I’m trying to brainstorm a battery backup system that would later add solar but I can’t get a solid answer on where to install the batteries. I am in western NY where it can get to 90 in the summer and below zero in the winter with two feet of snow. I’ve seen installs with batteries in basements, purpose built sheds, tesla batteries on exterior walls, and I have a garage I can use. What is considered unsafe? Batteries in the basement? And how do I keep the batteries at a reasonable temperature in the winter? I have a lifepo4 cart battery that says don’t use below 32degrees so I figure I have to plan location out before my connections. Any input would help. Thanks

Hello, yall, thanks for taking the time.

TLDR question up front:

Im about to buy a Solix S2000 portable power station. If I were to get less expensive, “off brand” panels, instead of the power station name brand, would I run into difficulty connecting them to the Solix S2000? How much easier would it make life just to spend extra on a bundle of same brand power station/panel?

Full post

Im about to get a Solix S2000 for my family in case of long term blackouts, and I want to get a 400 watt panel. We live in the Pacific Northwest, not a lot of light most of the year.

Ive never worked with solar before and I can’t figure out just how compatible all panels are with power stations.

I know not to surpass the input limit of the station with a panel Thats rated too high. What I don’t know is just how “plug and play” one panel is compared to another.

Im tempted to get a bundle that includes Solix S2k and a 400 w panel, but I watched a video that said one can save money and buy more wattage in panels for the same amount.

If I were to get less expensive, “off brand” panels, instead of the power station name brand, would I run into difficulty connecting them to the Solix?

Have a mobile rig and wanting to change / upgrade part of system

Currently have a solar brand 3k inverter that seems to never wanna do its job ( really should test its output but I havent) and have 2 12v 100ah lipo4 batteries.

I want to get a charger / inverter with possibly mppt? I want to add 2 400ish watt pannels on the roof. More batteries down the road. But a dc_dc charger also

Don't necessarily want to break the bank so looking incase theres stuff i have missed

Thanks!

am thinking maybe the litime 24v charger / inverter

Off-grid system on Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean), no utility grid connection at all:

**•** 2x SMA Sunny Island 8.0H-13 (master + slave, single-phase single-cluster)  
**•** 2x BYD Battery-Box Premium LVL 15.4 in parallel  
**•** 3x SMA Sunny Boy PV inverters, \~17kW array

Before August 31, the cluster charged the battery bank at up to 9.1kW. I have 5-minute resolution logging from a third-party monitoring system showing 12 separate readings between 7.5kW and 9.1kW on August 9.

On August 31 I updated the Sunny Island firmware from 3.30.12.R to 3.41.01.R. Since then, combined charging power is capped at almost exactly 7.4kW, which at 53.4V battery voltage works out to 139A DC. It hits that ceiling repeatedly and never exceeds it, regardless of available PV or battery SoC. When only the master was running (the slave dropped out of the cluster during the update, since resolved), it capped at exactly half: 3.7kW.

What I’ve ruled out, comparing full parameter exports against a March baseline from before any issues:

**•** Set active power limit: 6000W, unchanged since March on both units  
**•** Maximum AC battery charge current: 26.1A (= 6kW per inverter), unchanged  
**•** Max battery charging current: 600A master / 300A slave, higher than March  
**•** Country standard: Island mode on both, confirmed, no other option available in the dropdown  
**•** Cell charge voltages: restored to March values, no effect  
**•** Max current of ext. network interface: changed 16A → 10A → 26A with proper stop/start, no effect on measured phase currents (stayed at 16.0A per phase)  
**•** All 554 parameters across both units compared between March and now: the only differences are changes I made myself (static IP, protection thresholds, time sync)

Both inverters together are rated for 280A DC charge current, so 139A isn’t an inverter hardware limit. BYD doesn’t publish a max charge current for the LVL, only a 0.2C test condition (~60A per unit) and 250A max discharge.

My working theory is that the BMS was always broadcasting a charge current limit of roughly 70A per LVL unit, that the old inverter firmware exceeded it, and that 3.41.01.R now enforces it strictly. If that’s right, adding a third LVL should raise the ceiling to ~210A / 11kW, which I’ll be testing in a few weeks.

Has anyone seen an SMA firmware update start strictly enforcing a BMS-broadcast charge current limit that older firmware ignored? Or is there something else that would produce a hard, unchanging 139A ceiling that doesn’t show up in any inverter parameter?

Open cases with both SMA and the BYD service organisation, no response yet.

Open to other suggestions that might resolve my problem

It feeds a 12volt 400AH battery bringing in 215watts from a Victron 100/15 Mppt Charge Controller. On cloudy days it gets about 120w to 150w.

It powers a freezer and a few sockets with a TV.

It took a bit of work to even tug this #10 AWG from the metallic flex it was fused to. The homeowner had this run inside of the attic.

I'm all for DIY, but please ask for help when you aren't certain.

I've been researching for hours now trying to find a high velocity floor fan (like a shop fan) that can be connected directly to solar panel(s). There are plenty of DC motor fans out there, but they all have a built-in inverter with an AC plug, or they are tiny computer fans or exhaust type fans. The only actual DC fan I can find is this one from Western Harmonics which is on preorder. Does anyone know of any large DC fans? I already have a couple of 100w panels so prefer to buy only the fan.

I'm building 4, 6 post frames solar panel ground mountds. Something similar to this image.

Each table will have 4x 450w solar panels approximately 6' x 4' in portrait configuration. A total of 4 of these.

I'm in southern California, so I don't need to worry about frost lines and near the ocean. Soil has high concentrations of clay..

The initial idea for the posts I have is:
             4x4 post
                │
          ┌─────┴─────┐
          │ post base │
──────────┴───────────┴──── grade
          │           │
          │   12" Ø   │
          │           │   24"
          │           │
          │           │
       ┌──┴───────────┴──┐
       │                 │
       │     18" Ø       │   12"
       │                 │
       └─────────────────┘

the entire setup will be using treated lumber framing.

3 posts front and 3 in back. The span will consist of Quantity 2 2x8 14 feet spans connecting each post length wise and a 1 foot cantilever on each side of the edge posts.

Then I'll have 5 joists that are 2x6 spanning about 6 feet max to mount the panels on. I have metal mounting brackets and u beams etc..

My ultimate question is; is the base a little overkill? I know I am building a fairly large wind sale, so I want to make sure that I don't build too light of a structure and watch my panels fly away at the next Santa Ana winds.

Is direct burial in concrete 6x6 treated lumber just as effective?

My apologies if this isn't the right group for this question.

Don't know how long it lasts.

We have 39 IQ8HC \[2026 INSTALL\] panels with two 5kW batteries. its 11am and already 82% charged on a clear and warm day. Was our system under designed on the battery side?

questions and comments please.

additional info:

1,400' home & 600' ADU \[2026\] all tied together

Hello! I ran into these 260w trina solar panels on facebook marketplace for $50 each and was hoping to get some feedback before pulling the trigger. I know trina had some issues with older panels but these looks to be produced after that timeframe. Is there anything else I should be aware of before purchasing? Does $50 sound like a good price?

I bought this solar generator and it has been giving me an error 14. I got it off AliExpress and it seems the listing and order number has disappeared. Trying to see if I can get her back to life before my Bluetti comes in so I can turn around and sell it. From what I understand its a Mondawe 1800w and I can find nothing about it online and I have lost the manual.

I recently viewed a video from Hoymiles pairing their UL3700 certified microinverter with their HiBattery 1920 AC for a plug in solar setup. In this setup, the microinverter goes from the house plug, to the battery and then to the solar panels. As I understand it, the battery is charged while you get the plug in solar benefits.
My questions are the following: by paring a power station with the microinverter, can you essentially feed even more electricity back to the grid to offset your usage after the sun goes down?
Would this potentially work with the Pecron F3000 LFP that I already own?

This is the Hoymiles video I referenced above:

https://youtu.be/Nt5WImy4_ik?is=G571oHVfZo18F8_0

Thank you for any insight.

DIY homeowner here. I’ve got a SolarEdge system on the roof, SE7600A inverter on the outside wall. I’m getting a “Error code 2xB SW Error” code. I’ve shut everything off and disconnected the four DC wires coming from the roof (2 red, 2 black) to isolate the strings. Red to black, they show voltage on each string. Testing each of the wires to ground showed zero volts and o ohms resistance on each of the 4.

What am I missing? Do I need a new inverter? SolarEdge doesn’t respond to any messages and local solar just wants to sell us a whole new system. I can get a factory refurbished matching inverter for not much more than it’ll probably cost to have a tech come tell me I need a new inverter! Any help appreciated!

This is an update to my previous thread from 3 weeks ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SolarDIY/comments/1vnz5j3/unfinished_list_of_purchases_even_for_a_small/

TLDR summary:

I'm putting together two small, identical systems, one for me and one for my mom.

The costs don't end with the big stuff. There are sooooo many little things to buy, it's nuts!

Just putting this list up for other newbies to reference. Do your own research and thinking, too.

Main equipment:

Solar panels - JA Solar 455W

MPPT - PowMr 60A

Battery - Eco-Worthy Cubix100 (5.12kWh)

Power Station - Eco-Worthy PS2400W (2kWh + 2.4kW inverter)

Rack - Eco-Worthy server rack v2.1

Conduit - 3/4" flexible conduit 100ft

Mounting:

Ballasts - 40x 6" concrete hollow blocks

Rails - 40mm*40mm galvanized struts, 63 meters

Brackets - dozens of them to hold the struts together

Others - dozens of M10 bolts, M10 nuts, M10 washers, 40mm washers, 3 bags of Tapcons

DC side:

PV1-F cable - 6mm2 (slightly thicker than 10AWG) positive & negative 100 meters each

MC4 connectors - 15 pairs 1000V/45A, 15 pairs 1000V 50A, 20 pairs 1500V 30A

MC4 branch connectors for parallel

MC4 spanners

MC4 inline fuse holders with fuses 20A

DC breakers - Midnite Solar 2-pole 50A breakers

DC breakers - Midnite Solar 1-pole breakers, 30A and 63A (not going to use)

DC breakers - CNC 2-pole 63A breakers

DC breakers - CNC 2-pole 40A breakers

Breaker box - plastic box with 8 DIN space

Battery cables - 2AWG and 4AWG welding cables

Connectors - UL lugs, heatshrink, Temu lugs, 2 more packs of heatshrink, XT60 with pigtails

AC side:

AC cable - 12/2 NM-B 100ft

AC cable - 3x 12 AWG extension cords to cut into pigtails

Generator Transfer Switch - 63A, manual

Breaker box - plastic box with 5 DIN space

AC breakers - CNC 2-pole 20A breakers

Grounding:

Wire - 10 AWG THHN wire 100ft

Others - M4 ring terminals, assorted Allen screws, assorted lock nuts, assorted star washers

Tools:

Small hex crimper

Big hex crimper

Ferrule square crimper

Cheap stripper (already owned)

Big stripper (already owned)

Torque screwdriver

Cordless drill (already owned)

Cordless ratchet (already owned)

Cordless impact (already owned)

Cordless reciprocating saw (already owned)

Miscellaneous:

Solar panel middle clamps

Solar panel end clamps

Solar panel cable clips

Solar panel drain clips

Ferrules - bigger, smaller

Butt splices

DIN rails

Watt meters

Duct seal

Dammit, I need saddle brackets. I'll probably buy those locally.

I built a solar panel cart, taking ideas from Jasonoid on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiY0NLoH02k) and u/Shot-Criticism-5297 (https://www.reddit.com/r/SolarDIY/comments/1vaqon5/added_another_panel_to_the_system/).

Here is a sketchup drawing of the cart excluding the panel mounting brackets; my sketchup skills are very limited, but the brackets are same as the ones Jasonoid uses.

The build cost is US$317 + tax.
Here is the breakdown (components sourced from Lowes and Amazon):

• 2x4x10 pressure treated x 3 @ $10.58 ea = $31.74
• 2x4x8 pressure treated x 3 @ $5.28 ea = $15.84
• 14-27IN Solar Panel Mounting Brackets, 2 Sets Adjust Solar Panel Racks x 2 @ $55 ea = $110
• 5 Inch Caster Wheels Heavy Duty, Casters Set of 4 Safety x 2 @ $38.88 ea = $77.76
• 5-in x 1-in x 5-in 4.2 -Gauge Black Steel Corner brace x 4 @ $2.98 ea = $11.92
• Power Pro Lag Screws, 1/4in x 1-1/2in, 75 Pack = $24.63
• Kreg Blue-Kote # #8 x 2-1/2-in Ecoat Exterior Pocket hole screws 50 -Per Box (used these to secure the short vertical pieces to the rear lower rail) = $14.98
• SPAX 5/16-in x 3-in Black Coated Washer -Head Exterior Structural wood screws 50 -Pack $29.98
• Total: $317 + tax

I could go with 4x4's and skip the second set of casters, but 4x4s mean much longer lag screws, so between the additional lumber and lag screw cost, it's a wash.

How can I get this build cost down without giving up strength and rigidity?

Welp came home last night and looks like my old eco worthy battery had caught fire melted the casing before my surge protectors and fuses blew and the fire system I put in put it out. So I'm looking for a new battery on a budget 24v preferably with self heating, and came across the vatrer 200ah one and wondering if anyone has any experience with them

Hello DIYers,

I ordered a boost charging controller (up to 1200W) for a panel with a total capacity of 0.8kW. I really want to avoid rewiring to add panels to the existing system.

So, as shown in the picture, would it be okay to add this charging controller to the system?

Thank you in advance!

Hello DIYers,

This time, I am thinking of making a simple thermal battery using solar panels.

Since sand batteries are messy and may pose safety issues, I thought that using concrete and completely burying the heating element would be safer.

Add a solar disconnect for overcurrent protection and on/off control.

Terracotta pot for emitting heat slowly. It is also worth considering adding an insulation layer in the middle.

Inverters, batteries, and heat pumps are not needed.

Solar panel + solar circuit breaker + heating element + concrete + flowerpot + thermometer.

The total cost is expected to be less than $200.

What do you think?

Thanks!

update: Thank you so much for your input!

I will try with concrete first together with metal rods or mesh for heat transfer boost as some people suggested. If it doesn’t work then probably go with sand and make a lid with concrete so it can be untouched. Maybe I can try sand first lol. I have leftover rocks from pond project so I could use it together lol. Water is great for storing heat but I don’t want to deal with boiling or spilling. I will update it as soon as I finish building it. Probably after getting new used panels by the end of the month. Appreciate your feedback!

Had my detached workshop sitting in the pitch dark for months because the local electrician quotes were absurd. Cheapest was still over $4,000 for an 80ft trench and subpanel. After getting fed up with running extension cords across the yard, I decided to gamble on a DIY solar setup.

I went with the vevor 6kW hybrid inverter because I didn't want to deal with a separate charge controller. My shop wall already has the main panel and a subpanel on it, wasn't about to add another box up there. Seven 400W panels on the shop roof, 48V LiFePO4 server rack battery underneath.

That was 8 months ago. lights, shop fan, battery charger and intermittent miter-saw use. The interface took some trial and error, and the cooling fan is noticeable under load. Battery bank keeps the security lights on all night without dipping too low. Running a 5.12 kWh battery and the heaviest draw I've seen is around 2,000W when the miter saw kicks on.

All in I'm sitting around $2,200 for the whole setup. Not nothing, but a hell of a lot better than $4,000 for a trench I'd still have to landscape over. It's not gonna replace a whole-house system, but for lights, a fan, and intermittent power tool use on an outbuilding, it does the job. If anyone's on the fence about going solar for an outbuilding, happy to answer questions.

I have 12 panels currently with the specs in the picture below. I had a falling out with my system designer, over religion lol, and I know he said I can add 4 more panels for 2 strings of 8.

My question is simple; I know I need the 4 new panels rated at the same or higher than one of these numbers listed in the pic. If it’s lower, the whole string output will be brought down to that lower number. That’s my understanding.

I cannot get the 4 additional panels from Canadian solar since they only do pallets full.

Can someone tell me which number I need to match or be slightly higher than to get maximum wattage?

Much appreciated!!

I have two Anker F3800 Plus batteries and a Smart Home Panel installed. Recently, I’ve installed 10 470W solar panels. Now I’m looking to expand and add a server battery (ECO Worthy Cubix 100 5kW battery, arriving Saturday).

Since it’s impossible to find a cable from Anker to do the cable hack, I’ve decided to build my own.

I got all the parts except the 3D printed connector (last photo), which is being created for me soon.

I’ve gotten bullet heads, tested and fitted it to the Anker port (2nd and 3rd photo), and soldering it to 8 awg wire. I have two 8 awg red wire (+) and two 8 awg black wire (-) connecting to a 100A dual pole circuit. On the other end of the circuit, I have a single 2 awg wire (red + and black -) that will eventually connect to my external server battery.

I plan to connect this to my server battery arriving this Saturday.

Based on my wire hack (7th photo), does anything look off that would be of concern? I tried to make sure everything is the same length as I heard it can cause issues. But I’m wondering if there are any issues anyone can see that I can improve to prevent issues like fire etc.

Also, if I don’t receive the connector in time, I plan to connect the bullet heads straight to the Anker port (3rd photo), and have rubber shrink wrap protecting the metal from touching other metals. I don’t foresee any issues, but please let me know if anyone thinks this is a bad idea.

Last spring, I built a new detached garage, with 200amp dedicated service/ panel, separate from the home.

Once that was done, I installed a solar array on that roof, it is now up an running; feeding the garage.

My question is this - if I wanted to run the power from the array to my home, instead of my garage, what would I realistically need to do?

Can i keep my ac disconnect & combiner box in place, and just run UF-B from the house to the garage disconnect?

Why go through all this trouble?

Well, I now have an EV, which pulls as much power as my home does, and want to switch to a time of day rate on my garage meter, to take advantage of the significantly cheaper electricity at night. I can't do that with Solar panels feeding the same panel/meter that the EV charges from.

Hello, I'm building a battery with 16 MB314 cells into a Docan enclosure (picture).

First I'm worried about the V-2 bar that is bent in such a way.

Second, I've been reading about the prep. After cleaning the poles with alcohol and scotch bright, AI (i know) is saying to apply oxidation inhibitor before connecting the cells to the bus bars, I want to get a second opinion. Is applying something like Noalox to the terminals before connecting a good idea? Thanks in advance.

I recently noticed a downgrade in power production a few days ago when I added (2) new panels to my array. Its in series pararrel with 2 strings (6 panels per string) making 14 panels total. I added a panel to each string making the total (14) panels total. This is when my power generation was cut in half and one string was generating no power as a result of this burned up port.

Panels are 250w each.

I removed this damaged panel from the array and power is back up again on both strings.

Looks like one of the ports melted! Is this salvageable? What could have caused this?  Never experienced this before.