The Solar Panel Setup - 121325 1045

Step-by-Step Efforts (Please Consider this Article a "Living" Document)

I’m back here - the sun is shining - check this out!

This is “it” - in the moment - 122825 1516

This is the power being delivered - on this winter day - temperature ~45 F - 474.3 watts. From 12 100W panels - and mind you - tis a winter day. The batteries are now finally being “properly charged”. I’m gonna post a “fresh” article on this setup - share info on costs and mistakes made. Sons of bitches - I know how to do this now. Lessons learned.

BK, 122825 1520

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An unplanned edit the new charge controller.

I think I’m gonna need to do a “fresh“ - article on all this. I Will.

Got the new solar charge controller in place

Chiseled out where the river and lake will be.

Merry Christmas

BK, 122425 1421

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Edit - day after solstice - check out this sunset - image just taken - moments ago!

BK, 122225 1724

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Um….I just listened to a “video” telling of this - it is lacking content!

Hells-Bells - I ought of recorded it and published it here to PROVE:

Time moves on!

~~~ Update it again !

So really - this is the 3rd edit - and I ain’t kidding around!

So I have gone on record publicly my intent to publish this - and I strive to me a man of my word. So here it is - published initially. With that said I got a lot going on today and I am not going to have time to provide detailed textual explanation - but I will do that later God Willing. For now besides this brief intro and the statement that I know I have a lot left to learn I would like to declare the “setup” is “in operation” and so far so good.

~~~~~ IMPORTANT UPDATE - 121625 ~~~~~

As is stated above, when I commenced this effort a few days ago I acknowledged “I have a lot left to learn”. I recognized that; even if I wasn’t exactly sure what I was gonna learn. But I’ve had the system a few days and had a fuse blow on one of the cords and noticed some anomalies in some of the “readings” I was getting. I have come to learn that some of the wiring is “undersized” as is the solar charge controller. So, I have had to order some more cords and a new controller. This project is “on hold” until they arrive. It may not be until 2026 that I get back to this - but the good thing is the panels are in place and functioning properly and I have a general understanding of what is needed, but as they say “the devil is in the details”. Still, I also think often the best way to learn is through trial and error (as long as one doesn’t “burn the house down! - 😊). So, when everything arrives I’ll come back with the details, and in the meantime here is one specific thing I can share:

Let me also share this link which discusses the difference between panels installed “in series” versus ones installed “in parallel” - I already know I need to make changes in regards to this.

https://battlebornbatteries.com/solar-panels-in-series-or-parallel/

~~~~~~ end of Important Update ~~~~~~

So seriously, please check back here over the next couple weeks if you interested I will be providing more details and making updates as needed - for the time being, let me just share the setup in images.

Here goes:

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More details will be forthcoming - let me share though one last image from another project I’ve been working.

Happy Holidays!

BK, 121325 1051

~~~~~~~ 1st Major Edit - 121425 1343 ~~~~~~~

OK - looks like the Buffalo Bills are getting their butts handed to them so far - so why waste time watching a “game” when I could post some more details - So the first detail is best I can tell so far the battery/inverter device - while it can put out some peak energy seems limited for “input wattage”. In other words if the amount of energy being provided by the panels exceeds this “limit” (seems to be about 300 Watts) and the energy demand from the inverter exceeds this - then the battery will lose its charge. That is an issue. So what I did is unpacked in “inverter” I purchased a long time ago and took the battery/inverter out of the sequence. I will keep this battery “trickle-charged” but ideally the setup will use all energy coming in but keep the batteries fully charged - so the key is to balance input and output energy wise. Here is an image of the inverter I have connected and this is followed by a sequence of questions I asked the Brave “ai”:

Here are the questions I asked the “ai”:

That is it for today - 121425 - Hope all are doing well.

Happy Holidays,

BK, 121425 1353

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I like there to be music on my articles - so I appreciate this - maybe you do as well.

~~~~ Quick Update ~~~~

A fuse blew in one of the connecting pieces - I’m not sure why - I don’t have time to figure it out now and I had a replacement piece - but I suspect it may happen again. Also - the inverter manual (it was a shade of old paper) - that “grounding” is essential - so these things may be related or they may not - I need to look into both of them and I plan on doing that.

Meanwhile, a bit off-topic but important to me - the shelves are now in place! This brings me so much joy.

Peace and Happy Holiday,

BK, 121525 1413

(ha, ha…….Christopher Cross song!)

~~~~~ Update - 121725 ~~~~

Just bottled the Porter today - hells-bells when you get to be 60-years old you got to work smarter. And I did - and that might be a separate article. But consider this:

The price of silver been going through the roof lately - and one wonder - do they have the silver they say they do? They better.

But lets ask the ai another question - are you ready:

How much silver is in the typical 100-W solar panel:

A typical solar panel, including a 100-watt panel, contains approximately 20 grams of silver, which is equivalent to about 0.643 troy ounces. This amount of silver is used in the form of a conductive paste applied to the silicon wafers to create the electrical grid that collects and transports electrons generated by sunlight. While the total silver content per panel is consistent across various panel sizes, the silver usage per watt can vary, with estimates suggesting around 0.003215 troy ounces of silver per watt, which would equate to roughly 3.2 grams for a 100-watt panel. The solar industry’s demand for silver remains significant, with the average panel’s silver content contributing to a substantial portion of global silver consumption.

Damn that “ai” is quick - but consider this - the price of silver has gone WAY UP lately - might it have something to do with how much is used in solar panels - I’d say yes - cause this is a lot more than I expected!

Happy Holidays - and there is a shortage of silver seems to me.

BK, 121725 1323

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I got two images I want to share - not really off-topic in my mind - has to do with some porter I been brewing - and even though I am a 60-year old I bottled this this morning!

I got way more images but that encapsulates it - I might be 60 but I’m smart now how I work - I’m a hard damn worker.

BK, 121725 1336

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A “lot” can change quick is the take-home message I think so far - silver is the most reflective - it is in demand!

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A gift I offer:

I plan in advance - do you?

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I feel compelled to post this - to publish it:

I’m watching so close…

Tell it like it is is my motto!

Oh God - I’m feeling mean!

Last update of the day - this is fine in a way….they all are so perty!

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So - I am awaiting a new solar charge controller - I pretty much “ruined” the one I already had yesterday. Now I have 12 100W solar panels and initially they ALL were setup in a “parallel” configuration……but I realize the hard way that creates a lot of “amperage” in the wiring if the wires are not thick enough - it is more than the equipment can handle - even if the voltage is low. So I went and adjusted the connections - should of done it this way in the first place (oh well - “lesson learned”) - and what I have now is three sets of four panels each. The four panels are wired in series (this increases voltage but reduces amperage) - and then the 3 sets of them are in parallel. I think I have proper wire thickness (“guage") for this setup, but I made the mistake of connecting one of the sets of them via the “Anderson” connection and that pretty immediately “fried” the small-scale charge controller I already had. I should of known better but now I do for sure. I’m learning.

In the meantime as I await new parts ordered, I’ve been improving my workbench setup and I’ll keep an image of that to myself for the time being - but if you want to know how my mind works - let me share this:

May you enjoy the end of the year - the Winter Solstice - time with family if that is your thing. We all have gifts and we all can be creative - the image above is some epoxy work and some parts like dice I rolled upon it - they ended up as they did - who could have predicted it.

May 2026 be the year things “Turn” for the better - that is what I pray to my Lord.

Happy Holidays to all readers!

BK, 122025 1438

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Here is my Winter Solstice video to share with readers - if I’m allowed to!

My “devices” are acting a bit odd today….go figure (oh seems it was some “technicality” keeping me from transferring the video file - but I figured it out - here in honor of Winter Solstice - tis the shortest day of the year so to speak - at least with respect to sunlight):

The winter solstice for 2025 will occur on Sunday, December 21, at 10:03 a.m. Eastern Time, marking the official start of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the shortest day of the year. This event happens when the Earth's axis is tilted farthest away from the Sun, resulting in the least amount of daylight and the longest night. The solstice is also a significant cultural and historical event, with ancient monuments like Stonehenge aligned to the winter solstice sunset, and celebrations dating back to the Stone Age.

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Signing off for awhile now - let there be peace in 2026!

Can’t help myself Today was a great solstice - for me at least!

BK. 122125 2233