Subject: System Review 4 of 4



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(3563)   Sat 27 Jul 91 23:03                             
By: Terry Olsen
To: Don Kulha

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 QE 2.75 b9 & RA 1.01 2306@
MSGID: 1:125/12 4e309954
In general it sounds like a generator system with a photovoltaic 
trickle charger on the batteries. That's all the 4 panels can 
really do for the batteries...but it costs gas to charage batteries 
and something like a 10 foot windmill in their location (mountains) 
would be a good investment, expecially if homemade!
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 * Origin: End of the World! Fortuna, CA. HST (707) 725-5785 
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(3575)   Sun 28 Jul 91 12:36                             
By: Don Kulha
To: Terry Olsen

> Original Message Date: 27 Jul 91 23:03:00
> From: Terry Olsen
> To: Don Kulha
> Subj: System Review 4 of 4
> In general it sounds like a generator system with a 
> photovoltaic trickle charger on the batteries. That's all 
> the 4 panels can really do for the batteries...but it costs 
> gas to charage batteries and something like a 10 foot 
> windmill in their location (mountains) would be a good 
> investment, expecially if homemade!
> ---
   I don't recall the article well right now but 4-50 watt PV 
panels doesn't sound like a lot. It depends on what you're using 
though. I dug out my Real Goods AE sourcebook and it tells me that 
while a normal refridgerator uses about 3000 watts per day to run a 
12vdc Sunfrost 12 cu. foot model only uses 350 watts! Assuming the 
folks quoted in the article have 4 50 watt panels that produce 
power for an average of 5 hours a day thats about 1000 watts. Three 
times what the refridgerator uses leaving about 600 watts. You can 
run a lot of 15 watt lights off that, a 12v Color TV VCR 
(12vdc-about 70 watts with the tape running), radios, sewing 
machines, etc. You really can do an amazing amount with small 
amounts of power with efficient appliances, especially when you 
adopt a new mind-set because you've gotta produce the power 
yourself. I'd never dream of using a 1500 watt waterbed heater if I 
had to make the power myself, nor would I burn 230 watts an hour to 
run this BBS 24 hours a day. I'm still on the grid but I want off 
bad...the BBS is going to go on a crash energy diet shortly! (and 
now I know what do do with those old 65watt IBM PC power supplys 
I've been replacing with 150's for folks!). With a good battery 
bank you can run an energy deficit for sometime before having to 
fire up the generator. If you have a 350 amp hour 12volt battery 
bank thats 3500 watts (derated 20% per normal). If your energy 
shortfall is 350 watts/day over what your AE source is and you only 
cycle the battery bank down to a 50% charge (a good number) you 
could run 5 days before firing the generator up for an hour or two 
(say while running the washer to wash clothes) to top off the 
batterys. One of the nice things about PV panels is that they are 
modular...you can add them as needed (providing that the pocket 
book can afford them...a 50 watt PV panel usually runs around $330 
bucks)...Most folks size their PV arrays a bit small and plan on 
charging (generators are cheap) when they need to run a heavy load 
(table saws, planners, welders) that they need the generator for 
anyway.....DCK

P.S.-And yes, the idea of burning gasoline to power my home bugs me 
too. That's why I'm so interested in steam engines (either wood or 
solar powered) right now. I'll no doubt keep a gas generator around 
when I get off the grid (as a last gasp backup) but I'm sure gonna 
try to obsolete that sucker!

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 * Origin: Sonoma Online RFE, Fido V12T/HST/V.32 (707)545-0746 
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(3592)   Mon 29 Jul 91  6:43                             
By: Terry Olsen
To: Don Kulha

------------------------------------------------------------------
 QE 2.75 b9 & RA 1.01 2306@
MSGID: 1:125/12 4e32567e
As a point of interest..I helped a guy install a system which ran 
his refrigerator, all the lights he wanted, and his table saw (11 
Amp inductive motor), and the rest of his shop.  The inverter was 
2.5 KW (Heart) and power source was a water wheel producing about 
well a bit less than 1 KW, 24 hours a day.  4each 300 amp-hour 
batteries.(golf cart type).  Great system..we adjusted his voltage 
a bit high at the inverter to get the saw to start!
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 * Origin: End of the World! Fortuna, CA. HST (707) 725-5785 
(1:125/12)
: 125/12 7 151/1000 1003 223