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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Carpe Manana
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
yes...they dont do what they say they do
i passed... you should too
the numbers dont add up |
Agreed. We looked at these, too. But there was too much "hype" around them, they
were super expensive, and the companies hadn't been out there long enough to have any kind of reliability established.
The most efficient A/C units I've ever seen are 9,000 BTU, 26 SEER Fujitsu mini-split heat pumps drawing 624 running watts cooling. But even with
that, you would probably need at least 1,000 watts in panels just to support the A/C unit if you were running it for anything more than a few hours a
day.
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larryC
Super Nomad
Posts: 1499
Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
Member Is Offline
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I have been off grid here in BoLA for 11 years now and have seen every type of solar/hybrid system imaginable, from small (2 flashlite batteries and a
candle) to large (A garage full of Absolyte ll agm batteries, wind generators, 2 Bergey 1kw wind generators, gas and diesel generators and a
conglomeration of solar panels) and the general consensus is that solar panels are by far the most reliable, all the other methods of harvesting power
incorporate rotating machinery and will break sooner or later. If you enjoy tinkering with and fixing things (as I do ) then that will not be a
problem for you. If you are not a tinkerer then solar panels need the least maintnance, just make sure you mount them well. One thing that I did was
to make a tracking mount for my solar array, it follows the sun all day long and then after dark it resets itself to the east and is ready for the
next day. It lets my 1100 watt array harvest as much power as if it were a 1500 watt array. Yes the tracker incorporates rotating machinery but sinse
I built it I know how to fix it, and I enjoy it.
Good luck with your system,
Larry
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snowcat5
Junior Nomad
Posts: 71
Registered: 5-14-2009
Location: Plumas county, CA.
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We added a Southwest Wind Systems 200-watt Breeze wind gen. to our small solar system last December. It is a great addition, pretty quiet when
operating and is mounted on our roof with the additional mounting kit and a twelve foot tall pipe. Often on stormy, cloudy Winter days, this wind gen.
is producing volts when the panels are barely charging. The Breeze is the quietest wind gen. I know of and is often used on sail boats where
vibration and noise can be a serious problem. The Breeze is available in a Sea-side version and different voltages. Although I sound like a Breeze
salesman; I'm not, just like the product and technology.
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Russ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6742
Registered: 7-4-2004
Location: Punta Chivato
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snowcat5 ~ This wind gen. is the one many folks tried here about 8 years ago. It has evolved into a pretty good product. Much quieter but still has a
noise, almost a howl under certain windy conditions. The price is about the cost of one solar panel without the mounting hardware.
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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k-rico
Super Nomad
Posts: 2079
Registered: 7-10-2008
Location: Playas de Tijuana
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Solar Nomads,
Next Sunday I'll be in San Diego and I want to buy a solar panel for my truck camper. It won't be permanently mounted anywhere. I'll put it on top of
the camper when I want to. Perhaps on a tripod pointed correctly. I'll also need an inverter.
I'll be using the panel to charge a deep cycle 12V marine battery. With the inverter connected I'll be charging a laptop computer and a Sony eBook
reader with the battery, let's say worst case on a daily basis assuming daily max solar input. The eBook reader just sips electricity and the computer
is a Dell netbook (no hard drive).
Is this a reasonable plan? If so, what are the specs for the appropriate panel and where could I find one on Sunday in San Diego?
Thanks
[Edited on 7-12-2009 by k-rico]
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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trouble is solar panels come in 2's
if you ONLY buy one you pay extra
sunday??? call and make an appointment for
monday
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TEQUILA4EVER
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: 7-21-2009
Location: TJ
Member Is Offline
Mood: angry
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hi -
am rolf - solar outback specialist for some decades .
anybody who needs info about solar ,warmwater and wind is free to ask .
am happy to reply to all serious inquiries .
cheers
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noproblemo2
Super Nomad
Posts: 1088
Registered: 4-14-2006
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Welcome rolf, bout time you piped in here!!!!!!!!
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teadust
Junior Nomad
Posts: 31
Registered: 3-7-2008
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I thought of this thread after reading about what looks to be an exciting and promising solar battery technology - a ceramic disc the size of your
hand that can store 20-kilowatt hours:
Tiny Battery Traps Solar Power to Run an Entire House
Ceramatec is quite a company; this will something to keep an eye on when it hits market testing in a couple years...
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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Ceramatec...........Here's some additional info:
--------------------------------
http://solar.coolerplanet.com/News/8070901-ceramatec-develop...
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ncampion
Super Nomad
Posts: 1238
Registered: 4-15-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retired and Loving it
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That's amazing..... I want one!! Now if we can combine this kind of storage with this kind of power generation, http://www.nanosolar.com/solar may really take off. I can see my off-grid house is just a few years too early.
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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Carpe Manana
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From the coolerplanet article: | Quote: | | The battery runs on a sodium-sulfur mix, which is reportedly more energy intensive than typical lead-acid batteries, and has a 92-percent
charge/discharge rating, allowing grid-tied solar energy users to store energy from their solar panels during off-peak hours (typically midnight to 7
a.m.) and use them when kilowatt-hour electricity costs soar during the day. |
How do you store energy from
solar panels during off-peak hours "typically midnight to 7 AM???"
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KAT54
Nomad
Posts: 263
Registered: 3-7-2006
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Moonbeams, you silly goose.
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ncampion
Super Nomad
Posts: 1238
Registered: 4-15-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retired and Loving it
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| Quote: | | How do you store energy from solar panels during off-peak hours "typically midnight to 7 AM???"
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That's what batteries do. This is essentially a new generation electrical storage device - formerly know as a battery.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Lunar Panels
..........."allowing grid-tied solar energy users to store energy from their solar panels during off-peak hours (typically midnight to 7
a.m.) and use them when kilowatt-hour electricity costs soar during the day".............
Gotta go with BCSTech on that one. The sentence doesn't make sense. Storing energy FROM the Solar Panels would have had to occur
PRIOR to midnight (Like During Daylight), of course, regardless of anything else. What they are likely trying to say is that they store energy from
THE GRID during the off-peak hours.
If they can't get their story straight, what else ?
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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Carpe Manana
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Also, why would "dishwashers or combined TV/computer operations" be excluded? Does that mean air conditioners, pool pumps and electric heaters are
"OK?" Makes no sense. Watts is watts.
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by k-rico
Solar Nomads,
Next Sunday I'll be in San Diego and I want to buy a solar panel for my truck camper. It won't be permanently mounted anywhere. I'll put it on top of
the camper when I want to. Perhaps on a tripod pointed correctly. I'll also need an inverter.
I'll be using the panel to charge a deep cycle 12V marine battery. With the inverter connected I'll be charging a laptop computer and a Sony eBook
reader with the battery, let's say worst case on a daily basis assuming daily max solar input. The eBook reader just sips electricity and the computer
is a Dell netbook (no hard drive).
Is this a reasonable plan? If so, what are the specs for the appropriate panel and where could I find one on Sunday in San Diego?
Thanks
[Edited on 7-12-2009 by k-rico] |
When you get your panel, buy a 25', 10 ga or larger extension cord.
Cut off one end with about 2' of wire and wire this to your battery permanently so the plug is accessible.
Wire the other end to you panel/charge controller so you can plug it in and place it where you want around the camper.
When our mobile panel isn't on a camping trip, the panel is charging the battery for our electric fence charger out in the pasture.
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ncampion
Super Nomad
Posts: 1238
Registered: 4-15-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retired and Loving it
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MrBillM
..........."allowing grid-tied solar energy users to store energy from their solar panels during off-peak hours (typically midnight to 7
a.m.) and use them when kilowatt-hour electricity costs soar during the day".............
Gotta go with BCSTech on that one. The sentence doesn't make sense. Storing energy FROM the Solar Panels would have had to occur
PRIOR to midnight (Like During Daylight), of course, regardless of anything else. What they are likely trying to say is that they store energy from
THE GRID during the off-peak hours.
If they can't get their story straight, what else ? |
After re-reading the article, I agree some things in it don't make sense. Probably written by a nimrod that doesn't really know what they are talking
about. Keep in mind that this is an article, not literature published by the company. Still looks like breakthrough technology.
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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Carpe Manana
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DiverWhen you get your panel, buy a 25', 10 ga or larger extension cord.
Cut off one end with about 2' of wire and wire this to your battery permanently so the plug is accessible.
Wire the other end to you panel/charge controller so you can plug it in and place it where you want around the camper.
When our mobile panel isn't on a camping trip, the panel is charging the battery for our electric fence charger out in the pasture.
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If you're going to run without a charge controller, better make sure that panel is matched pretty well to
your battery voltage and that you disconnect when the battery is full or you could end up frying the battery.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Out of Control
Back in the Solar Stone-Age, the Arco controllers I was using would often not bring the Batteries to full-voltage even though the panels were capable
of doing so.
I wired a bypass switch to allow direct charging. Worked great and I used it for years before uggrading the panels and going to a Trace Controller.
I had installed a similar system for my OLD next-door neighbor and when he heard what I had done on mine, he had to have one. I explained to him that
bypassing the controller meant that he HAD to watch the battery voltage and not let it exceed 14.2 or so because he'd ruin the batteries.
NO need really to see where that went. I'd go over to his house and find the batteries up in the 15s and his answer was " I want to get as much in
there as I can before dark".
He was later to complain about his shorter Battery life.
Surprise.
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