Should I install my Solar power system today or should I wait until I need it?

[pkveazey]

I've had my complete Emergency Solar System for over a year and still haven't installed it. I'm either an Idiot or a Genius. If I install it now and its a year or two before I need it, then I've advertised it to the world that it's there for the stealing and its out in the weather. Every time I think that I should go out there and screw it to the South facing deck, I remember that I've got at least a week's worth of Whole House Generator power. That means that If I really need to install it, I will be able to still use power tools and not have to screw every screw in buy hand. There also is another thing that bothers me. After talking to the people at BattleBorn Batteries, they convinced me that two of their 100 AH Lithium/Iron/Phosphate Batteries was enough to get me through the night, I keep telling myself that I probably should order a third one, just in case. With the world situation getting worse by the hour, I think I might just call them up and order a 3rd battery. It won't be for stronger power, but for more long lasting power. If I lose Grid power and can't get gas for the Generator power, then I'm going to have to really go into conservative mode and turn off a lot of things that I normally run all the time.

[Jarine88]

The only downside to waiting is that the weather or other outdoor conditions may not be favorable for the installation when you need it. When the grid is down and you are running a generator and have power tools on your roof, you have made yourself a target.

I understand your desire to wait, but if there is anything you can do shy of installing the panels on the roof, I would do that. I?ll show my ignorance here, but if it is possible to install the brackets without putting up the solar panels, you might consider that. It would reduce your exposure on your roof when the time comes.

[Felix]

Interesting quandary.
OTOH, I'm with Pk, don't' advertise capability or assets.
OTOH, I agree that install delay might end up causing a critical "inconvenience".
Split the difference?
 Much of the system infrastructure will be hidden or non-informative to the casual/desperate  observer looking to score from a resource they lack.
After every non-obvious component is in place, the remainder of install will be considerably reduced.
Even the panel racks can be disguised and mistaken for trellises or for clothes drying, etc.

[pkveazey]

The only downside to waiting is that the weather or other outdoor conditions may not be favorable for the installation when you need it. When the grid is down and you are running a generator and have power tools on your roof, you have made yourself a target.

I understand your desire to wait, but if there is anything you can do shy of installing the panels on the roof, I would do that. I?ll show my ignorance here, but if it is possible to install the brackets without putting up the solar panels, you might consider that. It would reduce your exposure on your roof when the time comes.

Whoa..... No roof installation for me. I just paid $6,500 for a new steel roof and I'm also too old to be climbing up there to clean and maintain a roof installation. Mine will be ground mounted and attached to my Wooden back deck.

[pkveazey]

I couldn't stand it any longer. I just called BattleBorn and asked them to call me when they open(They are in Las Vegas time zone) because I want to order a 3rd Battery. I asked the wife what she thought about it and she wanted me to order 2 more. Even though they are having a sale and their $950 batteries are on sale for $799, I said no way. Those batteries are guaranteed for 10 years and I don't expect to live to be 88. I just want the 3rd one just to make sure we can make it through the full night without running out of power. Yes, we will be turning off all high current devices when not needed. Anything that is on a 220 volt 50 amp breaker will not be used. My backfeed will be on a 220 volt 30 amp breaker and my solar panels will only supply 400 watts through a 20 amp charge controller. See, I told you my Solar system was for emergency power. I found several other companies that have what I want for less money but they don't have all the internal protection circuits and a 10 year warrantee. The BattleBorn batteries won't allow charging below 20 degrees F but where I live the daytime temp is almost never below 20 degrees.

[pkveazey]

I just had a long chat on the phone with BattleBorn Battery. I got a very knowlegeable fellow and I walked him through my Solar system that I plan to use for emergencies. I asked about adding a third battery to the two that I already have and he said that third battery would make a huge difference in how long I could run basic items. So I ordered the 3rd battery. He told me that since I have not connected the system up yet, I should individually fully charge each battery before connecting them to the charge controller because I shouldn't connect to an unbalanced system. I also asked him about connecting the parallel Battery output cables to the First positive and the Third negative and he said that is absolutely correct because if I connect the positive and negative to just one battery, it would just try to pull from that battery only. It won't be too long now before I hook all that crap up.

[pkveazey]

Alright, alright, alright......... I just received my 3rd and final LiFePo4 battery. That's it for me. Now all I have to do is set it up and hook up all that crap and I'll have 5000 watts of power. I've been concerned about where to put the charge controller, batteries and 220 volt inverter. I'm pretty sure I'm just going to let the length of the wire determine where it ends up. I absolutely am not going to buy any additional wire and lose power due to voltage drop. I think it will basically end up in a very large plastic box under the deck right next to the ground mounted solar panels. 

[JohnyMac]

Cool beans PKv! 

[pkveazey]

WOW! I just got a pleasant surprise. The advertisement for my Charge Controller said it could handle 20 Amps. OK, so I bought a second Charge controller as a backup just in case my other one crapped out. I bought another one that was identical to the first one but it is a 30 amp charge controller. OK, all well and good, so I was going to swap out the 20 amp Charge controller for the new 30 amp one. Just before I disconnected the wires, I decided to flip it over and look at the specs on the back. SAY WHAT???  The one that I already have says 30 amps. That's great. I don't have to swap them out and now I have a direct replacement if I need it. Since I also have a 1000 watt 120 volt inverter, I can actually create a second smaller solar system by just buying one or two 100 watt solar panels and connecting it up to a couple of Car batteries to feed the smaller inverter.

[JohnyMac]

PKv, 

[Sir John Honeybucket]

Great! Strike while the iron is hot.  Materials to build these systems might stop at any time. 

[grizz]

I would install it now when you can do it in "peace" and work around the weather if need be. Also you will most likely find bugs that need to be worked out and if you wait you may not be able to get those bugs worked out while the S is HTF.

Another thing to consider is if you wait you may have prying eyes watching you and decide to take your stuff before it gets installed

[pkveazey]

I've already installed the solar panels and the rest is a matter of just plugging into the charge controler, connecting the charge controler to the batteries, connecting the batteries to the inverter, and then connecting the cable from the inverter to the house. I have several reasons for not hooking it all up right now. 1. I'm too damn lazy. 2. I can't figure out where to mount the other components so they will be out of the weather. I think I'll be mounting the Charge Controler under the Deck near the Solar Panel array. Hmmmm.... Do I put the Batteries under the deck or put them inside the Utility Room? I'm pretty sure that I'll put the Inverter in the Utility Room where it will be plugged into the 220 volt outlet to backfeed the Panel.

[Felix]

Would like to confirm what Griz and Sir ... Honeybucket sez..
I have a semi-respectable "junk pile".    No farm, ranch or homestead would be complete without one.    Junkpiles are where the David Copperfields of "making do" work their magic.

Still, access to the hardware/building supply store in sometimes critical. (need a bigger, older "junk" pile)?

Do as much as is possible NOW.   
Let the remains be the smallest part of critical possible, in your circumstances.

[Jackalope]

Do I put the Batteries under the deck or put them inside the Utility Room? I'm pretty sure that I'll put the Inverter in the Utility Room where it will be plugged into the 220 volt outlet to backfeed the Panel.

     Lithium batteries don't like to be charged at temperatures below 32 F degrees due to the battery chemistry.  Ambient temperatures might effect the decision where to place the batteries. 

[pkveazey]

Yea, Jackalope, I discussed the low temperature thing with Battle Born and they told me that they have a ton of protective circuitry inside the batteries that prevent the battery from being charged below 25 degrees, from being used below about 20% charge, and overcharge protection. If the batteries end up under the deck, they'll have to be put in an insulated plastic storage box. It is extremely rare that daytime temps at my house to be below 20 degrees.