Thread: Solar Panels

Originally Posted by docmartin

Flooded cells require a very well-ventilated battery room to avoid hydrogen explosions.
Don’t wear wool when checking electrolyte levels (probably not an issue in the tropics...) to prevent static discharge ignition.

I remember that smell well.
In a previous life I was a High Voltage Sparkie (electrician) and one of the maintenance jobs was the battery room at sub-stations.
Because, if the power has died, you need something to flick the switches, reset the system.
Hence battery backup.

Originally Posted by Racin

That's a decent sized pipe.

Where are you pumping?

Originally Posted by Racin

The system is 3 phase 360 Volt,

Why do you need 3 phase? Heavy equipment? Heating? The 360V is actually between the phases and you'd have 240 V between any phase and earth/neutral (correct me Sparky David). That genny is huge, too.

Being so isolated and requiring 3 phase, some might suspect a large indoor grow operation
Very impressive set-up.

Originally Posted by bsnub

Not when you are as old as Davis.

Yeah...there is that......

Originally Posted by David48atTD

That's a decent sized pipe.

Where are you pumping?

From the water tanks to the filters and then, a smaller pipe, to the house.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Yeah...there is that......

I cannot argue as I do not know your age. But I know I feel old sometimes as 71. :-)

Originally Posted by Racin

I cannot argue as I do not know your age. But I know I feel old sometimes as 71. :-)

70 in January.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Why do you need 3 phase? Heavy equipment? Heating? The 360V is actually between the phases and you'd have 240 V between any phase and earth/neutral (correct me Sparky David). That genny is huge, too.

Being so isolated and requiring 3 phase, some might suspect a large indoor grow operation
Very impressive set-up.

No indoor growth. In Europe all houses have 3 phase and it seems logical to split the loads on three channels and not everything on one which would be more sensitive too. It is standard setup in Europe with 3 phase going into the house and there split into 3 with 230V. Only there the power comes from the grid and here from our inverter.

The genny is actually too small now with 13kw. It can feed the house but not charge the batteries. We shall, sometime, switch to a bigger one. It was much needed with our previous system which was inadequate and did not work as it should but now with the bigger system and more batteries, it is not up to it.

Haaa, you are two years younger than me. Enjoy. :-)

^Thank you!

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^Thank you!

DK, is the off grid idea back on now. Be interesting if so. Regards payback i assume its irrelevant for you, you just want a reliable source and one that the family will continue with after you've gone, long time yet though hopefully.

^I'm honestly not sure. Once my wife gets back from the province I'll discuss it with her and a couple guys I know who are more technically minded than I. I would dearly love to get away from Batelec, but it looks, to someone like me, like a very large undertaking. I have the lot next door I could use, and could come up with the required $$$ if pressed, but need a few more eyes on this project first.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

I have the lot next door I could use, and could come up with the required $$$ if pressed, but need a few more eyes on this project first.

Build a chicken shed to rent out, but you use the roof. Also, maybe make a small amount selling power to the renter.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^ I have the lot next door I could use, and could come up with the required $$$ if pressed, but need a few more eyes on this project first.

Well at least there is potential, so hope its a goer. When i was in Nepal for 3 years the dry season power cuts got old quick so i can only imagine having to think about that shit as part of life all the time. Fingers crossed eh.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^I'm honestly not sure. Once my wife gets back from the province I'll discuss it with her and a couple guys I know who are more technically minded than I. I would dearly love to get away from Batelec, but it looks, to someone like me, like a very large undertaking. I have the lot next door I could use, and could come up with the required $$$ if pressed, but need a few more eyes on this project first.

FYI. We just separated our sala (small building) outside the wall, from the house power. It now has its own 2kw solar system. 4 flooded batteries, 4 panels 300W on the roof, 1 inverter. Total cost incl everything about 162.000 PHP. Took one day for three people.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

I have the lot next door I could use, and could come up with the required $$$ if pressed, but need a few more eyes on this project first.

Looks like it could be an amazing project and well worth it. Hopefully you will give it a go and make a thread about it.

Originally Posted by Racin

4 flooded batteries

Have you ever looked into Tesla powerwalls or the possibility of making them yourself? I had been considering building my own but because it is not certifiable by the underwriters laboratory here in the US if it caught fire it would not be covered by insurance. So if I wanted a powerwall I could not build my own I would have to pay Tesla.

Too expensive

^I have a diesel generator large enough to power the entire house. It's a necessity, not a luxury, out here.

What size is your genny?

^Dunno of the top of my head. Will check later.

Originally Posted by Racin

From the panels and batteries there is DC to the inverter and to the house from the inverter AC.

How expenisve are the flooded batteries? There are always huge price differencies between such for a special use (especially in Thailand) and the usual ones, e.g. for cars.

I, for myself, had faced a similar problem with an older battery-driven Japanese forklift where the cells (24 pcs) to be replaced were incredibly expensive and not easy to find, that's why expensive by the seller. Years ago I had thrown the original cells away and replaced them with a number of bateries 12 V for trucks, suitably connected to 48V, two and two in parallel to get them stronger. Since then no headache. And when one comes to its lifetime, exchange for 5,000 Baht.



As of your 3-phase system, it has to be at least 3x380V, to get 220V for the lighting, power outlets.

Question: what for the generator if the solar system works properly and have a fair storage? Surely expensive investition and quite complicated implementation into the other system, space needed, etc.