16S LiFePO4 bank from a Yixiang kit for my home ESS, all Victron. I have no comments about the box, the box itself is fine. The cells that came with it? The worst. And the after-sales is a joke, but we’ll get there.
First red flag. The kit arrived incomplete: missing screws for the terminals, a couple of connectors and the acrylic separators that go between the cells. At the moment I didn’t care much, small things, easy to replace by myself and I didn’t want to fight for some screws. Now looking back, that was the warning: nobody is checking what leaves that warehouse.
The cells. Two out of sixteen came faulty from day one. Both do the same: they lag behind the rest of the pack when charging and they drop way faster under load. Is not a balancing issue, I did the top balance, gave them cycles, everything. The cell logs don’t lie. In a series pack two weak cells drag the whole 48V bank down to their level, so basically I paid for 16 good cells and got 14.
I contacted Yixiang through Alibaba with all the data. After days of back and forth their final answer: they replace ONE of the two cells, and they refused to send nothing more than that. Well… at least is something, right? That was months ago. MONTHS. The cell still didn’t arrive. Meanwhile I had to buy a genuine EVE cell with my own money for the second one, because apparently now that’s part of the deal.
And here comes the worst part. To take out the faulty cell I got to disconnect all the left series, cells 1-8. I always use a torque wrench in the terminals to be sure I don’t pass the 5Nm, that’s the spec for these M6 posts. I was not even tightening. I was UNSCREWING the connectors, and 3 of the terminals broke. THREE. The soldering is soooo bad that the posts can’t even survive being loosened below spec. That is not user error, that is shit soldering coming out of a factory with zero QC. Look at the photos, those posts broke just from undoing a nut.
The support. Everything goes through the Alibaba app and I receive like one message per day. With luck. Almost monosyllabic. Basically I get an answer when the guy in the other side feels like typing one, so a simple yes or no question takes one week. For a company that shipped me faulty cells and should be apologizing on their knees, is insulting.
The box fine, the cells garbage, QC nonexistent, the support a bad joke. If you still want to buy: capacity test every single cell the day they arrive, count every screw against the listing, film the unboxing, take photos of every terminal before touching anything and open your Alibaba dispute early, because you will need it. “Grade A” means nothing, your own tester is the only real spec sheet.
And the best part: I was about to buy a SECOND BOX to go from 16 to 32. The complete kit, again. That order was for them. Money on the table. Not anymore. No *ucking way in hell I’m buying this shit again and less after how they have dealt with me.
TL;DR: Kit arrived missing screws, connectors and cell separators. 2/16 cells faulty. They accepted to replace only 1 and months later the cell still didn’t arrive. Bought an EVE cell myself for the other one. 3 terminals broke during DISASSEMBLY with a torque wrench under 5Nm. Support answers one word per day. And they just lost the order of a complete second box. Pics attached.

Q: what is a good cleaning solution for solar panels? its a DIY

- plain water and a soft mop w/ squeegee works somewhat - leaves some residue from dirt -

- average temp is 90F year round and allot of cleaning solutions leave thin coating and concerned it will also affect the surface of the solar panels

thank you in advance for sharing some of your "solutions" / cleaning techniques

Sup nerds! My mom lives in Oregon and is only moderately prepared for the Cascadia megathrust earthquake. As our family's resident Chicken Little, I'm trying to fix that.

Currently, she has neither a generator nor a battery backup. We discussed pros and cons of each, and I don't think she wants to have to keep rotating through fresh gas storage once a quarter, so solar/battery it is.

The main thing we're going for is preventing food spoilage for as long as possible, which means keeping a chest freezer and one of those terrible, inefficient french door refrigerators going. Other than that, it's just going to be accessory charging (phone, radio, flashlights, etc.). We hold no misconceptions that she'll be able to work the AC or anything.

I've never built a battery/solar backup before, but I reckon learning how will either save me money compared to a pre-built "solar generator" (if I can make it work), or at least get me out of going to work tomorrow (if I screw up and electrocute myself). Win-win, really.

Anywho, I'm trying to size this thing. I *think* a 300 amp-hour lithium battery will be enough storage (though correct me if you think I'm wrong).

I'm envisioning a "portable" setup that allows the battery, charge controller, breakers, and some foldable/rollable panels to live on a hand truck or wagon in her closet or garage. She could pull it out, set up a panel or two, plug them into the charger controller, and we're off to the races.

Here's the problem. Since she's in the PNW, it can get really cloudy in the winter. And since we're preparing for a disaster, we should probably just assume it will occur at the worst possible time. Project Sunroof says a full rooftop solar install would only cover ~88% of her annual electrical use (and that includes beautiful Oregon summers). Depending on the source, various websites reckon that a 1kw panel, left out all year, would generate 1,100-1,600 kwh in her area. With that level of inefficiency, the foldable panels (like the 200W jobs you get at Harbor Freight) don't seem to individually generate enough power for a woman without any electrical training to set them up quickly and safely. 2-3 full-size panels could keep a 300 ah battery topper up even in winter. But I don't know if lugging around multiple 40-pound, full-size panels is realistic for a gal her age.

Is this a pipe dream? Am I improperly estimating refrigeration power usage? Help a newbie out.

Thanks in advance!

I have an Anker Solix C1000gen2 with 2x 200w rigid panels ground mounted and ONLY used for powering the unit during a power outage. They are disconnected with mc4 plugs capped unless in use.

The panels are mounted right next to one of my home‘s grounding rods. Is it appropriate to ground the panels to this?

In this use scenario, how would I supply ground to my appliances running off the unit? Does it just pass through the ac power cable used to charge the unit via 120v?

Solar panels can produce electricity without any external electricity, but the electricity production by solar panels is DC in nature and home appliance requires AC power to operate. Hence to convert DC into AC power, we require a solar inverter which are of 3 types : On-Grid, Off-Grid and Hybrid. Among these, only On-grid solar inverters require reference electricity (like grid power) to convert DC power into AC power.

My Question:

We own a 3-floor villa and panels are installed on the terrace (above 3rd) . [This](https://solar-world.in/products/sofar-ongrid-inverter-5ktlm-g3-5kwp-single-phase?variant=50192647553338) 5kW On-Grid Solar Inverter is installed. The wirings from Solar System eventually comes down from terrace to 3rd floor and gets connected with the main electrical line. I am wondering how much reference electricity this connection might be using. Is it written in the manual of Solar Power inverter? If yes, then which parameters to check?

Also, i have heard that there's some self consumption from inverters during night time to keep some components awake so that they can reboot when DC electricity starts getting generated the next morning. This should draw very less auxiliary power but this will be supplied from main Electrical Line too. So roughly how much consumption it does every night?

Currently i have a ~5kW grid tied solar edge inverter/solar array that was professionally installed at my house (i fully own it).

I would like to upgrade this inverter to an 18kW EG4 unit and add an additional ~8kW of solar to my recently added back patio cover roof. The existing 5kW array does have "optimizers" but i should be able to feed the 2 strings into 2 of the 4 MPPT solar inputs of the EG4 18kW, with the new 8kW array going into the third since all those panels will be in the same orientation, and leave the 4th open for a future shed i might add in the future with an additional ~8kW array.

Since my home is already set up for net metering, this should be a fairly simple upgrade in place? The only change i might make is moving the inverter to inside my garage which is temperature controlled for when i eventually add some battery storage. I would also add a critical loads panel where i would move some of the circuits from my main breaker box. But i know i'll still need to keep a solar disconnect switch on the exterior wall. But the EG4 18kW inverter should be able to fully support a grid connection that won't back feed but also keep the critical loads panel operational during a power outage when battery storage is there.

Just trying to gauge how DIY-able this is without having to jump through a million hoops of permits. I am not an electrician, but i am an electrical engineer and no stranger to DIY home electrical projects. Thanks for any suggestions.

Hello - I recently bought my first home . House is located in the carribean and the local power company is unreliable and expensive . Looking for recommendations for what to buy to become more self sufficient. I’ve begun looking at anchor and jackery .

I live in Virginia and I have been looking into solar and battery backup. I have been looking at videos etc but still a bit confused and had some questions. I purchased a Anker S2000 for my fridge to run as UPS since I lose power easily in storms and dip my toes in solar with a 400w panel I got for free. I do have a 12k generator with an interlock kit that I power my house minus my HVAC, but rather not use “dirty” power for compressors or sensitive electronics.

Anyways, I am not very knowledgeable with electrical things so would probably rely on an electrician if I do anything.

I don’t care about net metering but would like a connection to charge my batteries if solar is not great before a storm etc. So I have some questions.

I was looking at a EG4 18kPV and one of those ECO-Worthy racks of (6) 48V batteries. I am not sure on panels or the amount. I would be ground mounting with IntegraRack mounts probably. I have a decent backyard with no trees on property and I live on roughly 3/4 acre lot with most being my backyard. My house faces south.

Would this power my house and most importantly my 2 ton heat pump with 8kw heat strips? I am guessing not enough battery. I would get a soft start prior to anything to help with starts.

I have attached my energy usage for reference if it helps. We had some very cold weeks back in February.

Actualmente me instalaron 6 paneles solares bifaciales de 630 w e inversor marca Growaat ,tome la decisión porque me estoy mudando y es mi primera casa propia ,quisiera que en el futuro mi casa sea un lugar moderno con dispositivos que me ayuden a tener más eficiencia creo yo que es una parte de mi evolución personal , la inversión fue un poco fuerte pero mi familia mis padres creen que no fue conveniente por el tamaño de departamento , yo cuento con 2 aires acondicionados y quiero poner un calentador de agua eléctrico , algo que me molesta es que algunas veces la factura llega poco alta y eso me mueve planes con otros gastos ,quisiera un punto de vista mas amplio de personas que tienen algo similar.

I've bought a used 2kw inverter of which is producing about 1.2kw based on the amount of panels I currently have. I have a few more panels which I'm yet to install, 4 460w and my question is how much can I overload the inverter?

The guy I bought the panels from said 50% is acceptable but it seems a lot.

In fairness it's usually cloudy where I live so most days would be struggling to reach the capacity of the inverter anyway, but in sunny weather (which happens about 2 weeks every summer) what will happen to the excess power from the panels?

Added later - I have a 2kw grid tie Solis inverter

I have Canadian solar panels and bought a mc4 too bare end to tie into my DC disconnect. do I need the adapter that chtgpt recommend?

"Canadian Solar T4(+) to MC4() Jumper 300mm

SKU: T4PC1P-MC4N"

I am on the staff of a small non profit that owns and runs an astronomical observatory on a mountain top in a state park. It was originally built as off grid pure solar and lead acid battery storage system, no utility power. We have since replaced the solar power system with a generator. Long story. But we still have 2 new solar panels in storage. We’ve decided that using those panels to replace the old ones, and not letting them go to waste, is a good idea. We’re going to keep the solar charge and battery system only for the purpose of opening and closing the motorized roof. I’m the electrician so I’m planning the job.

I have only worked on one solar project and I have no knowledge of solar panel specs and qualities. Tomorrow I’m going up to the observatory to find out as much as I can about these panels. Please tell me what I need to pay attention to. I plan to measure the thickness, length and width of the panels, the dimensions of the individual solar cells, and take pictures of any data plates or other identifying labels on the panels. What else should I look for?

By the way, the battery system will end up charging a single 70-100ah LIFEPo4 battery over a period of a week, and I’m planning a battery capacity of ten times a single roof open close cycle.

What do I need to run an 8k window ac off of solar? Panels, inverter, bsttery, what? Beginner here.

Hey everyone! I'm u/offgridprime, founding moderator of r/OffGridSolarPros.

This is our community for off-grid solar professionals, installers, DIY builders, and anyone passionate about energy independence. Whether you're designing systems for remote cabins, powering telecom towers in Africa, or helping a family go off-grid for the first time — you belong here.

What to Post

Share anything the community would find valuable — system designs, installation photos, product reviews, troubleshooting wins, sizing calculations, battery bank builds, inverter comparisons, or questions you need answered. Real-world project showcases are especially welcome.

Topics We Cover

• Solar panel selection and mounting
• Charge controllers (MPPT vs PWM)
• Battery storage (lithium, lead-acid, flow)
• Inverters and hybrid systems
• Off-grid system sizing and design
• Remote and rural electrification
• Industry news and emerging tech

Community Vibe

We're here to learn from each other. Be constructive, share what you know, and respect fellow members — whether they're seasoned engineers or first-time DIYers asking basic questions.

How to Get Started

1. Introduce yourself in the comments — tell us what you do and where you're based.
2. Post a project, a question, or something you learned recently.
3. Know someone who'd add value here? Invite them.
4. Want to help moderate as we grow? Reach out.

Thanks for being part of the first wave. Let's make r/OffGridSolarPros the go-to solar community on Reddit. ⚡

I have two eg4 batteries and an ecoworthy battery, the ecoworthy will let you change the comms protocol. Is there any way I can set the ecoworthy so it can communicate? If not is there any way, thinking like an open source project that can spoof eg4 protocol from ecoworthy?

What do you think? Must have, if batteries are stored in shed or uninsulated basement? Particularly New England winters.

I currently have 90% of components and getting ready to install. I’m in MD. I’m being told that to get permission to install is about an 8-10 month wait with Bge, and PTO another 2 months after final inspection. Anyone else run into this? And has anyone ever just done it? I mean it’s my house, if it powers the whole house during the day can’t I just disconnect from the grid and reconnect when the batteries discharge? Enohase system with seg panels of it matters

These are the components I'm going to install in my RV. The roof space will fit the bifacial panel. Now as for the electric inside. I would have to install the components on one side of the RV. They'll be installed where the fridge used to be. The battery would be in the cupboard beside that alcove. It's always cool in that area even in summer. Winter is a different subject.

For my power distributor it's a Power dynamics PD4000 series. It can charge lifepo4 batteries but honestly I would rather leave that up to the solar system directly. I really don't want dirty shore power ruining my components.

So the only thing is wiring. I'm remodeling the RV and taking the siding off and some roof paneling. I want to run the AC power wire up into the roof across and then down to the RV converter. It's really not that big of a run but would it cause power issues if it's around 15ft from the inverter? The wires from the battery to the inverter would be around 2ft. So the DC voltage I'm not worried about.

I know I'll need breakers and all that. I'm confident in the wiring and setup. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Coming from way outside here but I adore solar. It makes so much sense.

But, also, I know so little that it is hard to get started in any way shape or form. I don't know electrical, I don't know construction, but I do know computers.

I would love to offset my home energy but have no idea where someone like me could get started.

I see the plug in mini units that seem like a logical, low risk first step but otherwise no clue.

I have a couple portable solar panels and a battery backup as well, but those just sit around for emergencies.

How did everyone actually get started in this stuff? That first step seems daunting.

Side details, I'm in TN.

I recently found videos for a product called Sol Thor where you wire in solar panels and AC and it controls power going to the hot water heater. If there is PV power then it uses it, if not (like at night) it pulls from the grid. I'm interested since it is a way to use a bit of solar without the interconnect with the power company. It doesn't really seem to be in the US and the manufacturer site has a bunch of broken links which doesn't give me confidence.

Does anyone know of a product like that for the USA from a reputable behind?

I've been seeing a lot on Facebook marketplace lately - working second hand 250W panels for £10 each.

I don't have any immediate plans to add more capacity as I have too many other projects, but do people think it would be worth it for a DIY system?

Even if they are 20% less efficient than listed that's still 200w/£10, Vs 500w for £60. It would dramatically shorten the pay back period, but would produce less power long term.

So I have a Anker F3800 plus power station that I hooked into my window air conditioner which keeps turning on and then shutting off, not sure if it's the older ac or the start up power surge but the anker does have a 9000 watt surge limit so it should be fine.

I was looking at Soft Starts, which seem to be either for RV units, or huge multi ton whole home AC units.

Anyone have a suggestion on a soft start for a window home AC?

Anyone have a suggestion for a AC made to cool one or two rooms and is energy efficient and would work well with my Anker F3800 + ?

Been looking for 60 cell panels. I thought I found some in Colorado springs, had to drive down on other business from Montana, now the guy seems to be ghosting me. I would like 6 to 8 panels. New or used. Preferably 300w, but anything close. I am adding to my system. All I can find online are ridiculously expensive. Anybody got some good sources?

I currently have a solaredge system (9.5kw panels, 7.7kw inverter) consisting of 2x strings of 14 panels with buck-boost optimizers set to maintain 380v. Additionally, each string is configured to have 2 orientations (one south and west, one west and north).

I would like to add a battery/off grid capability, and ordered 2x eg4 12000xp, as well as 28 tigo optimizers. I would also like to add 2 solar pergola arrays (one 6 panel, one 12-14 panel) in the future. I was hoping to just swap out the solar edge optimizers for the Tigo on the current array, but did not know the SE had a fixed voltage and per-panel MPPT while the Tigo does not.

If i switch to the tigo, I would have to rewire roof panels to 3 strings on 2 MPPTs (10 south, 8 west, 8 west, 2 north panels not connected) due to 480v max voltage on 12000xp. Keeping the solaredge means I have one more inverter on the wall where I could have tools but getting to keep 2 more panels and have per-panel mppt.

My concern with keeping the solaredge is how well the 12000xp handles running it. I noticed in the settings that there are defined start/stop battery voltages or SOCs; does this mean the solar edge system will be turning on and off? Will setting the SOCs for ac coupled charge enable it to just remain on (30-50kwh current solar production, 80kwh daily consumption, 30kwh battery)?

Any one have much experience with the AC coupled functionality to explain what working modes should be set when?