Friday, April 24, 2020
Under Construction: Pair of string inverter rails
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1RpcZjXdAHBvLx1m6
4/25/2020
FIVE Delta 6kw inverters placed! Photos added.
4/28/2020
First Delta at "party shed" working with one seven panel string into one tracker, seven into the other. I look forward to evaluating power with good sun. The minimum voltage for the Delta is about 200vdc and the seven panels barely supplies that. Likely next step: add five more panels on each string; then add two more strings of 12 each. Total of four strings of 12.
Photos added.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
More Power to South Field
https://photos.app.goo.gl/re2Z35bnsYCcviXG9
~100 amps worth of wire to be buried from rear of house to "new garage" post as in second photo.
Then in the ceiling of "new garage" to old greenhouse on the south side of the building as in third photo.
Breaker box and string inverters to be install inside greenhouse wall.
More photos to be added to album as project progresses.
~100 amps worth of wire to be buried from rear of house to "new garage" post as in second photo.
Then in the ceiling of "new garage" to old greenhouse on the south side of the building as in third photo.
Breaker box and string inverters to be install inside greenhouse wall.
More photos to be added to album as project progresses.
Friday, April 17, 2020
First HoverBoard Battery Failure
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Vv9VwnXDbMuWwchZ6
I've had three ammo boxes of HB batteries in a little used golf cart across the road, in the "party shed". In cleaning up the area, I decided to move the ammo boxes to the house where I can easily keep them them charged and use for PowerWall augmentation. To transport, I hooked them to the similar ammo boxes being used to power a golf cart that I was driving and use frequently. When I hooked one up, with an SB50, I heard a little snap and thought it was due to a low battery being connected to the higher charge in the golf cart. When I got back to the battery storage/charge area, I heard some crackling. I found one ammo box with one or more hot and smoking HB batteries. I pulled all eight HB batteries out of the ammo box. All HB batteries appeared damaged; most were whole but one was falling apart and obviously still smoking. I found a little liquid in the bottom of the ammo box.
Most of the batteries had been stored for about two years until, about six months ago, I put them in service for PowerWall augmentation. Other blog posts can be found on that project. Coming out of the ~2 years of storage, a small fraction of the batteries were at zero voltage and would not accept a charge. Perhaps 3 or 4 out of more than 50.
This is the first HB that has threatened fire. I have had other LIPO batteries from other sources burn.
My PowerWall augmentation cache of batteries numbers about 10 ammo boxes of either 8 or 10 HB batteries each. All paralleled together and regularly charged to about 40v; I've avoided charging to the full voltage of 42v. So, I need to consider relocating those ammo boxes to a place where a fire would not be very damaging.
The last three photos show the golf cart charging and PowerWall augmentation area. The next to last photo shows a wall mounted collection of grid tie inverters that can be used to feed into the PowerWall island. Using both 12vdc and 36vdc power sources. The third from last photo shows the collection of ammo boxes that can be either put into golf carts or used to power the grid tie inverters. I will likely move those to a more remote location, probably into a new garden shed installed for that purpose.
I've had three ammo boxes of HB batteries in a little used golf cart across the road, in the "party shed". In cleaning up the area, I decided to move the ammo boxes to the house where I can easily keep them them charged and use for PowerWall augmentation. To transport, I hooked them to the similar ammo boxes being used to power a golf cart that I was driving and use frequently. When I hooked one up, with an SB50, I heard a little snap and thought it was due to a low battery being connected to the higher charge in the golf cart. When I got back to the battery storage/charge area, I heard some crackling. I found one ammo box with one or more hot and smoking HB batteries. I pulled all eight HB batteries out of the ammo box. All HB batteries appeared damaged; most were whole but one was falling apart and obviously still smoking. I found a little liquid in the bottom of the ammo box.
Most of the batteries had been stored for about two years until, about six months ago, I put them in service for PowerWall augmentation. Other blog posts can be found on that project. Coming out of the ~2 years of storage, a small fraction of the batteries were at zero voltage and would not accept a charge. Perhaps 3 or 4 out of more than 50.
This is the first HB that has threatened fire. I have had other LIPO batteries from other sources burn.
My PowerWall augmentation cache of batteries numbers about 10 ammo boxes of either 8 or 10 HB batteries each. All paralleled together and regularly charged to about 40v; I've avoided charging to the full voltage of 42v. So, I need to consider relocating those ammo boxes to a place where a fire would not be very damaging.
The last three photos show the golf cart charging and PowerWall augmentation area. The next to last photo shows a wall mounted collection of grid tie inverters that can be used to feed into the PowerWall island. Using both 12vdc and 36vdc power sources. The third from last photo shows the collection of ammo boxes that can be either put into golf carts or used to power the grid tie inverters. I will likely move those to a more remote location, probably into a new garden shed installed for that purpose.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
15 -> 50 kva transformer upgrade
https://photos.app.goo.gl/39mvvNAoatzrk9Gm6
Meter, transformer, breaker box were all mounted on the old pole. Bluebonnet installed a new and larger pole with the larger transformer. An electrician installed a "rack" to hold meter, disconnect switch, and breaker box. All was supposed to be done in a day to minimize my loss of production. Mid afternoon, I found the electrician gone and the breaker box in a mess. I lashed up a circuit to support the three new rails which are producing most of the energy on that meter. Peak power has been ~17kw and probably 11-12kw was coming from the three new rails. If the electrician fails to appear in future days, I'll start lashing up other circuits. Currently now not powered: RV building including roof top PV, well pump, the two other barns.
The old pole was left, at my request, to become a surveillance camera mast.
Two new Emporia energy monitors arrived today. One application will be monitoring the three rails individually.
RIP, John Prine. Who ranks with Townes Van Zandt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hhTYgqHWpY
4/14/2020
The electrician nearly redeemed himself yesterday. He FINALLY showed up and completed the job. After FIVE days of having electric service due to my own efforts.
I put him to work on two additional, non time critical, projects. Completing the electric run to the site of string inverters for the north side of party shed project. He completed in a couple of hours. Next up is running electric from the new back of house breaker box to a new breaker box in the new garage greenhouse. That, to provide additional power to the south field.
Meter, transformer, breaker box were all mounted on the old pole. Bluebonnet installed a new and larger pole with the larger transformer. An electrician installed a "rack" to hold meter, disconnect switch, and breaker box. All was supposed to be done in a day to minimize my loss of production. Mid afternoon, I found the electrician gone and the breaker box in a mess. I lashed up a circuit to support the three new rails which are producing most of the energy on that meter. Peak power has been ~17kw and probably 11-12kw was coming from the three new rails. If the electrician fails to appear in future days, I'll start lashing up other circuits. Currently now not powered: RV building including roof top PV, well pump, the two other barns.
The old pole was left, at my request, to become a surveillance camera mast.
Two new Emporia energy monitors arrived today. One application will be monitoring the three rails individually.
RIP, John Prine. Who ranks with Townes Van Zandt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hhTYgqHWpY
4/14/2020
The electrician nearly redeemed himself yesterday. He FINALLY showed up and completed the job. After FIVE days of having electric service due to my own efforts.
I put him to work on two additional, non time critical, projects. Completing the electric run to the site of string inverters for the north side of party shed project. He completed in a couple of hours. Next up is running electric from the new back of house breaker box to a new breaker box in the new garage greenhouse. That, to provide additional power to the south field.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Energy Monitoring
https://emporiaenergy.com/
I received one of these Friday, three days ago. This morning, I ordered two more. It is the best value in energy monitoring I have found. And, the easiest to install and configure.
The best price I have found is through Amazon. $100 plus about $13 tax for the basic unit plus the needed 8 CT expansion unit.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XYJCDYT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://energycurb.com/
Curb was my previous favorite and is quite a bit more mature and capable.
Emporia must be within wifi range, Curb uses power line communication which is likely to more easily provide the needed internet access.
Currently, Curb offers both smart phone app and browser access while Emporia offers only a smart phone app.
I find the Emporia of more value to me because I can consider monitoring isolated PV installs which do not have dedicated wires in main breaker boxes.
Both Curb and Emporia are dependent on internet access. If your internet goes down, you do not have access to your energy data. If the company goes out of business and quits supporting their cloud storage, your equipment likely becomes worthless.
Curb became much more useful after they were initially introduced. Like Tesla cars, features were added and improved as time passed. Emporia seems to be doing the same. Emporia says that a browser interface is "coming soon".
I received one of these Friday, three days ago. This morning, I ordered two more. It is the best value in energy monitoring I have found. And, the easiest to install and configure.
The best price I have found is through Amazon. $100 plus about $13 tax for the basic unit plus the needed 8 CT expansion unit.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XYJCDYT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://energycurb.com/
Curb was my previous favorite and is quite a bit more mature and capable.
Emporia must be within wifi range, Curb uses power line communication which is likely to more easily provide the needed internet access.
Currently, Curb offers both smart phone app and browser access while Emporia offers only a smart phone app.
I find the Emporia of more value to me because I can consider monitoring isolated PV installs which do not have dedicated wires in main breaker boxes.
Both Curb and Emporia are dependent on internet access. If your internet goes down, you do not have access to your energy data. If the company goes out of business and quits supporting their cloud storage, your equipment likely becomes worthless.
Curb became much more useful after they were initially introduced. Like Tesla cars, features were added and improved as time passed. Emporia seems to be doing the same. Emporia says that a browser interface is "coming soon".
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