELONG TO THE USERS' NOT NEPA/POWER HOLDINGS AGAIN!

Nija will get there one day!

DMerciful:
Could be due to high temperature especially when mounted on aluminum roof with no airspace under. An advantage of platform mount over roof mount

thanx

it's tata poly solar panel rated 150w
space BTW roof & panel 6 inches

may be SON itself need to be re-certified well thank God I had ordered better ones from kiekie1 & they are pour in my need watts.

what can make panel shatter like dis?

Dreamflyin:
The installer said PWMs don't stress batteries like Mppts.

Dreamflyin:
The installer said PWMs don't stress batteries like Mppts.

another brain session coming up

personally I will allow mppt manage my batteries, lucky you! you have large array pumping juice to ur bat.

anyway the baby in the house has spoken. let my gurus attend to your fears.

good luck

Obimind1:
Congrats on ur newly purchased mppt 60 cc. How has the performance been so far?

honestly, mppt is superior to pwm.
I get info on my harvest& plenty info I don't really need too.
now I know I can expand pv gradually.
I have not really regreted my actions going AE/RE.
the first day i hit 1kilowatt "i said na me be dis?" even with my ye-ye 4 PVS.
for 2 months even NEPA has refused to bring bills too.
my dear oga obimind, how I wish I had discovered this 2014 or even in 2015

Obimind1:
I'll advice u separate those batteries, test them individually with ur digital metre to find out which of the battery is lagging. It will help protect other from running down over time.

noted with thanks

bigrovar:
abeg if u love your life and property change that setup asap .. you are seriously playing with fire .. your setup is probably over a 1000 dollars don't lose it because of a 10 dollar protection unit. Contact guys here and pick a solid well sized DC breaker.

Here is why u should worry:
AC and DC are two different beast. As oga Frankie stated DC gives constant current that's why it is symbolised by a line and a dotted line. AC on the other hand alternate it's current from say 2 amps to 0amps to 2amps on and on and on it does this so fast like sometimes 50 times in a second (in that case 50z) .. now when designing breakers for AC application. The anti short circuit trip is designed to break the circuit when it drops to zero. Because of the alternating nature of AC.. when the current is dropping to zero any break in connection stops it in its track.. hence u can set the trip off curve is low.

For DC not the case DC current is constant. 20A DC is always 20A dc no BS no mago mago.. no awilo movement. DC breakers are designed to catch DC surge and the anti short circuit gap is much wider to prevent the current from jumping across re-bridging the contact. DC surge arc are not stopped by a break in the circuit (unlike AC breakers) hence DC circuit breakers are designed differently. They are designed to ensure a DC current surge is effectively stopped in its track.

Can an AC breakers trip when used in DC application yes. Can it be guaranteed to trip effectively especially when high current is involved. No it can trip but then the DC current can jump over the bridge and bridge the circuit.. you definitely don't want that.

Am sure my physics colleagues can explain this better.

true talk. right thing is right no amount of good talk makes bad thing right. well kiekie1 will hear from me soon. I so much like him. tanx to all my masters in the house

Obimind1:
Is ur set up a 24v set up? If yes, how did u connect those 4 batteries without having to deal with the batteries not being unequally charged?

24v system. wired (1-3,2-4). I check voltage read with ordinary digital metre. I have not been able to use Cc to fully charge & go into equalization charge. I presumed one bat is lagging.

by rule I have never gone below 24.4v till day break before I shut down.
equalizing is rattling my brains

DMerciful:
D sun later picked up here and I had a good harvest from my 1000W system.

kool! my oga, I will get there one day. I like kiekie's YouTube PV arrays

@ DMerciful I do not mean to be rude oooo
my kool means cooool. NEPA will jealous ur production. imagine ur total kilowatt. if ur to sell like given estimated bills, bankers will be ur best Friends

older pix