Going Solar: General Discussion on Solar DIY For Home & Office

[bhvm]

Let me rekindle an old thread and bhvm look forward to your inputs :-
I am looking for a simple hybrid solution in which my existing 12v inverter can be also charged by a solar panel - not looking to make extensive investments.

Some facts :-

Load is approx 200-250W (varying outdoor LED lights) - I need my outdoor lights to remain on whole night and was wondering if it would be completely powered by solar itself.

Not looking for expensive end to end solutions but something simpler which can work with the existing inverter - a hybrid solar controller type may be.

Suggestion welcome :- Also keen to understand if there are any specific brands/types of panel which have better efficiency than the rest and something thats easily available in india.

Hello IR,
Its very easy to add solar to your Existing inverter. Once enough panels and battery capacity is installed, any load connected to Inverter is effectively solar.
What you need is a solar MPPT controller like this-

MPPT Solar charge controller India | PWM | Hybrid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq6U6sBJV7k
https://www.amazon.in/SYSTELLAR-Solar-Charge-Controller-Autoselect/dp/B00JOCHWLA
https://www.amazon.in/Power-Saver-Systellar-charge-controllers/dp/B00PIH1HXY

Never buy PWM solar controllers, Only MPPT.

The setup will be like this-
Connect Solar Panels to MPPT controller. Make sure wires are thick (6mm or Better) and shortest route without Joints.

Connect MPPT to battery. Configure the controller according to your battery type and preferences.

Please note that this setup is Mainly geared towards-
1.Providing Stability to Power setup
2. Longer Battery Backup and Longer Battery Life (due to battery being always charged and prevent deep discharge during Load shedding)
3. Ability to fight multiple days of Power cuts (Depends on Battery capacity and Panels).

However, the setup does not cause monetary savings as much because there is no way to measure and deduct solar energy units from your bill.

Some tips-
Install double the Requirement of your solar Panels as these things are very inefficient and do not work at 100% output most the time.
Inverter, Battery and Transit losses will add another 30~40% of Inefficiency. Which means, the Load working at night will be less efficient. Solar is best used during day.

Your Load- 250W for 8 hours= 2000w
Sun time Production Average, 5 Hours, So Panels needed- 400W to 500w
Battery needed (3 days Blackout, Cloudy days)- 500AH , 12v
Battery needed (1 day blackout)- 165 AH, 12v

Add about 50% to all above for inefficiency.

 

[bhvm]

I am pleased to Revive this thread and what better way it would be than to post some Solar Tutorials-

Solar Unit Setup Tour (May 2020)

Hindi Setup Tour-
(Will redirect you to Quick fix tech)-

 

[bhvm]

 

[bhvm]

 

[bhvm]

 

[bhvm]

 

[bhvm]

 

[gearhead2]

Gentlemen,
Going green is the need of time. We shoud try our best to participate in this movement to make word a pollution free place. I have Converted my Home and Office On Solar energy, and using less budget than commercial installs.

Now it makes me think ,Will it provide savings worth 30k per year? Heck my yearly electric bill is even half of that! Its just our Green favouring spirit that makes us do such financially stupid project. Shut off the brains and think by heart. Think for Mother earth.

I would like to invite all the Experts and Beginners to Discuss, Plan and install solar projects via this thread.

Links-
DIY Solar Panel
Discussion Forum & Home to the Indian DIY Hobbyist

Hello bhvm, my sincere apologies for coming late to this splendid thread! It's a subject whose time has come (conservation & renewable energy) and I congratulate you and all who are contributing to it. My knowledge of the subject (practical & real world knowledge!) is minimal and I am gathering so much useful material!
Thanks & regards,
Shashanka

I myself a solar system Integrator. I can shed some light on this area as there are lots of misconception, bad practices, and superstitions.

First to quote from you
//financially stupid project.//

Actually Solar systems are best investments. Let us not compare with, we put our money on Cars and depreciating our investment on Maintenance and running cost. Instead compare the solar investment with real estate investment. If you know what you are doing, then you are doing what is right.

To start with, before installing a solar system, divide your investment in to 2. First to optimize your electrical consumption - LED Lights, Energy efficient Fans(30W only), 5 Star rated equipments(if possible), Inverter AC(if possible), Power Quality auditing (if required) and suggested corrective measures, Servo stabilizers (if required) etc. This first set will effectively reduce your actual power need to say 20% to 50%. Now the second part of investment to solar system for the optimized power consumption.

In this second part you have to be careful like we use to do our analysis before buying a Car or a home. There are too many lemons in the market to spoil our 25 years free energy. So instead of price competitiveness go for quality competitiveness. I can give you atleast a 100 examples were people trashed their money on Lemons. And we have done retrofit to those systems with real oranges and apples.

let us start the discussion. will share the little knowledge I gained in this industry.

And Solar is one super good DIY stuff. Actually it is very interesting and feasible to do DIY.

Thank you kadumedu for your input and real world information - very useful. Keep it coming!

 

[gearhead2]

Found this in my Google News site and thought it worth including here.
"India Can Produce 1,000 GW Solar Energy On 0.5% Of Land": Mukesh Ambani

The idea that "hydrogen on tap" might be a feasible proposition is not new, but Mukesh Ambani reiterating his "Green Energy Giga complex" and that it is on track shows that he is prepared to put his money where his mouth is. And that raises hopes that there is a future for hydrogen (FC and ICE), and a clean, sustainable, energy eco-system may be possible.

It is a small step but this lead can cascade into a larger movement and together with bio-fuels can make that impossible dream happen.........