Generator Time

[Sidekick]

Finally getting to work on my solar generator. Almost have the trailer done for the panels. 10-550 watt bifacial panels should give me 5000 watts at about 450 volts on a sunny day. Adjustable from 15 to 45 degrees for our seasonal solar angle adjustment. Was going to build a shed on the trailer for batteries and inverters but would have been too tall and ugly so looking at a cheap Amish shed I can insulate that will be easy to move. Worked in the rain today to get the trailer ready for panels tomorrow. Power went out last week and looks like all the basics will stay on for 3 days with the 15kw of batteries I have so far. That includes 2 big freezers and 2 fridges.

 

[johnjk]

Nice. I work for a solar panel manufacturer. It’s quite fascinating to watch them be built. 550w is the output of a panel that goes in to a commercial array.

 

[fried1765]

Broke down and ordered a generator after we were without power from the April tornados here in Central Ohio. Finally being installed after an 8 wk wait to get on the schedule. Will run off a 500gal propane tank. Wife can finally stop worrying when the power is out. We thought about a smaller portable unit but didn’t want to mess with gas or limited power. Hope we never need it. View attachment 129704

There are some smaller dual fuel units.
I bought an 8500W dual fuel (portable) unit.

 

[Sidekick]

Nice. I work for a solar panel manufacturer. It’s quite fascinating to watch them be built. 550w is the output of a panel that goes in to a commercial array.

These are 450 watt / 550 bifacial panels. Two that I have been playing with put out 1140 watts at 95 volts this winter with snow on the ground a couple sunny days. I think That a shiny aluminum foil on the trailer will help in the summer because I only see a little over 1000 watts without something reflective behind them. I would love to see more built in the USA. Mine were built in Vietnam as I was trying to avoid the Chinese panels.

 

[johnjk]

These are 450 watt / 550 bifacial panels. Two that I have been playing with put out 1140 watts at 95 volts this winter with snow on the ground a couple sunny days. I think That a shiny aluminum foil on the trailer will help in the summer because I only see a little over 1000 watts without something reflective behind them. I would love to see more built in the USA. Mine were built in Vietnam as I was trying to avoid the Chinese panels.

We started manufacturing in March of 2024 and had made 2.2GW of panels by December. Our plant is the largest manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere, on track to make around 6GW of panels this year. Our goal is to purchase all components that make a panel domestically and hopefully serve the consumer market in the next few years. Everything we make now spoken for in the commercial markets.
Fun facts, it takes 6.5 hrs from the start to finish to make one panel and we produce 28,000 panels in 24 hrs off 8 lines.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

In the first year building the house I had 7 power cuts, some the whole day. So I added a small room at the back of the garage for a 16kVA slow running (1500rpm) Diesel generator. Engine is a four cylinder Mitsubishi Diesel. Runs fine and has been used regularly over the past ten years (once it ran for 6 days); never had to charge the starter battery. Last use was this winter for two days after a storm. Some parts of Ireland were three weeks without electricity. And lots without heating, new houses are not allowed fireplaces or stoves any more and your heat pump is not doing much without electricity.