Boodock Solar Charger for M3

[moonfresh]

Hey,

I thought I would share with you my solar system. I call it the "Boondock Solar Shed."

*32kw of storage. Batteries were harvested from Chevy Volt via ebay(~7k). These batteries are DIESEL. They don't get hot at all in the shed--even when it's 113F. They don't need no cell balancer. Somehow the cells are self-balancing. It's always within .03volts of each other. I don't even check them anymore. I know other people who are doing the same.
*48volt system. 16 modules in parallel. Each module is 2kw and about 50amps.
*Solar panels are 310 watts X 15 panels. Got these commercial panels for ~150 (~2250). They were used and only a few years old.
*System makes about 20kw per day. I have been using like 10-15kw per day...it's hot in SoCal. Been off the grid for like 3months.
*Inverter is a MagnaSine (~2k with controller). 4500watts continuous. Works great. Made in USA. I would not trust the cheaper stuff when you're building something of this magnitude. This is probably the largest system using Chevy Volt batteries.
*Solar charger is Victron (~500 with the dongle). Very easy and reliable. It's Bluetooth enabled. I can see everything on my app.
*Black bazooka thing is an automatic, exhaust fan (~150).
*Red thing hanging is an automatic fire extinguisher.
*There's also more expenses, but I can't list all the costs for wirings, bus bars, shed, and etc. Just look at the major stuff to see if it would be viable for you.
*System is not grid-tie, no net metering. I didn't want to pursue this because of the cost of the permits/inspector. This would probably add thousands more to my project.

All in all, about 15k for my system (yes, the WHOLE system). I know. It seems like a bargain, considering a powerwall is like 5-6k each. But it is if you do all the work yourself. My "conservative" estimate for return on investment is about 5years. It can be faster if you drive a lot. Many people from other EV/solar forums have ask me to share this and to see if I can help them for a fee. Since I am now officially part of the EV family, just ordered my M3, I thought I would lend a hand. If you are in SoCal or Vegas, I can lend a hand or so. Send me a private message. But I will warn you that this would only be a side gig. I will not pursue this full time; college football is very important to me...lol. My mechanical/electrical background is via Army fixing generators. Last, if you are serious about this, I would suggest that you find some good batteries. I would recommend Chevy Volt (best bang for your buck, but hard to find) or Tesla (they cost more, but easy to get off ebay). I will keep you guys posted when I get my M3. Peace.

 

[shiz]

very nice!!! now how and where are you mounting those solar panels? and how much space would that take?

 

[EVnut]

Oh man! That is a thing of rare beauty. I love the safety details (fan and extinguisher) as well as the perfectly dressed harnesses.

 

[boriszima]

This is great. Palmdale is helluva hot, it makes sense to do it in the middle of the desert. How many hours did you spend on this, looking for parts, building it, etc? What would comparable Solar+ powerwall solution costs of the shelf? I live in San Fernando Valley and when its 115F here for weeks, my AC bills dials Houston to ask for a lift off. I started looking into solar/powerwall.

 

[moonfresh]

very nice!!! now how and where are you mounting those solar panels? and how much space would that take?

Panels are on the roof like most installation. I live in a small house, below average. I do have a carport which helped.

 

[moonfresh]

This is great. Palmdale is helluva hot, it makes sense to do it in the middle of the desert. How many hours did you spend on this, looking for parts, building it, etc? What would comparable Solar+ powerwall solution costs of the shelf? I live in San Fernando Valley and when its 115F here for weeks, my AC bills dials Houston to ask for a lift off. I started looking into solar/powerwall.

I didn't write down the hours I put into this. But if I had all the parts today, I could probably do it in 2 weekends with a helper. In your case, I would just lease a solar system. It's a no brainer. I don't know how much solar you can get for 15k. I have a unique case because I got super lucky with used solar panels and batteries. The batteries were the most expensive component. Just look up how many powerwall you would need to have 32kw of storage. You're going to need a drink.

 

[boriszima]

I didn't write down the hours I put into this. But if I had all the parts today, I could probably do it in 2 weekends with a helper. In your case, I would just lease a solar system. It's a no brainer. I don't know how much solar you can get for 15k. I have a unique case because I got super lucky with used solar panels and batteries. The batteries were the most expensive component. Just look up how many powerwall you would need to have 32kw of storage. You're going to need a drink.

Thanks for advice. I read that if you lease Solar and want to sell, it has to be bought out. I did not start looking into quotes or anything, i am waiting for something that will catalyst it. If i was able to do it all like yourself for $15K I think i would def do it. But i am not handy with this

 

[moonfresh]

Thanks for advice. I read that if you lease Solar and want to sell, it has to be bought out. I did not start looking into quotes or anything, i am waiting for something that will catalyst it. If i was able to do it all like yourself for $15K I think i would def do it. But i am not handy with this

I don't know how all leases work, but my friend just bought a house with solar. She had a choice to renew the lease or have the panels removed. She renewed the lease. I read her bill. She basically gets electricity for half price through all the tiers. She also gets a check at the end of the year for selling the extra kw. I would definitely get a quote if you think your bill is high, especially if you have an EV. Since you seem to be interested, I will contact you if I get a lead on some batteries and used solar panels--if you like. The batteries are key.