Solar_Project

Pole Barn Solar-Electric Project
Phase I
4 panel array, 24V-12 battery bank
(Completed 9/22/17)
1.2 kW Solar Array

Note: Phase I was the "pilot" project.
Lessons Learned During the Pilot Project

1- The 4 panels and 12 6V golf cart batteries were barely enough for the pole barn lights.

Interior Lights
-- Four 16-LED ORV 12-30V Floods on wireless switches
-- Three 48-LED ORV Flood/Spot Light bars on wireless switches
-- Eight 16' LED Light Strips w/ motion sensors
Exterior Lights
-- Four 9-LED ORV 12-30V Floods w/ daylight sensors

2- My "inexpensive" Chinese 3kW Pure Sine Wave Inverter -- 4 more (not so cheap) inverters have been added, 2 for backup... with longer surge tolerance.

-- runs small power tools (e.g., saber saw, small band saw, drills);
-- will not start my compressor, table saw, radial arm saw or vehicle hoist;
-- powers the bay door openers and associated lights very well;
-- powers my computers, surveillance monitors & stereo system very well.

3- Many more panels are needed October through March (in Michigan) to charge the bank. -- 8 more 295W panels added (12 total) and have proved to be adequate for our needs.

Actually, even during summer months, the four 295W panels were sometimes not enough to completely charge the bank on overcast days.

4- Many more batteries are needed.

Working late at night with all the lights on, forgetting to turn the lights off or engaging in a lot of power tool usage drained the batteries down to the cutoff voltage far too often. -- 2 banks, 42 batteries added.

5- An alternate charging system is needed when I'm not around to sweep snow off the panels.

Just one occurrence of having lost power to the inverter supplying the exhaust blower on my shop pellet stove convinced me to install a 48V charging system connected to commercial power. Fortunately, during that blackout, not enough smoke escaped outside the shop for the neighbors to call 911. 48V commercial AC charging system installed for backup.

6 - Some very useful Chinese gadgets are for sale on Amazon.com & Ebay.com -- Be aware that many DC devices sold on Ebay and Amazon are not rated for more than 12-24VDC. Melting & smelly smoke can result. I have replaced several of my circuit breakers and fuses. I change smoke alarm batteries every 6 months in my RF linked system.

See the Miscellaneous Equipment list near the bottom of the page.
Phase I Photos
(Click an image for a larger view.)

Charging, Storage & Conversion

Phase II
.

The current system consists of 3 battery banks. The 48V bank feeds two 12V banks.

The primary bank is a 48v bank w/ 3 strings of (8) 6V, 230A batteries in series. This bank is charged via a TS-MPPT-60 controller fed by (12) SolarWorld SW295, 295W panels configured as 4 strings of 3 (94.5V, 9.5A each string) in parallel. I disconnect 1 string during the summer because the output exceeds the capabilities of the TS-MPPT-60 charge controller.

The 2nd bank is a 12V bank w/ (2) 12V series/parallel strings of (6) 6V, 230A batteries charged via a 2nd TS-MPPT-60 controller with an input from the 48V bank of 58V(+/- 2V) via 6 ga. cable.

The 3rd bank is a 12V bank w/ (3) 12V series/parallel strings of (6) 6V, 230A batteries charged via a 3rd TS-MPPT-60 controller with an input from the 48V bank of 57V(+/- 2V) via 110 ft. of 6 ga. buried cable.

Phase II Photos
(Click an image for a larger view.)
8 panel array, 12V-18 battery bank


Rolling cart & panel	774 lb. of batteries and cables	The batteries: 6 Volt 230 Ah - 20 hr. rating	The panel (meters ordered)


Better cable cutters would have made the job easier	Uncrimped terminal crimping tools & dielectric grease	Greased & crimped	10 of the 16 4/0 cables needed for the connections


Morningstar TS-MPPT-60 charge controller	Charge controller connections	Breakers buss bars fuses	Pure sine wave inverter & A.C. output junction box


200A circuit breaker	Inverter front panel	Inverter display	200A fuses


Panel frame, steel, 191 lb (paint excluded)	Ramp for engine lift needed to set the 50-60 lb treated poles	Access to the 1st post hole through the ramp	Extended engine lift & 1st 4"x6"-16' treated pole


1st pole ready to lower - needs guidance	Guidance by my better half	Brush pile had to burn before the panels were mounted.	Panel frame installed	Axle bracket 2"x2"x 8" steel angle, notched


Installing 1st panel	Solar array front	Solar array back	Back panel connections


Amphenol H4 UTX connectors with CoaxSeal	Panel ground connections	Frame ground connections	Earth ground connection


Solar cables entry point	Solar cable terminal block construction 1.5" PVC (sawed lengthwise)	Entrance board series-parallel connections (It will look neater soon!)	Battery temp sensor


	8 SolarWorld SW295 panels from SolarBiz.	SolarWorld SW295 solar panel data plate.

Engine hoist used to mount the panels on the 2x6 frame.	Backwoods gin pole ready to raise the array. Frame was too heavy to lift by hand.	My backwoods gin pole worked.	Backwoods gin pole cable & pulley lash-up.

Backwoods gin pole base & winch lash-up.	My new 8 panel array in position.	43 Deka GC-15, 6Vdeep cycle 230Ah batteries.	Battery cable assembly tools & materials.

Corrosion prevention.	Hand-hydraulic crimping tool.	Crimped & ready for heat shrink tubing.	One of 106 cable ends finished.

Almost enough cables for the 12V battery bank.	Buss bar fabrication from 1" copper pipe.	48V battery bank panel under construction.	48V battery bank - cart is 2"x3/16" angle iron with four 500lb castors.

48V battery bank with labels.	48V battery bank panel ready for the "smoke test".	48V battery bank panel with labels.	12V battery bank - cart is 2"x3/16" angle iron with four 500lb castors.

	12V bank panel.	12V bank charge controller.


		Angle adjustment for summer-fall