Results of testing Renogy 200w starter system-bad conditions
Oct 24, 2018 23:35:25 GMT
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Post by tominwashington on Oct 24, 2018 23:35:25 GMT
Well, now that I have actual real world experience and not guesswork, I want to relate what I am getting.
SYSTEM:
Renogy starter system. 2- 100w panels 20a Rover Charge Controller. Purchased from Amazon. Adding a battery, some extra cables, toys etc, in it for about $1,000. Sounds like a lot, but now all I need to go to 400w system is a couple hundred more.
Like most everyone who knows nothing, I knew nothing. It is overwhelming. The videos give you a sort of sense and you spend endless hours trying to figure out what you can get and what you can use, how to store it, how everything works. Am I wasting my money? It will drive you nuts.
In the end...it is so simple
Renogy has put things together that all you have to do is basically plug a few things in, scratch your head for a minute and hook up a battery. Its that simple.
Now, what do you get? How much actual power.
I live not far from where they filmed the Twilight movies. Grey, foggy, nasty. Hardly any sun. Terrible conditions. I honestly don't think there is a worse place to try solar in the country. On top of that, my property is laid out so I only have half day light in the front. The sun then gets blocked by the house and a group of trees. In Oct, from about 9-2 is all I can get, and there is heavy fog until noon.
Day in and day out for about a week now I am getting a good 2-300 watts of usual power a day. I know I know....you off grid guys are laughing. I am further surprised that I am getting about a full amp once the sun is blocked by the house....out of sight, behind trees...just gone. I never thought I would get anything after 2pm. But......even that weak amount of power in the afternoon is enough to run one of the new 60w lightbulbs all evening and more. Maybe two of them, leaving the main amount of watts I am generating in sunlight available for charging...whatever.
I know I know....you off grid guys are laughing. What can he do with that silly little bit of power....you say.
Well, I'll tell you. I wanted something for deep emergency. Something simple that wasn't dependent on gasoline. I want the ability to run lightbulbs, charge rechargeable batteries, and power tools. This gives me all of that and more. Now come March-Sept I will be getting tons more as the sun raises in the sky I will get a full 10--12 hours with bright sunshine. I'm guessing 1-2kw a day. I wanted to gear for a system that gave me what I need during the worse conditions.
The Renogy system delivers. It is well made, solid construction, the Rover charge controller just seems to know what to do and all of the mysterious readings start making sense after you play with it.
I can only imagine the ability we have now with these modern systems for living off grid in say a small cabin. With good sunshine no less. If the tech is this good now, I can't imagine what is in the pipeline.
SYSTEM:
Renogy starter system. 2- 100w panels 20a Rover Charge Controller. Purchased from Amazon. Adding a battery, some extra cables, toys etc, in it for about $1,000. Sounds like a lot, but now all I need to go to 400w system is a couple hundred more.
Like most everyone who knows nothing, I knew nothing. It is overwhelming. The videos give you a sort of sense and you spend endless hours trying to figure out what you can get and what you can use, how to store it, how everything works. Am I wasting my money? It will drive you nuts.
In the end...it is so simple
Renogy has put things together that all you have to do is basically plug a few things in, scratch your head for a minute and hook up a battery. Its that simple.
Now, what do you get? How much actual power.
I live not far from where they filmed the Twilight movies. Grey, foggy, nasty. Hardly any sun. Terrible conditions. I honestly don't think there is a worse place to try solar in the country. On top of that, my property is laid out so I only have half day light in the front. The sun then gets blocked by the house and a group of trees. In Oct, from about 9-2 is all I can get, and there is heavy fog until noon.
Day in and day out for about a week now I am getting a good 2-300 watts of usual power a day. I know I know....you off grid guys are laughing. I am further surprised that I am getting about a full amp once the sun is blocked by the house....out of sight, behind trees...just gone. I never thought I would get anything after 2pm. But......even that weak amount of power in the afternoon is enough to run one of the new 60w lightbulbs all evening and more. Maybe two of them, leaving the main amount of watts I am generating in sunlight available for charging...whatever.
I know I know....you off grid guys are laughing. What can he do with that silly little bit of power....you say.
Well, I'll tell you. I wanted something for deep emergency. Something simple that wasn't dependent on gasoline. I want the ability to run lightbulbs, charge rechargeable batteries, and power tools. This gives me all of that and more. Now come March-Sept I will be getting tons more as the sun raises in the sky I will get a full 10--12 hours with bright sunshine. I'm guessing 1-2kw a day. I wanted to gear for a system that gave me what I need during the worse conditions.
The Renogy system delivers. It is well made, solid construction, the Rover charge controller just seems to know what to do and all of the mysterious readings start making sense after you play with it.
I can only imagine the ability we have now with these modern systems for living off grid in say a small cabin. With good sunshine no less. If the tech is this good now, I can't imagine what is in the pipeline.
