Electrical & Off-Grid Power · On the drawing board

Off-grid vertical solar fence & outdoor 48 kWh battery cabinet

An outdoor meter-side weatherproof cabinet housing two parallel 12 kW split-phase inverters (24 kW continuous 120/240V output) and three horizontal-stacked 51.2V 314Ah (16 kWh each, 48 kWh total) heated LiFePO4 battery packs, fed by an L-shaped 36-panel (16.2 kW) vertical bifacial Schedule 40 black-pipe solar fence.

What the project should do

Keep all lithium battery storage, high-amperage DC busbars, and inverter heat outside the living space in a 6-ft wide by 30-in deep insulated weather cabinet right beside the 200A utility meter and manual safety transfer switch.
Mount 36 dual-glass N-Type 450W bifacial solar modules vertically on 2-3/8 in Schedule 40 structural steel posts set in 12 in by 36 in reinforced concrete piers with an 18 in bottom mower clearance gap.
Support whole-property backup including a 4-ton central air conditioner with a compressor soft-starter, a 5,000-gallon rainwater and well purification skid, a 22-ft barn ridge direct-DC communications mast, and a 42U local compute rack.

Decisions ahead

Verify closed-loop CAN-bus and RS485 telemetry across three parallel 51.2V 314Ah EVE MB31 battery enclosures using JK V19 200A active-balance inverter BMS units and internal freeze-protection heating films.
Lay out equal-length 2/0 AWG welding cables to dual 600A tinned-copper busbars with Class-T fuse protection and a 200A NEMA 3R double-throw safety transfer switch.
Finalize trench routing for the 1-1/4 in Schedule 80 PVC underground PV string conduits from the L-shaped solar fence to the exterior meter-side cabinet.

Equipment being considered

Fluke 115 true-RMS multimeter Checking open-circuit PV string voltage, 51.2V nominal busbars, and cell balance across the 48 kWh battery stack
Wiha 32985 insulated pliers and drivers Insulated terminal work on 48V DC busbars, 200A BMS breakers, and 240V split-phase inverter lugs
Knipex 95 05 155 SBA electrician's shears Trimming control wiring, RS485 CAN jumpers, and flexible conduit jacket
Southwire SNM1012 cable stripper Stripping branch circuit conductors inside the AC wireway trough
Irwin Vise-Grip 2078309 wire stripper Stripping PV string leads and thermostat exhaust fan control wiring
Klein 80025 outlet and voltage tester kit Verifying phase rotation and ground-neutral bonding after transfer switch installation
ThermoPro TP420 two-in-one thermometer Monitoring cabinet exhaust plenum, inverter heatsink, and battery enclosure surface temperatures
Huepar 16-line green laser level Leveling the Unistrut mounting channels, inverter backplane, and vertical solar fence post line
DeWalt Atomic 25 ft tape measure Laying out 6-ft on-center post spacing and 6-ft weather cabinet clearances
DeWalt DWS780 12 in sliding miter saw Cutting cabinet framing stock and trim components
DeWalt DWE7491RS 10 in jobsite table saw Ripping 1-in foil-faced Polyiso insulation liner boards and mounting backer panels
800 lb hardwood moving dolly Moving the 278 lb pre-assembled 16 kWh steel battery enclosures onto the concrete equipment pad
BOTUDA 12 in lifting handles, pair Positioning heavy steel enclosure panels and concrete equipment pad forms
Goldenmate 1000VA lithium UPS Rack-level LiFePO4 UPS bridging the local compute and security rack during manual transfer switch throws

These catalog items are candidates for the project. The final equipment list will follow the design.

Still to choose

3x Docan S3 16 kWh (51.2V 314Ah Grade-A EVE MB31) horizontal stackable heated steel battery packs with JK V19 200A BMS and aerosol fire arrestors (48 kWh total)
2x EG4 12000XP 48V split-phase off-grid inverters (24 kW continuous 120/240V output, 48 kW surge) plus 48V 100A generator charger
36x 440W/450W N-Type dual-glass bifacial solar modules, IMO 1000V rotary DC disconnects, and Micro-Air EasyStart 368 soft-starter

Materials to choose

2-3/8 in OD Schedule 40 structural steel pipe posts, 1-5/8 in 12-gauge slotted Unistrut channels, stainless UFO module clamps, and #4 rebar cages
6-ft by 2.5-ft by 6.5-ft weatherproof steel cabinet frame, 1-in foil-faced Polyiso R-6.5 insulation board, and 26-gauge corrugated metal overhang roof
600A tinned-copper busbars, 2/0 AWG and 4/0 AWG fine-strand welding cable, 2-in rigid metal conduit, and 1-1/4 in Schedule 80 PVC underground conduit

Explore building materials

Plans

Complete 15-sheet engineering blueprint & 3D isometric plan packet (PDF) (Full printable architectural and electrical plan set covering all seven 2D CAD elevations and seven 3D isometric mechanical cutaways)
Fig OG-2 (3D Light): Outdoor meter-side weather cabinet, 2x EG4 12000XP & 3x Docan S3 16 kWh horizontal battery stack (True 3D isometric cutaway of the 6-ft wide by 30-in deep outdoor cabinet between the 200A utility meter/transfer switch and 4-ton A/C condenser)
Fig OG-2 (3D Dark): Outdoor meter-side weather cabinet & 48 kWh battery stack (dark blueprint plate) (High-contrast dark edition highlighting the lit JK V19 BMS screens, 600A copper busbar, and through-wall 2-in rigid conduit path)
Fig OG-3 (3D): Vertical bifacial black-pipe solar fence & 12x36 in reinforced concrete pier cutaway (2-3/8 in Schedule 40 steel pipe posts set 36 in deep in 12 in rebar-reinforced concrete piers with dual 1-5/8 in Unistrut rails and an 18 in mower gap)
Fig OG-1 (3D): Rural acreage master layout (house, meter cabinet, 28x35 pole barn & 70-yd L-shaped solar fence) (Full site model showing underground feeder routing from the 70-yard L-shaped solar fence to the exterior meter-side cabinet)
Fig OG-4 (3D): Off-grid water system (5,000-gal rainwater cistern, 3-stage UV-C skid & 380-ft exempt well) (48V DC Seaflo diaphragm pump and Viqua VH410 UV-C purification skid powered directly from the off-grid system)
Fig OG-5 (3D): 4-layer off-grid communications mast & direct-DC radio desk (Starlink DC, 5G, 915 MHz LoRa & VHF) (22-ft guyed barn ridge mast and 48V-to-56V direct-DC PoE architecture eliminating AC inverter idle loss)
Fig OG-6 (3D): Winter raised bed, 1/2-in EMT low-tunnel hoops & caged IBC gravity drip irrigation (Zero-electricity gravity drip irrigation from dual 275-gallon caged IBC totes sheltered inside the solar fence yard)
Fig OG-7 (3D): 42U local AI compute rack & PoE++ perimeter security camera mast (Solar-aware IPMI power governor scales the 42U rack between 520W daytime LLM compute and a 58W overnight Mac mini M4 + Coral TPU security sentinel)
Sheet OG-2 (2D CAD Blueprint): Exterior meter wall & weatherproof battery cabinet elevation (Dimensioned 2D elevation and single-line electrical schematic for the exterior service wall)
Sheet OG-3 (2D CAD Blueprint): Vertical bifacial solar fence post, pier & Unistrut clamping elevation (Dimensioned structural elevation and footing schedule for the 2-3/8 in Schedule 40 solar fence)

3D isometric mechanical cutaway of the outdoor meter-side weather cabinet showing two parallel EG4 12000XP inverters, 600A copper busbars, and three horizontal-stacked Docan S3 16 kWh battery packs beside the 200A utility meter and 4-ton A/C condenser — **Fig OG-2 (3D Light): Outdoor meter-side weather cabinet, 2x EG4 12000XP & 3x Docan S3 16 kWh horizontal battery stack** True 3D isometric cutaway of the 6-ft wide by 30-in deep outdoor cabinet between the 200A utility meter/transfer switch and 4-ton A/C condenser

Dark-theme 3D isometric cutaway of the outdoor meter-side weather cabinet highlighting the lit JK V19 BMS touchscreens, 600A copper busbar, EG4 12000XP displays, and Micro-Air EasyStart 368 — **Fig OG-2 (3D Dark): Outdoor meter-side weather cabinet & 48 kWh battery stack (dark blueprint plate)** High-contrast dark edition highlighting the lit JK V19 BMS screens, 600A copper busbar, and through-wall 2-in rigid conduit path

3D isometric structural cutaway of the vertical bifacial solar fence showing 2-3/8 inch Schedule 40 steel posts, 12 by 36 inch concrete pier with rebar cage, Unistrut channels, UFO clamps, and IMO rotary DC disconnect — **Fig OG-3 (3D): Vertical bifacial black-pipe solar fence & 12x36 in reinforced concrete pier cutaway** 2-3/8 in Schedule 40 steel pipe posts set 36 in deep in 12 in rebar-reinforced concrete piers with dual 1-5/8 in Unistrut rails and an 18 in mower gap

3D isometric master site model showing the 1-story residence, outdoor meter-side power cabinet, detached workshop, 28x35 pole barn, 5,000-gallon cistern, and 70-yard L-shaped vertical solar fence — **Fig OG-1 (3D): Rural acreage master layout (house, meter cabinet, 28x35 pole barn & 70-yd L-shaped solar fence)** Full site model showing underground feeder routing from the 70-yard L-shaped solar fence to the exterior meter-side cabinet

3D isometric model of the off-grid water system showing the pole barn box gutter, 20-gallon first-flush diverter, 5,000-gallon ribbed cistern, 48V Seaflo booster pump, Big-Blue filters, Viqua UV-C sterilizer, and wellhead — **Fig OG-4 (3D): Off-grid water system (5,000-gal rainwater cistern, 3-stage UV-C skid & 380-ft exempt well)** 48V DC Seaflo diaphragm pump and Viqua VH410 UV-C purification skid powered directly from the off-grid system

3D isometric model of the 22-foot guyed barn ridge communications mast and direct-DC radio desk with Yaosheng 48V-to-56V PoE injector, GL-X3000 5G gateway, Yaesu 80W VHF transceiver, and solar Meshtastic LoRa repeater — **Fig OG-5 (3D): 4-layer off-grid communications mast & direct-DC radio desk (Starlink DC, 5G, 915 MHz LoRa & VHF)** 22-ft guyed barn ridge mast and 48V-to-56V direct-DC PoE architecture eliminating AC inverter idle loss

3D isometric cutaway of two 275-gallon caged IBC rainwater totes on concrete cinder blocks gravity-feeding a 4x8 corrugated raised bed spanned by 1/2-inch EMT conduit hoops and Agribon AG-50 frost cloth — **Fig OG-6 (3D): Winter raised bed, 1/2-in EMT low-tunnel hoops & caged IBC gravity drip irrigation** Zero-electricity gravity drip irrigation from dual 275-gallon caged IBC totes sheltered inside the solar fence yard

3D isometric cutaway of the 42U enterprise server rack with GoldenMate UPS, T330 TrueNAS, R730xd, cutaway 2U Dual Tesla P40 GPU server, DL360 Gen10, Mac mini M4, Coral TPU, and outdoor PoE++ ALPR camera mast — **Fig OG-7 (3D): 42U local AI compute rack & PoE++ perimeter security camera mast** Solar-aware IPMI power governor scales the 42U rack between 520W daytime LLM compute and a 58W overnight Mac mini M4 + Coral TPU security sentinel

2D dimensioned engineering blueprint of the exterior meter wall, 200A transfer switch, 6-foot weather cabinet, dual EG4 12000XP inverters, and three Docan 16 kWh battery packs — **Sheet OG-2 (2D CAD Blueprint): Exterior meter wall & weatherproof battery cabinet elevation** Dimensioned 2D elevation and single-line electrical schematic for the exterior service wall

2D dimensioned structural blueprint of the vertical bifacial solar fence showing post spacing, concrete pier depth, Unistrut rail heights, and string wiring — **Sheet OG-3 (2D CAD Blueprint): Vertical bifacial solar fence post, pier & Unistrut clamping elevation** Dimensioned structural elevation and footing schedule for the 2-3/8 in Schedule 40 solar fence

Build photos

Build photos will be added as the project gets underway.

Equipment used on the build

The equipment used on the build will be recorded when work begins.

Progress from the shop

Completed 2D dimensioned blueprints and high-detail 3D isometric mechanical cutaways for the 6-ft outdoor meter-side weather cabinet, 48 kWh heated LiFePO4 stack, and 36-panel vertical bifacial solar fence.

Selected the horizontal-stacking 51.2V 314Ah (16 kWh) steel enclosure format with JK V19 200A active-balance BMS, internal heating film, and built-in thermal aerosol fire arrestor so three packs stack 30 inches high in the right bay beneath the 600A copper busbars.

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