20x32 A frame cabin Central KY

EaglesSJ · January 31, 2011, 11:10:34 AM

No updates yet, waiting on tax refund to come in. Buying solar and finishing the upstairs with that.

Sassy · January 31, 2011, 12:16:56 PM

Looks beautiful - especially in that setting - amazing how quickly you built that! Looking forward to seeing the inside.

February 01, 2011, 01:08:18 AM

unbelievable

story! congrats on the build... inspiring for sure.

Jutt · February 03, 2011, 01:54:52 AM

I just signed up to say great job Eagle. I love the house, the wooded lot, the dogs, the concept of off grid self sufficiency, great family you have there...plus my grandfather was a Kentuckian. Good job man, keep it up and thanks for taking the time to post all of the pics/info.

~Jutt

EaglesSJ · February 03, 2011, 10:29:58 AM

Thank you all for the kind comments. It is always great to know that your work paid off. I have really been blessed to be able to lead the lifestyle that I do. God had been good to me and for that I am thankful. It really is a beautiful little piece of land to call home. We went and got our horse a couple days ago. I will try to post pics of the fence and such later but here is a pic of Lindsay with our new baby "Grace". We got her and a great looking leather saddle and bridle for the low low price of $0. She is an 8 yr old Tennessee walking mare. Our new farrier is coming to day to trim up her feet as she as been neglected for sometime now in that department it seems.

February 03, 2011, 04:16:18 PM

That's so great that you were able to get the mare and are enjoying your place. Have you ever read the book Hope Rising? It's about a couple who rescue horses & operate Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in central Oregon. They take some of the worst cases of neglect & abuse - both horses & kids & God seems to do miracles when the kids meet the horses - not just for the kids but for the horses too.

EaglesSJ · February 11, 2011, 04:15:02 PM

Just got off the phone with Arizona wind and sun and ordered some goodies.

outback flexmax 80 mppt charge controller
http://www.solar-electric.com/oufl80sochco.html

3 kyocera 210 watt panels
http://www.solar-electric.com/kykd210waaop.html

and all the added goodies to go along with it. (wires, combiner box, lightning arrestor, etc)

This will give me 610 watts of power for now with the intention of adding another 3 panels in the very near future. I am using Mt. Dons method by upping the voltage way up since I have about a 200 ft run to make between the batteries and my house.

MountainDon · February 11, 2011, 06:46:34 PM

Great charge controller! You will never be sorry and that was a good price.

I don't recall and have not bothered to look back in the topic.... but curious I am...

Is your system based on 12 or 24 volts (batteries?)

EaglesSJ · February 11, 2011, 11:52:05 PM

Currently a 12v system but I am going to rewire all my batteries to a 24v and purchase a new inverter. I am looking at the below listed inverter but havent decided for sure. I would like to stay around $1500 or less. I like the outback inverters as they look bullet proof. Also after reading about some of xantrex's latest reviews it seems that they are slacking in the quality dept a bit.

http://www.energybay.org/outback-vfx3524m-inv-3.5kw-24v-mobile-1

Any input from anyone would be much appreciated as this is a big purchase for us common folk

February 12, 2011, 12:37:09 AM

That is the very inverter we have!!!

I really like it; am very glad I bought it.

It has a very workable search function. It is user adjustable for sensitivity. If you're not sure what "search" means, here's a brief explanation. When everything in the cabin is off the inverter is basically off. There is a very small power draw when in search, much much less than what there would be if the inverter was in idle. The inverter sends out a pulse. If there is nothing turned on to use power nothing happens. When something is turned on, the inverter senses that and turns itself on. The delay between turning on a light and the inverter activating is user programmable. The amount of power required to "trip" the search is also programmable, down to less than a watt. The search function can also be diabled if desired leaving the inverter in an idle situation.

Some things draw so little power I had to take steps to trick the inverter. For example our microwave draws so little power when not microwaving it will not trip the inverter on. I use an LED night light plugged into a strip that the microwave is connected to to provide enough load to make the inverter come on. Turn the strip off when done and the inverter turns off unless there is something else turned on. I hope that is clear; if not I can try again.

I also like it as it can supply enough power so we don't have to worry about microwaving something and making toast (or vacuuming, or...) all at the same time. You won't believe the number of times something like this would pop up when we lived in the RV and had only 1100 watts AC available.

It runs my skilsaw and my pancake P-C compressor. Not at the same time, but one at a time.

You will need the Outback Mate to program the inverter. The mate is very useful though as it can be used with the FM80 as well. I bought the Hub4 so everything is tied together, including the remote battery temperature sensor. Everything connects with cat5 cables.

The Outback inverters (and charge controllers) have a lower operating temperature than any other products I looked at. That was important to me as I mounted it outside. It does not make much noise but under load the fan may be bothersome if the inverter is inside. I mounted it on a rubber pad to isolate low frequency vibration that was coming through the wall. The bed is on the other side.

I absolutely love it. If you have any questions, ask me.

EaglesSJ · February 12, 2011, 09:10:05 AM

Thank you for the awesome description. I like the auto idle feature as that would be really nice when we go to sleep it would basically shut down however I am afraid that its usefulness would be of little value to us due to the fact that we have a regular electric fridge. I am moving all of our stuff outside and up the hill into the sun. We are going to build a small barn/shed and I will build an insulated room inside of it to house all of these items. Dont want my batteries getting too cold as I have read you will suffer alot of power loss from this. (require a larger battery bank in Ah for the same resulting power available.) Also I will be mounting our panels on the roof of said building so I plan of building the roof at the required 35 degree angle pitch and build the building with this part of the roof facing due south as instructed by arizona wind and sun. we are really excited to not have to visit the generator house for awhile!

If you dont mind me asking where do you get your inverter as prices seem to vary drastically from 1600-2300. I would like to make sure i pick it up at the cheapest price possible. Thanks for all the help MtDon. You have a great looking setup.

MountainDon · February 12, 2011, 10:55:31 AM

I got our VFX3524M at Affordable Solar. Their warehouse is about 12 miles from home so I saved on freight. I also got very lucky and hit them at a time when they were having an overstock sale and one of those was included.

You are right cold weather reduces available capacity of the batteries. I purposely increased the number of batteries to cover that. That capacity comes back as the temperatures warm. Batteries also are longer lived when kept cool/cold.

As power is taken out and as batteries are recharged there is some heat generated by the electro chemical action. A well insulated box can preserve that and keep the batteries warmer than otherwise. I didn't bother as our wintertime use is maybe every other weekend, not constant like your situation is.

MountainDon · February 14, 2011, 10:39:09 PM

I just had a thought.

Perhaps you are aware, if so great. Those panels, when connected in series, are capable of producing a lethal shot of power. So be careful when connecting them and handling the downstream wiring. For that reason it is good to have a DC breaker or disconnect at the modules and then another just before the charge controller. That also goes for grounding everything properly (PV module frames, mounts, etc.)

It varies from person to person, but most healthy people can handle DC voltages up to 48-50 volts. That's not a guarantee, just a ball park figure. Exercise more care when handling that stuff than when working under the hood of a vehicle.

alexkgore · February 14, 2011, 11:45:18 PM

Does anyone know of good solar dealers in Colorado?

February 15, 2011, 10:01:08 PM

Quote from: MountainDon on February 14, 2011, 10:39:09 PM
I just had a thought. Perhaps you are aware, if so great. Those panels, when connected in series, are capable of producing a lethal shot of power. So be careful when connecting them and handling the downstream wiring. For that reason it is good to have a DC breaker or disconnect at the modules and then another just before the charge controller. That also goes for grounding everything properly (PV module frames, mounts, etc.)

It varies from person to person, but most healthy people can handle DC voltages up to 48-50 volts. That's not a guarantee, just a ball park figure. Exercise more care when handling that stuff than when working under the hood of a vehicle.

Did not know that so thank you! But after deciding to move all my batteries up to the shed that the PV panels will be on the roof of I am just going to wire them parallel so I get more charging amps. Anyways thank you for the heads up I didnt realize dc current could harm you (working under hood of car analogy)

Anyways I came home today to a big load of lumber from my local supplier so we got straight to work in anticipation of the equipment arriving later this week. we worked by the headlights of my jeep. Building will be a 16x10 shed with 2 8 ft overhangs on either side for dry storage of hay and such for the horses.

also here are a couple random pics of Colton building his space ship that he designed and built all on his own. I only helped start a couple of nails as he got tired.

EaglesSJ · February 15, 2011, 10:32:16 PM

I would also like to add before anyone says anything. The concrete support block in the middle isnt touching the beam. I know this. We are shimming all of the blocks to get them perfectly level tomorrow. Just wanted to get help setting the floor joist while Lindsay was home. Anyways hopefully I will have up four walls tomorrow. More to come....

astidham · February 15, 2011, 10:42:08 PM

I love Colton's space ship, very good build!

EaglesSJ · February 15, 2011, 10:43:54 PM

Quote from: astidham on February 15, 2011, 10:42:08 PM
I love Colton's space ship, very good build!

He even holds extra nails in his teeth like a pro carpenter!

MountainDon · February 15, 2011, 11:54:34 PM

Quote from: EaglesSJ on February 15, 2011, 10:01:08 PM
... I am just going to wire them parallel so I get more charging amps.

That will not really make any real difference in the end. The PV system will be still pumping the same total watts into the batteries. The total capacity of the batteries, measured in total amp-hours, is the same no matter how the batteries are connected, all parallel, all serial, or a mix.

While it is good practice to have a charge rate that puts enough amps into the batteries to stir them up (to prevent stratification) by causing greater bubbling, that can also be accomplished with an equalization charge every so often.

MountainDon · February 16, 2011, 10:06:09 AM

Okay. Sometimes I'm slow to catch on... Now I realize I am confused.

QuoteI am using Mt. Dons method by upping the voltage way up since I have about a 200 ft run to make between the batteries and my house.

Quote...after deciding to move all my batteries up to the shed that the PV panels will be on the roof of...

So it woiuld seem there is less advantage to wiring the PV modules in series if the batteries are now in close proximity to the PV modules. There still may be some net gain on very cloudy days when the modules performance is very low.

Where is the inverter going to be located, at the cabin or at the batteries? Is there still about 200 feet of wire involved? And what size of wire?

February 16, 2011, 10:50:36 PM

Quote from: MountainDon on February 16, 2011, 10:06:09 AM
Okay. Sometimes I'm slow to catch on... Now I realize I am confused.

QuoteI am using Mt. Dons method by upping the voltage way up since I have about a 200 ft run to make between the batteries and my house.

Quote...after deciding to move all my batteries up to the shed that the PV panels will be on the roof of...

So it woiuld seem there is less advantage to wiring the PV modules in series if the batteries are now in close proximity to the PV modules. There still may be some net gain on very cloudy days when the modules performance is very low.

Where is the inverter going to be located, at the cabin or at the batteries? Is there still about 200 feet of wire involved? And what size of wire?

The inverter and all other power related equipment will be at the shed with the panels. I will then run ac power to the cabin via underground cable (8 gauge stranded copper wire in conduit) But the biggest run of dc wire will be from the room of the shed inside to the rest of the equipment.

MountainDon · February 16, 2011, 11:27:46 PM

FYI, 8 ga at 12.5 amps is good to 185 feet with 3% voltage drop; 10 amps for 230 feet.

EaglesSJ · February 17, 2011, 07:49:19 PM

Hey Don Aten Solar accidentally sent me the regular grid tie vfx3524 inverter instead of the the 3524M model. Will this cause any problems?

MountainDon · February 17, 2011, 08:30:27 PM

It should not. Depending... that 's the legal disclaimer

The "M", for Mobile, inverters have an integrated 30 amp AC transfer switch which is NEC required for AC input neutral/ground switching for shore cord or generator hook-up. Mobile applications like RV's and boats have the option for connecting to the grid as well as using AC from a generator or supplying AC power from the batteries. The M's are limited to 30 amp AC input. The non M's can accept 60 amps SC input I believe. That was not a factor for our installation. My generator puts out less than 30 amps maximum.

Just refer to the installation manual and follow the procedure for the standard off grid set up.

I chose the M model because I got a deal on it; saved $300. No other reason.

EaglesSJ · February 17, 2011, 08:39:18 PM

I got mine for $1680 and the power mate for $215. Alot cheaper than most places I checked. It shipped today and should be here monday. The panels come via yellow freight on wednesday. Hopefully I can stop being lazy and have the shed done by then. Bought all the wire and switches and lighting for it today. Worked a few hours, something came up that required my attention for most of the day but I still made progress. Hopefully I will do more tomorrow.

About the 8 ga wire. Do you think that is enough or should I drop to 6 or even 4? The highest load we pull is about 18 amps. And even this is a very rare occasion.