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When do I go solar? Can I buy a generator instead?

Paul Custan • Sep 29, 2020
As an electrical engineer by profession, I often get the “How much would it cost me to go solar?” question, I can’t blame them for sure, the promise of going off-grid is quite mesmerizing, but alongside this exciting feat lurks some things we should know before buying your first PV system - but before we get into that, let’s get familiar with terms first: A generator is a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy via electro-magnetic induction,

 it’s quite similar with the alternators we see in cars, except that alternators are built differently and it’s specifically designed to charge your battery. On the other end of the ring we have the Solar PV system, I call it Solar PV system not Solar system because that would be really weird to hear that someone has a solar system at home, it just sound quite wrong. Wink. 


Choosing between purchasing a generator and purchasing a Solar PV system is quite a “not-so-simple” task, to make things straight there’s no easy way of well recommending whether you need the one or the other, if someone asks me how much it would cost him to go solar I’d ask him “why do you plan on going solar?” (Assuming he is planning to purchase one). we have to keep in mind that when we choose to go solar, we also choose its friends that comes along with it:

1. Hardware - A solar panel can’t work on its own, it needs several other accessories in order to become a fully working system, (inverters, batteries, cabling, mounting, etc.) Along comes the associated cost with it, which brings us the next problem.

2. Cost - Depending on the size, if you are thinking about going off-grid and and you run 5 A/C units 24/7 then you might be needing to shake your bankbooks a little, average cost would be around 2500USD for a 1.68kW system1 , roughly, only enough to power a 2HP A/C or refrigerator unit + lighting, you can always talk to service providers to get a proper quotation.

3. Maintenance - Aside from keeping the panels clean, you also need to change your batteries after some time, there are two popular types of batteries for this particular application, Li-ION and Lead-Acid batteries, Lithium-ion batteries cost higher but has more efficiency and lifespan compared to the more classic Lead-acid battery.   

From my standpoint, I really think it’s quite a handful to chew, so to know if going solar suits a particular client, I made personal checklist(This are just my own notion, you can always choose to go ahead with your plans, please don’t get mad):

1. Why do you want to go off-grid/hybrid? - If you want to go off grid to help mother earth specifically then I guess you’re the dream guy, but if you want to save financially then -

2. Is it ok for you to wait before you can get your money back - Yes after investing a lot of money for your system, you might have to wait before well realizing the positive economic outcome. If you have really planned for the system and prepared for it that you don’t mind waiting for your money back, then you’re the right guy, if you can’t then you might want to choose some other alternative 

3. Can you maintain the system - Aside from from replacing the batteries or changing busted fuses, you also need to clean the panels from time to time, if you can afford to hire someone to do this then you’re good, if not, can you do it yourself?

Well this are all just my thoughts basically, we can always proceed with the build regardless of this list. So when does the generator on the title of this article enter the fray? “Why do you want to go off-grid/hybrid?” , if your answer for this question is that you just want to ensure continuous power for your system, then I would tell you to purchase a UPS and a generator instead, the UPS will give you sometime to cold start your generator before transferring the responsibility to it. If you only need a system for this application then I strongly recommend you to go buy a generator instead. Going solar is quite a big responsibility to be honest, no doubt it is from all angles beneficial to both the client and nature, but from a practicality standpoint, not everyone can afford it, some people even gave up theirs five years after in exchange of the more comfortable classic grid connection.However, if the system is not as big as powering an A/C system or a whole house, if you just need to power small-medium appliances, you have another option, you can opt for crossover between a generator and a UPS, a powerstation. 



Basically it’s a battery storage that can supply power in AC or in DC. In FNX Solar, we offer top quality powerstations for an affordable price. A very compact and portable device that can deliver reliable power to your gears. As of the moment, our highest offering can deliver 500W of power and the lowest can deliver 100W. You can charge it using your standard wall socket, solar PV system, or even through your car cigar port. Many people have already started using this technology, especially outdoor loving clients. If you have any questions regarding solar power or our products you can always email us! 



Special thanks to:

1.Vivint Solar(https://unsplash.com/@vivintsolar)

2.John Sail (https://unsplash.com/@eyefish73)

3.Diz Play( https://unsplash.com/@dizplay)

for the photos .



-Paul Custan is an Electrical Engineer who have worked as a software engineer and as a digital platform specialist before becoming a FNX Solar contributor. FNX Solar Power Solutions Inc. is a business based in Canada. We develop and sell portable power stations and related accessories.

Battery C-rating

By Wiliam Douglas Leite • 25 Sep, 2022
Batteries, all shapes and sizes, have their respective specification. Though we can simply distinguish or define them via their names or composition, it is also important to know what they are truly capable of and how they are meant to be used. In this article, we are going to tackle one spec of a battery that is always been taken for granted, this may not be not that be not that life-changing for a conventional battery user but it is nevertheless important for developers and designers. The C-rating of a particular battery indicates how fast it can charge and discharge with respect to time. For example you have a 1000mAh battery, we cannot totally assume that it can deliver a 1000mA for an hour if it doesn’t have a C-rating of 1C - The same 1000mAh battery might only be able to deliver 500mA for a period of 2 hours if it is rated 0.5C. Knowledge of C-rating is important because the available stored energy after a period of time of a battery is dependent on its charge/discharge rate. C-RATING TIME CHART Below is a list of C-rates with their corresponding charge/discharge time for conventional batteries.

The Sodium Nickel Chloride battery

27 Mar, 2022
With all the advancements in the Solar PV battery system technologies in the recent years,We now have a vast number of options that can suit different user applications. On the past battery-related articles that we’ve published, we were mainly focused on the utilization of ltihium-ion and lithium-iron-phosphate, lead acid, etc. for general solar PV system applications, for this article we will discuss another battery type that has been around for some time, The Sodium nickel chloride battery.

Lithium ion vs Lithium iron phosphate

By Paul Custan • 28 Nov, 2021
Brand-new types of battery are taking on the technology spectrum like a wildfire. The emergence of trends in electric vehicles, smartphones, portable power stations, and renewable energy developments prompt a global initiative to create and develop more efficient and safe batteries. These advances create a very healthy competition inside the world of batteries and is certainly advantageous for all the stake-holders, the cost-effectiveness of the batteries will steadily climb in the years to come and will continue to do so. From the perspective of innovators, this opens up a new question, among the rumbling in the battery world, what do you think is the best battery to use for my application? FNX Solar has been really keen on keeping an eye on the market in search for the next best battery to be used in our products. With this, we decided to discuss two of the most used batteries in portable systems, Lithium-ion and Lithium iron phosphate. Lithium-ion(Li-ion) and Lithium iron phosphate(LiFePo) are two of the most used batteries in portable systems. Their energy density and other specifications are most ideal for these types of applications. Though they are both good in their own way, there are differences between them that should be considered before deciding on which one to use. Lithium-ion batteries Lithium-ion batteries can have either Lithium manganese oxide or lithium cobalt oxide for its cathode. Both use graphite for its anode. With a specific energy density of ~100-250 WH per kilogram, it has a nominal voltage of 3.6v. Charge rate can vary from 0.7C to 1.0C. And the discharge rate is 1C for either of the two classes. It is one of the most commonly used battery types for portable electronic systems like smartphones, etc. These batteries are at their best performance for 2-3 years or ~500-1000 charge cycles.

PWM vs MPPT solar charge controllers

By Paul Custan • 03 Oct, 2021
The trend on renewable energy dependency arises world-wide, the curiosity about the latter also increases. Some people just want to gain some ideas regarding the system for some other reason, and some, are thoroughly researching for their plans to have one for their own. The technology is relatively new, but most if not all of us has already heard about it; from afar, it is a very inviting idea, being able to save money from your monthly dues, being able to do your part in saving earth, etc. But you might really need to look deeper into the subject to really understand correctly the right investments to make. Choosing the exact parts for your system might be too huge for a single article like this, Since we already have an article for comparison of the most common solar PV panels , and some discussions about common battery charging voltage , I decided to discuss the next big component down the line, The solar charge controller. The Solar charge controller has two main functions: 1. Prevent overcharging of your batteries. 2. Prevent backflow of electricity from your batteries. Overcharging has been a really major concern since the era of batteries started, it’s not new that this issue must be addressed in all systems that involves the use of batteries. This might cause damage to batteries, or even a bigger problem. For a solar PV system, the solar charge controllers ensure that the battery will not experience this. The device will monitor the voltage of the batteries and cut the supply from the PV panels once a certain voltage level is reached. During the night, the voltage level of the batteries is higher than that of the PV panels, as we all know, electricity travels from higher potential to lower. This might cause damage to the batteries and if the backflow is severe, might completely ruin your PV panels. The charge controller will also prevent that from happening. Now that we have already discussed the purpose of the solar charge controller, let us discuss the different types of charge controller. 1.PWM solar charge controller 2.MPPT solar charge controllers

Common maximum charging voltage for batteries

By Paul Custan • 29 Jun, 2021
Batteries - one of the most common electrical equipment that we use on a daily basis, from mobile phones, to laptops, to whatever electronic device that we have uses this little prehistoric electrical device to keep going. What are they by the way? According to my old blog(Which I forgot I made), It converts chemical energy into electricity. Going deeper, a battery has 3 necessary parts,a cathode, an anode, and a battery solution The anode, being the negative side of the battery, sends electrons to the cathode when they are in-contact in process known as oxidation, the electrons received by the cathode are then absorbed by the ions on the battery solution in the process known as reduction. This method stores energy inside the battery that can be easily accessed by your electrical circuit. With that being said, lets move further into the details of this short blog. There are many types of batteries, with each one intended for various purposes. And this creates a little bit of complexity on handling, right usage, and, well, choosing the right battery and its condiments for your application. We wont be discussing all the battery shenanigans in this blog though, we’ll just focus on one particular issue that is very popular now as solar charging makes its way into the electric vehicle spectrum. I myself had a hard time trying to decide which particular common battery question I’ll answer, but since we are offering Tourix-Gen3 as part of our product portfolio(https://www.fnxsolar.ca/tourix-gen-3)

What is an inverter?

By Paul Custan • 05 Apr, 2021
You might have heard of this word way before you’ve read this first line. Guys(or gals) that dwells with electronics and those who do not has most probably encountered one of these ingenious machine since birth, without knowing that it’s what keeps our car air-conditioning running. But first, lets have a quick look at some history. One of the largest battle of the industrial revolution is the battle of AC&DC. Both forces fought hand-to-hand to claim the spot of what is the best(safest) type of electricity. Thomas Edison, the owner of American Electric was over his heels keen on making his DC electricity better than AC, he even engaged on throwing mud at Nikola Tesla’s AC by telling the world that it’s unsafe and very dangerous, citing its usage in Electric chairs. Well we already know what happened next, AC prevails and we still use today in a daily basis. So As DC, small electronics among other things receives DC as the optimal electricity for their application. Having two different types of electricity that requires slightly different type of machines to produce is quite a pain in the brain. We need a device that can connect AC to DC and vice versa. Thus, devices that does this were invented to address this. There are two most common types of bridge between the two electric types. 1.) For AC to DC we use Rectifiers, 2.) For DC to AC we use inverters. Now these are two different devices, Rectifiers are easier compared to Inverters by build, So we’ll discuss it first. Rectifiers makes AC turn into DC, it does this by using diodes configured in such way that when the alternating current reverses its direction electrons still flows the same way.

SOLARIX 150 and the 2021 plans of FNX Solar

By Paul Custan • 16 Feb, 2021
Welcome to 2021! Better late than never! 2020 has been both a challenge and a blessing for us, setting up an organization during these hard times is surely not that easy, but we were able to make it through thanks to your support! FNX Solar has reached hundreds of household just on 2020 alone, and we continue to deliver reliable portable powestations to Canada and Asia as of the moment, with no recorded returns or warranty usage, we can proudly boast our top-of-the-line quality products. As we continue to expand our company, we are excited to announce our new products and ventures.

The SOLARIX solar panel: in high demand since its introduction

By Paul Custan • 29 Nov, 2020
Solar energy is one of the hottest topics right now. many if not most of energy related companies are getting more interested in solar energy, This is a very good sign for both technology advancement and environmental conservation. (discussion about the history and principle of solar harnessing technology can be found here: https://www.fnxsolar.ca/solar-panel-principle-of-operation-monocrystaline-vs-polycrystaline.)For the record, we are very ecstatic about this progress, some might not appreciate it that much, but this is a very exciting topic. We see this positive development from governments being more assertive in the introduction renewable energy to their countries to the more aggressive production of electric vehicles; Certainly, this is a very good news for nature! but how can we co-relate this to our company's initiative? here's how: FNX-Solar was founded under the idea of giving adventurers the power they need when they're on the go, and a part of it is harnessing free energy from the sun. thus, the company is also interested in developing more efficient methods in harnessing free solar energy. if we get more companies to dwell in this early-stage industry,we can trigger a more competitive atmosphere within that bubble, and as a result, we also get to have better chances of getting cheaper parts for our own interest. This is a win-win situation for both our customers, our company and ultimately, mother nature. however, we can not realize these progress until all the development for the new systems are completed. so as for the mean time, we have no choice but to efficiently use the current available systems; But don’t be sad, technology has been upgrading alot recently, so as a company with the initiative to deliver the most cost-effective system to our customers, we always endeavour to keep with the brand new trends. Our SOLARIX series solar panels have been in the market for months, with the primary objective of making it one of the most(if not the most) sought-after foldable portable solar panel in the market, we started developing it with sustainability and efficiency in mind. it might look like just another solar panel but believe me, there is more than how it looks. here are some.feature of our highest W panel, the SOLARIX-60:

The arrival of FLEX-GEN 500 (A company update)

By Paul Custan • 06 Sep, 2020
This pandemic has brought several challenges along with the virus itself. Aside from the health of the general populace (most important), the economic effect in all known industry is also evident. For the past few days, news circulating in media outlets have recorded several business downfalls and economic recessions that we wouldn’t have thought a year ago. According to Reuters, Australia has recorded worst economic drop in 30 years as the pandemic shut down businesses while cases continue to threaten normalization. Other countries are also experiencing hard times as we continuously muscle our way out of this quicksand. In our part, thou our workforce has been slashed down significantly, we are still managing to complete products in an “OK” rate, We admit that our production capabilities has been slowed down, and some of the customers have even agreed to purchase our unofficial roll-outs(same with the actual product but was supposedly for performance testing and marketing only) for our newer products, and it is quite surprising for us - Based from the feedback and the overwhelming number of inquiries that we have received, we have stepped up our production efforts - As of this moment, our production team is working non-stop as we take extra steps to guarantee continuous delivery for our customers and future customers. The newest addition to the FLEX-GEN family, the FLEX-GEN 500, has received a huge number of inquiries for the past month, we had to spend more time in the production for these particular unit just to fulfill our market projection. Luckily, after an intense month of building our supplies,several batches of FG500 and its older brother FG200 is now on its way to Canada and the Philippines.

The Art of wires: A guide to basic electrical wiring

By Edmund Hagensen III • 29 Jul, 2020
Electrical wiring is a process in connecting devices and accessories in order to distribute electrical power to different devices, equipment and appliances depending on the application. I’m writing this article for clients and those who want to start out their electrical wiring projects. This will serve as a guide for the work flow of the projects. I have 2 years of work experience in the field of electrical engineering mainly on electrical installation, operation and maintenance in high-rise buildings.
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