12-16-15

Bought two 180aH batteries to increase storage by 50%. The charge will help pass the next few days more comfortably. When sun returns, controller will pass more power into storage, diverting less in PWM mode. Expansion here seems a better investment than a generator, which I would use rarely. Looking ahead to the next two weeks, cloudiness and low light are eminent. Expansion will change performance, and make it easier to use a refrigerator in the spring.

12-15-15

Again there was power for lights and to pump water thirty seconds, and then fifteen. This time, I turned the inverter off to save power for morning. Snow is coming in tonight, but I plan to drive to make an appointment with my chiropractor. My back is giving me trouble and this time it is taking a few treatments. Paddy has been lame for the past few days, cannot say why. Could it be from running too hard? Loss of appetite suggests he was sick, or worse, possibly poisoned. That he was sick seems the case.

I may buy batteries tomorrow justifying this upgrade as planned sometime anyway. Fresh batteries will help make it through until January with a little more comfort. Snow and back trouble do not mix. I have some PT work, holding nearly $500 today.

12-14-15

I was relieved to find after spending the first two hours of darkness this evening, that my solar array actually charged batteries enough for three hours plus of lighting. From the completely discharged state this morning, I had power for two hours, and turned it off. There is power for lights in the morning. This makes a huge difference. If I am to spend money upgrading, it will not be for a noisy, expensive, gasoline generator and battery chargers. No, it will be to add a couple charged batteries to my system. I would get through a few days of this gloom, and have improved ability to capture free power going forward. The generator is not that nice, and I could make it without adding the batteries. It was a dark, cloudy day. What a relief!

-12-15 Another dark and cloudy day.

I added two panels this weekend (10-3-15) to distribute input, now including that from SE facing panels. Sunday was a perfect day to see the expanded window working, charging ten hours or more, most in bright sunlight.

Panels now face SE and SW, reducing midday input somewhat, while adding about four hours to the window (for this time of year.) I estimate that I had nearly same input yesterday as in July. Morning charging began much sooner, and was very noticeable by 11:30 as the controller was already protecting the batteries.

Work this week will use components ( buss, fuses, connectors, cables ... ) found in boating accessories for battery management to rewire the batteries, controller, and inverter and pass electrical inspection.

I use about 90 feet AWG 6 copper to run from the combiner disconnect point to the controller. Panels are 327 watts at 54 volts, except one salvaged from the fire which is 195 watts at 27.

I'll make a diagram, and post pictures of the battery management components, with inverter connections. The boating industry uses fuses, and resettable breakers as DC disconnects. The products are not seen in solar power distribution channels, though they are competitively priced, and adequate for voltages and ampacity in my 24-volt system which uses a 5000-watt modified sine inverter.

Rotated picture does not show fuses and buss components. It does show the steel raceway bringing AWG 6 from the combiner safety switch.

I have run the inverer 24/7 since June, now using a 15-amp circuit to the garage. AWG 8 brings power to the garage, a distance of 110 feet from the inverter.