My Solar Install in Phases

Friday, I installed the first phase of my solar. I installed 2 Renogy 100 watt panels, a combiner box on the roof, a Bogart Engineering SC-2030 controller, and a Tri-Metric 2030 monitor. I used 10awg wire from the panels to the combiner box, with the two panels connected in parrelel, and 4awg wire from the combiner box down to the controller. Peripheral items in the install included a shunt (500), and 2 60amp circuit breakers to isolate the controller. The hardest parts were stringing the 4 gauge wire, and getting a solid connection on the 4 gauge wire in the circuit breakers in the small Baby Box.

Next, I plan to add 2 more panels to the roof, and upgrade my battery bank to four 6 volt batteries.

Sounds like a nice setup, but we're going to need pictures

jesstalkn said:

Sounds like a nice setup, but we're going to need pictures

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I'll get pictures next time I can, and post them here.

Dennyha - do you get the feeling that we're visual folks here?

Me too. So I'll wait patiently for the pictures.

Good luck with the rest of your install. Sounds like you're well on your way!

I finally got onto my roof to take photos. These first two pics show the two 100 watt panels on the roof, connected in parrelel to the combiner box, which is mounted next to the vent stack.



Here is a closer shot of the combiner box.


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Here is a photo inside my battery compartment. On the far left are my 60 amp circuit breakers, and the Bogart Engineering SC-2030 (center, top). At the bottom is my battery box, which now holds 4 Crown 6volt batteries, for 480 amp hours. Above the battery box, you can see the top half of my 500 amp shunt, and the wire with the thing that looks like a price tag is the temperature sensor for the charge controller. Othe far right is the battery cut off switch and the holder for a 300 amp fuse. This will connect to the inverter, when I buy and install it. The orange, horizontal cable across the top is 10 ga wire that will output from the inverter to a transfer switch, again, when I buy the inverter.

The black, white, and red wires running down and right of the shunt are to the Trimetric TM-2030 monitor.

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Lastly, the Trimetric TM-2030 is connected to the shunt, the + terminal to the batteries, and to the charge controller. Here is where I mounted it.

So far, the two panels have kept the batteries fully charged, but I know the installation of the inverter will change that. At the least, I'd like to add 2 more panels.

Very nice looking install job.


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I've started installing the Inverter. It is a GoPower 2000watt PSW. If I was full timing off grid, I would have gone with the Magnum, but hopefully this will serve me well for my use. I installed the inverter upside down in my storage area as I was running out of space on the wall in my battery compartment.



i ran 2/0 cables through the wall into the battery box. The negative cable is connected to the 500 amp shunt, and the positive cable is connected to the 300 amp fuse, which is inline to the battery shutoff switch. You can see the positive cable in the upper right of this photo. The negative cable comes down the middle.



i still have to connect the inverter to the transfer switch, and install the circuit breaker box with the subpanel. I'm making progress.

Today, I finished wiring in the inverter. I wired it to a Progressive Dynamics transfer switch, with the inverter as one power source, and a 30 amp feed from the circuit breaker box as the other power source. The line from the circuit breaker box is takes priority. The power out feeds a sub panel integral to a Progressive Dynamics 5500 panel box. Here is the transfer switch mounted behind the basement wall.



Here is the newly installed panel box with the integrated subpanel. The 30 amp line labeled PWR SUB feeds into the transfer switch, and the Main at the extreme bottom feeds power from the transfer switch to the sub panel. The next four circuits above it are part of the subpanel.



Everything is working well. At some point, I plan to add 200 more watts of PV panels onto the roof.

Just make sure that the solar panels match

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I just ordered 2 more PV panels, identical to the first ones. After I install them, I'll have 400 watts on the roof.

This weekend, I added two more 100 watt PV panels. It was a pretty easy upgrade.

This shows the culmination of all of this work. Over 21 net amps going into my batteries on a sunny day. (Sorry for the flipped picture. )

I decided to add 2 more panels, for a total of 600 watts.

Thanks for the update.
Very interesting to some of us who still think electricity is generated by gerbils running on a wheel.

At 74, the roof is my least favorite place to be, so I'm just taking notes.

Hopefully, documenting the steps of a project like this will be of some help to someone considering a solar install.

BTW, I believe 2016 is the last year you can get a 30% tax credit for solar installations.

Dennyha, Thanks for sharing. I think the more posts for solar installs helps all who are interested in a solar system. Joe

Diamondjim said:

Thanks for the update.
Very interesting to some of us who still think electricity is generated by gerbils running on a wheel.

At 74, the roof is my least favorite place to be, so I'm just taking notes.

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I think squirrels would work better

I have about 550 watts of solar charging 300 ah of batt capacity on my rig. My wife and I are building a house, and the Utility company is slow in delivering service. I have been using my rig's solar power system as a source of power to power all my equipment; compressor, nailers, saws, chop saws etc. etc. I have no problem staying charged, running between 80% and 100% charged each day, I'm very impressed with how much one can do with 600 watts of solar and a 3500 watt Xantrex Freedom inverter.

I like your design, and I think you are sized right. Hopefully you will help others in doing similar installations. It is the solution to many problems that keep people from boon docking comfortably.

Good luck with your system, and I am enjoying the thread.

Jim.Allison said:

I have about 550 watts of solar charging 300 ah of batt capacity on my rig. My wife and I are building a house, and the Utility company is slow in delivering service. I have been using my rig's solar power system as a source of power to power all my equipment; compressor, nailers, saws, chop saws etc. etc. I have no problem staying charged, running between 80% and 100% charged each day, I'm very impressed with how much one can do with 600 watts of solar and a 3500 watt Xantrex Freedom inverter.

I like your design, and I think you are sized right. Hopefully you will help others in doing similar installations. It is the solution to many problems that keep people from boon docking comfortably.

Good luck with your system, and I am enjoying the thread.

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Thank you, Jim. Your comments are very much appreciated.

In retrospect, this was a great little project. Over last winter, as I was homesick to go camping, I researched the heck out of forum posts on solar installs, Handy Bob's Blog, Kelly's Solar Blog, etc. so I was able to put together a plan. When spring came, I started my project, as my posts show, in little chunks. It was fun, and I always looked forward to the next phase of the project. I'm a little sad that I'm done, but I'm looking forward to helping others. I'm even considering this as a part time job after retirement.

Again, thanks.