Our System…
Our real-world solar and backup power system in daily use.
Every energy system, solar or otherwise, is unique and reflects the needs, goals, location, and circumstances of the people who depend on it. These articles document the design, construction, operation, maintenance, upgrades, successes, and challenges of our own solar and backup power systems. The goal is not to present a perfect solution, but to share real-world experience that may help others as they evaluate, design, build, or improve their own systems.
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SOLAR : My biggest mistake…by far!
Not all goes well on the glamstead, sometimes I make mistakes…sometimes BIG mistakes. Last month was one of those BIG mistakes. I cured it last week. Back in JanuaryI got a call from my wife.…
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MidNite Solar Battery Review & Install – Part #1
If you watch it on youtube please do me a favor and “like” it. And you can even subscribe to my channel there as well 🙂 Related Articles – Trouble in Solar Paradise Update on…
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EMP, CME, & Lightening Surge Protection – Part #2
If you haven’t read Part #1 of this 2-part series you probably should. < click here to read Part #1 > My Protection Strategy – So how do I protect my off-grid home? First off…I…
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EMP, CME, & Lightening Surge Protection – Part #1
Time to go technical…’high-tech’ to be exact…let’s talk surge protection. For this discussion surge protection will include the concepts of lightening strikes (LS), Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), and of course, Electromagnetic Pulses (EMP). While they…
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Victron Lynx PowerIn – Class T Fuse & Battery Switch
In a recently installed solar system I use a Class T fuse between the Trophy battery bank and the inverter. A Class T fuse is a fast-acting, high amp rated capable fuse. I installed a…
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Victron Lynx PowerIn – Used as a Battery BusBar
I’ve written about Victron’s Lynx PowerIn before…and how really cool I think it is. Today I am showing you how I used it for a busbar to connect three 105ah LifePO4 Trophy batteries into a…
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Victron Energy Lynx Distribution System – Lynx PowerIn Part #2
Welcome to Part #2 of the Victron Energy Lynx PowerIn article! In Part #1 < click here to read Part #1 > I shared a bunch of information, here in Part #2 I will show…
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Victron Energy Lynx Distribution System – Lynx PowerIn Part #1
The Victron Lynx Distribution System is a modular busbar system that incorporates DC connections, distribution, fusing, battery monitoring and Lithium battery management. The system consists of the following components: Lynx PowerIn Lynx Distributor Lynx Shun…
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LifePO4 Battery SOC Charts
Yup, those are actual LifePO4 battery cells with a Battery Management System (BMS) attached to the side. In other words…a LifePO4 battery…without a fancy case around it. In my early days of solar system design…
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Third Battery Arrived – Trophy 220E-1
note: This post should have been made 6 days after the initial post regarding the battery purchase, but it was delayed along with the first post. Well, you know by my last post regarding my…
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Ordered My Third Battery !
note: this post was written on December 6th, posting was delayed for a number of reasons. As promised before, I am posting about my experience with Trophy Battery…and purchasing the third battery in a bank…
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Our Solar System Upgrade
There seemed to be a bunch of interest in the solar stuff I have been posting. And, I decided a couple months ago to upgrade our system. Seems like a perfect time to share more…
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Our Glamstead Solar System
Here we go…I was asked to supply the info and diagram of our solar system. I hope this can be of use to folks who are thinking about going off-grid or grid-tied. After working through…
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2021 Solar System Configuration
I received a couple requests for more information on the solar system design I mentioned in two earlier posts regarding some of the equipment. So I have attached a PDF file that shows the design…