Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 9, 2017 - 12:05pm PT
|
We had such good results with the solar panel charging our camper van we went one step further...
Any Taco stories about how your solar is working?
|
|
Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
|
|
I have not paid an electric bill in almost 9 years other than the approximate 5 bucks a month to be hooked up to the grid, sometimes I do not even pay that if my production is good and I sell some back.
|
|
Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
|
|
Good for you Jim, looks like you have bouldering out back!!!
|
|
cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
|
|
Congrats Jim
Was it due to necessity or desire?
I went solar because the grid was nowhere near my cabin
Your setup looks massive judging by the amount of panels!
Must be quite the battery bank!
My initial investment was sizeable, but in this day and age,
But electricity is a wonderful thing.
I was and am surprised how reliable it is, even in alaska
Bon chance
|
|
ionlyski
Trad climber
Polebridge, Montana
|
|
Take good care of your battery system.
I think you will find in 10 years you spent WAY more money on equipment than you even came close to saving on your power bill.
I have spent thousands on batteries, chargers and inverters in 5 years alone.
Arne
|
|
johntp
Trad climber
socal
|
|
Gud on ya Jim!
|
|
cavemonkey
Ice climber
ak
|
|
My battery's, charger/inverter are running swimmingly 8 years out.
You get what you pay for;)
I am a electronics tech, which may have help!
|
|
ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
|
|
are there any fed (or state) tax deductions these days for guy who invests in solar for his primary res
|
|
Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
|
|
Varies from state to state, Federal tax credits are expiring in 2021
Prior to 2009, residential solar installations had a per project cap of $2,000 tax credit. With current legislation, the solar ITC for residential system owners is 30% of the total system cost with no upper limit.
The 30% rate is available for systems placed in service through December 31, 2019. The credit drops to 26% through the end of 2020, then 22% through 2021 before dropping to zero by the end of 2021.
|
|
hellroaring
Trad climber
San Francisco
|
|
Jim, we just flipped on our solar last week. 12 panels in the "banana belt" of San Francisco. So far if we use the big electric suckers such as the dryer at night, we seem to be breaking even if not putting excess juice back into the grid, even for a semi sunny place like SF. You probably get a lot more sun where you are? And you aren't a family if 5 (with 3 young kids) so I bet it will work out great for you. Congrats and enjoy Patagonia...I envy your lifestyle, you seem to have beat the rat race!
|
|
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2017 - 06:32pm PT
|
Didn’t have to do it just thought it was the right thing to do. No batteries, we feed into the grid.
Leaving for our place in Patagonia on Tuesday which is off the grid. We use propane there for refrigerator, stove stop, grill and shower. We have a small honda generator for recharging, washing machine and lights. I am thinking of replacing the generator with solar.
To answer a question, yes we got rebates both from the local power cooperative and from the state.
|
|
rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
|
|
Jim...What size is your way down south generator...? What brand...? rj
|
|
donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2017 - 08:34pm PT
|
It's a Honda 750 something or other. Pretty sweet, very portable and not too noisy.
|
|
rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
|
|
duly noted...thanks
|
|
ShawnInPaso
climber
Paso Robles, CA
|
|
Hey T Hocking............
I see you have your load connected to one of the two batteries. While it may seem negligible, it will make a difference if you connect the positive side of the load to one battery, and the negative side of the load to the 2nd battery.
While this issue gets debated (esp. if you just have two batteries), the inter-connecting cables do have some resistance which will cause battery 1 to drain and charge faster than battery 2 - consequently reducing the performance of your batteries.
I have 3 batteries in parallel and could actually measure the difference among the three batteries with a volt meter until I re-arranged the load connections.
|
|
Dingus McGee
Social climber
Where Safety trumps Leaving No Trace
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2017 - 04:28am PT
|
ShawnInPaso,
the worthiness of such a comparison as you post neglects to measure what differences there are in the range of quality control of producing a lot of "same" batteries -- how identical are they?
Different resistances can occur at the bolts of the battery lugs and where the terminals are crimped/fastened to the cables. Some anti-oxidant grease or conducting grease will lessen that resistance in these places.
In DC situations the very process of voltage differences between sources is the leveling driver. If one source gets an iota higher in voltage than the other it will then contribute at a higher rate to approach voltage equilibrium between the two sources or N sources.
The point you make if often moot, except maybe when the energy rate/demand is high enough to heat undersized cables. Even if the 2 batteries at the end of a demand cycle are of different voltage the higher voltage battery will slowly give some energy to the lower voltage one, when in parallel, at the expense of a process that is not 100% efficient. The very Green people may be alarmed by this loss of energy occurring while equilibrating?
Your point is also moot in that it is that "your" unwanted voltages differences that gets all the batteries to unload energy to the sinks. A low battery may be thought of as a temporary sink.
|
|
dirtbag
climber
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2017 - 06:09am PT
|
Nice! We installed solar in February, and expect that we will more or less produce enough electricity to supply the house (which includes charging a plug in hybrid). We're very happy with our decision.
|
|
Clyde
Mountain climber
Boulder
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2017 - 07:10am PT
|
Watch out for avalanche under the 3 panel section. When things warm up after a big snowstorm, it can be quite an impressive rumble and you sure don't want to stand there!
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2017 - 07:31am PT
|
When people say we went solar for their homes they just show some solar panels, duh!
Doesn't say what type of solar system they are actually using, which is more important than just showing a solar panel/s.
Dingus Dingus McGee always gives nice technical information which is very welcome.
Tad did a great job when he was designing and building his Van.
Chris Mac did a big writeup a few years ago when he went solar that was great.
Just showing solar panels don't do much .......
|
|
rottingjohnny
Sport climber
Sands Motel , Las Vegas
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2017 - 07:57am PT
|
Gross materialist gadget freak lives to consume techy knowledge when mind is spiritually brain dead...
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!