High Voltage Solar Panels

[RonSwanson]

I am unfortunately bound by what the body corporate will approve. Looking at something like this, but I don't have the exact spec yet from them.
View attachment 1491743

So I like the idea of the ground mounted panels as suggested by @TheChamp . All that you have to do to fool the trustees is to make it look like a shed. So design a structure that 1) points your panels where you want them and 2) has walls covered with IBR (and even a fake door). They won't know the difference.

You are very lucky to have a garden unit, think of all the poor fsckrs without

 

[Kroks]

So I like the idea of the ground mounted panels as suggested by @TheChamp . All that you have to do to fool the trustees is to make it look like a shed. So design a structure that 1) points your panels where you want them and 2) has walls covered with IBR (and even a fake door). They won't know the difference.

You are very lucky to have a garden unit, think of all the poor fsckrs without

They are relatively easy going, but I really need the shed as well to mount the Inverter and batteries.
I have to hand in a super exposed picture for any approvals, and one of the trustees stay right above me with a beautiful view of my garden.
They really are not difficult so I like to do everything with in the paramaters.

I do feel bad for the people in the upper units who doesn't have the option for this.

 

[Sinbad]

No-one says that you have to use the built-in MPPT. You can hook literally any MPPT controller to the Aux as long as it outputs AC, even microinverters.

Mppts will output dc mate.

 

[leon.davibe]

Mppts will output dc mate.

Yea he means you use a 5000w inverter and don't use its mppt
Buy a seperate mppt and connect direct to the battery

 

[DapperDanMan]

I am open to all ideas really.

Install extra solar panels inside the ZoZo that are attached to its ceiling.

Install hydraulics inside the ZoZo that opens up and expands the roof along the Y-axis during daylight hours and flips the ceiling around so that the panels on its inside are also facing the sun, just like the outer panels. Mounting surface space doubled. Panels doubled/quadrupled.

To expand on the success thereof, install a circular swivel base underneath the ZoZo so that it can be connected to a sun tracker device - this will ensure that your ZoZo turns and moves itself to always be at the optimal angle towards the sun's rays.

 

[Kroks]

Install extra solar panels inside the ZoZo that are attached to its ceiling.

Install hydraulics inside the ZoZo that opens up and expands the roof along the Y-axis during daylight hours and flips the ceiling around so that the panels on its inside are also facing the sun, just like the outer panels. Mounting surface space doubled. Panels doubled/quadrupled.

To expand on the success thereof, install a circular swivel base underneath the ZoZo so that it can be connected to a sun tracker device - this will ensure that your ZoZo turns and moves itself to always be at the optimal angle towards the sun's rays.

Ah yes, the super engineered solution me like....
There is always the smartflower ...

 

[Parched]

Install extra solar panels inside the ZoZo that are attached to its ceiling.

Install hydraulics inside the ZoZo that opens up and expands the roof along the Y-axis during daylight hours and flips the ceiling around so that the panels on its inside are also facing the sun, just like the outer panels. Mounting surface space doubled. Panels doubled/quadrupled.

To expand on the success thereof, install a circular swivel base underneath the ZoZo so that it can be connected to a sun tracker device - this will ensure that your ZoZo turns and moves itself to always be at the optimal angle towards the sun's rays.

As an added bonus it comes with one of these for your lounge...

 

[leon.davibe]

Or mount like this

 

[RonSwanson]

Mppts will output dc mate.

Yeah OK an MPPT controller with an inverter or a Microinverter, I did say AC output. Victron may be the Toyota Landcruiser of inverters, but Sunsynk remains the Swiss Army Knife of inverters.

 

[RonSwanson]

They are relatively easy going, but I really need the shed as well to mount the Inverter and batteries.
I have to hand in a super exposed picture for any approvals, and one of the trustees stay right above me with a beautiful view of my garden.
They really are not difficult so I like to do everything with in the paramaters.

I do feel bad for the people in the upper units who doesn't have the option for this.

Mmm how far is the exclusive use garden from your DB?

Edit: If the relationship is good with the trustees, then there is no sense in antagonising it. In ST developments relationships are key, as are reasonableness. If you are the first one in the complex doing this, then yours will be the bar for all of the others.
It's actually quite beneficial if you have to make a structure for the inverter and batteries, as long as it is adequately secured. But my point is to design around the solar capabilities first, then design it to be secure, waterproof and reasonably insulated. An IBR building with steel frame supports, tempered hardboard inners, with Isotherm sandwiched in the middle comes to mind.

 

[Kroks]

Or mount like this

That I know is unfortunately not allowed in the complex.

 

[Kroks]

Mmm how far is the exclusive use garden from your DB?

Not too far. Cable run will be about 20m. Will do a 10mm2 armoured cable, but that will be determined by the electrician.

 

[RonSwanson]

Not too far. Cable run will be about 20m. Will do a 10mm2 armoured cable, but that will be determined by the electrician.

All the best for your install. I sold a nice-ish place about 3 years ago because it was just totally unsuitable , not even for panel-less inverter and batteries, and the trustees (all 30%ers) were too dumb at that point to understand why. Now perhaps they finally do, but as they say, you snooze you lose. Is maar swaar om so fokken dom soos grond te wees.

 

[Kroks]

Mmm how far is the exclusive use garden from your DB?

Edit: If the relationship is good with the trustees, then there is no sense in antagonising it. In ST developments relationships are key, as are reasonableness. If you are the first one in the complex doing this, then yours will be the bar for all of the others.
It's actually quite beneficial if you have to make a structure for the inverter and batteries, as long as it is adequately secured. But my point is to design around the solar capabilities first, then design it to be secure, waterproof and reasonably insulated. An IBR building with steel frame supports, tempered hardboard inners, with an Isotherm sandwiched in the middle comes to mind.

You are 100% correct.
I have designed a long flat roof unit, more like a closet with the 2 panels end to end, i.e. 4m x 1 m with a slightly angeled flat roof.
Side panels will be chromadeck cut and pre coloured. Raw IBR will probably be declined. The other option was a subframe, covered with cement fibre board, painted to their specifications.

The guidelines was something in the line of "as long as it is not seen from ourside we will approve" Im not a big fan and am pushing them for a bit more info. I prefer to deal with descent guidelines.

But they are writing up a more definitive document.

 

[Kroks]

All the best for your install. I sold a nice-ish place about 3 years ago because it was just totally unsuitable , not even for panel-less inverter and batteries, and the trustees (all 30%ers) were too dumb at that point to understand why. Now perhaps they finally do, but as they say, you snooze you lose. Is maar swaar om so fokken dom soos grond te wees.

I really love my place. Corner unit, no neighbors on the side, and on the road with no neighbors accross the road that can see my unit.
I really dont want to put anything in the garden, but my desperation for stable power has swayed me.

 

[RonSwanson]

You are 100% correct.
I have designed a long flat roof unit, more like a closet with the 2 panels end to end, i.e. 4m x 1 m with a slightly angeled flat roof.
Side panels will be chromadeck cut and pre coloured. Raw IBR will probably be declined. The other option was a subframe, covered with cement fibre board, painted to their specifications.

The guidelines was something in the line of "as long as it is not seen from ourside we will approve" Im not a big fan and am pushing them for a bit more info. I prefer to deal with descent guidelines.

But they are writing up a more definitive document.

Fortunately you can paint IBR to look like virtually any "Garden shed" in a Builders' catalogue

 

[wingnut771]

What would the max/min temp be inside the little hut?

 

[Kroks]

What would the max/min temp be inside the little hut?

Yeah, that will be a problem to solve. I dont expect it to go above 40, but I am planning on setting up fans to pull in outside air, and expel warm air.
Will also as proposed earlier insulate the hut with isoboard.

 

[leon.davibe]

Area is a problem though

As i am in the southern cape

I can tell you if fans spin up the airflow over the grids preventing stuff getting into the fan blades cool down and cause condensation last thing you want is water droplets being sucked into the inverter

In the house less likely to happen wendy house gotta check the first while

So maybe leaving the hut to get a bit hotter isn't the worst thing


Edit
This i learned from running some crypto miners a while back, they do spin constantly so the same may not apply to intermittent fan of inverter

i only started experiencing this problem after , getting my cooling setup perfect

ie with a hot cool side setup ie miners always pulled cool air in

And then had to reroute some of the hot air back to get the cool side at a the right temp ie vents that i can choose ie hot /low humidity days all vents closed

And high humidity days i can choose how many of the 5 vents i have open pumping back hot air

Not having the hot/cool side the heat was too much

So just going back to old setup wasn't a solution

 

[itareanlnotani]

Not too far. Cable run will be about 20m. Will do a 10mm2 armoured cable, but that will be determined by the electrician.

Far too much overkill.

6mm is fine, depending how much current you'll be pushing. If 5kw, 6mm is plenty fine.

Sounds like this will mostly be for load shedding vs generation.

i.e. 5kw inverter + batteries, mostly charged by Eskom. The 2 panels are going to be relatively worthless output wise. Maybe 1KW at best peak output (2 x 500-600w panels)., or 3-5kWh/ day summer, 1kWh/day winter.


2 x 5kWh batteries will be in the 50k + vat range.
3KW - 5KW inverter thats approved will be in the 20k +vat range.
Panels - 3k each ish, I'm not sure I'd bother with panels even, its almost not quite worth it.