How To Build A Solar Setup: COMPLETE Step-by-Step, DIY Guide (12V, 2000W)

Hi sir I'm a pilipino and I have zero knowledge about off grid and I want to learn build my own solar system.and in our country our power source of electricity and I saw your tutorial the best explain I ever seen.can you explain also in a 220 Vald way electricity ?

I purchase my wire from a welding supply company : the wires used for the welding leads are extremely flexible

I am trying to understand the efficiency. Is the following correct? The current being supplied by the batteries to the inverter is 196 A, meaning the power supplied by the batteries to the inverter is actually 2352 W. Then, as the inverter works, energy is lost to heat and noise accounting for the 15% reduction in output to 167 A and 2000W. So when we say “2000 W inverter,” we are talking about it’s output, not what can be input.

Thank you! You did such a wonderful job explaining what and why. Best video on this topic I’ve seen

How much would this setup cost?

Incredible tutorial! Answered all the questions that I came here for and more. Bravo!

Thank you

A 1 Professor. classroom first then shop for actual learning. This how you-I LEARNED automotive mechanics in the Island. Very good Teaching

Great presentation. Thanks.

I have a very similar setup. I do use a generator occasionally on cloudy days. When I do use the generator, is there a charger I could use to charge the batteries while running the generator. I tried a car charger but it doesn’t seem to charge very well. Seem to only get surface charge. Thx for your videos.

G'day mate. Just wanted to say that your tutorial is the best I've seen. Very comprehensive and easy to follow. Thanks and keep up the great work! 👍

If you’ve ever watched the original, you will understand where this came from 😎😎

K.i.s.s.

Very helpful, thank you. One question though... When hooking up an AC to DC charger converter to charge my battery bank from the grid/ generator. Do I hook it up to the bus bars? Or do I have to hook it up directly to the battery bank? TIA

We live on an island in Panama and needed to learn solar systems years ago as most properties are off grid. This is the best explanation intro I have seen! And you can tell he has been through the details a few times as he even gives things to watch out for! GREAT

Jesus...why even go to college at all?

What if you wanted to connect your alternator to this setup ?
Would you connect directly to the batteries or through the charge controller?

Setting up a small 200-watt solar system first time. Your video is very clear except maybe I missed something. You explained how you connected the +pos & - neg wires to the bottom of the switch to the charge controller but not how you connected the +pos & - neg wires from the switch to the solar panel. What or where are they connected to?

Excellent

Wow, great video. I'm looking to put a small solar setup on my shed and this is the most comprehensive video I out there. Thanks

Hi, great job and thanks for posting the video. How has the carpet held up so far? Is it peeling off the edges? Did you scuff the surface before gluing down? How many cans of spray adhesive did you use?

I think I am just missing something. For calculating amps for the inverter, you have 12 volt going in, but 120 volt going out. For calculating amps at 2000 Watts, why wouldn’t you use the 120 volt of the 2000 Watt output? 16.6 amps is closer to a household outlet amperage similar to the inverter output.

I just looked at renogy manual it says use a 250 amp fuse yet they give you 1/0 wire. How has yours worked out. Are class t fuses needed instead of the mega fuse

Very good video on the subject.

2,000/12=166.66 amps.
This means the battery needs to have a 200 amp BMS
The battery listed is only a 100 amp BMS battery.
That math you did also determines the choice of battery for your system.
Your battery is great for a system with about a 1,200 watt inverter.
It looks like you are using two batteries in parallel. That may work for the needed 200 amps but what happens if one BMS decides to get lazy or shorts out and stops working. The other battery gets overloaded. Poof! Double the smoke is let out.
You said it right always go up when sizing things in the system.

Can lesser watt inverter be used to that setup and then upgrade the inverter to the correct one without changing wire gauge or fuses?

Very detailed overview but man thats a lot of $$ for a couple outlets worth of juice IF its sunny out. Great for back up or emergency but just cant see going completely off grid unless youre rich

The part you seem to cover in a hurry and left me in the dark. How did you connect the battery to the outside ground? I have an idea but would like that clarified.

Great video, thanks

question, what are the two wires coming off the positive and negative battery terminals the diagram only shows one each,

you wouldn't divide by the decimal of the inefficiency you multiply by the decimal giving you around 150a, doesn't make any sense to have something that's inefficient yet gains amperage from the inefficiency.

Great video! Excellent resource! However.. Pointing to a circuit breaker and saying "fuse" or "switch"... Umm, no... They share properties, but are all different other than that, pretty good video!

Great video. Question, my LiPo battery says 100amp max discharge rate. Should I fuse for this. I have a 4000w inverter but I assume I’m limited by the battery.

Hammer crimps are the worst implement for novices. I’ve seen so many come lose or create extra heat from poor crimping, hidden under heat shrink.

Great video! Are you running 2 wire from your shunt to the negative on your batteries? Are you running 2 wires from the cut of switch to the pos of your batteries? It looks like that in the video.

I noticed you doubled up wires from the batteries. Did you use two smaller 4AWG for flexibility instead of a single stiffer 2/0AWG while getting the equivalent 200AMP rating?

You are a very good instructor, I’m brand new and this was super helpful. I’m looking to put solar in my backyard shed.

Good lesson. Thank you for your video. I have a quick question. I just got 1000w inverter with 20mm2 positive and negative wires from the factory.

The distance between battery and inverter is around 15cm. What size of circuit breaker do I have to use?

I have been looking for this but nobody gave me the answer

I learned a lot thank you.but shouldn't you use a t class fuse for this?

I understood everything except for the 12V fuse box. What is the purpose if the 12V fuse BOX?

85% of 166.66 is 141.66. you divided the .85 instead of multiplying. 196 is 118% of 166. I'm stating this to ask if this was intentional, I am neither an engineer or mathematician. Please elaborate

Great teaching video! Thank you for the clear well thought out instruction!

Would love to see a 24v version of this

Easily the best tutorial I've seen on this topic! Loved the clarity of language and the logical organizational structure.

This is exactly what I was looking for to run the fans in the greenhouse except for attaching a charger to the system for the week the sun doesn't shine?