My name is Christo

I'm from Vanderbijlpark. And I'm planning on going to solar. I don't know all our clever stuff. I just want to run the equipment you really need. Like Fridge, Freezer, Computers, Alarm system and Television. And my gate {Centurion} motor and garage motor. But you use them say twice a day. So I don't think they will have a big impact. I'm sending a photo taken of an amp meter while most of my electronic equipment is running including deep fryer and oven. In the second photo the deep fryer then the oven was turned of. That reading is my amps I'll be running in a normal day. I don't have an electric geyser or stove (Hob) they are gas. And all the lights in my house is 12V running from a battery with a trickle charger for now on it. 

What I would like to know is.:

How many solar panels will I need? And what watts?

How many batteries will I need (I was thinking of 200a/h)

What size solar charge controller?

What size Inverter?

I'm new at solar! So please keep it english 😃    

I don't think it is feasible to put the oven and deep fryer on unless you plan on going big. I also think your photo's are switched around.

EDIT: IGNORE THIS --I am not familiar with these meters, is that 110 and 160Amps? seems insanely high, are you on 3 phase?

Edited July 31, 20197 yr by Dex_

3 minutes ago, Dex_ said:

I am not familiar with these meters, is that 110 and 160Amps? seems insanely high, are you on 3 phase?

The meter is set on a 60A Scale. So its reading 24 and 32.5 amps. I love these analog meters. 

7 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said:

The meter is set on a 60A Scale. So its reading 24 and 32.5 amps. I love these analog meters. 

thanks  do you just divide by the scale? 

 

edit: no that won't work xD

Edited July 31, 20197 yr by Dex_

47 minutes ago, Dex_ said:

thanks  do you just divide by the scale? 

On the bottom right hand side you will see the Scale to use. On  the black line next to A. 150 then 60 and below the line 300. the 150 scale is used for 150A for the 15A setting. The 60A scale is used for the 6A and 60Amp setting. So if the setting is on 60A on the dial, read the amps on the 60A line. 

13 hours ago, Christoffel said:

My name is Christo

I'm from Vanderbijlpark. And I'm planning on going to solar. I don't know all our clever stuff. I just want to run the equipment you really need. Like Fridge, Freezer, Computers, Alarm system and Television. And my gate {Centurion} motor and garage motor. But you use them say twice a day. So I don't think they will have a big impact. I'm sending a photo taken of an amp meter while most of my electronic equipment is running including deep fryer and oven. In the second photo the deep fryer then the oven was turned of. That reading is my amps I'll be running in a normal day. I don't have an electric geyser or stove (Hob) they are gas. And all the lights in my house is 12V running from a battery with a trickle charger for now on it. 

What I would like to know is.:

How many solar panels will I need? And what watts?

How many batteries will I need (I was thinking of 200a/h)

What size solar charge controller?

What size Inverter?

I'm new at solar! So please keep it english 😃    

According to your lowest reading of 24A that is quite high amps for the oven and deep fryer turned off. It looks like there might be another load that was pulling high amps during your test that you did not mention?

Gerrie

Wil take a readjing tonight again. With just the necessary electrics running

2 freezers. 1 fridge. Washing masjien. Presure pump. With computers and security cameras and alarm system. Thats it

10 hours ago, Christoffel said:

Gerrie

Wil take a readjing tonight again. With just the necessary electrics running

It looks like the highest current on the 15A setting is (75Ax0.1=7.5A) 

7.5A x 230V=1725Watt

If that is the average power you need during the day you also have to decide if you need that for the night so that you can determine the battery bank size and PV panels to charge them during the day.

Don't complicate stuff too much - getting the sizing 100% right before you start is less important than it used to be if you select your equipment to be scale-able.

Inverter/charger: Rarely seen a Victron 3kVA Multi not doing the job from a power delivery point of view for the basics i.e. lights, gates, security, entertainment, even the occasional biggie such as hair dryer, kettle or microwave. Make sure your inverter is a true hybrid (can mix power sources) and bi-directional (feed power to both ACin and ACout) - Victron and Goodwe are good quality examples. If Victron - can expand in future by adding another 3kVA in parallel or go for 5kVA from start. If GoodWe - go for 4.6ES since they can't parallel and you sort of stuck with what you start with (is however quite big and competent and good for most homes - can also operate in grid-tie mode i.e. don't need batteries from day 1.

Batteries: W.r.t. batteries my opinion is to not even consider lead acid! - constrained in increasing of battery bank, easily killed, short life span, requires lots of space, plenty round trip losses, etc, etc, etc..... Pylontech offers good value LiFePo4 and is very scale-able. Revov offers even better value but less scale-able due to bigger chunks - 10kWh vs Pylontech's 2.4kWh.

PV: Start with array of 8 x 330w Tier 1 Poly's and get some data on system performance before taking next step - you can always add.

PS - use a competent installer that have good references! Good components is not the only ingredient for a good system... 

What size Inverter and how many solar panels?

Do as much research as you can on peoples experiences with different brands and try and visit a supplier who can show you a working model of a similar sized unit that you are in the market for. Suppliers don’t normally have working units in store but they should have happy customers that wouldn't mind showing you their installations.

If you can afford the best go for it but if you are on a budget don't let it put you off there are lots of brands that will still make it worth it. As long as it is safe, compliant and performs as expected.

30 minutes ago, Gerrie said:

What size Inverter and how many solar panels?

If I may weigh in:
WANTS vs NEEDS - WANTS are quite a bit more expensive than NEEDS to power on solar.
Match the "Always on" loads to the batteries and not the batteries to the loads - you can always add more batteries later i.e. walk the talk first.
Grid tied has the MOST savings ito Eskom costs. From the 1st watt each morning to the last watt at night is pushed into the entire house offsetting the Eskom bill.
Use the cheap Geyserwise timer for the geyser/s to switch them on at times you have the most spare power during the day.
Also move as many of the evening loads to daytime to USE the potential solar each day.

THEN: Follow SANS and NRS regulations. To make it easy, just follow CoCT's documentation on the matter.

What setup? Me, having done the entire exercise and walking the talk, I propose:
1) Grid tied with a 48v 3kva Victron Multiplus II - it fits the 63amp breaker regulation size - unless you have a 80amp breaker, then 5kva Multiplus II
2) Pylontech batteries - get one, feel it out, buy 2nd one later if needed.
3) 3.5kw array on 3kva Multiplus II - it helps to run the 3kva Multiplus II at the 2.4kw continious power with ease during the day - sun permitting - with spare for the batteries.
7kw array for a 5kva using a 250/100 MPPT. And you don't have to get ALL the panels day one ... add as you need.

Note: The above meets all the NRS / SANS regulations - bar the 5kva unless you have a 80amp main DB breaker.

Edited August 2, 20197 yr by Guest