4048 for totally off grid cabin

[jopdx]

Hi,
I'm building a cabin in SW Washington. I'm hoping to power just lights and a well pump - 1hp at 130 feet depth. I'm looking at the 4048. Is this something that a total newbie with assistance from an electrician install? From what I'm reading a 1 hp engine will take up to 3 times 750 watts at 230 volts. The 4048 fits in this. It is a seasonal cabin with most things propane - fridge, and 7 kw generator to help assist when the solar won't generate enough. Any thoughts or helpful hints? Thanks

[raysun]

Hi,
I'm building a cabin in SW Washington. I'm hoping to power just lights and a well pump - 1hp at 130 feet depth. I'm looking at the 4048. Is this something that a total newbie with assistance from an electrician install? From what I'm reading a 1 hp engine will take up to 3 times 750 watts at 230 volts. The 4048 fits in this. It is a seasonal cabin with most things propane - fridge, and 7 kw generator to help assist when the solar won't generate enough. Any thoughts or helpful hints? Thanks

The Radian (GS4048A-01 is the current model) is a low frequency inverter, essentially built around a massive output transformer. This design is superior in powering "high startup power" loads like pumps. The GS4048 is more than able to run a 1HP well pump, even those that don't incorporate "soft start" technology, though the latter is a desirable investment, as it reduces demand on the inverter as well as materially prolongs pump service life.

Prior to installing my own system, I had zero practical knowledge in deploying and operating an off grid solar/electric system. I taught myself and it all worked out fine. Everything that was "conventional AC", I had done by an electrician. The whole of the solar/battery/charge controller/inverter/generator system and all configurations were done by myself. If I could do it, you can do it. This forum will be your gardian angel.

power just lights and a well pump

Famous "first words".
Seriously, consumption will evolve to match capacity. A good quality off grid system is just too reliable and energy too easily available to not use.
Another thought - fossil fuels have their own baggage. An off grid system will need some fossil fuel consumption (backup generator certainly, bulk heating of water perhaps, etc.) Over time, opportunities to exploit renewable energy will become evident. If the system can meet those opportunities, its a win all around.

Have you started planning the rest of the system?

[SumPowerRays]

Hi,
I'm building a cabin in SW Washington. I'm hoping to power just lights and a well pump - 1hp at 130 feet depth. I'm looking at the 4048. Is this something that a total newbie with assistance from an electrician install? From what I'm reading a 1 hp engine will take up to 3 times 750 watts at 230 volts. The 4048 fits in this. It is a seasonal cabin with most things propane - fridge, and 7 kw generator to help assist when the solar won't generate enough. Any thoughts or helpful hints? Thanks

The Radian (GS4048A-01 is the current model) is a low frequency inverter, essentially built around a massive output transformer. This design is superior in powering "high startup power" loads like pumps. The GS4048 is more than able to run a 1HP well pump, even those that don't incorporate "soft start" technology, though the latter is a desirable investment, as it reduces demand on the inverter as well as materially prolongs pump service life.

Prior to installing my own system, I had zero practical knowledge in deploying and operating an off grid solar/electric system. I taught myself and it all worked out fine. Everything that was "conventional AC", I had done by an electrician. The whole of the solar/battery/charge controller/inverter/generator system and all configurations were done by myself. If I could do it, you can do it. This forum will be your gardian angel.

power just lights and a well pump

Famous "first words".
Seriously, consumption will evolve to match capacity. A good quality off grid system is just too reliable and energy too easily available to not use.
Another thought - fossil fuels have their own baggage. An off grid system will need some fossil fuel consumption (backup generator certainly, bulk heating of water perhaps, etc.) Over time, opportunities to exploit renewable energy will become evident. If the system can meet those opportunities, its a win all around.

Have you started planning the rest of the system?

"Famous first words", pretty funny to me. I spent most of my career balancing electrical loads designing electrical systems. Seems like most customers never had enough power available to begin with, LOL.

After installing multiple high frequency inverters in grid tie applications with battery backup, I have seen the disappointment that people get when thier high freq inverters won't start there unbalanced loads or motor loads (inverter just tripping out). In saying that, I would say you are on the right track with the Radian inverter.

I read every manual and thought I learned a lot. But I am still learning here.
For me, the installation process was more time consuming than it was difficult. But I will admit that I spent a lot off time here on the forum lurking before I joined. The forum has been a very valuable source of information.

[raysun]

"Famous first words"
On the first night using our system, I was so nervous about the "unknowns" of consumption, I barely turned an LED on. In the morning, after 12 hours of discharge, the battery SoC was 93%

[ralphday224]

I hope you have a Grundfos well pump, or at least something with a VFD (variable frequency drive) startup. I had a Xantrex 4048 Inverter years ago. When the well pump cycled (1/2hp) it would draw so much current the colour tv would go grey and white. But it did start it.

[706jim]

My "cabin" is located on an island in Lake Superior. No hydro here only solar and propane. After over 50 years with a propane fridge I switched to an apartment sized electric fridge and couldn't be happier. No fumes doesn't blow out, self defrosts and was cheaper to purchase and much cheaper to run. A decent propane fridge costs a lot. Consider buying more solar panels and scrapping the propane fridge. Not sure of the price of this gas is in your region but it was costing me nearly $2.00/day to run my 7.8 cubic foot propane fridge. And it needed to be defrosted at least every month.

[raysun]

Electric refrigerators are remarkably efficient these days. The small "apartment" refrigerators with traditional compressors, and full-size units with inverter compressors use about the same amount of juice on a daily basis. I allot about 1.4kWH/day for each of our refrigerators and freezers. We have 4, so < 6kWH/day for keeping food cold in Hawaii.
The more stuff that runs on electricity, the easier the household is to manage. Propane is easy to use, our house is plumbed for it, but it still involves lugging tanks down to get filled, and if I don't stay on top of it, running out when my wife is in the shower. (We could install a fuel/air bomb in our yard and have propane delivered, but that's astonishingly expensive here.)
The solar/electric system runs without a hitch. The occasional gas generator use an inconvenience, but manageable, and interruptable. Right now, we're in the middle of the biggest non-Hurricane storm of the past 20 years here. I will need to charge the battery substantially via generator sometime today, but there's no urgency at the moment.

[EA6LE-ONE]

if you live in warm environment, use hybrid water heaters, they use the same energy as a fridge. also, will cool and keep dry the room where are installed.

[fcwlp]

I hope you have a Grundfos well pump, or at least something with a VFD (variable frequency drive) startup.

If powering from main solar system, use a Grundfos SQ pump, which is a soft-start pump. If powering from dedicated well solar system use the Grundfos SQFlex pump. The SQ pump is ~$1,500 less than the SQFlex and you save the cost of the dedicated well pump solar system.
.
Also spend the few extra dollars and get an 8048A.