We cook and dry clothes with propane. Our 610L Water Heater is solar. All lighting is CFL and we don't need furnaces or AC. If we were to install solar electric, it would cost a minimum of $10,000 but twice that would be better. It would be tied to the grid and the meter would run in reverse, sending excess daytime generation back to the federal electric system. However, our electric bills are now so low that, at age 74, the payback is much too long.
Others, who have pools and many electric toys, get bumped into a higher cost bracket (Mexico has billing that encourages conservation with a tier system) and they may find the payback time to be much shorter. Anyway, the north shore of Lake Chapala now has the highest use of solar systems in all of Mexico, with several companies supplying such systems. Hardware stores are now carrying the smaller solar water heaters and proudly displaying them out front. We love ours, and have never had such a good supply of steady hot water. Of course, we have few cloudy days but can handle 3 or 4 in a row.
Someone correct me but I thought that home solar systems produces a large amount of current which the excess is sold to the power company. Its not really stored on premise like an RV with batteries. Then bought back when needed, dark and cloudy days.
hershey - albuquerque, nm Someday Finally Got Here
My wife does all the driving - I just get to hold the steering wheel.
Superman was an illegal alien.
Expedition - Suzuki Grand Viagra
hershey wrote: Someone correct me but I thought that home solar systems produces a large amount of current which the excess is sold to the power company. Its not really stored on premise like an RV with batteries. Then bought back when needed, dark and cloudy days.
In my area (AZ) solar on grid tied homes is very popular. The power is used to reduce your bill and it does not carry over to next months bill. Use it or lose it.
But solar on non grid tied homes use batteries and wind.
Since the OP has clarified that this is an off grid installation, the usual rules apply except that weight is not an issue. Therefore I'd go with six two volt cells, probably AGM chemistry so it can be a "set it and forget it" system.
1. energy audit
2. battery bank size 4 to 10 times daily needs (since there is no alternative method of charging I would lean to larger)
3. solar wattage based on 60 watts per 100 amp-hours, more if the bank is smaller up to 150 watts per 100 amp-hours.
The rest is just deciding where to buy the materials to do the job. The voltage of the panels will determine what type of charge controller needs to be used.
Here is a company big on education first then buy what fits the needs. Amsolar
Big difference between home and RV systems, on grid homes, is conversion to ac power. On a RV or off grid systenm the power stays at 12 volt and uses batteries to store the power.
Ray, Cheryl, Cory & of course Miss Molly the four-legged child
does she want to have power ( be off grid capable ) when the utility power is off ( emergency power )
or does she want to be 'grid tie' and reduce her utility bill by feeding power to the grid
off grid usage means batteries a stand alone inverter and some wiring changes (sub panel)
grid tie, means using an inverter that syncs to and feeds the utility line power
it also means this type of inverter "shuts down" when the utility power goes off line
this is to prevent back feeding to the utility power and injuring power line workers who would be working on the power outage
grid tie inverters do NOT require batteries because they shut down, utility power must be available for them to function, this might require a diversion load for the DC output of the panels, to protect them from heat overload in case power outage
i DON'T know all the particulars of a grid tie system just that any solar panel is NOT supposed to be exposed to the sun for long periods of NO attached load for the power to goto
RV systems and "grid tie" systems are different
off grid systems and rv systems are the same Except for size
Options, always have options, and the journey goes much smoother ....
Connected thru Verizon with HotSopt WiFi using a Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Member of the Verizon Wireless Customer Council
I BOUGHTthis phone
hershey wrote: Someone correct me but I thought that home solar systems produces a large amount of current which the excess is sold to the power company. Its not really stored on premise like an RV with batteries. Then bought back when needed, dark and cloudy days.
Hi,
Yes there are two types of photovoltaic systems, non-battery grid tied systems, or battery systems like described in Home Power Magazine, where they publish their magazine 7 miles from the nearest paved road or grid power. It is printed someplace else - of course!
The system to be constructed here would be battery type system, desirable to have perhaps 2 - 4 golf cart batteries, and a 200 watt solar panel with a 25- 40 amp controller, so expansion is easy. Then more 200 watt panels can be installed if needs arise. With only a few LED light, (DIY has a excellent source of LED light panels on a current forum post) then 200 watt solar panel should be more than adaquate. You can even run a bunch of lights out in the garden 24/7 if desired, they only draw about 10 AH per day, 5 if you shut them off in the daytime, and the 200W solar panel should make 50 - 75 AH daily, depending on if it is cloudy or not.
You can even start having a water system, by using a pump to a nearby lake or stream, or have a well dug about 40' down and lined with 4" PVC pipe, then you can run a tap into that, and hook it up to a 12 volt pump. You should get about 25' of water into the pipe (check out the local conditions, I know the water level is pretty high in many parts of Florida, but recent droughts, Y M M V.
Offline
Online
