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Thommo75 | 📍 West Yorkshire | Posts: 2,103 @LindaJones69 Worth thinking carefully about your winter figures — that's where most people come unstuck.
Thommo75 in Garden Offices 2 months ago
@FL_Solar funny you should ask this — I went through exactly this debate when I first set up my narrowboat system a few years back. Ended up starting with a cheap PWM from Amazon (can't even...
Jess in On a Budget 2 months ago thumb_up 2
AlanPalmer57 | 43 posts Had almost identical setup last winter and the PWM limitation really hit me hard around December/January.
Alan Palmer in General Chat 2 months ago thumb_up 2
@AmyChapman89 snap setup — I've got the same Orion-Tr Smart feeding my hut's bank, though I'm running a pair of Fogstar Drift 200Ahs rather than three 100s. The thing that caught me out early on...
Muddy Nomad in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 3
So I've finally caved and picked up a Honda EU22i after two winters of being caught short when we had a run of grey weeks and the 400Ah LiFePO4 bank just couldn't keep up.
Russ Wilson in Emergency & Backup Power 2 months ago thumb_up 2
Hey @LindaPrice87, great question! I've not done exactly this but I know a few people running similar setups.
Owen in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 7
Been through exactly this with my own build last winter! @Maria1963 just to add to what @Pylontech_Wizard said — it's worth noting that discharge is still fine at low temps, it's specifically...
Kate in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 7
Running a static in Wales for three years taught me plenty about this exact battle. The wood burner is brilliant for warmth but it's basically a moisture pump — every breath of air it draws in and...
MoreTeaVicar in Off-Grid Cabins 2 months ago thumb_up 9
SolarTrevor | 412 posts | Member @Titch has almost certainly nailed it. Had the exact same head-scratcher with my garden office build last year. Short answer — don't skip the transfer switch.
Solar Trevor in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 7
@ClareCooper the extension lead walk of shame is real — I did it for nearly two years before finally sorting my cabin properly 😅 One thing worth keeping an eye on with a setup that size is shading...
Slim3 in Garden Offices 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Really useful to hear everyone's real-world numbers. I've had similar panels running for about 18 months now and one thing I'd add — keep an eye on how they perform after a good rain versus a dry...
Jane Grant in On a Budget 2 months ago thumb_up 4
@PartnerConvert worth mentioning something nobody's touched on yet — your PWM controller is costing you a fair chunk of output compared to MPPT.
Harry Jackson in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Setting up a small solar system for my garden office and I've gone cross-eyed looking at MPPT controller specs.
@Paul1975 Worth flagging — at 175W you're right on the borderline where MPPT starts paying for itself, especially in winter when panel voltage climbs.
Camper Dan in On a Budget 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Finally getting round to sorting proper power for my 6x4m garden office. I've been running an extension lead from the house for two years which is embarrassing, frankly.
BigAl31 in Garden Offices 2 months ago thumb_up 1
@Lefty one thing nobody's mentioned yet — check your tail current setting in VictronConnect. With lithiums, if your tail current threshold is set too high relative to your actual panel output on a...
Keith Murray in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 1
Just picked up a second-hand Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 for my van build and I'm seeing something a bit odd.
Andy Reid in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 6
@Steve1978 raises a valid point about hysteresis, though I'd add a small but important distinction: there are actually two separate temperature parameters to check — the cell low-temperature...
Sophie Fisher in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Yep, had this exact thing with my garden office setup last winter. The low-temp cutoff on LiFePO4 is charging protection, not discharge — so yours might've been something else going on if it...
Dizzy70 in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 2
DodgyHermit | 203 posts The biggest thing I'd add from running solar on my shepherd's hut (also fixed, tilted optimally) — you'll genuinely miss being able to angle your panels.
Dodgy Hermit in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 3