Running the math on additional panels on the same inverters / MPPT units i already own. For example, I'm taking the 3.8kw inverter from 1.16x over panelled to 1.73x. it goes from 6477kwh annually to 10767annually.
When I've had to buy power in winter, I'm actually buying back what I've exported. With these additional panels, I'll be able to generate more on cloudy days so that I can gain ground on my batteries on a day when I normally could not. Last winter I had to buy 26kwh in February and looking at my production model I'll make an additional 361kwh in that month.
All told I'll export an additional 6180kwh to the grid. that's $803 dollars at the going rate. This will bring the total value of the electric I make to $6344 a year... about $528 a month.
When I've had to buy power in winter, I'm actually buying back what I've exported. With these additional panels, I'll be able to generate more on cloudy days so that I can gain ground on my batteries on a day when I normally could not. Last winter I had to buy 26kwh in February and looking at my production model I'll make an additional 361kwh in that month.
All told I'll export an additional 6180kwh to the grid. that's $803 dollars at the going rate. This will bring the total value of the electric I make to $6344 a year... about $528 a month.
👍1🙏1
The rule of thumb always said to over panel by 25%. Im finding a lot of success on cloudy days by over panelling 1.75-2.0. The trick here is that the inverters will only "drink" what they want form the panels. You can absolutely put more panels on an inverter than the manufacturer recommends. Be sure to observe the Voc voltage limits and if the combined amps of all your strings of panels exceeds the maximum of your MPPT inputs, be sure to install a properly rated fuse. Apart from those limits, add all the panels you can... they are the cheapest part of the system.
🙏4
Forwarded from Purpose Driven Homestead
Check out the pictures of a single day in our grazing method from the ground and the air views. When I talk to a lot of farmers/ranchers about how we rotate paddocks in our adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) system , they think it's the same as how they rotationally graze. Its not. While admirable, most ranchers may rotate their pastures, but they don't do intensive grazing on small paddocks within those fields to force the cattle to graze/trample/deposit manure uniformly. Its also not the same as what shepherds did thousands of years ago for similar reasons. This AMP method is regenerative grazing that quickly adds value to worn out land and also keeps cattle from overgrazing their favorite forage. These cattle may be in a paddock for only a matter of hours before moving on to the next space. The sad part is that we have only received a few inches of rain so far this year, so the fescue and native grasses are very dry, but its helping us put off feeding hay a bit longer.
Follow us for more regenerative Ag methods
Follow us for more regenerative Ag methods
❤10
A local guy has a victron system that is limited to 250v Voc. I told him the most panels he can connect in a string is 4. So he tells me the other day he's gunna hook up 5 just to get a little more power out of the few panels he has standing up today. (He's still building his system and wants to see it do something today). I cautioned him not to hook up 5 panels... So he sends me this screenshot.... he's at 237v out of 250 permitted. VOC on his panels is 49.8, but ONLY because it's so hot out right now he's hovering around 47.5. If it gets colder than 65F at night, he's gunna blow up his MPPT.
Don't play too close to the edge folks.
EDIT: I actually did the math and the temperature at which he would have blown up his MPPT was 73.8F
Don't play too close to the edge folks.
EDIT: I actually did the math and the temperature at which he would have blown up his MPPT was 73.8F
⚡6👍1
When matching up the number of solar panels to your inverter, text book says put 25% more panels than the inverter or MPPT can produce in power. The people pushing this philosophy seem to worry more about the energy lost during clipping. Bah!! See these diagrams?
You know what's actually important? knowing damn well that your inverter is going to make a certain amount of energy each day, everyday.
I'm taking clipping to the extreme here so bear with me. An inveter with 25% more panels than it's rating makes power over the yellow area. It only makes peak power for 30 minutes around solar noon.
An inveter with 2x more panels that it's rating will make the orange area AND the yellow area.
let's say the sun is up for 8 hours.... an inverter "properly sized" will make varying amount of power thru the day and the total for the daywill be 70% of what it could have been.
Example: 6kw MPPT with 8kw of panels in 8 hours will make 33kwh in 8 hours on a perfect day. When it is overcast, it might make 16kwh.
On the other hand a 6kw MPPT with 12kw of panels will make 48kwh every day even when cloudy.
Which one would your wife like better? Not thinking about if the house will run or having to think before starting the dryer or oven?
I'm taking clipping to the extreme here so bear with me. An inveter with 25% more panels than it's rating makes power over the yellow area. It only makes peak power for 30 minutes around solar noon.
An inveter with 2x more panels that it's rating will make the orange area AND the yellow area.
let's say the sun is up for 8 hours.... an inverter "properly sized" will make varying amount of power thru the day and the total for the daywill be 70% of what it could have been.
Example: 6kw MPPT with 8kw of panels in 8 hours will make 33kwh in 8 hours on a perfect day. When it is overcast, it might make 16kwh.
On the other hand a 6kw MPPT with 12kw of panels will make 48kwh every day even when cloudy.
Which one would your wife like better? Not thinking about if the house will run or having to think before starting the dryer or oven?
👍3🙏1
Just a random array I found online. 66 panels, likely 18kw.
👍9😍6🙏2