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  • #16
    I hope the fridge you chose is a chest type. Otherwise every time you open the door for a beer, the refrigeration unit will cycle, consuming 5 to 10 times the energy of a chest type

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    • #17
      Originally posted by sasquatters

      I read the links. There are a ton of abbreviations with no explanation what they are abbreviating. I don't expect to be spoon fed but I do expect clear answers. Not everyone has hours upon hours to sit on the internet reading. I gave the information requested and it was ignored.
      I don't agree with your premise, i.e. "I do expect clear answers". And why do you "expect" this? It's like you're saying anyone responding owes you something. And how do you think the peeps that have this knowledge learned it? I suspect they spent "hours and hours" to gain the knowledge.

      Look Squater, if you don't understand the abbreviations, either google them or ask here. Meanwhile, do your homework, you learn by doing not just expecting someone to give you all your answers and give you a roadmap to attain your goal.

      Good luck.

      Comment


      • #18
        I expect clear answers because that is what professionals do. So far the majority of you have been anything but professional. If I wanted vague answers I would have went to Yahoo Answers. In a forum where people have solar knowledge, and people are seeking said knowledge, then give it. So far this has been nothing but a waste of hours and hours with not a single bit of information from you or that other troll. I shouldn't have to go to another site to learn what the abbreviations mean on a thread that is supposed to discuss every detail of what is being discussed.

        I'll just call someone to come out and tell me what I need. This place is like every other forum. Congratulations, you know everything there is about solar and won't help someone that is new to this world. How prestigious. Really great teachers here. You guys should work for the American school system.

        Comment


        • #19
          you are funny Sasquatters. Just because you are not getting the answers you want, funny.


          You stated before " I don't expect to be spoon fed but I do expect clear answers."
          All I have seen so far is clear answers to you.
          Think of this forum like a Solar 400 course, there are pre-requisites that you have not taken. Do the homework. Abbreviations are simple to look up.

          No one here is trying to protect some big solar secret. You have heard ( and clearly written) that what you were doing was not going to work and that another direction is the best solution. You need not head the advice but everyone here that knows anything about off grid knows what will happen. People are trying to do you a favor and you just don't understand that yet. Hell you may never understand how much they are trying to help you.
          OutBack FP1 w/ CS6P-250P http://bit.ly/1Sg5VNH

          Comment


          • #20
            Originally posted by sasquatters View Post
            I expect clear answers because that is what professionals do. So far the majority of you have been anything but professional. If I wanted vague answers I would have went to Yahoo Answers. In a forum where people have solar knowledge, and people are seeking said knowledge, then give it. So far this has been nothing but a waste of hours and hours with not a single bit of information from you or that other troll. I shouldn't have to go to another site to learn what the abbreviations mean on a thread that is supposed to discuss every detail of what is being discussed.

            I'll just call someone to come out and tell me what I need. This place is like every other forum. Congratulations, you know everything there is about solar and won't help someone that is new to this world. How prestigious. Really great teachers here. You guys should work for the American school system.
            Just to be clear Squater, I am also a newbie so I don't feel comfortable trying to give you advice. All I know is that this forum was instrumental in providing enough guidance for me to get my small "prepper" off grid system working and kept me from making expensive mistakes. (And I read all the stickeys to get "up to speed").

            Comment


            • #21
              Originally posted by John Galt 1 View Post
              Ahh,,, Mr. Positive Attitude has spoken. Obviously he didn't bother to read carefully about the 5% charge rate. And considering that it's an RV I didn't bother to ask about the OP's location for average sun hours, I assumed that was so obvious that even you would understand that. Here in N. GA we average 5 1/2 hrs of sunshine a day through out the year. I took a conservative approach and figured at 4 1/2 hrs. Hope this helps you to understand.
              You do not use Yearly Average on Off Grid systems you use the lowest Sun Hours for the year, and for RV's means nothing because the panels are not fixed so Sun Hours goes even lower. Fo rRV you use the highest wattage panel your battery can tolerate, usually a C/8 charge rate ,then use the Alternator to make up for shortages and to do the motherload of charging.

              MSEE, PE

              Comment


              • #22
                Man oh man you professionals were paid a pretty penny to give answers on this forum and should get a zero rating on your evals. Posts should never include acronyms because that creates an environment that excludes beginners and we should crate safe spaces of inclusivity and welcomeness. Bring too lazy to educate yourself on technical acronyms, on a technical board, looking for free technical education and answers is the epitome of asking to be spoon-fed IMHO. There is even a post here for commom acronyms if you search.

                from google: "solarpaneltalk acronyms" top result, from a month ago, here

                Comment


                • #23
                  Sasquatters, I have been a member on this forum for 2 1/2 years. I have a off grid cabin that we spend 8 months at. No power for 6 miles. I thought the same as you. Posted questions on multi forums. I got same answer as you have, read stickies. I read every night. Until wife gets pissed. Still do.I still have no solar, but play in garage on a very small scale. What I did learn from here and Home Power articles is I was able to go from a 5kw split phase onan genny to a Honda 2000I genny. All propane and still all the comforts of home. I now have reduced my usage and maybe solar in my future. Would of been very expensive without all the help here.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Originally posted by sasquatters View Post
                    Here is what I have found...

                    TV 59kWh/Yr
                    Fridge 475kWh/Yr

                    We are going to also have a water pump that doesn't take much to run, and some lights. I hope this is what you were looking for.

                    Thanks.

                    While you may feel this is enough information to help you design an off grid system you are missing the point that you really have to know how many watt hours you will use EACH DAY not what you expect to use for the year.

                    Second, that water pump come in all shapes and sizes so unless you can pin it down to a make and model with an approximate # of hours a day it will run the estimates can be off by $1000's.

                    The same as "some lights". What do you mean by that. Are we talking about 3 x 30 watt lights for 6 hours or 6 x 300 watt lights for 12 hours. Big difference.

                    I am not trying to insult you but without a little more specifics the amount of panel wattage and battery Ah can be off by a decimal place. One will end up not working quickly and the other will add a lot of wasted expense.

                    So if you can come up with a reasonable number of daily watt hours we can help.

                    For example you could use that yearly TV usage of 59,000 wh and calculate that to be ~162 wh / day (59000wh / 365day = 161.6 wh) and that fridge using 475000wh / yr ~ 1300wh.

                    With just those 2 items you are looking at almost 1500 wh per day without the pump and lights. Say a wild ass guess (wag) you add another 500wh per day you now have 2000wh.

                    That calculates out to a 12volt battery needing to be (2000wh / 12v / 25% = 676Ah) That will require at least 800 watts of panels and an 80 amp MPPT CC.

                    So unless you want me to find you prices for that gigantic battery system, panel wattage, CC and inverter I will say a rough estimate is around $2000 / kWh or at least $4000 which is probably on the low end.

                    Hope that fills in the blanks a little and answers your questions.
                    Last edited by SunEagle; 12-12-2016, 08:25 PM.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Originally posted by J.P.M.

                      Indulge my curiosity if you will. What are you studying at those two universities ?
                      Oceanography and geological environmental science.


                      Originally posted by SunEagle View Post

                      While you may feel this is enough information to help you design an off grid system you are missing the point that you really have to know how many watt hours you will use EACH DAY not what you expect to use for the year.

                      Second, that water pump come in all shapes and sizes so unless you can pin it down to a make and model with an approximate # of hours a day it will run the estimates can be off by $1000's.

                      The same as "some lights". What do you mean by that. Are we talking about 3 x 30 watt lights for 6 hours or 6 x 300 watt lights for 12 hours. Big difference.

                      I am not trying to insult you but without a little more specifics the amount of panel wattage and battery Ah can be off by a decimal place. One will end up not working quickly and the other will add a lot of wasted expense.

                      So if you can come up with a reasonable number of daily watt hours we can help.

                      For example you could use that yearly TV usage of 59,000 wh and calculate that to be ~162 wh / day (59000wh / 365day = 161.6 wh) and that fridge using 475000wh / yr ~ 1300wh.

                      With just those 2 items you are looking at almost 1500 wh per day without the pump and lights. Say a wild ass guess (wag) you add another 500wh per day you now have 2000wh.

                      That calculates out to a 12volt battery needing to be (2000wh / 12v / 25% = 676Ah) That will require at least 800 watts of panels and an 80 amp MPPT CC.

                      So unless you want me to find you prices for that gigantic battery system, panel wattage, CC and inverter I will say a rough estimate is around $2000 / kWh or at least $4000 which is probably on the low end.

                      Hope that fills in the blanks a little and answers your questions.
                      One of these two pumps.
                      http://shurflo.com/rv-products/rv-pu...24-vdc-3-0-gpm
                      http://shurflo.com/rv-products/rv-pu...12-vdc-3-0-gpm

                      I can't make a decision because I do not know if it will be a <1000w system = 12v pump or a >1000w system which would require a 24v pump. I think it can be assumed that I will not be starting a factory farm for marijuana in the RV which would eliminate the need for 6 300 watt lights.

                      That break down is exactly what I have been looking for. What exactly do you mean by gigantic battery system? From what it sounds like there are multiple ways to go about this. I would like to find the best solution to this problem. The RV is gutted and spray foam is next. As soon as I can figure out and understand what I need, the solar is going in next.
                      Last edited by sasquatters; 12-12-2016, 09:40 PM.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        It's simple. YOU have to define your loads. And your harvest potential for the shortest days of the year/worst weather days And how much Generator/Engine time to allow for backup charging (smaller solar = more backup charge from engines)
                        Roughly, you need to harvest 2x your daily load
                        Your batteries need to last for 3 days

                        So a 500Wh load, needs to harvest 1Kw and have 1.5KWh battery storage
                        W or w =Watts
                        h=hours
                        K=Kilo , add 3 zeros if you remove the K. 1.5Kw = 1500w

                        Watt = Amps x Volts A 12V 90ah battery = 1080Wh capacity (assume 1Kwh, the extra 80W wont' help much)
                        300w of PV for 3 hours = 900W of harvest (assuming it's Well Aimed PV. RV roof will not be well aimed, assume only 50% of rated value)

                        Always round UP, Loads ( 18Wh - I'd call it 20Wh for simplicity)
                        Always round DOWN harvest

                        That should get you started when you settle your load ests.
                        Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                        || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                        || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                        solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                        gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Since my other post still has not been approved...

                          Products going into the RV:

                          Eccotemp LP on Demand Water Heater (This only needs a spark for ignition)
                          Refrigerator (24/7) (Not 100% set on this one)
                          Water Pump 12v (<10 minutes a day)
                          Water Pump 24v (<10 minutes a day)

                          I am unsure about which pump because from what I understand a <1000w solar setup should use the 12v and >1000w should use the 24v. Without knowing how much solar I will need I will not know which pump to get.

                          Macbook Pro (7 hours a day) (Charger says 60w 16.5V 3.65A)
                          Samsung TV (<3 hours a day)
                          Projector (For watching things outside under the awning. Weekend use? Cannot really give an amount of hours)
                          Lights x8 (8 hours a day but not all will be on at once)

                          Smart Home Items: (the switches and outlets have small green lights that always stay on which is why they are labeled 24/7)

                          Router (24/7)
                          Insteon Hub (24/7)
                          Light Switch x7 (24/7)
                          6 Button Switch (24/7)
                          Outlets x16 (24/7)
                          Amazon Echo Dot (24/7)
                          Sonos Speakers x2-3 (5 or so hours a day)

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Originally posted by sasquatters View Post
                            Since my other post still has not been approved.......
                            There was actually something wrong with the post and I could not edit or approve it, so, thanks for reposting. Give us a bit to review it, and reply

                            Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                            || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                            || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                            solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                            gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Originally posted by sasquatters View Post

                              Oceanography and geological environmental science.




                              One of these two pumps.
                              http://shurflo.com/rv-products/rv-pu...24-vdc-3-0-gpm
                              http://shurflo.com/rv-products/rv-pu...12-vdc-3-0-gpm

                              I can't make a decision because I do not know if it will be a <1000w system = 12v pump or a >1000w system which would require a 24v pump. I think it can be assumed that I will not be starting a factory farm for marijuana in the RV which would eliminate the need for 6 300 watt lights.

                              That break down is exactly what I have been looking for. What exactly do you mean by gigantic battery system? From what it sounds like there are multiple ways to go about this. I would like to find the best solution to this problem. The RV is gutted and spray foam is next. As soon as I can figure out and understand what I need, the solar is going in next.
                              I meant gigantic because a 12volt 600Ah battery system is something that will take up a lot more room than what you think. And could be undersized if you need more watt hours to handle the pump and lights than I estimated. Either way it will be expensive and take up a lot of space including the solar panels that are required to keep the battery happy.

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