Daniel and Arvind’s Solar Energy Page
“A bright light
in an age of energy transition”
The 12-Volt Solar System: We
just got our 12-Volt Solar System up and running. It feels good, at night, to bask in the soothing warmth of ‘solar
light’. It is a warm white light from a
‘green’ source, an abundant source. And
it’s proven to be a quite reliable source, at that. The 12-Volt DC compact fluorescent ‘spiral’ lights fit into any
ordinary lamp socket. We now have
’12-Volt’ sockets around the house for our ‘solar’ lights and other 12-Volt
appliances. It’s been fun going around
and finding just what operates or can be made to operate, within reasonable
means, on 12 Volts DC. The number of
items is growing.
What is at the heart
of our 12-Volt Solar System? Well,
first, we have a single 110-Watt Mitsubishi Solar Panel mounted on an
adjustable ‘solar pedestal’. The DC
power, generated by the panel, feeds into a Charge Controller, mounted
conveniently on a nearby wall inside the house. Inside an adjacent closet is a single 125 Amp-Hour storage
battery. It is a 12-Volt “deep cycle
marine battery”. We have nick named it
“Mad-Maxx”. Our charge controller has a
load control feature that shuts down the “output” in case the battery is
excessively depleted. We’re glad to
report, that despite cloudy days, this has not happened so far.
The 12-Volt output from
our charge controller’s load control terminals goes to a “load distribution
center” and from there to various 12-Volt circuits throughout the house.
Here are some pics
of our solar installation:
The Solar Panel mounted on the “Solar
Pedestal” ™
The charge controller, installed.
Arvind and I preparing the solar panel for installation.
The
“Mad Maxx” storage battery in closet
This
was just a “test hookup”. We’ve since
built a proper “load center” with
shelving
for batteries and other components. We
have a “main” fuse in the primary
lead
right next to the + battery terminal. This
fuse is of paramount importance!!!
We’ll see how well the Wal-mart Everstart Maxx 125 deep cycle
marine
batteries hold up over the long haul. They’re cheap but the question is
are they cost effective in the long run? We’re find out! Our charge
controller will “equalize” the batteries periodically, this
should help
with battery life and performance. We’ll see…
Appliances
we are running on solar:
Six 12VDC, 15W Spiral Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
One Flat
Screen Computer Monitor
One Computer
Modem
One 12VDC
Fan
Four
12VDC, 8-Watt Fluorescent Fixtures (One in Storage Shed)
New! One Panasonic Music Keyboard (Has 12V DC
input).
NEW!
Strings of 12V LED Christmas Lights, that we specially modified for
12V Operation. These produce BRIGHT light with Micro
Power! Great for solar systems!
Future Plans:
We hope to run more
appliances and lamps on solar. In the
interest of efficiency, we are keeping our primary system on 12 Volts DC. DC Appliances and lamps tend to be more energy
efficient by design and operating directly on 12 Volts eliminates the need for
inverters that also use power.
Our system is fully
expandable. In time we plan to add more
solar panels and storage capacity. We
may add 12-Volt ceiling fans, a DC fridge, convert the computer(s) to DC and
gradually transition toward a full, grid independent solar system. Someday,
we hope to charge up “plug-in” Mopeds and electric cars, if and when such
vehicles become cost effective.
Why go solar?
The age of cheap,
abundant “fossil” energy is ending. We
are entering the age of Peak Oil
and Peak Resources where the finite
fossil fuels and many raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce. At the same time, there is a need to
preserve the environment and limit Global Warming by using alternative energy
sources and making lifestyle adjustments that minimize the carbon footprint. In this light, Solar makes good sense. All fossil fuels, in theory, are essentially
stored solar energy, being released as they are burned today.
The sun never sets
on solar energy. It will always be a
vibrant energy source, now and well into the future.
Other Projects:
Low Cost Solar Water
Heater - Uses simple building and plumbing materials!
Low Cost Solar Room
Heater - Made from ordinary household items!
The venerable One
Transistor Radio - One_Transistor_Rx_02.pdf
New:
Added two
more 12V/125 Ahr batteries to the system.
In the
market for a 120V inverter:
- To power
PC
- To power
TV
- To power
small hand tools and misc. small AC appliances as required.
Questions? We can help! Contact us at dogonia@yahoo.com
Links:
James Howard Kunstler - The
Long Emergency
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
Light Crude Oil
(CL, NYMEX): Daily Price Chart
PeakOil.Com
The return on energy invested (ROEI) for solar photovoltaic
panels is 100 percent for 25 years or longer once the panels are
installed. Wow!
OK, the storage batteries in DC systems could use some
improvement. Grid tie gets around this
problem but then backup is not there when the grid fails at night. Any ideas?
Our Town:
The city of Madison, Alabama needs to do the
following:
1. Construct
“bike paths” along all major arteries.
Hughes
Road deserves an honorable mention.
However, what of Wal-Triana, Sullivan, Balch, Gooch, County Line Rd, Old
Madison Pike and others? How are we to
get to work in Research Park and get to school when the gas runs out (or simply
gets hyper expensive)?
2. Establish
local, sustainable food gardening in and around the city.
3. Encourage
the development of local farmer’s market(s).
We have one but it is quite “limited”.
4. Consider
a light rail or other public transport system between Madison, Huntsville,
Redstone Arsenal and Research Park.
Just installed the “Blue Sky” display unit. It gives
real time charging and voltage data. We
“machined” an ordinary nylon switch plate
to accommodate the display unit and mounted
the assembly into a standard double-switch
junction box.
Quite pleased with the results.