Hey everyone! I'm looking to set up a solar power system for my mushroom growing shed, and my friend is selling his old solar panels after getting a new roof. I already have experience with solar on my camper, but this would be a larger setup since I'll need around 600w at max load for my heater, humidifier, and fan (which don't run all the time). He's offering 7 panels, each 250w, along with a Fronius Ig30 inverter (which looks like 2.5kwh capacity) and the necessary cables. Even though this seems like more than I need, it would give me some room for future expansion. However, I noticed the setup doesn't include batteries, so I'm wondering if I can just use leisure batteries like in my van or if I need specific 'house batteries' for this setup.
3 Answers
$250 sounds like a reasonable price for the old system, but keep in mind that these panels may need a lot of work and extra hardware to install properly. If you want new panels, you can find modern 400-watt ones that cost around $100 each. Just a thought!
You might want to think about LFP batteries, but the inverter you mentioned is more suited for grid-tied setups, so it won't work for your off-grid plan. For your setup, consider getting an inverter that can connect with batteries, like the EG4 3000ehv, along with a few kWh of 48v LFP batteries to match.
Thanks for the tip! I hadn't looked too much into the inverter. I'll just stick to my camper format for now.
Since you're based in the UK, check out the City Plumbing website for more efficient panels. The modern ones will give you better power output than those older 250W panels you’re considering.
Where are you finding those panels for $100? That sounds like a steal!