Taking lights and internet off the Grid (mostly)

[Pho3nix]

Do you leave all your light on, always? Or only a few, for the time that you're awake, if at night

Maths for lights were for if all of them were all on at the same time for 5 hours. Usually it’s just bedroom, lounge and kitchen which would be maybe half the usage

And only at night. Not all the time

 

[Pho3nix]

Something like this would be a lot cheaper: https://www.ellies.co.za/product/sinewave-inverter-with-trolley-2000va-modified-1200w/

And you wouldn't also need to wire it up to the DB board directly (and the cost for an electrician to do it to get a certificate of compliance).

The inverters are noisy though..

Want a system I can move to Solar eventually :| unless I’m missing that this will work?

Happy to save some bucks but want something that’ll last and workable for expansion

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Something like this would be a lot cheaper: https://www.ellies.co.za/product/sinewave-inverter-with-trolley-2000va-modified-1200w/

And you wouldn't also need to wire it up to the DB board directly (and the cost for an electrician to do it to get a certificate of compliance).

The inverters are noisy though..

modified sinewave, terrible, the Axpert is true sinewave, much better

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Want a system I can move to Solar eventually :| unless I’m missing that this will work?

Happy to save some bucks but want something that’ll last and workable for expansion

that axpert setup is a very nice startup, add panels later

 

[Pho3nix]

Geez, that sounds is pretty heavy!
I have a 800W inverter, for my lights (all LED) and lounge (TV, media player, Wifi, Fibre, network, alarm, etc). Typically I draw way less than 400W. Last time during load shedding, while streaming to a TV and with kitchen liunge lights on, I was at 200W.

The average for the lounge was for an entire day , most probably less tbh.

 

[greg_SA]

The average for the lounge was for an entire day , most probably less tbh.

Ah, okay, I see

 

[Pho3nix]

Considering the cheaper one possibly now.. saving R7k in that.

 

[Pho3nix]

All screenshots from here :
https://thepowerstore.co.za/pages/solar-kits

If anyone knows of anything cheaper.. please let me know

 

[greg_SA]

Considering the cheaper one possibly now.. saving R7k in that.

View attachment 618210

You could probably even get away with 2 batteries, and add another 2 if you need to later

 

[Pho3nix]

You could probably even get away with 2 batteries, and add another 2 if you need to later

All for R13.5k... not bad. Now let me go find R13k
Thanks!

 

[greg_SA]

All for R13.5k... not bad. Now let me go find R13k
Thanks!

Cool, just watch you loads carefully in the beginning when running from the batteries. It is easy to do, even when running from 220V, you can see what load you are drawing.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Don't skimp on battery capacity.
Remember no batteries like getting flat
You run a battery down you deplete its life cycles
I like to keep my batteries above 85% capacity at all times and the batteries last longer.
Take a battery down to 50% (that's 12.2volts) and you're battery will eventually moan at you

 

[Praeses]

All for R13.5k... not bad. Now let me go find R13k
Thanks!

I recon I can run my PC (while gaming) and internet off this for 2.5 hours easily enough.

 

[greg_SA]

Don't skimp on battery capacity.
Remember no batteries like getting flat
You run a battery down you deplete its life cycles
I like to keep my batteries above 85% capacity at all times and the batteries last longer.
Take a battery down to 50% (that's 12.2volts) and you're battery will eventually moan at you

It all depends on the batteries, and how long you want them to last. One needs to check the DOD vs number of cycles.
If you use the batteries every day with a solar setup, then a shallow discharge is important. But if it is only for less regular load shedding, the discharge can be deeper as you will have fewer cycles.

 

[Pho3nix]

Axpert works well as an UPS or off-grid with solar and their biggest selling point being that they are cheap.
But if you have a grid connection then an Axpert with solar is probably not the best call.

As for being a very nice setup is pushing it a bit. Goodwe is nice setup , Victron a very setup

Links would be helpful.. with costs

 

[The_Ogre]

Links would be helpful.. with costs

Uhm, the fact that ONLY @Arthur on MyBB can afford Victron should already be a sign. Hence us eating at the lower end of the trough with Axpert, etc

 

[Arthur]

Uhm, the fact that ONLY @Arthur on MyBB can afford Victron should already be a sign. Hence us eating at the lower end of the trough with Axpert, etc

?

What's Victron? I don't have anything with or by that name.

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

I own a 180watt pure sine wave Victron inverter and a 100/30 MPPT Solar charge controller. Beautiful stuff for my camping setup. There is no way I will ever be able to afford a Victron setup at home unless I win the lotto

 

[greg_SA]

Clearly I was not replying to you.

My advice to you would be to go buy the two cheapest car batteries and Midas tomorrow.

It was not clear at all. If you are not replying to me, then don't quote me. Look at your post #180 again

And why are you advising me to buy cheap car batteries? Your posts are really confusing.

 

[ISP cash cow]

Does anyone know of a reputable company that can assist in setting up a hybrid solar and battery setup for my house. I currently have generators but I am thinking of maybe going onto a solar and battery based backup (with the solar feeding into the house grid when the batteries are full - leaving the batteries for load shedding etc). I want to also feed it into my DB board and wire it all up correctly.

also how do you guys work out how much power each plug or how much power your house is actually consuming? are you just doing it mentally by adding all the components up that are connected to the plugs or are using a smart meter of some sort to check the power consumption?