Just Got a New Generator

[phreddyp]

omg.... did someone steal all the batteries out of your toys when you were a child, and left an indelible dent in your poor little mind? Just because it's not something YOU might do does not mean it's stupid or junk or whatever how you want to denounce it. Take your piss poor attitude elsewhere.

Who the hell cares where the power comes from as long as you have lights and heat in the middle of a snowstorm outage? Sure beats having to drag the generator out in a blinding rain.

Must have hit a nerve! Please tell me how well it recharged during the snowstorm or driving rain with the solar panels, I'll wait.

 

[Sneakers]

Must have hit a nerve! Please tell me how well it recharged during the snowstorm or driving rain with the solar panels, I'll wait.

No thanx. You're the expert. You figure it out. I already did.

You've earned a spot on the ignore list.

 

[phreddyp]

Oh, and BTW... the energy in gasoline is stored until it's utilized, just like a battery.

Well then I guess that you can just run out and get yourself a can of electrons when it's depleted.

 

[LightRoasted]

For your consideration...

Why would anyone actually buy basically a UPS for home emergencies, they don't really produce power, they store power. Basically, a feel-good device kinda like mac-n-cheese or mashed taters or a Barbancourt rum and coke.

No they don't, you are correct. That's what the solar panels are for, to recharge them.

One can also ask, why does someone buy a UPS for their computer systems? For their sensitive electronic entertainment systems? Because there is a need for such devices as one cannot, and should not rely on, nor trust, any electric utility as being 100% reliable.

 

[phreddyp]

For your consideration...



No they don't, you are correct. That's what the solar panels are for, to recharge them.

One can also ask, why does someone buy a UPS for their computer systems? For their sensitive electronic entertainment systems? Because there is a need for such devices as one cannot, and should not rely on, nor trust, any electric utility as being 100% reliable.

You really need ME to answer that? Charging that unit with a solar panel is a joke and YOU know it.

 

[Clem72]

Smaller battery storage devices with an inverter were called 'solar generators' because they generate power from the sun via solar panels and output it from an inverter. Today's ICE generators use inverters as well. It's the fact that they make power that they get called a generator, doesn't matter if it's from gas, propane, etc... using an ICE motor, or the sun. Just replace the ICE motor with a solar panel and charge controller.

As these things got bigger and bigger, they became less of a solar generator and more of a power station, as Gurps noted.


Not a bad price. The new Ecoflow Pro 3 was on my short list, and I held off buying until it came out, and I could get the actual specs and see reviews. Still went with the Anker for a few reasons: it has a larger inverter (6000w v 4000w), better surge capability, better battery expansion. I already had 2 Anker portable solar panels @ 400w. The Ecoflow had a number of nice features, but none that I would take advantage of, like backward compatibility with older series batteries, flexibility in configurations, I also kept seeing odd problems described and trouble with support, but virtually none with Anker. The only thing I wish the Anker had was pass-through charging, the ability to charge via 120/240vac while still providing 240vac.

Here's a side-by-side comparison. Both good units, the Anker fit my needs better.

What might not have been obvious was that this deal cage with the extra 3500kwh battery which also ups both the nominal and instantaneous draw of the system. I just posted it on case people were interested but missed the deal on your generator. The free solar panel is basically a joke but otherwise it seems to be a good deal.

Still too small for me, I will wait for the cheap v2h or v2x chargers to come online then buy a cheap used electric car. Before the recent car price surges you could get a used 60kwh leaf for 6-8k and even if the battery had 30 percent degradation (those early leafs had horrible battery management systems) it would still be 10x the battery for 3x the cost (and can also be driven if necessary).

 

[Sneakers]

What might not have been obvious was that this deal cage with the extra 3500kwh battery which also ups both the nominal and instantaneous draw of the system. I just posted it on case people were interested but missed the deal on your generator. The free solar panel is basically a joke but otherwise it seems to be a good deal.

The Anker, and others, seem to be on a 'permanent sale'. The F3800 was a few hundred less now that when I first posted, now back up to $2999. I took advantage of their price guarantee and got a partial refund. Then I got 2 emails to rate the hardware, each worth 20% off on my next purchases. I'll get an expansion battery and the ATS with the already discounted prices plus 20% off, if they are still discounted by then.

I too am looking forward to V2H, that will pretty much take care of everything. What I'm doing now is just because I'm interested and needed a project, and the Automatic Transfer Switch with battery backup will be a nice selling point when I move out.

If and when the Aptera ever makes it to production, the one I have on order will have a 44kwh battery and can recharge from a multitude of sources.

 

[Sneakers]

My Honda 3500 isn't an EU, but still pretty quiet, especially in eco mode. I got a propane conversion kit for it. Runs well under load at speed, but has issues with the idle. Can't seem to adjust it out. Might take it off and go back to gas. It was incredibly smooth and reliable on gas, even considering it's age.

All better. Pulled off the propane stuff and added a small gas tank, just for the monthly runs so I don't have to leave fuel in the big tank. One pull, started and ran perfectly, and with a little tuning now runs perfectly at low idle.

Gotta love them Hondas.

 

[phreddyp]

All better. Pulled off the propane stuff and added a small gas tank, just for the monthly runs so I don't have to leave fuel in the big tank. One pull, started and ran perfectly, and with a little tuning now runs perfectly at low idle.

Gotta love them Hondas.

They are the bestest hands down.

 

[black dog]

Must have hit a nerve! Please tell me how well it recharged during the snowstorm or driving rain with the solar panels, I'll wait.

I just plug into my neighbors welder plug on the side of his garage.

 

[Sneakers]

Solid State Batteries Are REALLY Here: Yoshino Power Station​

UPDATE. Everyone who has done a review or teardown claim these are not really solid state batteries.

 

[Sneakers]

The most widely used is the Easy Start, and the manufacturer calls it a soft start. Of all the devices I've looked at for home use, I have yet to see one called a hard start.

EasyStart™ Flex Home AC Soft Starter

EasyStart™ Flex Home Soft Starter Micro-Air's EasyStart™ Flex is the most advanced and versatile soft starter designed for ALL SIZES of residential AC units up to 6 tons (72,000 BTUs). The EasyStart™ Flex offers a One-Size-Fits-All solution that includes adaptive learning and optimization...

www.microair.net

Ordered an Easy Start quite a while back, just had a chance to install it. Prior to installing, the surge load was 106.5 amps on one leg of the 240vac circuit, measured at the breaker panel. After installing, the surge was 45.6 amps. It takes at least 5 on/off cycles before it 'learns' your device.

 

[Sneakers]

Re-tried running the a/c from the Anker, now that the EasyStart has been installed. The a/c did start and run, but only for about 30 seconds before it shut down. And again, it was the a/c that shut down, not the Anker.

So now I know the limits of what I can run and not run, pretty much everything except the a/c. But the battery life won't last long, so it will be for necessities only; lights, fridges, heat, hot water, interweb.

 

[Gilligan]

We're only a few weeks away from installing our new solar system; 20kw of solar panels, 16kw-hr battery storage, and the 23kw diesel generator, all managed by a smart controller. I know the battery storage capacity is too small, but we hit our budget ceiling. We'll add more later; I want to at least double it. System is also designed to include a 5kw (nominal) wind turbine...another item that will be added when we've got the funds to do it.

Most of the HVAC in the building has been replaced with mini-splits. Putting a soft-start box on our large-ish well pump. Fingers crossed...really need to see that diesel fuel consumption drop dramatically to declare victory.

 

[Sneakers]

We're only a few weeks away from installing our new solar system; 20kw of solar panels, 16kw-hr battery storage, and the 23kw diesel generator, all managed by a smart controller. I know the battery storage capacity is too small, but we hit our budget ceiling. We'll add more later; I want to at least double it. System is also designed to include a 5kw (nominal) wind turbine...another item that will be added when we've got the funds to do it.

Most of the HVAC in the building has been replaced with mini-splits. Putting a soft-start box on our large-ish well pump. Fingers crossed...really need to see that diesel fuel consumption drop dramatically to declare victory.

Ambitious, but sounds great.

 

[Gilligan]

Ambitious, but sounds great.

We currently burn, on average, about $12,000/year in diesel fuel.

 

[Sneakers]

We currently burn, on average, about $12,000/year in diesel fuel.

Ouch.

 

[GURPS]

Most of the HVAC in the building has been replaced with mini-splits.

You are doing it wrong,

Solar AC

Ecosolaris 12 000 BTU and 18 000 BTU solar AC Air Conditioner working with solar panels. 4 working modes: Solar, Solar with battery, Solar + Grid and Grid only)

solarcooling.ca

What is the Best Solar Powered Mini Split Unit? – HowTo HVAC

HotSpot Energy ACDC12C



Available Here on Amazon

The HotSpot ACDC12C unit is set up to operate directly from solar panels without an inverter.
It can pull extra power from grid power if necessary but is mainly built to be used with solar power.




It has both 220 Volts AC hookup (Left) and dedicated Solar hookup (Right).
The ACDC12C can get power from three 300W solar panels, or six 300W panels for running when the sun is not at full strength.




It is a hybrid system that can also be connected to a 208-240 AC power source.
It can also be used with DC, AC, or AC-DC setups making it highly versatile.

EG4® 12K Hybrid Solar Powered Mini-Split 12000BTU AC/DC Air Conditioner/ Heat Pump ​

 

[GURPS]

spolar powered mini split at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

[Gilligan]

Ouch.

You are doing it wrong,

Solar AC

Ecosolaris 12 000 BTU and 18 000 BTU solar AC Air Conditioner working with solar panels. 4 working modes: Solar, Solar with battery, Solar + Grid and Grid only)

solarcooling.ca

What is the Best Solar Powered Mini Split Unit? – HowTo HVAC

HotSpot Energy ACDC12C



Available Here on Amazon

The HotSpot ACDC12C unit is set up to operate directly from solar panels without an inverter.
It can pull extra power from grid power if necessary but is mainly built to be used with solar power.




It has both 220 Volts AC hookup (Left) and dedicated Solar hookup (Right).
The ACDC12C can get power from three 300W solar panels, or six 300W panels for running when the sun is not at full strength.




It is a hybrid system that can also be connected to a 208-240 AC power source.
It can also be used with DC, AC, or AC-DC setups making it highly versatile.

EG4® 12K Hybrid Solar Powered Mini-Split 12000BTU AC/DC Air Conditioner/ Heat Pump​

Not relevant. The solar panel output, diesel generator, wind turbine, and storage batteries are all managed as a combined hybrid system and housed in/on two buildings about 500' from the clubhouse. We are not changing anything in the feed to the clubhouse from the "generator shed" where the batteries and smart controller reside. We also have a 55kw backup generator that we'll keep in the new system, manually switchable to substitute for the hybrid system if it goes down for any reason.