Solar Power Sound System

[DanKegel]

I thought it looked familiar

Thanks for the details. Your story is great, looking forward to seeing it written up in some solar magazine sometime!

[SolarSoundMan]

Hey, somebody else did something similar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=2&v=52KuEOyTglU

(Caution: don't watch if you're allergic to environmental talk)

https://instagram.com/p/52drDZuC8I/

They mounted 6 panels on a trailer with what look like lead-acid batteries.
Specs from their pages:
1.6kW
25 kWh
3500 W inverter

Hey Dan, thanks for the info on this setup, yes these are lead acid battery's. I wanted to wait till I got my new Solar power generator from Mobile Solar before updating this thread with what my decision was. But since you opened it up I will update now. I went ahead and ordred the MS-225 mobile solar power generator a little over a month ago that I referenced earlier in this thread and expect it here in the next couple weeks. Mobile Solar is the same company who built this New Custom MS-200 trailer that you show in the link.

I did look at this same solar trailer package but the trailer was just bigger than I wanted and I wanted the 240 v inverter system instead of the 120 v inverter. If you want to check this 120 v system that Trapdoor Social purchased go to the Mobile Solar website, click on products and then click on used and demo units and it will come up. Or go to the website and click on the MS-225 and check out my new system.

My MS-225 will have 6 of the new "bigger" 280 w panels for 1.680 kwh, 7 kW rated, 12 kW surge, 25 kWh battery capacity, 5 X 9 ft trailer. I am looking forward to this next step for my business using a solar power generator to power my sound system! I have Adventure Fest (mixed surface bicycling event) coming up in October and hope to have it in time to use it for the first time. I will keep you all posted on how well it works it I am able to get it in time.

I will have a new sub panel put in my house with receptacles wired in several rooms to be able to power lights, small refrigerator, fish tank, and other small items for emergency and as much regular duty as it will handle off grid. The goal here is to be able to save my back from carrying coal & ashes, breathing in coal dust, and lower the pollution from burning coal. With the money saved from buying coal and saving some on my electric bill I will use electric heat from the grid. Overall I may not save any money but I will save my back and pollution to the atmosphere.

[DanKegel]

Hey, somebody else did something similar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=2&v=52KuEOyTglU

(Caution: don't watch if you're allergic to environmental talk)

https://instagram.com/p/52drDZuC8I/

They mounted 6 panels on a trailer with what look like lead-acid batteries.
Specs from their pages:
1.6kW
25 kWh
3500 W inverter

[SunEagle]

That 12 to 15 lifetime for the batteries suggests the system is not used daily but more of a emergency power backup where the batteries are kept in float charge at close to 100% SOC.

Be careful. This system may sound fantastic but as a practical daily power source I expect those batteries will die much sooner than 12 years if they are cycled more than a couple times a month.

[DanKegel]

Better ask about how to avoid the "partial state of charge" problem, where lead-acid batteries go bad faster than you'd expect.
I don't know much about it, but I gather the trick is to keep the darn things 100% charged at all times except when you're actively using them, or something like that.

See e.g.

http://blog.aquionenergy.com/blog/bid/157572/When-Batteries-Go-Bad-Lead-Acid-Performance-in-Failure-Scenarios

Also ask how many charge cycles the battery warranty promises, and check to make sure your budget includes replacing the batteries after about that many cycles.

[SolarSoundMan]

And if they're in a trailer, it won't matter that they're heavy. Good match.

BTW you should know about the 'partial state of charge' problem with lead acid batteries.
Evidently Trojan batteries have at least partly licked that, I wonder if that's the brand they're using.

Yeah, I think the trailer will be the easiest having everything contained. I am pretty much leaning toward the MS-225. It should be big enough for even my biggest sound system and a few things around my house.

Here is a little note below I got from Mobil Solar including the battery's:

And thank you for your interest in our line of solar generators. Our products are designed to provide decades of clean, renewable energy from the sun – and all of our products qualify for the 30% tax credit in the United States. We manufacture all of our products at our California plant, and we strive to use 100% USA-made components. Please find pricing below and a data sheet attached.

A quick note about the batteries we use in our MS Series units: Expected life is 12-15 years. They are industrial deep-cycle lead (steel-case type). We use Industrial Battery Engineering (IBE) out of Los Angeles. We are in our 10th year of business and we have yet to have a customer replace a battery. All of these batteries come with automatic watering and degassing systems installed on them, so maintenance is minimal – about 2 minutes, 4 times a year. We have other battery technologies available, but we are strong believer in industrial steel-case lead.

[DanKegel]

He told me the battery would run 10 or more hours no problem and would not need charging. This would be nice if doing night time shows! He said the battery's are lead acid fork lift battery's with a 2000 cycle life span using 80% DOD and would last even longer using 50% DOD.

And if they're in a trailer, it won't matter that they're heavy. Good match.

BTW you should know about the 'partial state of charge' problem with lead acid batteries.
Evidently Trojan batteries have at least partly licked that, I wonder if that's the brand they're using.

[SolarSoundMan]

I took out the link...people please be careful with links we (the forum) dont like them as a general rule. especially links to sites that sell things. Our forum has impoving traffic and falling page ranking, some of that is due to non reciprocal links being posted, it has to stop.

I am sorry solar pete please take out any I have used no problem, I will not do it again. I would like to add that the links that were provided to me were very helpful and I would not have been able to find the solution of finding moble solar power for my sound system as quickly as I have. I am very greatfull for having them provided to me! This is a wonderful site I am happy to be part of, thanks for doing such a good job with it!

[solar pete]

[QUOTE=SolarSoundMan;165161]posplayr, yes you are correct in thinking that I want to have a "mostly" solar power sound system and advertise it as such. I do have a 14 ft box truck that I originaly thought I would mount the panels on top and sides for transport. Once at the show I would raise the panels on the sides to be level with the ones on the roof.

I finally ruled putting panels on the roof because my truck is parked in the garage at home and I really don't want to leave it outside to harvest power for my home when not doing shows. Another thing was if I ever sell the truck I would have to take everything off the roof and all the components and put them in/on another truck. Even though the holes could be sealed I just didn't want to deal with holes in the roof. Also, some of the shows I do will not allow me to park my truck at the stage area. This is why I thought I would keep the panels mobil to be used at home or at the shows.

I did consider a trailer after I ruled out putting the panels on my truck roof but still wasn't crazy about that either. I wouldn't be using this for many night time shows but maybe one here or there. I do know what you are saying about fudging things a bit to indicate everything is being run by solar and by supplementing charging of the battery's by a vehicle alternator or even a generator. The problem is, I don't want to have to do that except as a last resort.

Update today: I made some phone calls to a couple of the company's that DanKegal found for me to check out in post #37. THANKS AGAIN DAN! I was very in encouraged by the conversations I had with Iron Edison and Mobil Solar. I am reconsidering the use of a trailer as it just seems like the easiest way to have a plug & play system and to be able to take it anywhere and use it at home. The system has to also be a big enough solar power system to use at my house to hopefully get away from buring coal in the winter.

I am waiting for a quote from Iron Edison. One thing is, they do not offer a trailer so I would have to build the system myself. Mobil Solar has a turnkey setup and at this time I am liking what they have to offer. Travis is who I spoke with. He said they have tested their systems using sound systems at concerts. Testing and logging peak output (kick drum hits, etc), average KWH, etc, and they perform very well!

He told me the battery would run 10 or more hours no problem and would not need charging. This would be nice if doing night time shows! He said the battery's are lead acid fork lift battery's with a 2000 cycle life span using 80% DOD and would last even longer using 50% DOD. He went on to say that in 11 years being in the business they have yet to replace a battery. The system I am most interested in that should cover all my needs for both my business and at home is this "mobile solar power"

I took out the link...people please be careful with links we (the forum) dont like them as a general rule. especially links to sites that sell things. Our forum has impoving traffic and falling page ranking, some of that is due to non reciprocal links being posted, it has to stop.

[bcroe]

Home Conservation

My thoughts for setting up separate circuits would be to have my brother in law (he is an electrician) install a separate fuse panel for the solar system in the house and wire up separate receptacles in each room I wanted to use the solar power in. Mainly for lamps fish tank, some clocks, electric razor, etc.

I have not gone all LED yet in the house but have been using energy saver bulbs. They don't seem to last very long. I am using some LED lighting in light shows for my business. I have been using the kill a watt meter on different things around the house. It has been interesting to find some things such as AC still draw power even when it is off, so I make sure to unplug it now.

If the subject is switching to conservation at home, you can divide loads into those you
are actively using, and phantom loads that draw power when they are "off". I found the
latter were a very large part of my total, 300 watts 24/7 with everything off, furnace &
fridge not running. Thats 2600 KWH a year. It was nothing big, but a hundred little
things that were always warm. By replacing them, redesigning them, or working out
automatic disconnects, I got it down to 50W. The Kill-A-Watt will find them if you look
hard enough. good luck, Bruce Roe

[SolarSoundMan]

Might be a challenge to set up separate circuits so you could power the small things with solar.

Glad you've done some of the efficiency stuff. Have you gone all LED yet?
And have you tried your Kill-a-watt on your fridge and other things in the house yet?

My thoughts for setting up separate circuits would be to have my brother in law (he is an electrician) install a separate fuse panel for the solar system in the house and wire up separate receptacles in each room I wanted to use the solar power in. Mainly for lamps fish tank, some clocks, electric razor, etc.

I have not gone all LED yet in the house but have been using energy saver bulbs. They don't seem to last very long. I am using some LED lighting in light shows for my business. I have been using the kill a watt meter on different things around the house. It has been interesting to find some things such as AC still draw power even when it is off, so I make sure to unplug it now.

[DanKegel]

I would use the solar power to power most of my lights and other small draw items to make the electric bill less... As far as replacing all the low cost things to increase my house efficiency, a couple things I have done, but could probably do more.

Might be a challenge to set up separate circuits so you could power the small things with solar.

Glad you've done some of the efficiency stuff. Have you gone all LED yet?
And have you tried your Kill-a-watt on your fridge and other things in the house yet?

[SolarSoundMan]

That is a very tall order. The practical way to heat electrically is with a heat pump,
and the buried coil type is twice as efficient. The idea of storing the more plentiful
summer energy up for minimum sun winter only works if you use a grid tied system,
entirely different from the previous discussion.

27 KWH = about a gallon of propane, not sure how that converts to coal. But I'm
heating with a new heat pump and this system, which generates 27,000 KWH a
year. Do the numbers. Bruce Roe

Yeah Bruce as you will read in my last post it doesn't look like it will be enough to power the big draw items through the winter. I will have to look closer at the heat pump to try and get away from coal. Oh well, next year is another year, maybe a heat pump then? This years agenda is to get the solar sound system in place and supplement a few things around the house with solar. Thanks also for the comparison you gave for the propane and coal.

[SolarSoundMan]

Glad those links were helpful, but tread carefully.

Batteries wear out quickly (check the warranty!); could you achieve your goals using just
a one-hour battery supply, and kicking in a generator if the solar panels weren't
generating enough to keep the battery charged? That might be the most
economical way to start, since you have or need the generator anyway.

Very few people have battery-backed solar systems for their houses, it's not
very economical at the moment, and it's hard on batteries. So you'd be
treading a less-travelled path.
Have you done all the low-cost things you can do to increase your house's
energy efficiency? That would cut your current energy bill, and reduce the
size of the solar system needed to power your house.

Hey Dan, I did talk to the guy today about using the MS-225 solar generator in this link http://www.mobilesolarpower.net/ms-225/ to power some things through the winter. Actually my thouhts were not to power electric heaters . I would use the solar power to power most of my lights and other small draw items to make the electric bill less. I would use grid power for electric heat. He said this unit would have trouble keeping up if I use it for electric heat. From what he said the sunny days are less and it would be hard to keep the battery's charged up enough to keep up with electric heat.

I did ask him about the warranty on the battery (7 years on the battery) and them wearing out quicklyand he said he would be glad to talk to anyone about the longevity of the battery's. He said these are industrial battery's with a 12-15 year life and after 11 years of being in business they have yet to replace one. As far as replacing all the low cost things to increase my house efficiency, a couple things I have done, but could probably do more.

[bcroe]

The system has to also be a big enough solar power system to use at my
house to hopefully get away from buring coal in the winter.

That is a very tall order. The practical way to heat electrically is with a heat pump,
and the buried coil type is twice as efficient. The idea of storing the more plentiful
summer energy up for minimum sun winter only works if you use a grid tied system,
entirely different from the previous discussion.

27 KWH = about a gallon of propane, not sure how that converts to coal. But I'm
heating with a new heat pump and this system, which generates 27,000 KWH a
year. Do the numbers. Bruce Roe