*12V Budget Package (affilliate links)* Litime 460Ah: www.litime.com/products/litime-12v-460ah-lifepo4-lithium-battery-250a-bms-5888wh-energy?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns Giandel Inverter: www.mobile-solarpower.com/inverters.html Budget Solar Charge Controller: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-charge-controllers.html *12V Performance Package:* Epoch 12V 460Ah: www.epochbatteries.com/products/12v-460ah-lifepo4-battery-ip67-heated-bluetooth-victron-comms?rfsn=7352625.50494d Victron 12V Inverters: www.currentconnected.com/product-category/inv/12-volt-inverters/?ref=wp Victron Solar Charge Controllers: www.currentconnected.com/product-category/solar/charge-controllers/?ref=wp Victron Shunt/Distribution Block: www.currentconnected.com/product-category/victron/lynx/?ref=wp *48V System for Beginners Parts List and Schematic:* www.mobile-solarpower.com/mobile-48v-system.html 0:00 Intro 0:20 Budget System 1:26 Performance System 3:36 Fusing And Scaling 4:23 Solar Panel Voltage 5:01 Beginner Setup Tips 5:24 48V Systems for Beginners *Does off-grid solar confuse you?* Check out my DIY friendly website for solar system packages and product recommendations, and so much more! www.mobile-solarpower.com *Join our DIY solar community* #1 largest solar forum on the internet for beginners and professionals alike: www.diysolarforum.com *Check out my Book* Best-selling and beginner-friendly guide to 12V off-grid solar! amzn.to/2Aj4dX4 If DIY is not for you, but you love solar and need an offgrid system, check out Tesla Energy! They will price out a system and get your house offgrid: ts.la/william57509 *My DIY Solar Equipment Recommendations (Constantly updated! Check here first):* 12V/48V Lithium Solar Batteries: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-batteries.html Complete Solar System Component Directory: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solarcomponents.html Complete 48V System Blueprint: www.mobile-solarpower.com/48v-complete-system-blueprint.html Plug-N-Play System Recommendations: www.mobile-solarpower.com/full-size-systems.html Complete "Add to Cart" 48V System Kits: www.mobile-solarpower.com/complete-48v-solar-kits.html DIY Friendly Air Conditioner/ Heat Pumps: www.mobile-solarpower.com/solar-friendly-air-conditioners.html *My Favorite Online Stores for DIY Solar Products:* *Signature Solar* Offgrid One-Stop-Shop. Best Value 48V LiFePO4, Victron and Offgrid Specific Heat Pumps: www.signaturesolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Current Connected* SOK, Victron, Mr.Cool Heatpumps and High Quality Components. Fantastic customer support: currentconnected.com/?ref=wp *Litime* My favorite 12V budget battery!: www.litime.com/?ref=XBIA62RFcalHns *Epoch Batteries* My favorite high-quality 12V battery: www.epochbatteries.com/products/12v-460ah-lifepo4-battery-ip67-heated-bluetooth-victron-comms?rfsn=7352625.50494d *Renogy* A classic 12V solar store that has been around for ages! DC to DC Chargers and more! renogy.sjv.io/n1VjXx *Rich Solar* Renogy's biggest competitor! Similar products, but at a better price: richsolar.com/?ref=h-cvbzfahsek *Battery Hookup* Cheap cell deals bit.ly/2mIxSqt 5% off code: diysolar *Contact Information:* I am NOT available for personal solar system consult! If you wish to contact me, this is my direct email: williamprowsediysolar@gmail.com Join the forum at diysolarforum.com/ if you wish to hang out with myself and others and talk about solar *FTC Disclosure Statement and Disclaimers:* Every video includes some form of paid promotion or sponsorship. Some links on this youtube channel may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these. My videos are for educational purposes only. Information is subject to change/update at any time. Electricity is DANGEROUS and can kill. Be smart and use common sense :) DIY Solar Power with Will Prowse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

@ABUNDANCEandBEYONDATHLETE

3 ай бұрын

What if we don't need the solar charge controller yet? I am using a 12v or 48v battery and use AC to DC to charge. Use case is for powering large sound systems like Bass Pod at EDC as a mega example.

@Boycott_Wendys

3 ай бұрын

I just wanted to say thank you, you're doing a wonderful job. I'm disabled and recently lost my home due to uncontrolled rent in Atlantic Canada. Two weeks ago I moved into a camper in the woods and I've been working as hard as I can to keep warm and most of the time I have been listening to your videos. After a few of your videos I decided that losing my duplex and rent is the best thing that's happened to me in years. Thanks buddy NO SURRENDER 🇨🇦👋

@invisibilianone6288

3 ай бұрын

Will, I still feel that your info is running with the pack, if not leading the pack⚡😎☕ I keep getting close, to the goal of getting the small system I need for solar, but there seems to be a bungie , that tanks me back, from goal line...lol I don't want to try buying piece by piece, I might end up with only "almost enough pieces"..and empty spots, in a series of pieces, have extremely high RESISTANCE, lol Maybe I will connect with someone who has a working set up and they have already replaced with a larger system "Never give up, Never surrender"...oh what was that movie?... Galaxy Quest ?

@keithbrookshire

3 ай бұрын

@@invisibilianone6288 "Maybe I will connect with someone who has a working set up and they have already replaced with a larger system". I wonder if you would save any money in that scenario. Prices have come down so much in the last few years even if someone sold the used system at a severe discount it may still be near the cost of a new, better system. At least that's what I'm seeing with used systems.

@john_in_phoenix

3 ай бұрын

Just an FYI, those in-line fuse holders are horrible. Put more than 10 amps through them for an hour, then feel them. It scared me. I switched to different fuses and holders. Apparently they have high resistance connections embedded in the plastic. Perhaps it was just the batch or brand I purchased, but those were a definite fire hazard.

Will, finally a beginner video, us dummies can understand. You have to understand that not many viewers out here have the ability you have. To you, this is 2+2=4 stuff, to me and others we come up with 2+2=5. So please continue to make this type of video, it is such a great help. Especially when you showed the 48 volt array, wow, I had no idea the simplicity and the much lower cost one can build such a system for. Had you not shown it, I would have never known. I implore you to continue educating us with this type of video. Thank you and see you in the next one Will.

@SailorGolf

3 ай бұрын

I would like to see that 48v setup in an actual van or camper or trailer … I’m sure there’s one out there somewhere that can be used as a guinea pig for a project.

@MichaelEricMenk

3 ай бұрын

Victron needs battery voltage +5V to start charging. Getting sufficiently high voltage on a van/RV/camper is problematic due to shading. (Parallel PV are more shade tolerant than serial connected PVs). A solution around this is boost MPPT charge controllers. Those are mostly designed for smaller panels, so you need multiple controllers.

@codiecarroll735

3 ай бұрын

He has a million videos explaining these things for beginners. Use the search bar.

@teeanahera8949

3 ай бұрын

My problem with the demo is the use of an inverter, why have one when all caravan needs are 12v? A better solution is DC to DC charger off your starter battery as it takes your solar and alternator power and converts it to a suitable charge for the aux battery. It charges your starter battery when the aux battery is full.

@dukeman7595

3 ай бұрын

Thank you, I will check it out.@@codiecarroll735

This is going to help A LOT of people! Thanks Will. 👍

I have been following you for years. I still am not ready to get my own system but it's not because I don't know enough. Your videos are simple but give all the information necessary. Thanks for your hard work.

@shawnr771

3 ай бұрын

Spend a small amount of money and buy a kit from Harbor Freight. It wont do much but like a youth science kit can give you some hands on.

Holy guacamole, you are the man. You are providing a treasure trove of information for people to be self-sufficient… just amazing how many equipment reviews and DIY configurations you are providing to people.

Thank you for all the videos you've done, and thank you for so many beginner builds.

I just sent your video to like 10 ppl i know! You broke it down so well even they can understand....ooops i mean you did a great job thank you for your videos we appreciate them very much!😁

With beginner videos like these you are providing the low rungs on the ladder which is very helpful to people who aren't already halfway up the ladder. There is an art to explaining concepts in greatly simplified terms. It is not as easy as people think. I say that as a former college math teacher. There were a few absolute beginner opportunities that I think could be included in this video. You know and I know what an inverter and charge controller are, but maybe an extremely short definition would be helpful to the neophyte. BTW, got your book a year or two ago. Good stuff and written in a very understandable manner.

A good travel voltage missed is 24V DC. The reasons I have for 24V are: 1. You can easily get electric coolers / portable fridges that can handle up to 30V DC. Seeing you are going to want to have the cooler / fridge hooked up to the battery the whole trip, you really don't want any lossy conversions, just straight into the battery. I have never seen an electric cooler / portable fridge designed for 48V DC. Especially if you are car camping, you want minimal stuff to bring and a cooler directly connected to a battery is simple and running off of a 24V LFP battery directly is very efficient for these electric coolers / portable fridges, meaning less bulk to lug around and fill your car / truck / SUV with. The portable fridge I have for example, which is a bit on the larger of the portable side while running off of a 24V LFP battery I got back in 2009 uses from 25 to 30 Ah a day (~30W continuous average) depending on weather when directly connected to the LFP battery. 2. If you have hobbies like R/C aircraft, cars, boats, or the very popular multi-rotor drones, the common hobby charger can take up to ~30V DC. Even if the max is 28V, LFP batteries go down from 29.2V to 28V pretty quickly. Just dump a few Wh of charge overboard out of a kWh scale LFP battery and it is down below 28V. (My old 24V LFP battery has been re-wired to be charge-able by the hobby charger, so I adjusted the charging profile to stop at 28V instead of 29.2V. It is just this is not the only way to do it and have balanced cells.) So now you can hook your hobby charger into the battery directly. Especially if you have a high powered charger and you charge multiple battery packs for your hobby R/C stuff in parallel, you really want a direct battery connection to your charger. These hobby chargers are just buck-boost converters with resister banks for the balance leads to balance the cells out. With a 24V LFP battery (29.2V max) and 25V max 6 cell (6S) LiPo packs, these buck-boost converters in the chargers hardly work at all to charge the batteries. I have done 1 kW charge rates on a compact charger and the fans on the charger didn't even kick on until the end of charge when it was balancing the cells when charging off of a 24V LFP battery pack. If however you try using 12V with these chargers to charge 6S battery packs, the charge rate slows down by a lot and the fans kick on as the charger has to boost the voltage instead of basically just letting it flow across to the battery being charged. If you decided to go AC power from the battery, then you have all of this crap you have to bring like a high powered inverter and a power supply to supply the hobby charger with the correct DC voltage and sized up to kW scale for fast charging of packs. It makes no sense to do it this way when you can just have a direct hookup to the LFP battery. 3. You can get USB DC buck chargers. If you are going out somewhere, often you don't really need AC power at all. Say you are car camping. Often it is the case that you just have some USB powered / charged by USB devices with you. So leave the big AC inverter at home and just charge up your USB devices like your cell phone, flashlights, head lamp, LED lantern, etc., off of a USB DC buck charger. You can get these that run off of 24V DC just fine. Actually, if you want to do USB-C PD charging of a higher powered device, say you brought your Nintendo Switch with you, you kind of need 24V to do the buck conversion to 20V to properly power the device. Granted USB-C PD 24V DC chargers at this point are their own single port devices, so you still need a separate regular multi-port USB charger. 4. If say you are car camping, you may want to setup a portable solar panel to keep the LFP battery charged, especially if you are camping for several days completely off grid. While some camping places are going to be completely covered over in trees, there are plenty, especially if your starting place is Los Vegas, that have a clear view of the Sun. Say your primary power draw is the cooler, your second most is periodic use of a hobby charger, and then a little more is used by USB chargers, you don't need than much in the way of solar power to keep the battery from going dead on a multi-day trip. If you are camping, you probably have propane or another fuel like white gas for other things like cooking and heating and maybe even a bundle of firewood for the heating part. 5. If you have a 24V battery that works well for all of this other stuff and it does the job a lot better than 12V, then you want to hook up an inverter to the 24V battery for whenever you do want / need AC power. So then you are looking at a 24V inverter, not 12V and not 48V. I am finding something like a 3,000W inverter is actually a pretty useful size to have around the house for emergency backup power as what you really need is to keep a handful of things going like your fridge (granted a fridge can easy go 10 hours with no power as long as you keep the door closed), some basic electronics for communication and such, maybe even to watch some KZread videos to pass the time, and say a small inverter based window AC or small 115V mini-split heat pump for single room cooling. It could also be mentioned that you could convert 24V down to 12V as well, but really for a portable setup the goal is as few conversions as possible and especially the big ticket items are direct to device, not intermediary conversions. For all of this other on the go stuff, something like a 24V 100Ah battery is a pretty nice size to have. For the emergency power use case while hooked into a 3,000W inverter, something like a window AC will still drain it down pretty quickly, but it is still useful if say the power outage is only going to be a few hours or say it is longer, maybe you focus on powering your fridge for a while. Then you can also put power hits on the inverter like running a toaster oven or microwave oven to cook / heat some food. Or maybe as you can get this 24V 100 Ah LFP batteries for as littles as $450 on Amazon, you get a second one and primarily use the second battery for additional capacity during a power outage and maybe even bursts of power all the way up to 3,000W where with one you need to limit down to 2,500W due to these batteries having a 100A max current draw from them. Another thing to consider about the emergency power scenario is say instead of a second 24V 100Ah battery for another $450 - $550, you pick up a small inverter generator for say $600 (which there are 3200W continuous capable generators out for that price point), maybe you still want the battery - inverter setup in the loop, but a charger (or two) hooked into the generator charging the LFP battery while other things draw power from the battery simultaneously. A common example is most things in your kitchen, old hard starting fridge, blender, microwave oven, toaster oven, etc, are very bursty in their power consumption and even inverter based generators struggle with this even after turning off ECO mode. With such a charger - battery - inverter deal hooked into the generator, the generator can be set to ECO mode where it will burn far less fuel and then the charger - battery - inverter setup will handle the bursty loads in the house while the more gentle loads can be directly hooked to the generator. Also say you are using a 29.2V max 20A charger, well that can produce the extra 500W to max out a 3,000W inverter with a single 24V 100Ah LFP battery. An example setup is you have your portable inverter generator outside with say an RV / travel trailer style higher amperage (say 30A) extension cord coming into your house into one room. That room has your Internet router, maybe some other electronic stuff in it, and an inverter based window AC. So you hang out in there, get the window AC blowing on you, and watch KZread videos during the power outage. Then you have an extension cord going to your kitchen leading to a 24V LFP battery charger. That hooks into the battery which has a 3,000W inverter hooked to it, and then your kitchen stuff is hooked into that. So you periodically go into your kitchen and get and make food and such. The generator outside is happy with all of this and purrs along in ECO mode. For night time for a multi-day outage, you shut off the generator for the night and a 24V 100Ah battery hooked to a 3,000W inverter should go all night powering your fridge. 6. The wire gauge for doing this stuff with 12V gets pretty insane really fast. What I am talking about here is most stuff isn't drawing all that much power and even when you do get into drawing more power, the wire gauge for 24V is a lot less than it is for a 12V setup. Maybe another way to put it is 12V is really only good for low power and then it quickly becomes a cumbersome hassle, 24V I am finding is actually really practical for a lot of stuff and a big part of that are easier to work with wire gauges, especially when you still have portability in mind. Then 48V tends to narrow you back down to big high powered applications that are largely stationary. That large inverter and large server rack battery on a dolly setup may be something you wheel around a house, but when it comes to sticking it in the back of your car to take somewhere, it doesn't work out so well. If instead you have say a 24V 100Ah LFP battery, a wiring harness and associated standardized quick connectors hooked up to it allowing you to quickly hook up whatever you want to the battery, and then some portable devices to connect directly to the battery, that is something you can easily stick in the back of a car. So maybe a future project, show a very portable 24V system with multiple things hooked into like described above. I think this could have a wide appeal.

@blueskies00

14 күн бұрын

U went to a lot of trouble to share ur thoughts. Strange that will or no one is commenting. Thank u

Thank you for posting this. I don't think people who are into this sort of thing remember how big the learning curve is. With SO MUCH info out there it's hard to know where to start and sometimes you just need it explained to you SIMPLY on how to begin

Great video! I've been waiting for an updated basic system video and this filled the bill. Thank you!

People love these beginner friendly DIY videos. Great job!

Your channel provides incredible value to people wanting/needing an honest/educated review of solar focused products! This channel along with Project Farm are such treasure troves that I truly appreciate. Truly thank you for doing what you do!

Thanks. These simple systems are great for those of us who have no experience working with any of this. I really appreciate it.

I am getting close to pulling the trigger on one these systems. Your videos are very helpful in that decision process. Thx.

I bought your book and sir, you're such a thorough and insightful individual. I dealt a lot with AC power in my life but, solar and DC I haven't had to touch much. Your book is indispensable in my adventure of building out a solar setup for my new bus conversion.

I love this video. These kind of videos of yours got me started. This content is great for the beginner and can help convince regular people to dabble in solar. You are the leader in a solar revolution for the DIYer.

@johnmca5643

3 ай бұрын

I agree. I have a remote cabin. I'd like to simply run about 10 light bulbs and charge phones. His videos really do make it seem easy.

Thank you, Will. I've followed you for a while and have watched you grow from your RV to your new house. You've grown in your knowledge of technology and the high end systems. But, I did find that the more recent videos were more geared towards the more expensive, but better, systems. For most of us, this video and the more affordable basic systems are needed. I'm sure you feel that your going backwards, but, it's that same group of followers that got your channel popular from the beginning. Thanks for covering the basics again!

Thanks for going back to the basics with updated information

Thanks, Will! We've always relied on the adage "you always get what you pay for." 👍

@Vibe77Guy

3 ай бұрын

ECPC (Electric Car Parts Company) sells a supposed rebranded Sigineer low frequency inverter, same as the Sigineer. In fact mine was delivered Sigineer branded. It's the same as an AIM and/or SunGoldPower, for a fraction of the price. I chose the 48vdc 6000w split phase for around $800.

@goingagainstthegrain

3 ай бұрын

@Vibe77Guy There's some research that needs to go into it as well. Pros and cons. And how the product is marketed. There's always a high, middle and low end product(s) dependent on the manufacturer.

@Vibe77Guy

3 ай бұрын

@goingagainstthegrain Well in the case of the inverter I'm referring to. It's 3 different price points for exactly the same inverter. I paid 1/3 the price of the high end, and 2/3 of the middle. All 3 refer to the same APC operating manual.

I just found my new best friend and just in time - thanks boss!! Imma use all your content to do this myself. 🙏🙏🙏

You are my go to guy for advice. I totally enjoy hearing you explain your thinking and logic. For me I am not planning on doing any of this. What I am going to do is get the guy that knows how - direct them to your video and as how much to do something like this. Thanks .

Love the budget one not for the price, it’s the simplicity.

Looking forward to when you reach 1,000,000 subs. You deserve it and more for all your help.

Love your info Will. Just last week I got my new 24V version of that Giandel 4000W inverter to go with my 3 x LiTime 24V 260ah batteries. I also love my Victron 150V 85A charge controller. I do have the Victron Smart Shunt too, but can afford going with all of the other Victron pieces.

I'm not a beginner, but I still watch all of your videos because I think you a great and love to see what you say. Keep it up.

Thanks Will! I spent 4 hours yesterday trying to figure out why my Victron Solar did not come up on my iPhone via Bluetooth when everything else worked flawlessly. I have a Cerbo GX connected with a VE Direct cable. Deep in the manual I discovered I had a Blue Solar instead of a Smart Solar. Then comes today’s video explaining that not all Victron is Bluetooth. Thanks! I have a Smart Solar on order.

Excellent video good job You're come a long way I remember when you use to cruise around on your electric unicycle in SF

Great video Will! And I love your audio. I can hear and understand you well! THANKS!

Great stuff. Love this type of vid. Great comparison between the budget 12v and hand truck 48v systems.

Seeing that 48v system cost practically the same as the cheap, but with a lot more power, has sold me of going 48v.

@RoughRidersTV

Ай бұрын

I was considering 48V but the Epoch 48V batteries are way more expensive than their 12V models. What components you looking at that are cheaper than the 12V equivalent?

Thanks for what you do Will. You have sparked my interest in solar power. Your videos are very informative and educational. I really appreciate your expertise and your videos. Thanks!!

I've been tinkering with solar generation. Fun hobby understanding electricity. Keep em up.

Great video thank you! In these times, budget is definitely a consideration. I will be most likely jumping into the 48V system.

I’m glad you did this, it will help so many people, myself included 💖

Great education, break down, and comparisons. Thanks Will!

Been off grid for 30+ years. It has never been cheeper or easier. Just do it.

@chuck4abuck1

Ай бұрын

Where would you buy from For the simple small home back up / off grid . Please

Thank you so much for the tutorial. I had no idea this was as simple as you explained it. Thanks.

So nice of you, Sir Will, and thank you for sharing! Very helpful

Another great video, thx! I see the Lynx shunt has a CNN fuse inside. For myself I would add a battery switch between the Lynx shunt and the battery so I can easily and quickly shut off the power to work on things. Great to show two options for folks.

Also: The Vicron MPPT 75 10, 75 15 and 100 20 have a load output, meaning it's simple to add a small 12V socket to the charge controller. Can be used for 12V lights, USB, DC coolers ++. Also, I strongly recommend the small added cost to get Bluetooth...

Great info as always. Thank you! Only comment, in my opinion from previous design life on construction equipment, is to keep an air gap on the budget cables from battery to inverter. With vibration over time they could rub through coating causing an issue.

Brilliant keep up the good beginner videos as we all need help 👍🏻

Awesome 👌 👏 the only person I listen to when it comes to diy solar the Goat 🐐

Bro, I'm so glad you got back to doing beginner friendly stuff. I'm in marketing so I understand why you don't do true DIY vids anymore but throw your viewers a bone every now and again. You truly are the most reliable and informative source on the internet.

Will- You are a great inspiration! Thank you for all you do to help install safe power! Would you please consider posting in depth info on installing buss bars, fuses and wire size with how to determine the rating or capacity? Many thanks!

110% on the final 48v.. Much more bang for the $$. You could buy an 8D size 48v battery too if your space required instead of the server rack. Fantastic deals out these days. We live in good times for off grid power.

Glad to see you still at it. Keep it up.

You are a youngster to me. But I’m cool with that. My life has been in the electrical/mechanical world. Retired owner. Enjoyed this video. Getting ready to build a system for my RV. I’ll check out what you have. Keep going at it. I’m always to learning from all age groups.

Another great video. Thanks again for all the options!

Awesome as standard, honest, professional advice!

Will continues to be DA MAN when it comes to explaining solar for dummies..... like ME!! 🙂

Very good mate you know how to do it beginner friendly it’s very helpful

Will, long-time watcher of your channel. Thank you for everything you've done for us. Would you consider a tutorial on an extremely large system (i.e. 400A grid-tied service, with 30-40KW of solar and 400+ KWH of battery) for a small business? I know this isn't a normal system most of your viewers need, but the concepts are the same. I just need help in understanding the uppermost limits of all systems (i.e. inverters, charge controllers, wire gauge, max power outputs, and *safety* aspects). Again, thank you for all your videos. Cheers!

Love this! I would love to see how to set-up this budget system in an old rv.

Extremely helpful Will, thank you.

yep. i'm running that eg4 inverter in my schooly. and have had zero issues with it. the longer i've been off grid. it seems i continue to have more and more power and need less and less

Thanks for making it simple to understand.😊

Best video on a simple system thus far

Buddy I sure TY for the easy to do video's ya at first I thought what the hell is he saying and I still think that keep up all the great work young man u are the MAN !

Thank you for all the videos you make, easy to understand ! One question I do have is how many watts doe a inverter use say a 1000w and a 5000 w, I couldn't find any specs on what I have, thank you and keep up the great work you do.

Just built one of the 48v units over Christmas break now I just need to get some solar panels for it. It’ll run my deep freeze and refrigerator for just over 1 day and takes about 1.5 hrs to charge it back up from my generator.

Thank you Will for going back and covering basic systems again. Especially ones that can easily be adapted to an RV. If you put in a van or RV do you need to have a DC to DC unit for the alternator?

3 flawless summers rocking the MPP 1012LV all-in-one that you recommended several years ago. My trailer build was based around 12 volts powering the lights, fan, fridge and water pump. I only turn in the inverter when I need run my T-Mobile 5g Internet. BTW your video for the unit is still on Watts247. Thank you for all the education Will.

@WillProwse

3 ай бұрын

Awesome!!!! 😁👍🏻

I just came from your "How to Build Expandable Off-grid Solar Systems w/ EG4 6000XP" to this one. I'm in the learning phase and excited about the EG4 6000XP. If I understand correctly, I can run my well pump and 110 standard household items off that. My intention is to purchase something to 'learn' with, but not have it be wasted, but part of a future investment. I live in Interior Alaska. I want to have a system that I can run on a battery, but when the battery gets too low, the system with automatically switch to line power to either charge the battery or 'standby' until the solar returns. My issue is the few hours of daylight we get in the winter, so my build may be more of a summer system, with everything stowed for the winter. Thanks for the grat content, I'm learning a lot from your expert tutelage!

Thank you I haven't seen you for a while I have a great time with you and your electric gizmo your toys are essential to me l thank you 🎉

This is the kind of builds the "every day person" needs to know/learn about. I'm sure you could also wire in a car 12v battery cut off switch (the big red lever kind they require for race cars) on the positive side if you want/need for an emergency cut off.

I dig your channel. Basic, to the point, a little nuts and bolts and tech. Very practical presentation. I'm curious how a largish system would arrive. Say, a pallet of panels. How are they shipped and crated? Are they well protected? I haven't seen anything like that and you seem most likely to have the opportunity to document and share such an event. Anyways, keep it up. You're doing good and I'm confident many find it useful.

Very helpful! Especially the 48V.

I love the monitoring the victron system provides. cant wait to upgrade to the multiplex

@richdobbs6595

3 ай бұрын

What I don't like with Victron is: 1) You have to use BlueTooth to connect up parts of the system that have to be electrically connected by physical wires anyway. So sucks if you are trying to get a SHTF solution. You are broadcasting to the world, come steal my system. 2) Sometimes, the system won't let you adjust a setting if an update is pending. You have no control to reject an update or postpone it. I expect at some point the system will be hacked, and you will have no choice but to download a corrupt version, or replace Victron components.

AWESOME content & info 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 ❤ everything about this video❤ Quick Question …… How easy would it be to run this off the van engine or van battery or altimeter ???? KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK

This is great! A good companion would be wiring for beginners. That's a big barrier (and danger) to doing it DIY

I have used a solid copper bus bar wrapped with heat shrink or electrical tape, as short as possible. Two parts replace four.

Good stuff Will! Thank you!

Back to Basics … viewers will love it !!

I actually found a use for a little 12V battery system, and that was as a little DIY UPS for DC devices like my cable-modem. Most such devices these days take 12VDC input and include a wall-wart that produces it. And I wanted a little backup for that without wasting tons of power on an AC UPS. I began just by using a power station's DC output, like an EcoFlow River 2. But that was boring and I realized that it was a bit of a waste of a power station as well as a bit of a waste of power. The station was averaging well over 10W of power to deliver 5W to the cable-modem due to its inefficiencies. Ok I said... the cable-modem takes 12VDC in. I can just use a Victron SmartSolar 75/15 and a little 20Ah 12.8V LiFePO4 battery. I still need a DC source for the "solar" input and most wall-warts are seriously under-powered for that. But then I realized something! USB-C can deliver 20V @ 5A (100W). Any USB-C charger with a 60W or higher PD port can output 20V! That means I could deliver up to 100W to charge the battery if I wanted to with a really simple setup: 20V is a PERFECT input voltage to a Victron 75/15 outputting to a 12.8V LifePO4 battery. * USB-C wall charger (60W or higher) * USB-C-to-20V cable * Victron SmartSolar 75/15 * Inline auto-fuse or glass-fuse (BAT -> fuse -> device) * 12.8V LiFePO4 battery, any size * Misc electrical to cut and rewire (12V) device power cables. And that's it. Less than $200 and very efficient. The solution is incredibly compact. It is literally just the battery and the Victron in terms of bulk Everything else is in the noise. * USB-C -> USB-C-to-20V-cable -> Victron "solar" input. * Victron "BAT" output -> battery (limit Victron output current as befits the USB-C capabilities) * "BAT" -> inline-fuse -> device(s) I'm using this solution to backup my alarm system and my cable-modem. It eats 6W of power to deliver 5W to the cable-modem... really good compared to other solutions! Compared to a regular UPS it saves massive amounts of energy. Compared to a power station's DC output it saves 5-10W or so... 35kWh to 70kWh/year, which I think makes it worth doing. A 20Ah x 12.8V (256Wh) battery runs my cable-modem for roughly 2 days. I've fallen in love with this little solution. -Matt

Thank you great video. Very easy to follow.

Im still using the EPEver charge controller's (5 of them) that you recommended when you were living in your camper. They've been running for about 5 years now.

@goodredman

3 ай бұрын

Similarly, here also pleased with performance of EPEver Xtra 30amp charge controller unit. Have it going for over two years on a budget 12 V system with a Chins 100amp/hr battery. Two separate inverters. 1500 W hardwired to the battery. 300 W inverter wired to the charge controller that can be switched on and off using time settings in EPEver menu or with remote switch. Simple set up. Has come in handy during winter power outages.

nice and simple - thank you for the video!!!!

Great video! Thanks Will!

I had the 2000 Watt inverter you recommended on your website but returned it because it was VERY loud. I now have a Renogy 2000 Watt inverter and it is so much quieter when running with the fans on. I have four of the 100 AH Li Times and I wish I knew this big boy existed.

Fab one will, love how you say you can't screw it up.. :)

Will, you are a solar genius. I only wish that you were my neighbor. I’m having a difficult time finding a solar company here in northwest Indiana who can install a system to only charge my 2020 Tesla model X. They all want to sell me a system that supplies my entire home. Having a smaller system to charge my car will help me learn to later expand the system to supply my entire home on my own.

Hello Will, would you consider making a video showing examples of solar panels that you would recommend that compliment each of the 2 systems (budget and performance)?

My system is basically the budget package. However, living in Colorado with my battery I needed to add a low temperature charging shutoff, which I ended up doing by adding a Victron Smart Battery Sense. If I was starting from scratch, at this time it would make sense to get a battery with a management system that implemented that function. Also, my battery is undersized for my inverter. I didn't know that you can't just have the battery discharge in a short period of time if you wanted to only run the load for a few minutes. My intent is for the system to be used for a camping trailer, but so far it doesn't allow me to reliably run an electric chainsaw, but it is overkill for my other weekend camping needs.

One thing i believe you should have explained. The diagram of the batteries shows positive connected to one battery and negative to another. I'm sure many would not understand why when all in parallel. But yeah great video.

Would love to see the simplest 48v home-integrated setup. Grid-tied setups that require the least amount of load center modifications, setups that do/do-not require grid buy-back, etc.

Hello Will, thank you for all of your awesome content. In a system for and RV, how close should the charge controller be to the battery(s)? Thanks in advance....

Awesome video/content as usual!

You can also rig it up on a hand cart (dolly) and be able to move it from location to location. I have my solar panel and charge controller rigged in a stationary location.

the 48V system is super cool

Thanks - very nice beginner explanation

Also I liked your old LV2424 24v system review

Your videos are great! Thanks

Been watching you for several years now, Thank you for sharing your knowledge. PS the older you get the hotter you have become. Stay Awesome, your beautiful.

thank you for the 12volt simple solar

Best solar content anywhere! Question, why connect the charge controller to the inverter instead of the battery? 🤔

@sailingkaya

3 ай бұрын

I’m confused on this as well as it’s always been my understanding that you should not do that. Even Renogy says not to do that. Will, help us understand 😁

A 48v system seems much simpler than a 12v one, and for the EG4 the 6000XP seems a good upgrade and gives you a lot of headroom. I like the Victron and I assume it is just time before they bring out a all in one box. I had not realised before I started looking into this that the Batteries would be the biggest expense.

Can I hire you to design and/or help me install a energy system! 😁👍👍🇺🇸 You are "THE MAN"! 😁👍👍🇺🇸

Another Great Video! Thanks