How about a solar car port on a budget?

[Crossy]

3 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

@Crossy, You have all DEYE inverters, 4 in total, right?

Was there a specific reason for selecting DEYE or will all the major brands do pretty much the same.

What is your opinion on SOLIS inverters?

 

Yup, 4 x 5kW Deye hybrids plus our original Sofar 6kW grid-tie running through one of the Gen ports.

 

When we decided to upgrade our single 5kW Sofar hybrid we needed: -

• Units that could parallel on the Load (UPS) port (Sofar couldn't) 
• Inverters that would interface with Solar Assistant to avoid them being internet connected (Sofar couldn't)
• A sensible degree of programmability, TOU etc. etc. (Sofar didn't)
• Must be on the MEA/PEA list of approved inverters
• Decent bang-for buck without going ultra cheap.

Sofar inverters are very good and robust but just didn't cut the mustard for our requirements.

 

Deye (and their US branded version Sol-Ark) are pretty well regarded in the DIY solar community as being a decent mid-range choice.

 

Thus far they are being exactly what we need.

 

But, as with all these things YMMV 🙂 

[Crossy]

OK, all the panels are on at this end of the car-port and are making power, 13 panels as a string of 9 plus a string of 4 (more of this in a moment). So, we now have about 27kWp of panels.

 

That papaya plant will have to have a haircut as it's slugging the longer string!!

 

 

 

I'm definitely going to need to replace my 250A battery breaker!

My stack of panels is now much smaller.

 

 

My plan is to expand the string of 4 by another 3 at the other end of the car port. The small 100W panel which is for our floodlights will be relocated to near the power pole. There's also space for one more panel at the far end (I need to work out which string it can get added to).

 

 

 

 

[KannikaP]

On 5/1/2021 at 6:10 PM, BritManToo said:

April last year with my old bedroom air-con I used 500 units

April this year with my new inverter bedroom air-con I used 350 units.

 

Replacing the old air-con saved me 150 units in one month.

So how long to save the price of the new a/c, circa Bht 15000 @ Bht 150 per month. 100 months = 8.5 years.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

So how long to save the price of the new a/c, circa Bht 15000 @ Bht 150 per month. 100 months = 8.5 years.

Old one was on it's last legs, new aircon 10kbht fitted.

Aircon power now free now as I paid 2kbht for a 1kw GTI, and another 2Kbht for a 580W n-type mono split, bifacial panel to wind my meter back (around 2 units a day).

[StandardIssue]

Pay for itself in 3.5 years AND saving the environment too. Is it coal fired electricity off the municipal grid there?

It's a win win. 

Very nice. Good going!

[lom]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

So how long to save the price of the new a/c, circa Bht 15000 @ Bht 150 per month. 100 months = 8.5 years.

That is true if you believe that 150 units is only 150 baht...

[KannikaP]

10 minutes ago, lom said:

That is true if you believe that 150 units is only 150 baht...

Sorry, maths brain isn't working. 15000/600 = 25 months.

I just fitted TCL Inverters to replace 12 year old Mitsu Mr Slims. Same sort of saving. Cheers.

[Crossy]

23 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Sorry, maths brain isn't working. 15000/600 = 25 months.

I just fitted TCL Inverters to replace 12 year old Mitsu Mr Slims. Same sort of saving. Cheers.

 

If I had a pound for every time the maths brain has gone awry ... 🙂

 

I will say that my beautiful, blue-eyed, blonde haired, large breasted, Essex girl, ex-wife also had some "interesting" ideas on finances.

She once drew a whole bunch of cash at the ATM because the "balance kept getting bigger" - something to do with the "OD" on the same line  

She traded me in for a newer model! (The building contractor who built our extension, of course she told me after I'd paid him).