How about a solar car port on a budget?

[Crossy]

We have a couple of these chaps on our panel strings https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i808250581-s1644070245.html

 

After last night's flash-and-bang we awakened to a rather annoyed beeping from the solar inverter accompanied by the "GFI" and "Alarm" lights.

 

I unplugged one panel string and reset the inverter and it started OK, plugging the string back in got the error again.

 

OK maybe the damp got into the wiring somewhere, it shouldn't as the connectors are "weatherproof" but it did rain a lot.

 

Insulation test to ground at 250VDC measured zero at the inverter plugs. The same string was 650M at the roof connectors, phew, no mountaineering needed.

 

OK, the only thing between the roof and the inverter is my DC MCBs and the surge suppression. None of the surge arrestors are showing the red indicator. Wrestled the surge arrestors out of their holders, one reads zero at 500V (they are 1000V units), the other is about 800k. The units from the other string read 100 & 125Megs. So we have MOVs that have expired without going red.

 

So we have one MOV per string at present, new cartridges on order.

[Seeall]

10 hours ago, Crossy said:

We have a couple of these chaps on our panel strings https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i808250581-s1644070245.html

 

After last night's flash-and-bang we awakened to a rather annoyed beeping from the solar inverter accompanied by the "GFI" and "Alarm" lights.

 

I unplugged one panel string and reset the inverter and it started OK, plugging the string back in got the error again.

 

OK maybe the damp got into the wiring somewhere, it shouldn't as the connectors are "weatherproof" but it did rain a lot.

 

Insulation test to ground at 250VDC measured zero at the inverter plugs. The same string was 650M at the roof connectors, phew, no mountaineering needed.

 

OK, the only thing between the roof and the inverter is my DC MCBs and the surge suppression. None of the surge arrestors are showing the red indicator. Wrestled the surge arrestors out of their holders, one reads zero at 500V (they are 1000V units), the other is about 800k. The units from the other string read 100 & 125Megs. So we have MOVs that have expired without going red.

 

So we have one MOV per string at present, new cartridges on order.

Are they low quality ?

[Crossy]

7 hours ago, Seeall said:

Are they low quality ?

 

With the plethora of Chinese "unknown" brands out there it's not easy to tell, they are certainly not the most expensive devices out there, nor are they the cheapest.

 

I suspect they did actually do their job and absorb some nasties, I also suspect that the inverter leakage detection is a bit enthusiastic.

 

MOVs reduce their threshold voltage as they absorb surges. Eventually the trigger voltage goes below the normal circuit voltage and they stay triggered, get hot and melt the solder on the indicator flag which drops into the window and opens the circuit to the MOV so we don't start any fires.

 

I didn't check them when new so I can't comment on any degradation, but those two are certainly considerably lower resistance than the ones on the other string. I'll measure the replacements when they arrive.

 

This is more a note to other solar enthusiasts that the "leakage" light on your inverter is not necessarily due to damp in the wiring.

[BritManToo]

On 8/27/2020 at 5:29 PM, sidgy said:

Definately better weather this week.

Since i added the next 3 panels to give me 6 x 360w in total

week 1   51kwh     (Monday  to Sunday  )   

week 2   57kwh    (Monday  to Sunday  ) 

week 3   42kwh    (Monday to Thursday with 3 more days to go) 

September, my 5 x 330w panels produced 125Kwh in the month, despite plenty of rain.

[Muhendis]

Good to see the MOV's did their job and also that you have such good knowledge about the warning flag or lack thereof.

In my opinion there should be mandatory instructions to have these devices fitted rather than relying on the ones fitted inside the inverter/other ancillary equipment. I wonder if a local sparky would have the wit/knowledge to figure out this issue.

[ExpatOilWorker]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

September, my 5 x 330w panels produced 125Kwh in the month, despite plenty of rain.

You got 2.5 hours/day of normal production.

Really not bad for a rainy month.

[Crossy]

On 10/5/2020 at 5:13 AM, Crossy said:

I didn't check them when new so I can't comment on any degradation, but those two are certainly considerably lower resistance than the ones on the other string. I'll measure the replacements when they arrive.

 

The new MOV cartridges have arrived.

 

One measures 1,700 Megs @ 500V (2,000 Meg range) the other measures open circuit on the same range.

 

Evidently even the remaining "good" units have done their jobs and degraded somewhat, I will keep a weather eye on them too.

 

[Jan Dietz]

Just FYI and to whoever is interested in this stuff, I just ordered a handful of these thingies to play with:

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i1510560958-s3992606381.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1?

 

The price is right and saves making patch boards.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2020 by Jan Dietz

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, Jan Dietz said:

Just FYI and to whoever is interested in this stuff, I just ordered a handful of these thingies to play with:

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i1510560958-s3992606381.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1?

 

Nice find. Added to my wish list ???? 

[johng]

10 minutes ago, Jan Dietz said:

Just FYI and to whoever is interested in this stuff, I just ordered a handful of these thingies to play with

Great I ordered a couple to play with too ????

[sidgy]

On 10/5/2020 at 6:31 AM, BritManToo said:

September, my 5 x 330w panels produced 125Kwh in the month, despite plenty of rain.

Nice. ive configured my monthly readings to coincide with our meter reading day (5th of the month)

I have 6 x 360w panels

August 5th to sept 4th  we got 243kwh

Sept 5th to Oct 4th  we got 224kwh

More then happy with the results in what has been a quite wet month

[Jan Dietz]

I received the tiny little boards I linked above and they work very nicely. Was a bit of a pain to track down the correct connections, but here it is:

 

https://github.com/Heltec-Aaron-Lee/WiFi_Kit_series/blob/master/PinoutDiagram/WIFI Kit 8.pdf

 

Works fine with the Adafruit library

#include <SPI.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
#include <Adafruit_SSD1306.h>

#define SCREEN_WIDTH 128 // OLED display width, in pixels
#define SCREEN_HEIGHT 32 // OLED display height, in pixels
#define OLED_RESET    16 // Reset pin # (or -1 if sharing Arduino reset pin)

// Declaration for an SSD1306 display connected to I2C (SDA, SCL pins)
Adafruit_SSD1306 display(SCREEN_WIDTH, SCREEN_HEIGHT, &Wire, OLED_RESET);

void setup() {
  display.begin(SSD1306_SWITCHCAPVCC, 0x3C);  // 0x3C is address of the display
  display.display;
}

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by Jan Dietz

[johng]

9 hours ago, Jan Dietz said:

I received the tiny little boards I linked above and they work very nicely.

I ordered (and paid for) 2  but only 1 arrived in the parcel ????

Lots of "fun" trying to get My Arduino IDE software to compile anything without errors but finally.

 

hello world.ino

[johng]

And just one more ????

[Crossy]

On 10/13/2020 at 1:15 PM, johng said:

I ordered (and paid for) 2  but only 1 arrived in the parcel ????

 

Did you score getting the second unit?

 

I'm currently battling with Lazada for delivering one item (not this one) when I ordered two, the item was also the wrong one. Returned for a refund, refunded one because "you only returned one". Grrr.

 

[johng]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Did you score getting the second unit?

No luck at all

no response from the seller  via the online chat...I also wrote a review   saying  only got one item delivered

but its  marked as "pending"    something strange going on there   I haven't bothered  contacting Lazada  help directly.

[Muhendis]

I stopped using Lazada a few months ago when they started using their own delivery company and, guess what.

Nothing got delivered.

[johng]

16 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

and, guess what.

Nothing got delivered.

That's why I always use the Cash on Delivery  option   gives them an incentive to deliver,

not that I've had any problems with stuff turning up.

[carlyai]

1 minute ago, johng said:

That's why I always use the Cash on Delivery  option   gives them an incentive to deliver,

not that I've had any problems with stuff turning up.

Lazada had a great system. Delivery was usually within 2 days. Everything was working seamlessly. So why change the delivery system? Of course it's money related.

I still use Lazada, but not as much as when they used Kerry for delivery and always use pay-on-delivery.

[bankruatsteve]

10 minutes ago, carlyai said:

Lazada had a great system. Delivery was usually within 2 days. Everything was working seamlessly. So why change the delivery system? Of course it's money related.

I still use Lazada, but not as much as when they used Kerry for delivery and always use pay-on-delivery.

My last 3 orders (within the last month) used 3 different carriers but Kerry was one of them.  The only time I have had delivery take longer than 3 days is when shipping from China.  I don't use COD because if not home when delivery attempt they can just leave with a neighbor - which has happened dozens of times with no issue.

[Crossy]

We've had no real problems with stuff actually being delivered, it's the contents of the box.

 

Kerry are 100% (we still get a fair number of deliveries using them). 

 

LEX are OK although they seem to use a motley collection of trucks, private cars and motorcycles, one small package was delivered by a man on a bicycle (I've no idea how far he had come but at least it was zero-carbon).

 

Both call before delivery, Madam is usually home.

[Crossy]

Back on-topic.

 

Our 5.8kW of installed panels generated:-

• 530 units in July
• 621 units in August
• 572 units in September
• 549 units in October

 

Average of 568 units per month @ 4.5Baht each = 2556 Baht a month that I'm not paying PEA ????

 

System cost 88k Baht so payback is about 34 months. I'll go with that ???? 

 

Note - Costs do not include my/family labour or the car-port.

 

EDIT Car port itself cost 33k Baht.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

Back on-topic.

 

Our 5.8kW of installed panels generated:-

• 530 units in July
• 621 units in August
• 572 units in September
• 549 units in October

 

 

And your total cost of all materials used and failed in use has been?
 

Excluding your own labour naturally, but adding in any employed labour, as it’s your carport you should probably include roughly 10%+ of the cost of that to be fair since without it you would need a framework for the panels.

[sidgy]

On 11/2/2020 at 8:34 AM, sometimewoodworker said:

as it’s your carport you should probably include roughly 10%+ of the cost of that to be fair since without it you would need a framework for the panels.

I would tend to disagree, the carport was there anyway, it is in use as a carport so that money would have been spent if solar panels were added or not.   I too have put my panels on top of our carport, it still  needed additional frames on top to accomadate the panels

[BritManToo]

On 11/2/2020 at 8:34 AM, sometimewoodworker said:

And your total cost of all materials used and failed in use has been?
 

Excluding your own labour naturally, but adding in any employed labour, as it’s your carport you should probably include roughly 10%+ of the cost of that to be fair since without it you would need a framework for the panels.

 

My 5 panels averaged 3k each =15k (I can get 2x 330w panels delivered for 5,600bht today =14k)

My 2 GTIs cost 6k in total (down to 2,400bht today = 5k)

6x 2"x1" 6' mild steel box sections 1,800bht (today I'd use 1x1 at a cost of 1,200bht)

(Solar parts from Lazada and Shopee, steel box from a local builders yard)

 

So 23k for the lot, and I generate 125 units/month (500bht).

4 years (46 months) for payback. No failures in any equipment so far.

If I'd started this year everything would have been cheaper, and it would have only taken 3 1/2 years for payback.

 

My panels are mounted on my garden wall, the wall was there when I moved in.

Last month's electricity bill was 650bht, before solar my lowest bill was 1,200bht.

I could fit another 2 panels to my existing build, but am worried my electricity bill would become suspiciously low.

Edited November 3, 2020 by BritManToo

[sidgy]

On 11/2/2020 at 8:27 AM, Crossy said:

549 units in October

not much of a drop, i will post my figures on the 5th, (meter reading day), expecting considerable drop as we have had terrible weather for 3 weeks, its only the last few days where it hasnt been raining

[Crossy]

October daily production was somewhat, er, variable, ranging from 5.1 to 29.7 units per day.

 

[sidgy]

As expected, with a lot of rain and cloudy skys, a significant drop for this month (5th to 4th of the month)

Aug-Sep  243 kw/h

Sep-Oct  224 kw/h

Oct-Nov 142 Kw/h

On the plus side, it has still been our lowest bill, probably due to not having to use the A/C so much with only 487units drawn from the grid compared to

Sep-Oct bill at 526 units

Aug-Sept at 599 units

Jul-Aug at 812 units (3 panels producing)

Jun-Jul at 933 units (3 panels for last 10 days)

May-Jun at 1141units (pre solar)

Apr-May at 971 units

Obviously cannot compare like for like as April/May was very hot and the kids were off school.

An average of 203 units per month at 4.5bht = 913.5bht

30,000 bht outlay gives me a break even payback time just under 33months, which far exceeds my initial expectations

 

 

[Crossy]

November gave us 631 units ????

 

 

 

[Crossy]

December has netted us 623 units ????

 

 

The last six months have produced 3,526 units, meaning our payback is still under 3 years ???? 

 

Once the holidays are over a further two panels will be added bringing us to the maximum allowed for the inverter. Any more and I'll have to get another inverter, $$$ ????