Solar on a Budget... or am I chasing a unicorn?

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Have you ever run a chest freezer as a fridge? replaced the thermostat so that it stays at 50 degrees or so? That is my next goal - to create a "root cellar" type environment for lts foods that (supposedly) make 10 years in a controlled environment, butter being one things to come to mind right off the bat.
Sounds easy enough to do. I freeze cheese and butter all the time though and can’t tell a difference when I thaw it out. I was skeptical of the cheese but my wife said her family always did it and it works great. With grocery prices rising in stores being able to preserve things is more important than ever now.
 
So cool Brent! Well done! You have got to be stoked to have this part finished. Let us know how it works today.
The batteries were new and supposedly fully charged. I’m still going to give it a full day of charging before putting a full load on the system. I have 4000 watts to play with though and will balance out what I can run.
 
Here is a thermostat for converting a freezer into a refrigerator. You don't need to touch the original thermostat. It shuts off power to the freezer externally. The only problem I see is getting the probe into the freezer and still maintaining an airtight seal. I'd probably drill a hole for it and then seal with silicone, but I'd have to be careful not to drill into the coolant!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EXROSE
31GY2WD5X8L.jpg
 
Here is a thermostat for converting a freezer into a refrigerator. You don't need to touch the original thermostat. It shuts off power to the freezer externally. The only problem I see is getting the probe into the freezer and still maintaining an airtight seal. I'd probably drill a hole for it and then seal with silicone, but I'd have to be careful not to drill into the coolant!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EXROSE
31GY2WD5X8L.jpg
The one box freezer we bought had the ability to switch to refrigerator built in already and it works great.
 
I wanted a battery monitor for my setup. Knowing how much battery life is left and preventing discharge below 50% is important. I wish I could find one that had an audible alarm though when it got close to 50% but I will mount this where it’s readily visible. I was expecting a couple hundred dollars. 16.99 on amazon shipped to my door. Awesome.
 
AD,

I thought you had a bigger solar setup? That looks like only about 2kW? And up where you are, you might not get that much sunlight.
I don't remember the specs offhand, but the solar panels are 395 watts each.
Right now my system runs everything for the house, shop, and fur shed. Over the last 12 months my generator runs less than 4 hours per day average to fill in for any shortages of sunlight or high demand.
I'm planning on adding an additional 5-6 panels and a 1500 watt wind generator too.
 
This was the meter I used to calculate my power usage. I thought it was cheaper but still not too bad at 43.00. Both my freezer and fridge combined actually used 2.9 KW a day. I did the math with extra for rainy days and then added two additional solar panels and two extra batteries as well. I just don’t want my batteries to ever drop below 50%. Arctic’s auto generator deal is pretty cool.
BEA7505E-17CC-4D84-8424-49880D27B3FC.png
 
This was the meter I used to calculate my power usage. I thought it was cheaper but still not too bad at 43.00. Both my freezer and fridge combined actually used 2.9 KW a day. I did the math with extra for rainy days and then added two additional solar panels and two extra batteries as well. I just don’t want my batteries to ever drop below 50%. Arctic’s auto generator deal is pretty cool.View attachment 10678
My auto start can be programmed to start the generator based on: percentage of charge, battery voltage or by prearranged hours. I programmed mine to start when the battery bank drops below 24 volts. Prior to installing the auto start I'd have to check the control panel for the battery voltage and manually start the generator, and shut it down 4 hours later.
 
My auto start can be programmed to start the generator based on: percentage of charge, battery voltage or by prearranged hours. I programmed mine to start when the battery bank drops below 24 volts. Prior to installing the auto start I'd have to check the control panel for the battery voltage and manually start the generator, and shut it down 4 hours later.
I would like to have a way to tie it to the battery monitor and have it start the generator when the batteries get to 55%. For now I will just be content to have a working system that I have to check the monitor daily. I will mount the monitor on the wall outside the battery storage area. It’s central in the house and I walk by it all day long So at least it will be easy to keep an eye on. I do like automated systems though.
i reached out to two different solar companies today to get their input design on my second system. I’m not committing to any thing just now but want to see what kinds of improvements are out there. My system is up and running and wasn’t anything near some of the figures I’ve seen for solar setups so we will see how it compares.
 
I would like to have a way to tie it to the battery monitor and have it start the generator when the batteries get to 55%. For now I will just be content to have a working system that I have to check the monitor daily. I will mount the monitor on the wall outside the battery storage area. It’s central in the house and I walk by it all day long So at least it will be easy to keep an eye on. I do like automated systems though.
i reached out to two different solar companies today to get their input design on my second system. I’m not committing to any thing just now but want to see what kinds of improvements are out there. My system is up and running and wasn’t anything near some of the figures I’ve seen for solar setups so we will see how it compares.
I program my auto start through my inverter. I believe they make other auto starts that attach directly to your battery bank and moniter the voltage or charge level. For an auto start to work you need a generator that has an auto choke or fuel injected engine.
 
I program my auto start through my inverter. I believe they make other auto starts that attach directly to your battery bank and moniter the voltage or charge level. For an auto start to work you need a generator that has an auto choke or fuel injected engine.
I could buy a small propane generator that could be used just for charging the batteries but I imagine the cost of it and the control system would be a lot.
 
Here is a thermostat for converting a freezer into a refrigerator. You don't need to touch the original thermostat. It shuts off power to the freezer externally. The only problem I see is getting the probe into the freezer and still maintaining an airtight seal. I'd probably drill a hole for it and then seal with silicone, but I'd have to be careful not to drill into the coolant!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EXROSE
31GY2WD5X8L.jpg
I have chest freezer running on this right now.... 40F is lowest it will go, but sips energy.
 
Well, the inverter on my solar system died about 6am this morning. It ran for about 24 hours... actually I’m glad it died so fast so at least it’s returnable. I’ve allready ordered a different one from amazon. This picture
0175D264-AE41-42FA-A820-EE4BA631B0F4.jpeg
is the one you DON’T want. It had good ratings and may have just been a fluke but I don’t go back with a brand that failed so quickly. This is a perfect example of why I am building three separate systemt for the house. If one goes down I can still have electricity from the others until I can replace or repair a part.
I did play with the mppt chargers and found they do have a battery monitor built in on them. I’m still glad I ordered a second one though as I can mount it on the wall where it’s easy to check on.
 

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