Help a poor man budget his way into a semi-competent system.

[FapCop]

I need to something that will staring out, power two computers with screens, A 32" in LED TV screen, a Xbox All-digital-S, a Router and ONT.

Plan starting out with a basic inverter that gets charged from the grid and keeps these thing going for at least two hours.

It is going to need to be expandable.
Aside from getting the batteries charged on the grid when the lights are on, down the line I want to add in a few upgrades as I have money available. Like adding in more batteries, and expanding to additional charging sources, like wind and solar panels.

Which batteries should I go with, and which inverter will supply my initial needs for the above mentioned load and be upgraded with additional charging sources down the line?

 

[DapperDanMan]

Help a poor man budget his way into a semi-competent system.​

Since when is Eskom considered a semi-competent system?​

 

[leon.davibe]

Pc's intended use
Office or gaming?

if gamng gpu/cpu models or power usage

if you know exact wattage you can better prevent disappointment

for beginning and end phase

Budget for 1st phase

Edit imo where you need to start is charge rate, ie fund the usage you would use over the longest shedding session , then find an inverter that can charge that back in the session we have power

Normally by yhe time you have that ,all other requirements will be met

ie few 12v systems have decent charge rates (they do exist but patience is key if out of stock ie rushing this step and compromising here is recipe for disaster)

The higher the voltage of the system the less likely you will be disappointed that it can't recharge what you have used

But naturally budget is allways the fly in the ointment for all of us (ie we all want to have a ferrari but sometimes a ford is all we can get for the money

 

[ld13]

Pc's intended use
Office or gaming?

if gamng gpu/cpu models or power usage

if you know exact wattage you can better prevent disappointment

for beginning and end phase

Budget for 1st phase

Also, are these items all in the same room? Ignoring the ont and router, as you need to get a mini ups for each of those, as a start.

 

[leon.davibe]

Also, are these items all in the same room? Ignoring the ont and router, as you need to get a mini ups for each of those, as a start.

Imo if already going inverter spending money on small items is a waste of bang for buck

ie paying R6700 for 1.28kw you pay R5234 per kwh

While buying a dc ups you pay R1k for 100wh (optimistic)
You are paying R10 000 per kwh

So i feel if running an inverter already just add the dc ups cash to the pot and get bigger battery there or faster charge rate

ie 1k extra on inverter may bring more joy in being able to recharge quicker

Just my 2c

 

[FapCop]

Thanks guys, I suppose you're right. Step one is to calculate the wattage the stuff I need powered draws.

Is there something I can buy and hook up to my devices to see how much power they each draw?

 

[MidnightZA]

Thanks guys, I suppose you're right. Step one is to calculate the wattage the stuff I need powered draws.

Is there something I can buy and hook up to my devices to see how much power they each draw?

Digital Watt Meter (Kill A Watt) - Measure your electricity usage

Measures electricity usage Wattage: 0~3300W (Max 3300 watts) Voltage Current: 0-15A (Max 15A) Power Factor Electricity Cost ***NOTE: The counter on the device will reset when it is unplugged from the wall.

www.geewiz.co.za

Do you really need 2 PCs on for 2 hours during load shedding? I think those will be the deciding factor of how much battery capacity you need.

I have a 1kw solar inverter (from Geewiz) and a 12V 100Ah battery. It powers my 55inch TV, 24 inch screen, PS4 and some lights for 4 hours. But I rarely ever use all of it for the full 4 hours.

 

[FapCop]

Digital Watt Meter (Kill A Watt) - Measure your electricity usage

Measures electricity usage Wattage: 0~3300W (Max 3300 watts) Voltage Current: 0-15A (Max 15A) Power Factor Electricity Cost ***NOTE: The counter on the device will reset when it is unplugged from the wall.

www.geewiz.co.za

Do you really need 2 PCs on for 2 hours during load shedding? I think those will be the deciding factor of how much battery capacity you need.

I have a 1kw solar inverter (from Geewiz) and a 12V 100Ah battery. It powers my 55inch TV, 24 inch screen, PS4 and some lights for 4 hours. But I rarely ever use all of it for the full 4 hours.

Yep. One pc is a server that's also in use pretty much 24/7 as a workstation that does spreadsheets, and the other is in use pretty much 24/7 doing music production and video editing.

The Xbox (unfortunately) has to be available at all times too, as well as internet access.

So going with averages, I'm looking at an approximate peak draw of around 2.2kW. There's one device I can live without that will bring it down to approximately 1.2kW.

 

[ld13]

Imo if already going inverter spending money on small items is a waste of bang for buck

I agree with you in principle and on paper. But there are a few factors that come into play or why I go the mini dc ups route in the majority of cases. The mini ups gives instant gratification, for one, as they are quite readily available. I arive on location with a mini ups in hand and have yet to leave with that mini UPS. I also see so many new users hitting their 'budget' trolley so hard, that they run out of juice by hour 2/3. This way the internet can just chill, independently of any issues, breakdowns etc.

Then, and this is the main culprit, looking at my rather small sample size, the appliances that one wants to power are rarely in the same room. In about 16 cases I can think of only 4 of the end-points have their internet terminate in the same room as the main appliances that need power. I never advocate for a suicide cable. I also hate the lead running through the house to power just the ONT/Router. I have on some occasions gone POE (where the existing lan cables allowed me to do it) but even in those cases the dedicated mini ups or two just made things so much less complicated.

And I am talking about the cheapest R500 one I can get my hands on. In some cases just a R200 2200mah one can power the ONT without any issues, where the router is luckily located closer to the living room or where the backup systems does not kick in immediatly.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[FapCop]

Brain fart, sorry

 

[pinball wizard]

You can be poor or you can have a solution. You can't be both.

 

[vaakseun]

Help a poor man budget his way into a semi-competent system.​

I need to something that will staring out, power two computers with screens, A 32" in LED TV screen, a Xbox All-digital-S, a Router and ONT.

 

[Adeptus Mechanicus]

I need to something that will staring out, power two computers with screens, A 32" in LED TV screen, a Xbox All-digital-S, a Router and ONT.

Plan starting out with a basic inverter that gets charged from the grid and keeps these thing going for at least two hours.

It is going to need to be expandable.
Aside from getting the batteries charged on the grid when the lights are on, down the line I want to add in a few upgrades as I have money available. Like adding in more batteries, and expanding to additional charging sources, like wind and solar panels.

Which batteries should I go with, and which inverter will supply my initial needs for the above mentioned load and be upgraded with additional charging sources down the line?

Here's your complication right here: If you spec a system with future expand-ability in mind you are going to pay significantly more now than what you need to cover your current requirements. This is not a bad thing imo.

So we know what your current requirements are. Let me ask the next important question: What is your budget now?

 

[FapCop]

Here's your complication right here: If you spec a system with future expand-ability in mind you are going to pay significantly more now than what you need to cover your current requirements. This is not a bad thing imo.

So we know what your current requirements are. Let me ask the next important question: What is your budget now?

Im fine with that. Here's my situation: I cannot afford to outright buy a complete solar setup and pay people to install it. Financial stability makes paying it off or rent to own impractical.

However, I can bit by bit diy something that charges off the grid and slowly introduce solar and larger battery capacity as money becomes available.

I'd prefer to avoid completely winging it so I don't even up buying the wrong type of inverter, etc and end up having to chuck things out and buying new again, so I'd rather get some input on specifically which hardware to get, which is why I'm here talking to you fine gentlemen.

Right now as I'm talking to you, I have about R30k to play with. In time I'll have more. I don't mind waiting and saving if the costs are more.

So right now, to be specific, I'm looking for advice on choosing an inverter with UPS capability that can (for future proofing) output 5kW, can charge batteries off mains, has the option to connect solar panels in future and won't explode if you increase battery capacity in future.

I'm looking for advice on batteries that can last 4hrs on a 1.2kW draw (for now).

This doesn't need to be contained all on one trolley.

EDIT: Feel free to talk to me like I'm a retard, because my knowledge is fairly limited.

 

[Ϲhristopher]

Yep. One pc is a server that's also in use pretty much 24/7 as a workstation that does spreadsheets, and the other is in use pretty much 24/7 doing music production and video editing.

The Xbox (unfortunately) has to be available at all times too, as well as internet access.

So going with averages, I'm looking at an approximate peak draw of around 2.2kW. There's one device I can live without that will bring it down to approximately 1.2kW.

I think you need to check your power requirements, 1.2kW from just those devices seems extremely high.

 

[Adeptus Mechanicus]

Im fine with that. Here's my situation: I cannot afford to outright buy a complete solar setup and pay people to install it. Financial stability makes paying it off or rent to own impractical.

However, I can bit by bit diy something that charges off the grid and slowly introduce solar and larger battery capacity as money becomes available.

I'd prefer to avoid completely winging it so I don't even up buying the wrong type of inverter, etc and end up having to chuck things out and buying new again, so I'd rather get some input on specifically which hardware to get, which is why I'm here talking to you fine gentlemen.

Right now as I'm talking to you, I have about R30k to play with. In time I'll have more. I don't mind waiting and saving if the costs are more.

So right now, to be specific, I'm looking for advice on choosing an inverter with UPS capability that can (for future proofing) output 4kW, can charge batteries off mains, has the option to connect solar panels in future and won't explode if you increase battery capacity in future.

I'm looking for advice on batteries that can last 4hrs on a 1.2kW draw (for now).

This doesn't need to be contained all on one trolley.

So my first bit of advice is skip the trolley configuration. Get yourself a wall mounted inverter and have it integrated into your household from the get go:

Cons: Additional costs as a result of needing a split db, breakers, possible new circuits (depending on how your house is wired) and the labour to do this.
Pros: You will not sit with a large noisy inverter in a trolley stationed somewhere close enough to run extension cords to. If you are buying to "future proof" you will be buying something that will likely not be completely silent. Your future idea to power lighting for the house or any appliances is now also catered for.

As for the inverter to buy: You have many options, but stick with a 48v system (due to lithium battery choices) and I'd say a minimum of 5kva (most inverters larger that 3kva are 48v anyway). Your budget-focussed options are any of the Axpert/Voltronic rebrands (Kodak/Mecer/Synapse/etc/etc) or perhaps a Luxpower. Expect to pay around R12k to R15k for this.

Battery: The smallest 48v lithium battery you can find that will still allow you to expand upon (ie not replace) later. The Pylontech batteries are pretty good value for money and can be mixed and matched a lot more readily. Expect to pay around R22k for this (e.g a US3000.

All-in-all. I don't see you getting away with less than R45k (inverter+single battery+ancilleries+labour) to do this without significant compromise.

 

[FapCop]

So my first bit of advice is skip the trolley configuration. Get yourself a wall mounted inverter and have it integrated into your household from the get go:

Cons: Additional costs as a result of needing a split db, breakers, possible new circuits (depending on how your house is wired) and the labour to do this.
Pros: You will not sit with a large noisy inverter in a trolley stationed somewhere close enough to run extension cords to. If you are buying to "future proof" you will be buying something that will likely not be completely silent. Your future idea to power lighting for the house or any appliances is now also catered for.

As for the inverter to buy: You have many options, but stick with a 48v system (due to lithium battery choices) and I'd say a minimum of 5kva (most inverters larger that 3kva are 48v anyway). Your budget-focussed options are any of the Axpert/Voltronic rebrands (Kodak/Mecer/Synapse/etc/etc) or perhaps a Luxpower. Expect to pay around R12k to R15k for this.

Battery: The smallest 48v lithium battery you can find that will still allow you to expand upon (ie not replace) later. The Pylontech batteries are pretty good value for money and can be mixed and matched a lot more readily. Expect to pay around R22k for this.

All-in-all. I don't see you getting away with less than R45k (inverter+single battery+ancilleries+labour) to do this without significant compromise.

This is 100% the answer I was looking for. Thanks bud, you pointed me in a direction.

I will update this thread as this project comes along.

 

[Adeptus Mechanicus]

This is 100% the answer I was looking for. Thanks bud, you pointed me in a direction.

I will update this thread as this project comes along.

You are welcome. I have gone through the pains of a trolley based system, then to a 3kva small scale system and now to a larger scale solution with solar.

Had I known what I now know I would have gone the same route you are wanting to go now.