# Pre wiring for future solar/wind projects



## baleksivich (Sep 4, 2014)

Hello all. I am in the beginning stages of laying out the wiring for my two outbuildings and a secondary well pump house. I do not currently have the resources to put in solar panels or any wind turbines but I plan on adding on piecemeal as I can afford different components. I currently have a service panel in the barn and will be putting more outlets in there, a sub panel, outlets and lights in the building next to it, and hardwiring a secondary well on the property and putting a butchering room in the pump house. 

My question is: Is there anything I should do in the initial wiring to prevent rework when I start to add in alternative power sources? I am just starting to research solar, wind, and whatnot but I do not think I will have enough knowledge on the subject to pre plan before I need the grid power work done. 

Sorry for my rambling. If there is any info I excluded or that would help in answering my question please let me know.

BTW
To ease concerns about a novice doing the work, I do have an electrician helping me along the way but he is not versed in any alternative energy (long retired lineman doing me a favor)


Thanks for any help you can provide or links to layman's info I can dig into.

Brian


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## Xperthunter (Mar 30, 2015)

I am not an electrician so take it all with a grain of salt. 

If doing grid tie: Your Solar will come in DC, need to be run through a DC Disconnect, to an Inverter, then combined (multiple sources) in a sub pannel to shoot off to your main panel....with the exception of running some conduit if you happen to already have to dig things up, theres no pre-work that can really save you here, just ensure your main pannel has enough open slots for a couple of double pole breakers. Wind will likely come in either 3phase AC, converted to DC, and tied into an inverter for similar hookup to the above. 

If your doing batteries: Your basic setup is Solar/Wind (DC) to Charge controller(s) (MPPT or PWM) to your batteries; From your batteries you will go to the DC inverter and follow the above. Depending on how pricy you get with your charge controller, you'll be able to go from it to the inverter as well, for when DC power is coming in, and the batteries are charged, you shunt from touching the batteries at all. You'll also have a diversion load (You want one with solar, you NEED one with wind), This is a load that when your batteries are full, and you've no other place to put power, it dumps power to. In the summer a good fan system or small AC unit is great, Durring the winter a resistance heater is golden. 

Okay thats my 2 cents. Conduit if you can, untill then, not a whole lot you can do ahead of time.


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## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

Issues I had to rework doing just what you are doing...

Higher voltages mean less AMPERAGE,
You need LARGER WIRES to conduct amperage,
So running AC devices where you can will reduce the amount of copper you have to buy and bury.

I purchased a DC well pump.
The cables to drive that well pump off DC (Battery) power were HUGE and cost a ton...

When the SECOND well pump went in, it was AC, and wiring could have been MUCH smaller and less expensive if I'd gone AC in the first place.

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DC doesn't transmit through wires (High Amperage, Low Voltage) very well,
And the line losses WILL add up.
Keep Panels close to the inverter/batteries to minimize line losses.

AC transmits MUCH BETTER (high voltage, low amperage) so I have a 'Power House',
Basically a yard barn right behind the solar panels with my batteries and inverters,
Then AC power output to the house/shop.

DC runs short, AC for the longer runs.

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Don't cheap out on 'Grounds' (Earth Ground Rods) and lightening arresters,
You will eventually have a lightening strike close enough to cause problems,
Ground rods and lightening arresters are cheap compared to the damage even an indirect lightening strike can cause.

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USE CONDUIT!
10 years from now you might *Think* you know "Exactly" where that line is,
and dig right into where the line actually is!
Nothing like conduit to keep you from having a melt down!
(Ask me how I know that...  )

Don't believe for a second that 'Glue Together' conduit will keep water out from around the cables underground!
Make sure all your wire splices below ground level or exposed to rain are sealed up tight seven ways from Sunday!

Nothing quite like digging out a wiring run to find the corrosion keeping you from getting power!
Weather heads above ground are a must to keep water out of your conduit.
Standing water around your lines is NEVER a good idea...

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If you are going with battery back up,
DO NOT do what all the pictures show, and stack your battery banks with batteries touching each other!

Leave some ventilation room around the batteries so the heat generated by charging/discharging can rise, drawing in cool air from below.
My batteries are on carts/dollies, both to make rotating batteries in the strings easier and to make for ventilation.
The batteries live MUCH longer if you don't overheat them...

I could go on for PAGES about what NOT to do with batteries...

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NO STEEL CONNECTIONS/TERMINALS!

Either stainless steel (mostly nickel), or brass/bronze or copper.
Rust will screw you seven ways from Sunday.
Just because it says 'NEMA Approved' on the box doesn't mean they are all created equal.

If it's copper, tin it with silver bearing electrical solder before you stuff it into a terminal socket.
DO NOT USE ACID CORE 'PLUMBING' SOLDER!
Electrical solder is rosin core, and electrical solder with a 2% or better silver content works the best for long term connections and keeping corrosion out.

If it's aluminum, the make sure you use 'Oxyguard' or some other anti-oxidation grease/coating on the aluminum.
Once aluminum oxidizes, and it WILL oxidize no matter what you do,
It's virtually worthless as an EFFICIENT electrical conductor...
Horribly wasteful to try and push an electrical current through oxidized aluminum.

If you can possibly afford COPPER, then use copper.
You will have nothing but resistance/corrosion issues with aluminum the entire time it's in use...

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Can you tell I do my own installs and maintenance?


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