Home Solar, Batteries & Energy
Solar panels and inverters, home batteries and portable power stations, heat pumps, dynamic tariffs, export payments and DIY systems, alongside energy markets and climate policy.
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English coverage of home energy equipment, DIY systems, markets and climate policy. Check the country and product context of every source; manufacturer channels provide commercial viewpoints.
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Boosting signal between Flexboss/Gridboss comms ports
Greetings: TL/DR: Want to fix comms failure between FlexBoss/Gridboss pair that are 270ft apart. MODBUS/RS485 signal booster being considered - recommendations? Details: Our off-grid community recently (Oct) installed a FlexBoss/Gridboss combination that are separated by about 275ft (buried cable length). The original installation was working but after replacing (under warrantee) a miss-behaving Flexboss we have a persistant "W030: Grid Boss CAN Loss" error. Edit... Read more
How do I replace LA battery with LFP in 12v system?
I've decided to replace my current LA battery system with a single Vatrer 300Ah LFP battery. I did not build this system, and I have never done this before, so I am seeking advice on how to make this switch relatively quickly and safely. Photos below. More info on this system at this thread. Also, we don't have cell service here so if I need to look up something or troubleshoot while the power is off during the switch its a 10-min drive down the road to reach cell service, and... Read more
Thinking about solar? Don't start with solar. What I tell friends and family
Like everyone here, I love solar, but when friends ask if they should put it on their house, my first answer is usually “probably not.” If they keep asking, I move on to some version of the below. (side note: I'm putting this here because I just got tagged on FB again) Solar doesn't magically create savings—it mostly moves money you would have paid the utility into equipment, financing, installation and somebody else's profit. And unless you're DIY'ing it, that movement often isn't in your... Read more
Help with Humsienk battery SoC issue - SoC Drifting??
Is controlling off BMS reported SoC a dumb idea? I am running an Humsienk 314 Ah 48V LFP battery with an EG4 6000XP as an MPPT charger. EG4 and battery talk via CAN, and the SoC and voltage match between the displays. EG4 is running in SoC control mode. Started out great. Ran for a month, charging all day, then discharging all night at ~750W until it hit 20% (reported) SoC. I shut the system down for a week for some upgrades, left the system at 100% SoC for a few days. Now the system... Read more
New high efficiency refrig needs to be powered
Greetings all, Newbie here, well sort of. Been playing with small PV system for a few years. Lots to learn. Here is the deal, got a high efficiency frig for my summer cottage. I'm trying to figure out new battery needs. What I have: 2 335W panels outputting 48V into my Sky Blue 50a charge controller output is 12V two Renogy AGM 12 V batteries Solar generation is only about 4 hours/day using 2000W pure sin wave inverter I want to increase my battery capacity... Read more
EG4 is JUNK!
At least their chargeverter and charge controllers are junk! Not to mention their customer support is an absolute joke! I have a chargeverter that should be under warranty (1.5 years old) and is acting up. After waiting a week for a reply to an email I called…. That turned into a 45 minute waste of time! Basically all I found out was they do not recommend having the Chargeverter connect to the battery bank while the inverter is on… wait… what??? What the hell is the point then!!! The only... Read more
How does this setup sound to you?
Good afternoon all! Maybe I should post on the beginners thread but I was hoping of getting inputs from the more experienced guys I'm planning an off-grid solar system for a rural property in Portugal and would really appreciate your opinion before I start ordering everything. The system I'm currently looking at is 8x JA Solar 635 watt panels, 1x Victron SmartSolar MPPT 250/100 VE.Can 1x Victron MultiPlus II GX 48 V 6.5 kVA, 1x ECO-WORTHY PowerMega 48 V 314 Ah LiFePO₄ battery, 1x... Read more
What was your most interesting recent non solar project?
Wasn't sure where to place this. We all have a strong interest in solar and countless threads are written on the topic. I was curious what other interests and projects others have worked on that they found interesting. Recently I found myself learning the details of a modern hot water heater. Two days I could barely explain what a thermocouple was. Since then, with the failure of our hot water heater I was given a choice. Try to find a repair person I could afford on a holiday or learn as... Read more
Trump Reopens the Fight Over Orsted’s Revolution Wind
Current conditions: Hurricane Simon is lingering off Mexico’s coast as a new tropical depression that could form into a powerful storm begins gathering strength • Iceland has issued an orange-level warning — the notch just below the most severe — across the whole country ahead of an intense storm that could bring vicious winds and snow • The mountain areas surrounding Los Angeles are on red alert for wildfires throughout the rest of the week.
Nominate the Rising Stars of US solar
For the last few years, Solar Power World has highlighted the work of individuals making a difference at not only their employers but in the larger U.S.
Australia’s coal phase-out requires rapid dispatchable replacement, says GlobalData
Australia’s rapid retirement of coal-fired power assets increases the need for resources that can balance variable renewable output and maintain reliability during periods of peak demand.
Beyond the oil change: Why condition monitoring is becoming essential for wind turbine reliability
Discover how online oil condition monitoring can help to provide earlier insight into gearbox health, helping operators to make more informed maintenance decisions, reduce unnecessary interventions and better protect critical drivetrain assets.
Checking back in with Greenlight America
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe
Nightpeak Energy completes Bocanova battery project in Texas, US
Nightpeak Energy has completed the 150MW Bocanova 2 battery storage facility, raising the total capacity at the Bocanova site to 300MW.
The Fire Retardant in the Seafood Chain
A chemical additive helped stop fishmeal from catching fire on ships, but it carried a downstream carcinogenic risk to modern food systems.By Ian Urbina This story is part of an investigation conducted by an international team of journalists based at The Outlaw Ocean Project. Read the other stories here.
Arevon signs 20-year REC contracts for 200MWac Panther project
US-based renewable energy developer Arevon Energy has finalised three separate 20-year Indexed Renewable Energy Credit (REC) agreements for its 200MWac/275MWdc Panther Energy Project in Perry County, Illinois, US.
Nuclear-powered data centers? It’s a tough sell in Utah coal country
This story was originally published by Grist . Sign up for Grist's weekly newsletter . Cindy O’Neil understands the boom-and-bust cycles of industry. Her husband spent years working in Carbon County’s namesake coal mines. In this pocket of central Utah, energy and the economy have long been intrinsically linked, at
How one Chicago program is diversifying the solar workforce
CHICAGO — On a beautiful fall Saturday morning on the South Side of Chicago, the Life Center Church of God in Christ thrummed with excitement. The pews were packed with over a thousand people dressed in their best — including more than a hundred in black graduation caps and gowns. Before praying, Pastor Torrey L.
If a specific rechargeable device recommends using a 5v charger, what would happen if a higher voltage charger was used?
A lot of the standard wall usb adapters I see are 5v. However, a few portable power banks I’m interested in all seem to be listed as higher voltage (15-20v). Would these not be safe to use? I don’t want to damage my device or cause long term battery issues. submitted by /u/eatnsle3p [link] [comments]
AI’s Power Boom Could Pull Factory-Built Nuclear Down the Cost Curve
Get in touch - leave me a message AI data centres are creating an extraordinary new demand for electricity. The harder question is whether clean, firm power can be built quickly enough to meet it, without falling back on gas. My guest in this episode is Matt Loszak, co-founder and CEO of Aalo Atomics, which is developing small, factory-built nuclear reactors initially for AI data centres.
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