Solar generation in rain/cloudy conditions

Got the Solar install done just in time. Connected it Friday and the area I'm in has been without power since Saturday.

Neighbours are leering at me as if I knew **** was gonna hit the fan.

0 downtime so far. My base load is very low though. Lowest the battery has gone was 56% overnight and it was fully charged before 8 this morning.
 
netstrider said:
Got the Solar install done just in time. Connected it Friday and the area I'm in has been without power since Saturday.

Neighbours are leering at me as if I knew **** was gonna hit the fan.

0 downtime so far. My base load is very low though. Lowest the battery has gone was 56% overnight and it was fully charged before 8 this morning.
Click to expand...
Yup I had that, it's funny how people haven't made plans for power outages, I mean the area sat for 17 days without power, I got myself a generator and gas for cooking two days after power went out. Which meant for 15 days of the outage I lived almost normally, nowadays I would probably barely even know it really.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lud
netstrider said:
Got the Solar install done just in time. Connected it Friday and the area I'm in has been without power since Saturday.

Neighbours are leering at me as if I knew **** was gonna hit the fan.

0 downtime so far. My base load is very low though. Lowest the battery has gone was 56% overnight and it was fully charged before 8 this morning.
Click to expand...
wtf-is-that-confused.gif
 
Lupus said:
Yeah no water really does suck.
Click to expand...
At the old place the water pipes in the street would always burst so we ended up installing a 5000l jojo and booster pump.

When you travel into dark africa, every house has a jojo tank installed on a tower.
 
wingnut771 said:
At the old place the water pipes in the street would always burst so we ended up installing a 5000l jojo and booster pump.

When you travel into dark africa, every house has a jojo tank installed on a tower.
Click to expand...
Yeah it is tempting, but i'd need the tank right on my driveway near the tap close to the water meter.
 
Lupus said:
Yeah it is tempting, but i'd need the tank right on my driveway near the tap close to the water meter.
Click to expand...
That's where mine was. 1m away from the water meter on the other wide of the wall but I guess it can be anywhere between meter and house wherever the line goes.
 
wingnut771 said:
That's where mine was. 1m away from the water meter on the other wide of the wall but I guess it can be anywhere between meter and house wherever the line goes.
Click to expand...
Plus power for the pump, so don't want too far from either.
 
wingnut771 said:
ROI 20 years?
Click to expand...
I don't need a big battery bank. I have a 6.1kWh battery which has yet to dip below 50% despite 4.5 days of no power and cloudy days in Gauteng.

This battery + 14x 550W panels has served me very well the last few days. Eskom came back about 40 minutes ago and yet, with PC, washing machine, kettle, and Microwave on, this is what I get:

20251105_105819(0).jpg

I'll connect the Geyser probably and schedule it for the day. First wanted to see how things go. If that becomes an issue I may opt for another battery or power the Element with DC. I still have 8 spare panels.
 
netstrider said:
I don't need a big battery bank. I have a 6.1kWh battery which has yet to dip below 50% despite 4.5 days of no power and cloudy days in Gauteng.

This battery + 14x 550W panels has served me very well the last few days. Eskom came back about 40 minutes ago and yet, with PC, washing machine, kettle, and Microwave on, this is what I get:

View attachment 1861032

I'll connect the Geyser probably and schedule it for the day. First wanted to see how things go. If that becomes an issue I may opt for another battery or power the Element with DC. I still have 8 spare panels.
Click to expand...
How much did this cost? Sounds like you have 5kW inverter with 7.7kWp of panels and 6.somethingkWh battery. So about R60-70k?

So my point is that as a low power user, you could have gotten by with a 24V 3kW inverter, 6.somerthingkWh battery and 1.5KwP solar for about R30k so about a third of the cost.

There seems to be about 3000W missing in that graphic?
 
wingnut771 said:
How much did this cost? Sounds like you have 5kW inverter with 7.7kWp of panels and 6.somethingkWh battery. So about R60-70k?

So my point is that as a low power user, you could have gotten by with a 24V 3kW inverter, 6.somerthingkWh battery and 1.5KwP solar for about R30k so about a third of the cost.

There seems to be about 3000W missing in that graphic?
Click to expand...
As explained elsewhere, yes, it is a decent chunk of money if I had to buy everything myself, but I only purchased the rails, some cables, breaker box etc and the battery itself.

I got everything else for free, including the panels and the inverter.

No, there's nothing missing from the graphic. The panels only supply what is asked of it. So when the load drops, the panels supply 100W if required etc.

Regardless, I did not add it for ROI. Was never the plan from the start. My area gets A LOT of outages, sometimes for several days like it has been now. I'm a single father also. Imagine having to sit with a 5 year old toddler with no power for nearly 5 days.

So the peace of mind is priceless.
 
netstrider said:
As explained elsewhere, yes, it is a decent chunk of money if I had to buy everything myself, but I only purchased the rails, some cables, breaker box etc and the battery itself.

I got everything else for free, including the panels and the inverter.

No, there's nothing missing from the graphic. The panels only supply what is asked of it. So when the load drops, the panels supply 100W if required etc.

Regardless, I did not add it for ROI. Was never the plan from the start. My area gets A LOT of outages, sometimes for several days like it has been now. I'm a single father also. Imagine having to sit with a 5 year old toddler with no power for nearly 5 days.

So the peace of mind is priceless.
Click to expand...
Oh yes, I remember now.

I mean on the graphic solar is making 4kW but house is only using 1kW.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X