Magic electricity. Solar power is fun and impresses the ladies

Valve1138

Valve1138

I like the AB in the GB
Oct 19, 2004
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South Harmon Institute of Technology
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I decided to start looking into alternate power. So I picked up a simple solar kit from Amazon. $330 got me 4 15 watt solar panels, a stand for them, and a charge controller. I added a 105 amp hour deep cycle battery for another $100. Then I traded my old grill to a fried of mine for two industrial grade power inverters.

Here's some pics:

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The big blue inverter is a 750 watt model that could actually power the deep freezer I have in the garage. I'm not sure how long the battery will last with out any solar power charging it. I'm waiting for some 8 gauge power cable and some other odds and ends to move the panels into a spot that gets full sun for about 5 hours a day. Plus I'll be adding a second battery, at least anyways.

My goal is to be able to power my laptop, router/DSL modem, a TV, and a DirecTV box for 8 hours in the event of the frequent power outages we get. That would leave my gas generator available for the fridge, furnace and freezer, but I'd only be powering that up if the power was out for more than a couple of hours anyways. So the solar would keep me from having to haul that thing out.
 
I'm surprised no one has invented solar panel roofing shingles...you'd probably be pushing power back to the grid with that much coverage area
 
We've actually talked about looking into solar power and seeing what the start up costs were since we live in Sunny AZ. Is that 15 grand enough to power your whole house all the time or just part time, like during power outages?
 
kiwi said:
We've actually talked about looking into solar power and seeing what the start up costs were since we live in Sunny AZ. Is that 15 grand enough to power your whole house all the time or just part time, like during power outages?
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A solar setup with a battery backup would allow you to stay powered up during power outages. Those systems cost a bunch mre because the batteries get pricey for those types of systems. The $15,000 would keep the important stuff on. Like a fridge, furnace, microwave, some random circuits for lights, entertainment, etc for two or three days from what I've read.

Do you guys get good wind? A a grid-tie wind turbine might be a better choice for supplementing your grid power. It's something that I'm looking into as well.

Have you looked into solar water heating? Thats another good option for supplementing grid power.
 
Valve1138 said:
Have you looked into solar water heating? Thats another good option for supplementing grid power.
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During the summer, we get that free of charge. :fly:

We have not though, please tell me more. As far as wind goes, probably not enough to get any measurable amount from. We bought a kite in Feb and it was finally mid March before we had enough wind to fly it.
 
kiwi said:
During the summer, we get that free of charge. :fly:

We have not though, please tell me more. As far as wind goes, probably not enough to get any measurable amount from. We bought a kite in Feb and it was finally mid March before we had enough wind to fly it.
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You need at least 7 - 10 mph sustained wind o make it worthwhile so it's probably not going to work for you given the kite deal. :fly:

Look in the Yellow Pages, I'd bet there are numerous Solar dealers in your area. Can't hurt to get some free quotes. At the very least you could get some supplemental power.
 
I love how Maine state law forces the power utilities to buy back power from you, if you generate your own and have extra. You get a meter on the side of your house and it spins backwards. Cha'ching. Oh yeah I think you get a nice state tax rebate for green energy installs. Props to ya. Fuck CMP and their unreliable electric powered horse they galloped in on.
 
hawk82 said:
I love how Maine state law forces the power utilities to buy back power from you, if you generate your own and have extra. You get a meter on the side of your house and it spins backwards. Cha'ching. Oh yeah I think you get a nice state tax rebate for green energy installs. Props to ya. Fuck CMP and their unreliable electric powered horse they galloped in on.
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Maine can't afford state services, but if I install enough solar panels they'll pay for them. :rolleyes:

Maine blows goats and Baldacci looks like a fucking alien.

Actually that buy back thingy is federal I think.
 
With the 300 some-odd days of sunshine we get here I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that we will one day invest quite a bit in solar setup.
 
Most solar setups don't even need full sunlight. I hear something like 60% of direct sun is enough to generate a sufficient amount of power, depending on the setup. In other words, cloudy days will still generate electricity, just not peak amounts.
 
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