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Solar power station DIY projects? (palaver.p3x.de)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I just found out I can buy a decent 400W solar panel in the local hardware store for around 90€ these days.

Are there people around with experience in off-grid solar? There is quite some supply in cheap MPTT charge controllers on the internet. And I can't afford a 700€ power station. But I would be able to buy a few power tool batteries or one of the lead-acid batteries people put in their caravan. Are there projects building a power station myself? Is this even worth it?

Maybe someone alredy wrote a blog post with recommendations or findings and failures along the way. Or has something similar running at home?

(Thanks to the mods for steering me towards the correct community.)

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Listen to this guy, made a solar powered trailer/workshop and battery storage is the biggest limitation. If you get 3 days of bad weather the battery drains and you go offline. Or you spend tons of money over sizing the system and the batteries are wasted 95% time. Its a game of numbers and use cases.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What kind of workshop are you running? I've been intrigued by direct solar applications since learning about this place on this low tech mag article.

https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2023/08/direct-solar-power-off-grid-without-batteries/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Its essentially my garage and workbench with tools. My home doesnt have a garage so I made one. I built a modest bench into the nose of the trailer and put the inverter, battery and equipment under it. There is a cell hotspot and raspberry pi that controls the vent fans, exterior lights, etc so its a fully self contained, mobile workshop I can take wherever and I control it all from a website and get solar analytics. I usually park it way out back on my property.