Hello everyone, looking forward to learning lots.

[Laspher]

Howdy guys and gals(?), I am preparing to enter the world of off the grid power (kinda). I am working on a shed project, yes I am on grid and the estimated costs for running power to the shed--city ordinances require I hire a professional even though I am capable of doing it myself--are above the rough costs of going Solar; estimates range from $400 to $700. Another reason behind the idea to use solar is movability. If needed, I want to be able to relocate the shed without having to worry about disconnecting the feed from the house, and potentially needing to run new, or splice on, wire for the changed position.

My plan was to get the 45w system from HF...read that "friendly" thread, then I went back and read all of the reviews, and decided to go another route. I am using missouri wind and solar to design my layout. I am open to suggestions for other good sites to buy from.

Here is my plan for the shed's power usage. 1) I want lights--thinking simple DC lights--inside the shed, wired to a typical light switch.

2) I have a pole in the back near where the shed is to be placed, I want to put 2 floodlights on that pole--looking for rectangular dual light LED--which I haven't found what I am looking for quite yet--also wired to its own standard light switch so I can light my back yard from more than 1 direction for my kids to play later in the evening.

3) This is a wish more than need right now. I want to be able to have a single 120Vac outlet that I would like to power a small air compressor (1 HP, 10.5A, 3 gallon) to inflate kids bike tires, random balls, etc. That is the highest load I plan on having on there.

[-TX-]

Hi

You didn't say what kind of range you're looking for in a DC floodlight, but I can attest to this unit being very bright at 50'. I've had it for 3 years and am very happy with it.

[Sunking]

3) This is a wish more than need right now. I want to be able to have a single 120Vac outlet that I would like to power a small air compressor (1 HP, 10.5A, 3 gallon) to inflate kids bike tires, random balls, etc. That is the highest load I plan on having on there.

Here comes the bad news. A 1 HP motor requires a 12 volt 500 AH battery weighing 350 pounds and a 500 watt panel with 40 amp MPPT controller. Your budget just went up to $2000.

[littleharbor]

The good news is for the air needs you have listed these 12 volt compressors work pretty darn well. This one I own and while it is the cheaper of the two harbor freight sells it works very well. I have gotten a lot of use out of it and it hasn't let me down yet. It inflates my 33 x 12.50 x 15 jeep tires fairly fast. No inverter required, just a 12 volt socket.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12v-100...sor-69284.html

[Laspher]

Hi

You didn't say what kind of range you're looking for in a DC floodlight, but I can attest to this unit being very bright at 50'. I've had it for 3 years and am very happy with it.

I am wanting to light the about 100' back yard I have--joys of a double lot --I have seen that light show up a few times but wasn't sure of how well it worked. Thanks.

I am looking at doing using this : https://www.lowes.com/pd/All-Pro-2-H...ght/1000102507 off an inverter, wired to a switch.

Here comes the bad news. A 1 HP motor requires a 12 volt 500 AH battery weighing 350 pounds and a 500 watt panel with 40 amp MPPT controller. Your budget just went up to $2000.

That's why it is a "Wish", I will survive tossing the air line over the side of my back deck. My main goal is lighting my back yard.

Thanks for the number break down on that! I was trying to find the basic requirements to run it, including the inverter I would need to power it, making sure it was capable of the startup surge. Would going 24v make any appreciable difference?

The good news is for the air needs you have listed these 12 volt compressors work pretty darn well. This one I own and while it is the cheaper of the two harbor freight sells it works very well. I have gotten a lot of use out of it and it hasn't let me down yet. It inflates my 33 x 12.50 x 15 jeep tires fairly fast. No inverter required, just a 12 volt socket.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12v-100...sor-69284.html

I do have a 12v compressor that is an "emergency roadside compressor" that I keep in my car, but I was hoping to use the AC compressor. As Sunking pointed out, it is beyond my budgetary limits.

[SunEagle]

The problem with running that 1hp compressor is the size load when you convert it to watts. It is close to 750watts which will take a big battery and a lot of solar panel wattage to charge that battery.

It would be better to go with a smaller 12volt compressor and find a way to limit it so it does not over pressure the tire or ball you are trying to blow up.

By the way, it will cost you much less in the end to replace any tires you pop then to run that 1hp compressor from a battery no matter what voltage you set it up as.

[Laspher]

The problem with running that 1hp compressor is the size load when you convert it to watts. It is close to 750watts which will take a big battery and a lot of solar panel wattage to charge that battery.

It would be better to go with a smaller 12volt compressor and find a way to limit it so it does not over pressure the tire or ball you are trying to blow up.

By the way, it will cost you much less in the end to replace any tires you pop then to run that 1hp compressor from a battery no matter what voltage you set it up as.

actually, it is 1260 watts. I have given up on the compressor powered off the solar I am putting in the shed.

Though, I have started giving some thought to going wind instead of solar, or possibly making a hybrid system. I am on step 1) price shopping.

Once I decide on how I am going to do it, I'll see if the city has any stupid regulations about what I can or can't do.

[edit] Wind seems to be a bit more involved, and beyond budget at this point. oh well, still learning stuff.

[additional edit] this is what I am looking at right now: http://mwands.com/store/renewable-en...olar-panel-kit

[Mike90250]

The first rule of wind power - Don't Bother

If you don't have to tie your hat on when you are outside, you don't have enough wind to bother with it.

2nd rule - Set the generator up. Take it back down to fix it. set it up again. take it back down again. set it back up again. Be sure you have an easy way to get it up and down, that will be your job. And fueling the backup generator. Residential wind is really that bad.

[Laspher]

The first rule of wind power - Don't Bother

If you don't have to tie your hat on when you are outside, you don't have enough wind to bother with it.

2nd rule - Set the generator up. Take it back down to fix it. set it up again. take it back down again. set it back up again. Be sure you have an easy way to get it up and down, that will be your job. And fueling the backup generator. Residential wind is really that bad.

ROFL, you paint a hilarious picture. Keep in mind it isn't full residential power I am setting up, I am literally looking to set up a couple hundred watt system for my shed ie: http://mwands.com/store/renewable-en...nd-turbine-kit but I wouldn't need nearly that much wattage. My main concern is that I will have too much of an issue with shade, even after I cut down and trim some trees.

But knowing me, I would do something somewhat crazy, and attempt to set up some kind air scoop to give my low end a boost. *gust of wind later* oh look at that turbine fly.

[Mike90250]

Even Hugh Piggott of http://scoraigwind.co.uk/ fame, had issues, he's given up on the rare earth magnets, they corrode to nothingness in a couple years, even embedded in epoxy. He's reverted back to Ferrite magnets
Read his well written, entertaining blog (after a couple days of repair, hoisted it back up - and no wind)

http://www.scoraigwind.com/

[Sunking]

They do not call them Wind Turds for nothing.

[Mike90250]

Feel free to install a wind generator, but please, read some honest reporting about them first.

[Laspher]

I did a bit of research on them, and believe they are actually above my required needs, and after checking the average wind speeds for Missouri, there are a few times a year where the average is at or below the 8 mph needed to run a basic turbine. I will think about possibly adding/upgrading if I find solar doesn't meet my fairly limited needs.

For now, I am back to a solar only option. I am thinking of changing from roof to pole mount, assuming it is allowed by the city. Tried contacting the zoning/code enforcement/regulatory officer today, he was on vacation, back Monday.

[J.P.M.]

I did a bit of research on them, and believe they are actually above my required needs, and after checking the average wind speeds for Missouri, there are a few times a year where the average is at or below the 8 mph needed to run a basic turbine. I will think about possibly adding/upgrading if I find solar doesn't meet my fairly limited needs.

For now, I am back to a solar only option. I am thinking of changing from roof to pole mount, assuming it is allowed by the city. Tried contacting the zoning/code enforcement/regulatory officer today, he was on vacation, back Monday.

I'd find someone who has a residential WECS (Wind Energy Conversion System) of a reasonable size, say 2-3 kW or so, hopefully in an area similar to your wind regime, who's had it operational and maintained it for a few years, and ask them if they'd do it again, and if so, what they'd do differently. Just a thought.

[Laspher]

I'd find someone who has a residential WECS (Wind Energy Conversion System) of a reasonable size, say 2-3 kW or so, hopefully in an area similar to your wind regime, who's had it operational and maintained it for a few years, and ask them if they'd do it again, and if so, what they'd do differently. Just a thought.

The closest I have is a house nearby that has a solar array of 5 racks of I believe 10 panels per rack. They also have a very small cylindrical wind turbine on the roof of their garage. If I were looking at large scale, I would probably drop by and ask a few thousand questions.

Thanks to Ameren UE's monitoring tools, I can tell you that I have a peak usage of 170kWh. Average is about 70. I have an all electric home with Central upstairs, and baseboard heat downstairs. That said, I am not looking to go even partially off grid at this time. It does put into perspective the needs I would have should I want to go off grid.


edit:

This is well past an introduction, maybe this should be moved to a project thread.