Abe53

Hello Gerhardd, I second Beat's suggestion to get one or two 5kWh class Lithium batteries. With the way EKSDOM is going, scrounge and get one soon. Just about any brand will work with your inverter. Your solar panels are worth gold, they will pay off the batteries in a few years. Then you have free electricity. Having power 24/7, priceless!

Hello Pollas, Yes, if you do not have insurance, I will take on those Pylontech batteries. Even if not repairable, they could donate cells if some cells in my 2 US3000's eventually dies. I build powerwalls from recycled 18650's and also interested in experimenting with salvaging usable LFP pouch cells. PM contact detail and we can arrange logistics.

Hi Heine, I second Scorp007's proposal to just put an array panels on the Western side to a total of similar Volts of the Eastern array and parallel to your single MPPT. Just confirm midday Amps will not exceed max allowed. Cost of separate charger and/or switchgear is better invested in more panels.

Congratulations, Steve! Now, how about the promised detail on earthing?

Very interesting subject, yet almost a week and no reply? Sent you PM.

Hi abd7. I might have an application for that charge controller. We were offered a good used Microcare inverter but seller had only a 150V MPPT available. I think the 100A might be 250V PVDC but cannot download specifications. (error 404) Please confirm? Where is the item now?

PM sent.

Hi JLR, Yes, we have an array of 250W panels that needs expansion. Where are the panels, could you possibly facilitate transport, if affirmative, where to?

Hi Frag, apologies for not replying sooner, busy building to take another three houses on the farm off-grid... As to architecture, was hoping this thread could come up with suggestions of improvements, but no, thus soldiering on with what I have. Actually, each 14s string already has a 4A fuse. (It is in the perspex spacer at positive end) As to string compression tension for reliable electrical contact, a metal manufacturer told me spring steel strip is unobtanium. So I keep using 13mm Terry clips halved. String balancing turns out to be a non-issue. A cell failing closed is compensated by the other 13 taking up higher voltage, still within specs. Once two cells fail, one cell downline is sure to pop its fuse, which is easy to reset with my probing tool. (I keep a clear line to outside to eject a shorted suddenly heating cell 😉 A cell failing open just takes one string out, in this instance 1%, and is diagnosed and replaced with the next BMS service. A retiree's time is free. (On the golf course we wave through the players pushing behind, telling them we do not want the game to end ... 😉 Safe journey, Abe.

Good evening Powerites, Thanks Jason for the timely powerwall topic. It was funny to see a load shedding thread on another forum descend to a bragging contest of "my solar system is bigger than yours... 😉 I cannot compete with Leszek or Delphinus's workmanship but while I can get 18650 Lithium-Ion cells for (almost) free I will keep on using them for our houses on the farm. KISS is my motto. Herewith photos of one of my 14S powerwalls, this one currently 100P . Don't laugh, it works fine, although I have to occasionally don my BMS hat and use that thing with the 2x24V bulbs to check strings under load to diagnose and replace faulty cells. My reason for showing this is to inquire if a forumite perhaps has an idea for a better architecture for a 18650 cell powerwall? Ja, ons kan self! (Yes, we can DIY)

Hi madness_za, I am in the same boat. Yeah, we have a fat chance (or slim chance, means the same, ironical... 😉 However, provided transport can be sorted, I can buy your 350W panels and then you can fit panels optimum for your installation. I am in Centurion.

Hi Ishaaq, do you still have an inverter for sale? If so, how specs the solar charge controller, if included?

Hi SYC, is there still a Sunsynk 5 inverter for sale? If so, which model?

Good evening LumexClipsal, Exchanges are difficult. You might have more luck just selling the Solis and buying an inverter compatible with your battery. I have application for another 5KVA inverter and will buy your Solis at a fair price.

Hi Treshen, I am also looking for such smaller PV panels to expand existing arrays. Shall we start an auction? Abe53

Sold? Also looking for any brand 330-340W panels. (And more 360-365W Canadians)

Goeienaand Wanderer, Ek stel ook belang om nog 330 - 340W panele te koop, enige brand. Benodig ook nog 360 -365W panele, verkieslik Canadian Solar. Ook in Centurion.

Good evening Hooloc, those installers might not have all the knowledge, but they have experience. They are not all palookas, but all had trouble mixing PylonTech packs. Give them credit! I will only expand my Pylontech with same spec packs. I understand some are 15s, and some are 16s cells ?

Hi ChrisFish, wind power in the Karoo is a no-brainer. Farmers there used it before EKSDOM, will use it after... However, instead of using wind pump blades, which uses drag, "windlaaiers" have mostly used more efficient aerodynamic blades. Even using the wind pump tower is questionable, since it is positioned where the water is, not where the wind blows most. For going off-grid with PV, even in low wind areas, a few 100W of wind power will be very useful on some nights, and it looks neat in daytime! Keep us posted, I will do the same with a system I plan to build with old aircraft propellers and direct drive washing machine motors.

Hi Jazzy, I was also contemplating adding a Pylontech US5000 battery to my US3000 set up with Victron-Venus GX control. Installers I talked to yesterday at www.kragdag.co.za expo consider it high risk. I could not get even one that would mix different versions of US3000. When asked why, they said, from experience, just do not do it. Why take the risk?

Hi guys, just confirming, AC thermostat is still reliably switching 200VDC protected by a 6uF cap. In its favour: It is a capilliary mercury oven-type thermostat, the 2kW geyser element only draws 8A max and a pilot light draws down the cap charge between switching. When thermostat switches off, PV voltage rises and charges 200V battery bank - through a diode to avoid batteries heating water. No charge controller. (Manual battery management, no battery balancing, yet only one recycled 18650 cell out of 1802 needed replacing in the last 6 months.) Busy installing several more solar PV systems in anticipation of EKSDOM load-shedding.....

Good evening DielTou, I have two arrays of those CS 365W panels and both could use some more panels. Am happy to buy new, but will take used if going at a really good price. Transport cost from Potch might make it uneconomical unless you can organize a lift to Centurion?

Good evening Anunnaki, Please name one popular inverter working with 10s 18650's ? 36V inverters with the right charge controllers could work, but such are not common. Most 48VDC inverters seem to have minimum volts around 40VDC, awkward for 10s 18650's which would work best between 33V min and 40V. Charging to 4.2V per cell in strings risks popping top fuses in my experience. (Hard lessons learnt) How did you use your battery banks?

Hi Annunaki, What inverter will work with your battery banks?

Hi Jakes, why do you not buy just one lithium-ion battery pack? The capacity will be vastly more than the Ni-Cads, you will rarely have to recharge. I have successfully repacked three of my old Ni-Cad drills with recycled 18650 Li-ion cells. What a pleasure to have 5 battery drills on a job, each with a different bit. The torque is also impressive. One should ideally use high-drain cells, but I use high-capacity cells and double up more in parrallel (sp?) I do not fit BMS, just made sure cells are identical in specs, capacity and close in internal resistance. I suffer from familiar tremor, so soldering is not neat. A customer has offered to build me a spot welder, should take him up on it. I see you are at De Wildt, not far from me. Bring your old batteries and I will try a re-pack.