[RE-wrenches] 120 Vac and 12Vdc mixed distribution system

[Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar]

Not being helpful but I  walk away from these.  It will come back to 
you.

Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
    [1]https://offgridsolar1.com/ [2]  [1]
e-mail  offgridsolar at sti.net
text 209 813 0060

On 2024-04-23 2:40 pm, Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches wrote:

> I have an off-grid client who is working on replacing old equipment at 
> a cabin. He has a lot of 12 volt distribution in the house for 
> lighting, fans, and a 12 volt refrigerator. He also has 120 volt AC 
> loads that run through a separate distribution panel where the only 
> source is a 2000 Watt Honda generator. There is no inverter present. 
> The batteries are charged through a Trace C40.
> 
> He currently has a few ancient solar panels and a struggling Bank of 
> AGM batteries. It's time for an upgrade. I can easily supply enough PV 
> power for what he needs. He currently has a 9 kilowatt hour battery 
> capacity that he was happy with when the batteries operated optimally. 
> Nonetheless, I would probably future-proof him with a 10 to 15 kilowatt 
> hour LiPo to double or triple his usable capacity.
> 
> For convenience, obviously it would be nice to have an inverter to 
> eliminate or reduce the generator requirement. But he seems committed 
> to keeping his 12 volt distribution because it would be costly to 
> replace fixtures. I think he would consider replacing the 12 volt 
> refrigerator if he has an inverter.
> 
> He definitely wants LiPo batteries.
> 
> I don't like the idea of 12 volt direct from a battery plus connecting 
> an inverter to that same battery. It is going to be hard to measure and 
> monitor things.
> 
> I am thinking about using a 48 volt battery with a single phase 120 
> volt inverter, getting him to change to a 120 volt refrigerator, and 
> using a DC converter to give him somewhere in the range of 100 amps at 
> 12 volts for his existing DC lighting and fan loads. Is this a bad 
> idea? Should I stick with a 12 volt battery system? He does have a tiny 
> 12 volt pressure pump which might be an issue for the converter. I'm 
> not sure. I am a bit worried about the efficiency loss and capacity of 
> DC converters and not sure how to size it.
> 
> Jason Szumlanski
> Florida Solar Design Group
> 
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Links:
------
[1] http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
[2] https://offgridsolar1.com/
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