There something quite fulfilling knowing the whole house is running off the garage 
Ronski's Solar & battery DIY build with whole house backup
- Thread starter Ron-ski
- Start date
@Welshman there's certainly a lot of it, and there's a lot of graphs I haven't added.
I also have a page with predicted generation, another with various gauge's (not publicly assessable), and I'm trying to adapt someone else's code to upload to PV Output, all done on the Victron Cerbo GX.
I also have a page with predicted generation, another with various gauge's (not publicly assessable), and I'm trying to adapt someone else's code to upload to PV Output, all done on the Victron Cerbo GX.
I drew it in Sketchup, and you can set the orientation and location, then create shadows. Ideally you need a minimum of 300mm boarder around the panels and the edge of the roof, some places state 400mm though, but I went 300.
Or you could try https://easy-pv.co.uk/home although I find it not so good on flat roofs. If your roof is strong enough you can use ballasted adjustable frames.
Is it a single flat roof, and what's the pitch?
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I've drawn my system schematic for the DNO, anything I've left off or any problems?
Link for bigger picture.
PS. Various bits have arrived for the second battery.
Link for bigger picture.
PS. Various bits have arrived for the second battery.
Thank you for the confirmation
Not safe for work tags
I'm still none the wiser, please explain?
Have to beat Katie somehow
One SWA is the grid connection to the inverter, the other SWA is the return to the house and feeds the consumer unit.
25mm is just a much better choice than 16mm, the run from the house to the garage is around 20 meters each way, using 25mm also minimises voltage drop, which must be kept low for a solar installation. IIRC 25mm is rated for 134A, we are currently fused at 80A, but if I needed to fit a car charger then it has the capacity to go to 100A. If you check the DNO requirements for a 100A supply you must use 25mm cables all the way to the 100A rated consumer unit, if using 16mm then 80A is the maximum DNO fuse they will fit.
@randal thanks, I'm a bit out of touch with some, probably most of today's modernist lingo
I'm in my 50's
My age doesn't bother me in the slightest, the aches and pains that come with it do a little, but it's just the way it is.
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The parts for the second battery build are trickling in.
I now have the BMS, BMS screen, 250A T Class fuse and holder.
I already have various other bits that I bought previously, currently trying to make a list of what I've got, and what I need to get, amazing just how much there is.
I now have the BMS, BMS screen, 250A T Class fuse and holder.
I already have various other bits that I bought previously, currently trying to make a list of what I've got, and what I need to get, amazing just how much there is.
Been having a bit more of a play with Node Red today, supposed to be working on the export scheduling, but added another gauge to my Node Red dashboard, I should have one that will now show the highest peak power of the day, it should reset over night.
You're going to wish you bought the bigger one lol, I can see gym time calling
How's this pair compare?
I was going to hire a pair to do the 120mm cable lugs, but these came up last week, and got them for a bargain price compared to what they usually cost second hand and not much more than I was quoted to hire a set! I did have to buy a set of 120mm dies though, but managed to find them for a third of the price of new dies.
PS. I still going to ned the gym, they're very heavy!
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Tried the new crimper today, it makes light work of crimping, but it is really heavy and cumbersome to hold, but it does beautiful crimps, crimped this one twice just to get a slightly longer crimp. With the other one you have to crimp multiple times, rotating the lug to get a nice crimp.
Started building up the second battery tray, cell's aren't arriving until late April, but there is plenty to do.
And also the main rack fuse and busbar.
Started building up the second battery tray, cell's aren't arriving until late April, but there is plenty to do.
And also the main rack fuse and busbar.
The cables from the main rack breaker are 120mm, which I realised yesterday posed a bit of problem, as the lugs I had were straight, which meant the cables would come above the top of the rack. All the angled terminals I could find online were too wide for the breaker.
So I put them in the vice, between some aluminium so the faces weren't damaged, and carefully bent them, I now have angled lugs
I've been designing some 3D printed covers to go on the moulded breakers, amongst other jobs I had to do today, so not much done on the battery system.
So I put them in the vice, between some aluminium so the faces weren't damaged, and carefully bent them, I now have angled lugs
I've been designing some 3D printed covers to go on the moulded breakers, amongst other jobs I had to do today, so not much done on the battery system.
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Last week I made some terminal covers for the main breakers.
The easy way to get holes in the correct place, print out a template.
Fitted two more breakers, the busbars and made up some more cables, 120mm cables from busbar to main breaker, 70mm cables from busbar to second battery breaker, and got the positive cable down to the battery tray fuse.
The easy way to get holes in the correct place, print out a template.
Fitted two more breakers, the busbars and made up some more cables, 120mm cables from busbar to main breaker, 70mm cables from busbar to second battery breaker, and got the positive cable down to the battery tray fuse.
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My busbars arrived today, along with the aluminium for the battery base/heat spreader.
Just a few minor items to get, and then just the cells I'm waiting on.
Just a few minor items to get, and then just the cells I'm waiting on.
Today I conducted a SolarEdge Inverter automated shut down test, basically if the grid fails (so we're running off grid) the system needs to reduce power when the batteries are full and solar production exceeds demands, if it doesn't then the batteries are used as a soak until the BMS cuts off due to exceeding the maximum voltage, at that point the inverter will shut down.
Unfortunately I was busy packing a parcel and wasn't keeping an eye on the state of charge, and it had got to 99%, the solar was generating circa 6kW, so I needed to drop the SOC to about 90%.
Washing machine was on, both ovens was on, kettle was, microwave was on, and I put the twin draw air fryer on, cue about 11kW of draw and minimal grid draw - just noise as the solar went up and down.
Anyway I managed to get the battery down to 90% and after turning all the extra loads off apart from the washing machine I flicked off the grid supply.
Now I thought the system would close down the SE Inverter at 95% SOC charge (there doesn't appear to be a setting for this), but it didn't, it kept going, then the garage PV shut down at 99%, leaving the house system going, that shut down at 100% and the garage system came back on at a reduced output to cover loads.
So the experiment was successful and proves the system does what its supposed to.
Unfortunately I was busy packing a parcel and wasn't keeping an eye on the state of charge, and it had got to 99%, the solar was generating circa 6kW, so I needed to drop the SOC to about 90%.
Washing machine was on, both ovens was on, kettle was, microwave was on, and I put the twin draw air fryer on, cue about 11kW of draw and minimal grid draw - just noise as the solar went up and down.
Anyway I managed to get the battery down to 90% and after turning all the extra loads off apart from the washing machine I flicked off the grid supply.
Now I thought the system would close down the SE Inverter at 95% SOC charge (there doesn't appear to be a setting for this), but it didn't, it kept going, then the garage PV shut down at 99%, leaving the house system going, that shut down at 100% and the garage system came back on at a reduced output to cover loads.
So the experiment was successful and proves the system does what its supposed to.
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