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[–] 31 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (8 children)

I get it. This summer I bought a battery bank and portable solar panels so I can a) take some load off a circuit that is overtaxed in the summer and b) be able to very slowly charge the car in the event of an emergency.

A month after getting it, we got a notice on our door that they were working on poles and our power would be out for 8 hours. I kept my whole homelab, and refrigerator running the whole time and the entertainment center running most of the time. Any thought that I spent too much, given the probable utility, immediately disappeared. I wouldn't call it pride in my decision, but it came damn close.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

    You have my exact use case energy wise (homelab + fridge). Can I ask what battery and panels you got?

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

    I was able to get a good deal on a lightly used 3.6kWh EcoFlow DELTA Pro and this ZOUPW 480W panel. I got 380 - 395W through the July afternoon, but I've since learned I didn't have the panel at a good angle given my latitude and time of year.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 child)

    How do you run into a battery like that lightly used if there isn't anything wrong with it? Seems weird that someone would get rid of it to me?

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  • [–] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

    Friends of my mom were planning to do RV life for a year or two (while wait-listed for a retirement community) but they decided to rent one for long vacation to be sure. The husband bought the powerbank while it was having a sale, sure they were going to buy an RV as soon as they got back. By the time their vacation was over they vowed to never set foot in an RV again, and he sold the powerbank and AC to me for $400 less than he paid for it. He also hadn't accounted for the Delta Pro being 100lbs, and they had trouble getting it up and down steps.

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