We're Installing Solar! How It's Going So Far...

#AnkerSOLIX #LIVEINPOWER #AnkerSOLIXF3800

I'm in the process of installing solar panels that will feed in to my Anker SOLIX F3800 system. I'll have a full video coming soon on this but I wanted to give you guys a behind the scenes look on the progress so far. Let me know what you think!

Thanks for watching!

Amazon and Anker affiliate links above.

[vonRow]

When I built out our system, I chose to put the battery wall on one end of the shipping container, along with my solar charge controller and DC/AC inverter. From the inverter I ran all of my AC lines to a service/breaker panel -just like you would find in a house or garage. We are working on doubling the entire set up next spring/summer. With the 2nd array I will upgrade the breaker panel and be able to have 220/240 AC power at the panel. with at least 50 amps. We are up here in northern MN and I had to run some math on figuring out our panel tilt. You are smack on the mark at anywhere from 33 to 35 degrees up here. Year round. The only way to get more out of our panels is to use a solar tracker to auto tilt them. (something we just might actually do...) We staged our panels on the face of a hill facing SW-ish. They are stationary/fixed. Been in operation over a year so far, and doing fine. ... "keep yer stick on the ice!"

[koryleach]

Nice! We just got the approval from Xcel energy for our solar project here in St. Michael, MN. Our installer wanted to do it in December. I told them absolutely not. There is zero chance I want anyone crawling around on a 6/12 pitch roof in winter in our climate. Not only is there the greater chance of damaging the shingles in the cold but I heat the garage and our main panel is in there and I don't want the door open while they mess with the main panel. I told them they can schedule the install for April. It's a 19KW system, I'm pretty exited for zero net electricity bills in the future!

[MRrwmac]

Thanks for the updaste and info. That assistant is one I wish I had. He is great!

[michaeljavert]

Mazel tov on your progress. Your little helper is adorable too. Great video. Thank you for sharing and the company. Can't wait to see video of completion. Sometimes these videos get lost in the feed if they even show up. I'll try to keep checking back.

[jbsimmons]

Normally single digit time with a leading zero is 24 hr time. If the sun is setting, your watch should say 18:27, not 06:27, which is 6:27 am. Likewise, 4 digits for all times is 24 hr time in the absence of am/pm indicators. I know because we program code for time displays and there is an international standard on its appearance in 12/24 hour times. 😊

[markberning]

It might be better to leave the Anker in the storage container and run AC back to the house. Much less cables to run.

[ReubenSahlstrom]

Looking nice guys!

Good idea with the wye connectors, it'll save a lot of headache. Nice clamps.

[stevenlilly]

Hmm.. Wish I was able to play with this much solar.. I would have just got a high voltage MPPT charger and an external 48v battery to plug in to your 3800... Multiply by 2 if you want to do both inputs on the 3800.. Less cables, less size, more battery storage... Good luck man!

[martinhackett-rw]

Like what you do and like your property and work on other jobs you have done as well. I have followed your vids for some time now enjoy them. If it was me i try to move that small building to near the pwr pole shown in the vid where the pwr ran to the different buildings on the property. Put your batterys/inverters and al in there vs the house, hey the trench is still open? Even add a gen and propane tank near the building as well. Less noise eaiser to service anything in the future in any weather vs being confinded to a small basement area or having to fight the crawl space. It will save you on wire to from all the solar strings. Eaiser for the utility trench down the driveway vs trying to go into the basement of the house with a new 400 amp service, especialy if it ever needs to be dyg up again. Great your son helping you rock on.

[inspector]

Instead of menards for your pipe, next time go to Fergusons Plumbing Supply, they can get 20’ sticks for way cheaper.

[mikropower]

8:00 - We had here in the PV-park the problem that some animals did chew on the cables, the cables (positive and negative) were directly beside each other and because of this, they created a electric fire in the earth. The cables had from the PV enough energy to burn some meter cable away. Not funny and this happened not only once.
But think that this cables will get hot if they are so tight together and with some current for several hours.

I did buy HT pipe 110mm 2 meter (Polypropylene pipe 4 inch, 6.5616798 Feet) für 4€ in the past, not they want 11€. Price nearly doubled.

[jamesbsa]

I'd have recommended using inverters in your container right at your panels, then output that 120Vac over the long run using direct burial AL appropriately sized for future panel expansion. Less voltage drop and fewer circuits, fewer points of failures, and probably notably cheaper. Use something like the EMP hardened EG4 18K with the money you saved 😃

[ilfn]

Yikes. Big VDC drop on that long cable under load.

[sparkyflys]

Please learn more about LC coupling re lightning before running ethernet there. If you're trenching below the frost line run, run two extra 2" or larger PVC.

All of that 8 AWG was a massive waste. You were better off getting into higher LVDC. Assuming those 405W are ~32v Vmp and ~38 Voc, you're right on the money for a 380VDC system.

Since you're now past that point, I will give you one very useful yet little-known fact: QO (not QOM1/2) breakers from 10A to 60A are rated AND LISTED for up to 48VDC and up to 8 awg per terminal. You can land each paralleled pair in polaris taps just before the breaker. DIN mount UL489, including QOU, is also an option.

Good luck!

[grumpypipkin]

Whatever co-op you are in will charge an arm and leg to move the primary and the transformer to a new location. 10.00 a foot would be my guess but don’t know your area.

[googacct]

With all the copper you are having to run for home runs to the house, I have to wonder if it would have been cheaper to put more panels in series to boost the voltage and just buy or build a new solar inverter/charger system that can handle more voltage.

[bobniles]

NEC requires the conduit run be complete before the conductors are pulled in. Installing the conduit piecemeal around the wires is a violation.

[Garth]

Hi Ben...unless you plan to use more power in the garage/barn and well house in the future, I would use the existing 100 amp cables from the pole for them too, no need to spend on them.
From your pole to the house I would run the same capability as from your utility to the house or 400 amp hardware so that its there for possible future upgrades/capacity to the out buildings or other projects.
I'm also interested to know what your electric rates are. Do they charge a seasonal rate and by the "time of use" or a simple flat rate 24x7 all year long and so forth? Also, your area has no natural gas, is that right? You have propane trucked in, correct? Propane rates/cost per gallon/pounds are how much?

[haroldhechinger]

Is this a different house than your earlier videos?

[RobertSchmitt-ul]

I would make a wiring harness and specifically use one length for plus and minus each, And specifically and carefully cut out about 1/2 inch insulation. With the rectangular razor blades, not cutting into the copper. Measure right where you need it down the line, then add the 2ft or 3ft tails with the mc4s on end in a splice. Solder with good flux. Its a process but it is easy when you have it and you know how to use it. Add marine heatshrink and a continual encapulated bead of silicone over the soldered joint. The marine heatshrink makes it professional grade if you ask me. Its stronger and more waterproof when done this way. It works perfect for straight parallel installations with 10s of panels or just several.
Beats the heck out of making more ends, no junctions, no losses, less expense, better overall product.
If you are doing them in parallel, if series, it should be a bit more straightforward but I have done this with parallel and series or series parallel is a bit more honky.