abunafiu:
@javid4me, honestly speaking I no fit comment.
You have done very well sir.
Will comment after reading the wind turbine link.
Congratulations.

I am sure you are now feeling like hitting a Phcn pole... Lol.
My current set up of 4kw solar array, 4kw inverter and 48v450ah Trojan Batts is firing well too. Hit absorption as early as 1pm. 16 to 17kwh daily harvest. Location is Ilorin.
I now live off grid.

@Earthrealm, let Me answer your question from the other thread. I have been considering a DC pump but I will get one next year. I decided to use the 0.5hp due to cost.
About the discharge rate of the pump I have not been able to get an accurate measurement. I assume it takes approximately 50 min to fill my 2000 liter tank. I am not sure of this sha. But I am sure it take less than 1hr to fill the 2k liter Tank.
My next plan is to increase my PV strength to 5kw bcoz of pumping water for the neighbors whose prayers keep coming all day.
"Oga how much be this solar if I wan do"...the rest na 1 minute silence. Lol

abunafiu:
@javid4me, honestly speaking I no fit comment.
You have done very well sir.
Will comment after reading the wind turbine link.
Congratulations.

I am sure you are now feeling like hitting a Phcn pole... Lol.
My current set up of 4kw solar array, 4kw inverter and 48v450ah Trojan Batts is firing well too. Hit absorption as early as 1pm. 16 to 17kwh daily harvest. Location is Ilorin.
I now live off grid.

@Earthrealm, let Me answer your question from the other thread. I have been considering a DC pump but I will get one next year. I decided to use the 0.5hp due to cost.
About the discharge rate of the pump I have not been able to get an accurate measurement. I assume it takes approximately 50 min to fill my 2000 liter tank. I am not sure of this sha. But I am sure it take less than 1hr to fill the 2k liter Tank.
My next plan is to increase my PV strength to 5kw bcoz of pumping water for the neighbors whose prayers keep coming all day.
"Oga how much be this solar if I wan do"...the rest na 1 minute silence. Lol

Barezzi:
Enviable setup Javid4me.
I dey come your house for solar pilgrimage !!

shithapuns:
Hello house.
I have 4 units of 22v 220ah flooded mecury batts connected in series pararell config to a 24v inverter.1500w panels.
I used 15mm cable to link the batts..since from the charts it can handle 150amps....n a fridge if 130w is the biggest load on the system...though i sometimes ise a 1kw iiron on it.
I intend to change the cables to 30mm or 50mm...as i intend to upgrade the inverter to power a sumo.
My wuestion is..i hopr the 15mm cable is ok for now?..and am not loosing energy

Wazari:
Hi Guys, I hope everyone is having a Happy Holidays.
This thread has been a wonderful source for people desiring energy independence and has been very useful to me. I have always thought the most important consideration when deciding to go "green" isn't generation or storage but energy conservation and efficient consumption. In other words, its more important to me that my appliances do not waste energy than it is to get another PV panel or increase my battery bank. On my journey towards energy independence, I have picked up a few tips and i want to share them:

1. Laptop chargers consume substantial power when not connected to the Laptop, do not leave them plugged into sockets!
2. Switch off all appliances from the wall socket when not been used.
3. Clean the dust off your freezer coils at least once a year.
4. Fridge and Freezer should have at least a 3cm space from the wall to allow better heat extraction from the coils.
5. Put bottles of water into freezer if you have the space (helps to keep freezer cooler for longer and also improves compressor duty cycle)
6. Use Eco mode on your TV if available and consider reducing screen brightness.
7. Avoid using a UPS if running an off grid system (inverter most likely already has a automatic transfer switch).
8. Consider buying devices with the highest energy star rating within budget.
9. Do not buy devices just because they advertise low wattage on the box. Some cheap LED bulbs have a 0.2 Power Factor. Research every little device or appliance. I find that known brands generally give more correct technical details.
10. Avoid using industrial type standing fans like OX. They are very durable but inefficient.
11. Get a domestic watt meter (eg Kill-a-watt) to monitor your appliances.

Pls share the tips you have been using for efficient energy consumption.

Wazari:
Hi Guys, I hope everyone is having a Happy Holidays.
This thread has been a wonderful source for people desiring energy independence and has been very useful to me. I have always thought the most important consideration when deciding to go "green" isn't generation or storage but energy conservation and efficient consumption. In other words, its more important to me that my appliances do not waste energy than it is to get another PV panel or increase my battery bank. On my journey towards energy independence, I have picked up a few tips and i want to share them:

1. Laptop chargers consume substantial power when not connected to the Laptop, do not leave them plugged into sockets!
2. Switch off all appliances from the wall socket when not been used.
3. Clean the dust off your freezer coils at least once a year.
4. Fridge and Freezer should have at least a 3cm space from the wall to allow better heat extraction from the coils.
5. Put bottles of water into freezer if you have the space (helps to keep freezer cooler for longer and also improves condenser duty cycle)
6. Use Eco mode on your TV if available and consider reducing screen brightness.
7. Avoid using a UPS if running an off grid system (inverter most likely already has a automatic transfer switch).
8. Consider buying devices with the highest energy star rating within budget.
9. Do not buy devices just because they advertise low wattage on the box. Some cheap LED bulbs have a 0.2 Power Factor. Research every little device or appliance. I find that known brands generally give more correct technical details.
10. Avoid using industrial type standing fans like OX. They are very durable but inefficient.
11. Get a domestic watt meter (eg Kill-a-watt) to monitor your appliances.

Pls share the tips you have been using for efficient energy consumption.

kiekie1:
SCRAP BATTERIES .. We buy bad batteries at very good price .. 100a (#7000-#9500) , 200a (#15000-#19000) ... See contact number in profile / signature ... Call NOW !!!

dapsyra:

Touch the cable while under load. If it is warm, then you are loosing energy. If it is hot, then you are not only loosing energy, but you are also at the risk of fire.

Javid4me:
Oga dem,
I wish to inform the house on my upgrade to Solar and hope this will spice up the yuletide.
Below is my kit after a long time of learning from u all. It is an integration of solar to an existing inverter system
18 X 255W Canadian Solar Panels
9 Solar panels facing South on Uniral Solar mounts and 9 facing North on Uniral Solar mounts and Tilt legs
1 X 600W wind Turbine
All items grounded to earth

(truncated)

Your comment, criticism, guidance and questions are welcome.
Thank you

foonshur:
Abeg bros dem, hw much be the TriStar Digital Meter-2?

GeorgeD1:


dapsyra,
don't you think that is a rather crude way of testing cable current carrying capacity?

there is a more scientific way of achieving this using distance/wire size tools and charts
like the one in the link below:

http://myelectrical.com/tools/cable-sizing-calculator

it's a pretty simple tool to use and will give you the right cable size provided you input
the right data.
note that if the wire you're using is undersized, you will already be losing power well
before you start feeling the heat on your palms.

GeorgeD1:


javid4me,
this is really impressive. i'm glad you finally summoned the courage to take the plunge and
you have done it in such grand style!
i also like that you decided to throw in a wind turbine into the mix. it's an area i would like to
take a little more than passing interest in.
congratulations! a fitting way to end an eventful year, if you ask me.
i also like your fully illustrated schematic diagram. it gives me an impression of a mind with attention
to details.

two things to note however:

1. your may consider splitting your solar array into two strings and having two charge controllers.
i know chris81964 already touched on this and i saw your response but no matter how much you
try to equalize the voltages of both sets of panels, you will keep having one set of voltage being
higher that the other, tilt leg or no tilt leg. this will be more apparent in the mornings when the sun
is just beginning to rise and in the evenings when the sun is setting. the money you think you're
going to save now by avoiding the purchase of an extra cc may well be lost many times over in the
next 25 yrs when you keep losing valuable power as a result of this discrepancy of panel voltage.

2. you may also consider getting a stand alone charge controller for your wind turbine. i'm a bit
doubtful of the reliability and efficiency of the inbuilt cc of that wind turbine. depending on the model
you want to buy it may not be anything sophisticated or expensive. just a simple solid state cc like
the tristar prostar:

http://www.morningstarcorp.com/products/prostar/

for a 600w turbine, you don't need a 30a or 45a cc besides a stand alone type will be more flexible
for adjustments.

just my two cents.

dapsyra:


Sure, there are scientific ways of calculating the current carrying capacity of cable. But when you operate in country like Nigeria where quality and standards are not enforced you've got to find other ways too.

The "so called" 50mm² you purchased might not have the current carrying capacity of a true 25mm². You simply cannot rely on the stated rating of the cable only. You use the cable sizing calculator to make purchase decision and use the touch method to confirm if the cables are okay.

The man already had the cable installed in a production environment, so I gave him a very fast and practical way of checking if the cable is undersized for the task.

Javid4me:


My Oga,
Thanks for the feedback.
Under the advisement of Chris81964 and yourself, i will put this in a plan and effect this overtime considering the alarming surge in prices of things. Most of the items were bought almost two years ago and are now over three times what i got them for, whilst the dollar value still remains about same.

On a CC for the windmill, i will also consider this and implement.

I did this with safety and maximum yield in mind and any advice to achieve that is highly appreciated. Thank you

Many thanks for guidance from everyone. Together each achieves more (TEAM)

A happy new year in advance to the whole house and may 2017 bring us more pleasure than pain. God's speed always

earthrealm:
congrats to the new entrants to the RE world.

something has been bugging me about my 60amp mppt itracer CC,
am coming from a morning star background, where MS CC displays the daily AH and wh harvest, itracer doesnt display an AH harvest, is there a workaround to this?...
some1 shud pls remind me of the conversion from wh to ah, as i wish to know how may ah am putting back to my 440ah batt bank daily, with his harmattan haze, am averaging about 4kwh daily, unlike before where i hit 6.4kwh daily from my 1500w panels

GeorgeD1:
javid4me,
noted. what is the output from your wind turbine like on a typical day with mild wind?

i might have a good mind to include something similar in my arsenal of renewables
if the power production is reliable. several years ago i mused over acquiring one and
did a lot of read up on them. i realized that the cut-in speed of the turbines vary
greatly with different brands and if you live in a relatively windless place like mine, you
may end up being saddled with a turbine that sits idle most of the time rather than
generate much needed power.

chris81964:


The Schneider Electric (Xantrex) PWM controllers have been used as wind turbine controllers and you can run a dump load through them. They cost less than 70k. Food for thought.
I am glad someone else agrees with me on the controller suggestion. Good luck and a happy 2017 to you.

Javid4me:


Since the installation, wind has been still and i am yet to see it going fully. Occasional wind busts gets its going. It requires 3.8m/s(13.7km/hr) wind to get it going. I can't say what the output is yet as there is no CC for that info and i am yet to install the meter, but will update once on steady flow and meter on.
Many thanks again