DO IT YOURSELF !! Building a 3500-Watt Portable Battery Bank Solar Power Unit.
A system customized to your needs with simplicity in mind. Have power for CRITICAL ITEMS when other people have NO ELECTRICAL POWER. PERIOD!
From Author Jack Lawson…
This Portable Battery Bank Solar Power Unit works well in most parts of the country… it works in some areas way better than others of the United States. That is, unless you’re in my Birth State of Minnesota. The noonday Sun in Minnesota becomes obscured by the Midwest Winter cloud cover and by smoke from burning vehicles, flashbang grenades, Molotov Cocktail aerosol bombs, smoldering buildings and clouds of vapor from teargas canisters. That, courtesy of “The Leftist Lunatics Of Minnesota” protesting and fighting to keep the illegals, who are stealing them blind by fraud, from being arrested and/or deported. Go figure.
Nooooooo! I said Birth State… not Home State. I’m ashamed to call it my Home State now… as this VERY small minority of Anti-ICE morons, most of whom were not born and raised there, appear that they represent the majority of Minnesotans. They have destroyed my wonderful memories of Minnesota and its abundantly good and decent people. This is typical of the Special Forces training I had on Psychological Operations. Make the MINORITY PROTESTERS appear to be the MAJORITY thinking of the population and defeat your adversary before the battle even begins.
Are you one of those that believe this minority of protesters is the way half of Americans think? Shame on you! This minority, spewing diarrhea along with profanity from their obnoxious mouths, would make you believe they are the majority thought of the good people of Minnesota. Wrong! …If. they. only. knew. how. much. they. are. pissing. off. the. vast. majority. of. Minnesotans..
But I digress. Back to Sunshine. There is on average between 200 to 300 sunny days per year in the United States, depending on which State you live in. Despite that being a broad stroke of the brush, even the minimum of number of sunny days provides that Solar Power is CHEAP and ABUNDANT.
From Guest Author Albert Packer…
Building a 3500-Watt Portable Battery Bank Solar Power Unit
We are completely dependent on technology to make our lives function as we expect. Those technologies all run on electricity, so what happens when natural or man-made disasters occur that shuts down the electrical grid? Everything we take for granted stops and the scramble for day-to-day survival starts as in the introductory You Tube video of the Civil Defense Manual illustrates here...
No communications, refrigeration, gasoline, internet or anything else works. How long will you be able to stay alive when your phone is dead, your food spoils and your lights are out. How long before desperate people come to your house and attack you for their own survival? The absence of Water alone will cause CHAOS WITHIN HOURS.
These are ugly questions that you should be ready to answer before the lights go out. Water, Food, medicines, shelter and Self-Defense are critical to staying alive.
Emergency Water and Food will keep you going when the grocery store shelves are emptied by the fools who didn’t prepare. Self-Defense capability can keep you alive when people are determined to get what they think you have.
Emergency Power is addressed in this short article
In the top photo is the complete Portable Battery Bank on the red Dolly Unit, and in the photo below it, are my portable Solar Panels that charge the battery bank.
If you don’t have a practical knowledge of all the other survival necessities during a crisis, you may not survive. You need stored Water and Food to start with. Next, firearms to defend yourself and family. In addition for me, I needed an emergency Portable Battery Bank Solar Power Unit that was priced and sized for my minimal power needs during emergencies. This is how I approached and resolved the issue.
There are many turnkey systems you can buy. For me, the cheapest and best way was to design and build a custom system for myself. In doing this, you will also have a better understanding of the whole issue of emergency power by building one yourself.
The following are the parts needed for a 3500-Watt Unit and measuring your needs…
The Kill-A-Watt Monitor (Photo A)
A two-wheeled transportation ‘Dolly’ hand truck (Like this red one from Harbor Freight)
TWO Lithium ion batteries (Litime 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery) (Photo B)
Link here:
TWO 200-Watt Solar Panels (Photo C & D)
Link here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QLW6XZN?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_8
The MPPT SOLAR Charge Controller (Photo E)
Link here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q83F257?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_7
Honourlight 3500-Watt Inverter (Photo F & I)
Link here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSN6RNXJ?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_6
20 foot positive and negative transmission wires from Solar Panels to Dolly Unit quick connectors (Photo G) Link here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075424L8R?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_7&th=1
50 Amp Circuit Breaker Charge Controller (Photo H) Make sure you fuse your Charge Controller on the input side.
60 Amp Circuit Breaker Inverter (Photo J) Make sure you fuse the 12 Volt Batteries on the output side.
My design is customized to my needs based on my particular application. In an emergency when power stops to my property, I need a system that will run critical items that I can quickly connect CRITICAL ITEMS to like refrigerators and freezers to keep items in them from spoiling.
Make a list like I made here, for your CRITICAL POWER NEEDS…
Refrigerator
Freezer
HAM radios and other radio’s charging units
A small water pump.
I wanted something I could easily wheel out to the backyard, hook it up and catch direct sun. A Dolly seemed ideal to put the system on.
First step… the Kill-A-Watt Monitor
First, I needed to know what my daily minimal power requirements were for the above items I consider CRITICAL POWER NEEDS. I used a low-cost device called a Kill-A-Watt EZ Monitor and connected it one by one to CRITICALLY NEEDED items to measure power used during a 24-hour cycle (Photo A Kill-A-Watt Monitor). I did the same on other devices I anticipated using during emergencies and added them up to get the total power needed for 24 hours. That told me what I needed for battery storage and Solar Panel size.
The batteries…
I have the batteries pictured here. Lithium ion batteries are much superior to sealed lead acid. Longer life, higher power density and much higher power output. They can be a fire hazard, so park the items on the Dolly outside and protected from the rain, if possible.
They are 2400w of battery storage…2x/100Ahr (Amp hours). I use between 1.2 kwh and 1.4 kwh per day for the refrigerator and freezer. I used a Kill-A-Watt unit to do 24-hour power draw estimates on different appliances. The refrigerator and freezer consume about 1.3 Kw per day. It is important that you measure your max usage per day per item you need powered by your Portable Battery Bank Solar Power Unit then add them all to determine the total capacity you personally need.
The Solar Panels…
I have two 200-Watt Solar Panels in an aluminum frame. I piano-hinged these together in the middle to fold for storage (Photo C & Photo D). They are wired in series for 24v to a Charge Controller that outputs 12 volts to the batteries.
Computers, radios, flashlights, fans draw far less. So, assuming I will eat through my perishable food supplies in a couple of weeks and then disconnect the refrigerator and freezer, I won’t be drawing 1.2 Kw per day for very long. I will have a lot of power for neighbors who may need it. Electrical power is a great barter item to those who don’t have electricity.
The Charge Controller…
The Charge Controller (Photo E) is on top of the stack with the Inverter in the middle and the heavy batteries on the Dolly’s steel bottom plate. The Dolly Unit weighs about 80lbs. It has solid rubber tires, so no flat tires. I just wheel it out under the patio by the garage, run my wires outside to the Solar Panels, plug in the quick connectors and start generating power.
The Inverter…
The Inverter (Photo F) is close to the batteries to attenuate transmission losses. Make sure you connect multiple batteries in parallel to maintain a 12 volt feed to your Inverter.
Make absolutely certain the Inverter is grounded to your home electrical ground system.
Connect the Inverter Positive and Negative diagonally to the opposite terminals to balance the draw and recharge current from the batteries. Trip the breakers off when not in use for safety. The Inverter lugs, if not fully insulated, are subject to a horrible and dangerous short. Be cautious when connecting wires to them and then fully insulate and cover them.
The Solar Panel to Dolly Unit power lines…
I use quick connects to attach those wires from the Solar Units to the Dolly Unit. The inverter then powers my AC stuff. These are the positive & negative power transmission leads to the Solar Panels along with a ground wire (Photo G). You need to include a stranded wire green colored ground from Solar Panel to Dolly Unit and ty-wrap or tape all three together.
The ground is terminated with a heavy alligator clip. I use a Stainless-Steel rivet that “just fits” into one of my existing house 120 Volt AC wall outlet ground receptacle, and clamp the ground wire alligator clip to it. Make sure you fuse your Charge Controller (Photo H) on the panel input side and the 12v battery (Photo J) on the output side. I use 30Amp ATO auto fuses in a waterproof holder.
Breakers…
Include a green stranded and insulated ground wire for electrical grounding in with your 20 foot Bouge Solar Panel to Dolly Unit connection wires. Tape or Ty-Wrap the Red, Black and Green connection wires together every twelve inches or so. Make certain there is a good ground from the Solar Panels… to the Dolly Unit Inverter… to the Dolly Unit Charge Controller… straight through to the house ground of your existing home wall electrical outlet system. Again, the Dolly Inverter and Charge Controller must ground to the Dolly and then to your home outlet ground.
Plug Outlets for powering your Critical Items on the Inverter…
Plug your power cords into the outlets on the end of the Inverters. Walla! Power!
So that’s my story and it’s working very nicely. I would recommend everyone buy a Kill-A-Watt meter and do tests on any appliance or device you want to use. That will tell you the total wattage draw for your favorite things and necessities when added together. Then you can predictably configure your component sizes—Solar Panels, Charge Controller, Inverter, batteries, wire sizes, etc.
We had a three-day outage several years ago and kept cool and well fed during a hot Southwestern high desert summer. Electricity can be a barter item! I’ll charge your radio batteries for a week for ______________________ & _______________________?
BE KIND TO YOUR LOCAL ELECTRICAL POWER LINEMAN… HE RISKS HIS LIFE TO GET YOU ELECTRICITY. DON’T ELECTROCUTE HIM!
If you use isolated circuits of your home electrical system for CRITICAL ITEMS and to power them… TURN THE MAIN POWER OFF TO YOUR HOUSE AT YOUR HOUSE BREAKER PANEL BEFORE CONNECTING THIS EMERGENCY POWER UNIT TO THOSE ISOLATED CIRCUITS OF YOUR HOUSE SYSTEM.
THEN… to keep from putting power OUT into the line that provides electricity to your house from the electric company…
DISCONNECT THIS BATTERY BANK UNIT FROM YOUR HOME ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BEFORE TURNING ON YOUR MAIN HOME BREAKER PANEL! THAT IS SO YOU DON’T PUT ELECTRICAL POWER OUT INTO THE POWER LINES FEEDING INTO YOUR HOME AND KILL SOMEONE WORKING ON THE POWER OUTAGE. LINEMEN WILL ASSUME THERE’S NO POWER IN THEM.
YOU CAN ELECTROCUTE POWER LINEMEN IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW THE ABOVE PROCEDURES.
There are Electrical Schematics on the internet…. BUT, DON’T BE A BUTTHEAD… follow the directions in the next box with your safety and others in mind…
From Author Jack Lawson…
A word of warning…
During prolonged periods of time when electricity is out for others or after “Grid Down” Catastrophic Events that are long term, people will know you have electricity unless you use Light and Sound Discipline as I outline in the Civil Defense Manual.
How!?
By noise from electrically powered tools or equipment and especially electrical OR OTHER light. Along with sounds we make that you don’t think twice about during Normal Civility, any human or other noise will attract unwanted attention to You, Your Family and neighbors. YOU MUST HAVE LIGHT CONTROL AND DISCIPLINE DURING DARK HOURS. I post numerous warnings about this in the Civil Defense Manual and how to have light for people without “Outsiders” knowing.
Crying children, babies and generally any noise made by humans… dogs barking (Mrs. Pumpernickel’s 5 Star Blue Ribbon Award Winning show poodle will be a meal in itself for roving hungry people)… the smell of cooking food… outside open flame, fires and the smoke from them… etc. All these will draw attention to you from “others.” On reconnaissance operations in Africa, the Tribal Africans could smell toothpaste on your breath and two day old aftershave two hundred yards away. That is how different your world will be when “The lights go out.”
Those “others” will know that you most likely have something they need to survive. I call this group of people “Outsiders.” They will have firearms… as almost every American has firearms… but almost every American also has no stored Water or Food. They WILL NOT knock on your door out of courtesy nor will they be in a State of Mind to be pleasant when they ‘appear out of nowhere’ around your home or area. They will be DESPERATE and as stealthy and deadly as a combat veteran Special Operations Soldier. You will be playing a “Cat and Mouse” game with them by which Rules of Action will determine which of you will live. Those Rules of Action are… there are no ‘rules.’ Those the most cunning and ruthless will win.
You cannot defend your area by yourself against an overwhelming mob. You will need the cooperation of your neighbors to defend to survive. You will need “Strength through Numbers.” You will need to form my concept of a CDM Neighborhood Protection PlanTM NOW WHILE YOU CAN !!
The previous five paragraphs of words of warning, should alone, convey to you the need to buy the Civil Defense Manual for you to understand how different the world that you will be existing in will be and how you need to adapt to it to survive.
Read more about the world you will experience and struggle to EXIST in after Chaos strikes… in Chapter 10, Chapter 22 and the rest of the Civil Defense Manual. Buy it here…
http://www.JackLawsonBooks.com
The Author advises the Reader that the Author, the Contributing Authors, Publisher, Copyright Holders, Website Administrators are not attorneys and some recommendations or actions in this book that the Reader takes may lead to loss… financial and otherwise, injury or death. The Author, the Contributing Authors, Publisher, Copyright Holders will not be liable for situations that arise from the Reader’s interpretations or misunderstanding of material in this essay, article, supplement, newsletter, emails, my books The Civil Defense Primer, A Collapse Of Society, the Civil Defense Manual or the Author’s instructions to others. Even though the Reader may determine that action or inaction to be as instructed by this book or in the spirit of simple self-defense, it may not be viewed that way by authorities in some States and Locales and the Authors accept no responsibility for your actions. Consult an attorney and apply common sense and their advice in your actions and interpretation of instructions and recommendations from us.
Reader’s actions or implementation of recommendations and information or misinformation from this book or essay, article, supplement, newsletter, email… may lead to the Reader’s liability, loss of their money or that of others or other damages or injury or death. You’re all adults… behave as responsible, safe, compassionate, common sense, lawful adults. Verify your Federal, State and Local laws and ordinances before using the information in this book or essay, article, supplement, newsletter or email. As an adult… make your decisions independent of advice, information or misinformation from my books The Civil Defense Primer, A Collapse Of Society, the Civil Defense Manual and any and all other information. Wear big people’s pants and live with the decisions you make as your decisions… made by your independent thinking mind. Don’t blame others for your mistakes or misfortune… and that includes us.
Other authors, books and resources I recommend for Preparedness and Survival… because I don’t do this just for money… it’s also for my children, grandchildren and America!
Recommended Blogs, Internet Shows and Websites…
Western Rifle Shooters Association at:
https://westernrifleshooters.online/
Matt Bracken at: www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com
AND Matt Bracken’s Substack
Forward Observer at: www.ForwardObserver.com
Normal American at: NormalAmerican.com
NC Scout at: www.brushbeater.org
SELCO at: www.shtfschool.com/ (His books and his Survival Boot Camp)
Johnny Paratrooper at: www.patreon.com/GreenDragonAcademy
Prepared Airman at: www.preparedairman.bigcartel.com/
Big Country Expat at: www.bigcountryexpat.com/
Stan Szymanski at: www.EcouragingAngels.org
Survivor Library at: www.survivorlibrary.com
Joe Dolio at: www.Tactical-Wisdom.com
Nehemiah Strong at: www.johndyslin.com/
Don Shift at: www.amazon.com/Don-Shift/e/
Daisy Luther at: www.theorganicprepper.com
Christopher Parrett at: www.ldsavow.com
The Tactical Hermit at: www.thetacticalhermit.com
J.C. Dodge at: www. www.masondixontactical.wordpress.com/
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“Do not live with doom and gloom thought. Be prepared. Become Self-Reliant. Then relax, enjoy each and every moment of life… and love your family with uninhibited passion. Pray for the best… but you know you’re ready for the worst.” Author Jack Lawson