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Sun Volt

Sun Volt Solar

earth, the final frontier

Clean Energy, Clean Environment

We are at a cross roads in human history, we can choose to continue on as we have been, or we can make a change to improve our future and quite possibly the future for several generations to come. We are here to promote energy independence, a better environment, a secure future and a higher return on investment for your hard earned dollar. It is what I believe in, it is why I am in the solar business.

Off grid solar system for construction site

18 Jul 10 | Solar Electric

This was a unique and fun project.  A fellow is constructing an off grid home in upstate NY.  His idea, since the house is going to be off grid anyway, why not put in a temporary system to power tools and such while building the structure.  When the house is completed, the system can then be moved inside.  He is also living onsite in a yurt, so having electricity available to charge laptops, run the well pump and other things that most of us take for granted would be a great side benefit.

To start, he purchased a portable saw mill and began clearing the lot.  Using trees he cut down on site, he built this temporary power shed to house the inverter, charge controller and batteries:

Temporary power shed made from onsite harvested and milled lumber

We used a bit of left over rubber roof membrane to water proof the roof prior to installing the PV panels.  The PV panels are Sharp NU-235F1 mounted on Unirac rails.

Power shed with roofing and solar panels attached

The inverter is a Xantrex XW-6048 with a XW-MMPT solar charge controller.  Also used are the XW power distribution panel, the XW control panel and generator start panel.  Since this system is going to be used in the finished house, we choose the larger inverter.  This house has a well that is 380 feet deep and uses a Goulds 1 1/2 HP submersible pump.  This pump is the largest single draw in the entire system, starting surge of about 5,000 watts and using 2,100 watts when running.  The 6 KW inverter is able to handle this without problem.

Balances of system parts, off grid system

The batteries are  16 Surrette S-530 flooded cells.

The wall between the batteries and the inverter has 30 pound roof felt to act as a corrosive barrier between the batteries and the electronics.  Ventilation is copious.  The tarp is placed over the opening when the system is not in use.

The house itself is in progress, with the foundation completed and the floor slab being prepared for pouring soon.

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18 Jul 10 | Solar Electric | Comments (0)

Developments in LED lighting

31 Dec 08 | Environment, Solar Electric
Philips Lumiled high power light emitting diode

Philips Lumiled high power light emitting diode

As part of a general trend toward more efficient energy use, LED (AKA solid state) lighting shows promise.  From EE times.com:

White organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are already producing more light per watt than incandescent bulbs, according to engineering professor Stephen Forrest, but it is trapped inside the device. By fabricating a tandem system of grids and micro lenses on a white OLED, the device can achieve a brightness of over 70 lumens per watt, compared with 15 lumens for incandescent bulbs–almost as much as fluorescent tube lights (90 lumens).

And from Scientific Blogging:

Current white LED’s require a substrate made of sapphire and an additional mirroring layer to reflect light that would otherwise be lost… Researchers at Purdue University have found one method of significantly reducing the cost of a white LED by eliminating the expensive layer of sapphire. Instead, they used silicon as the substrate (the material the diode is printed on) and zirconium nitride as the reflector.

And from RPI:

Solid-state lighting that replaces incandescent and fluorescent bulbs with light-emitting diodes can reap enormous savings in cost, natural resources and pollution, according to a recent study by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. RPI’s Troy, New York-based Smart Lighting Engineering Resource Center claims that over the next 10 years savings of more than $1.8 trillion will eliminate the need to burn almost a billion barrels of oil in power plants that would otherwise produce 10 gigatons in the carbon dioxide emissions.

Lighting accounts for 22% of all electrical consumption in the United States.  If even half of the reduction claimed in the RPI report is realized, a significant step has been made toward reducing pollution and increasing energy efficiency.  For most people, the current color rendition of solid state lights (SSL) is harsh with too much blue light used.  This problem is being worked on.

Further, SSL systems are great companions to off grid PV systems that can use DC power distribution.  In an AC (alternating current) system, losses come from inverters, power supplies, and the LEDs themselves.  In a DC (direct current, e.g. 12 or 24 volt) system, the only losses are the LEDs.

Look for more developments in SSL in the near future.

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31 Dec 08 | Environment, Solar Electric | Comments (0)