Re: [A/S] Getting ready to plunge into solar

It's rare to see solar really quantified, here in Cloudcroft where I spend
a third of the year is the climate where I use the least electricity,
cooling is by one or two fantastic fans, no A/C ever needed, I do run a
little heat in the early morning hours but only the blower uses
electricity. I run a laptop most of my waking hours and a TIVO on my
satellite around the clock. I actually cook
(propane) and don't use a microwave a lot. My bill at an average $32/mo for
electric at 12 cents a kilowatt hour means I average using just under
267,000 watts a month.

If I give a 400 watt solar system an average production of 300 watts an
hour for 11 hours a day (this is very generous) I come
up with a production of 99,000 watts per month (every day is sunny), so
basically if you want to replace your generator with solar you have little
choice except reducing your electric usage by at LEAST 2/3 !

Steve

On Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 10:29 AM, Mitch Hill <fmhill@capcod.org> wrote:

> **
>
>
> On 9/6/2012 10:05 AM, Anne Pearse Hocker wrote:
> > Hi Mitch,
> > I am doing some writing and photography (or trying) and use of a
> computer or iPad and cell phone (chargers) will be important, although I
> can scale back. I guess the generators will have to pick up the slack, but
> when moving around and not setting up base camp for an extended time,
> lifting and hauling those things, risk of theft, and adhering to specific
> daytime hours if necessary, is a big pain ( for me). Otherwise the expense
> would not be worth it. Besides, I like the notion of solar power.
> > I have friends who have a motorhome with solar and they use their slow
> cooker to prepare dinner as they are driving down the road. By the time
> I've taken care of all the critters, and set up camp I often can barely
> open a can.
> >
>
> Anne,
>
> All that is possible with SOLAR power quite easily... Before I go into
> details, let me say I do not mean to discourage you from using an
> inverter and AC powered devices, my intent was to cause you to realize
> that use of an inverter is a very inefficient way to generate AC power.
> I use an inverter, I have a 600 watt true sinewave inverter however I
> pride myself on how seldom I use it....
>
> As to cameras and cell phones and a good HP Laptop computer which I use
> most of the time, all these devices have 12 VDC power/charging cables as
> options and do not require AC to charge batteries and keep them
> operating. I use a Verizon JetPack 4G wireless/WiFi Internet router
> which also acts as my inhouse wireless router for all digital devices
> such as a HP wireless 4500 series multifunction printer. The 4G JetPack
> plugs into a USB port to charge its internal battery off the Laptop...
>
> I also have a full blown hotrod desktop computer and large high
> resolution graphics monitor for image editing that if I need to run it
> when in the field, it runs off the 600 watt inverter and I have run day
> long sessions with it without denting the battery capacity too much
> however I prefer to keep that work until I am hooked up to shore power
> and have all the AC I need without running the inverter...
>
> The one item I have not spent the money on to change from AC to 12 Volts
> is my satellite TV system however it draws little power and runs fine on
> the inverter with about a 60 watt total load. To change it to DC would
> mean about a $1400 -$1500 outlay of cash so for the time being, I accept
> what it costs me in SOLAR power which is cheap in the long run...
>
> And the beauty of SOLAR power is very high reliability and being dead
> quiet, always there, power... In ten years I have replaced batteries
> once, and the charge controller twice.
>
> Batteries because I used cheap Sears deep cycle lead acid originally and
> after 4 years, they were shot. I replaced them with a pair of Deka AGM
> deepcycle batteries and now with 5 or 6 years on the AGM, thay are still
> as good as new...
>
> The original controller was a Morning Star 15 amp (not MPPT) and I
> changed it to a Blue Sky MPPT when the Blue Sky became available.
>
> Then, a year and a half ago, I revised and did a major expansion of my
> SOLAR system from the original 150 watt configuration to its present 420
> watt by adding two 135 watt panels to the two 75 watt original panels
> and needed a larger current capacity MPPT controller to handle the
> higher current generated by the larger SOLAR array hence I am now on my
> third charge controller by my own design, not for any failure or break
> down of the system...
>
> I'm very impressed with the SOLAR system and how well it works and love
> that it doesn't make a sound and only maintenance is two or three times
> a year to get the stepladder out and use a sponge mop to wash the grunge
> collected on the panels off although the grunge doesn't seem to affect
> the efficiency very much... I just know if I let it build up, eventually
> it will and the longer I leave it there, the harder it is to wash off...
>
> I hope this helps to convince you that you are headed in the right
> direction by adding SOLAR, especially with the critters you travel with,
> I would think having the clean quiet power would be extremely beneficial
> to your lifestyle and will be a choice you will never regret making...
>
> --
> --
>
> Mitch Hill
>
> (Sent from HP DV6T via wireless internet connection)
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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