We have an off-grid property with multiple buildings on a 5 acre footprint. Our terrain varies in elevation by 15 meters and is covered by large trees and low ground cover on top of solid granite (Laurentian Shield). Much of the foot print is exposed granite. Our power comes from solar (wind and possibly hydro will be added in the near future) with excess stored in a LFP battery bank (nominal 48V). Our AC system is 240/120 split phase 60Hz (normal North American). We would like to control/prioritize some of our AC circuits (some will be 120V and some 240V). For example, if the battery charge is < 52V we would open the circuit with our non-primary water heaters. If the battery charge is < 51V we would open the circuit with our primary water heater, etc. We would like to be able to program the voltages to which the switches open and close and not have them hardcoded. Our endgame would likely have 5-10 controllable AC circuits. We may venture into more sensors and switches as we gain more experience (air humidity & temperature for our greenhouse ventilation, water temperature for aquaponics and thermal energy storage, AC current to switch off AC coupled solar panels, etc.).
Our powerhouse that contains our batteries is in a dedicated building. We would like to measure the voltage on the 48V DC bus and send a wireless signal across the property to the various control switches. We do not have cell phone service and our WiFi (Starlink) is only reliable in one of the cabins.
What would be the best solution?
We are looking to install two control circuits Q2/3 of 2023 with the main purpose of learning how the technology works and to learn the control language.
We believe that control technologies are crucial to off-grid energy systems and would love to take our first step this year.
Thanks!
Homesteaders in the French River, Ontario, Canada