Questions about adding solar panels

Topic: Questions about adding solar panels (Read 1651 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #25 – November 29, 2011, 10:36:10 am

I don't know about making my own panels... but it may come to that.

Prices have fallen on panels, with the flood of less expensive Chinese made units on the market. Waiting until spring to make a purchase, unless a deal too good to pass up comes up in the interim. Have seen a lot of smaller solar outlets go under, which often offer blowout prices on remaining stock before closing their doors.

I shopped on and off for a couple of months before I bought my inverter package. Would have been less expensive to buy a complete package with the solar part, but you need the resources.

As the years have passed for me, "professionally installed" doesn't mean nearly what it used to. If you want it done right etc... but of course, who among us can do it all? (I'm still trying

)

Steve

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #26 – November 29, 2011, 10:58:16 am

that is why I and many others had AM Slar do the install . They are very reputable and have been in this game since day 1 and their service is execellent along with a great facility for RV ers to camp. both Greg and wife Deb have all the time in the world to explain what ever to you and their sales Rep dave kept in touch by e-mail to let me know they had a sale on 150 w panels coming up so I ordered 2 more. I was going to install these myself down here in Mexico but when I got to them I let them do it (I did not want to damage them while travelling down) and it cost $120 to add them on.
While passing thru Quartzite this trip I visited the Sloar Depot there to see what prices are like expecting a good price. Well far from it, they had USED 135 Kyrocera's for $500 !!! Lousy battery selection and very little else and where giving a quote to an older Snowbird couple to install 1 panel and explaining how hard it is to get right. I choked and almost told them to leave and go elsewere but stayed out of it. George "the owner" told them this was all they needed to boondock out there and proceeded to give a quote that was awfull.
I know others on the forum have gone to AM and I am sure they will attest to my comments on them. Greg is going to go full time soon he said and is now putting 1600watts on the roof so he can grow some lettuce and herbs in a basement compartment with grow lights!!!
I have no problem recommending them for a quote or help in designing a system
John

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #27 – November 30, 2011, 08:14:02 am

Thanks John. Have seen AM Solar come up on the forum a number of times. Have them bookmarked.

They are a wee bit too far for me to visit; however, I'm confident I can do a decent install on my own, with a little help. They seem to be the only ones offering a tilt mount that I've been able to find.

Greg is going 1600 watts? Yikes. Grow lights in the storage bays -

- I can see it now. Way cool.

Steve

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #28 – November 30, 2011, 01:34:01 pm

Quote from: John Haygarth – November 29, 2011, 10:58:16 am

Greg is going to go full time soon he said and is now putting 1600watts on the roof so he can grow some lettuce and herbs in a basement compartment with grow lights!!!

LOL... what a great idea. Taking "off the grid" to the next level!

My son-in-law, who is a chemical engineer working in the branch of the solar industry that makes the raw materials for the cells, and I have calculated that an outlay of $15,000 for solar panels, an inverter that can connect and feed power back to the grid, along with some backup batteries (wait 'til the batteries on the Prius start to be too poor for cars... they'll be great for homes.. .and cheap) installed on every family home's roof in the USA could equal 50 nuclear power plants!!! And without changing the grid. All at about 12% of the cost of the nuclear plants. It's called "distributed solar" but no one is talking about it much.

Right now the solar cells are cheap. That link Pierce posted has some panels for just over $1 a watt!!! The reason (according to my son-in-law) is that Europe's economic problems have put their solar subsidy programs on hold for now. This is certainly the time to buy!!! Especially for people who can do it themselves.

Craig

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #29 – November 30, 2011, 02:17:49 pm

I don't recall where I read about it, but one town, or county, did the following:

No initial charge to put solar on the home owner's roof. Real Estate Taxes go up to pay for it.

Homeowners electric bill goes down.

best, paul

Quote

The reason (according to my son-in-law) is that Europe's economic problems have put their solar subsidy programs on hold for now. This is certainly the time to buy!!! Especially for people who can do it themselves.

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #30 – November 30, 2011, 05:06:15 pm

Just south of Ludington, MI there is the largest solar battery probably anywhere.

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #31 – December 01, 2011, 11:33:44 am

I've thought about a pair of small wind generators, that could sit on the front area of the roof in the airstream while you're driving. Don't know if there is much to gain with something like that, but it would look pretty cool driving down the highway.

Steve

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #32 – December 01, 2011, 11:55:12 am

Quote from: Merle Hench – December 01, 2011, 11:33:44 am

I've thought about a pair of small wind generators, that could sit on the front area of the roof in the airstream while you're driving. Don't know if there is much to gain with something like that, but it would look pretty cool driving down the highway.

Steve

Now that's creative thinking! I think you got something there. In may not be pretty, but I'm certain there's a design team in Detroit that can make it pretty. Hell, how about a exhaust driven turbine to do the twisting for the generator wired to the battery banks?

I see a patent possibility there Steve.

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #33 – December 01, 2011, 12:08:05 pm

Quote from: Merle Hench – December 01, 2011, 11:33:44 am

I've thought about a pair of small wind generators, that could sit on the front area of the roof in the airstream while you're driving. Don't know if there is much to gain with something like that, but it would look pretty cool driving down the highway.

I'm not so sure you'd want to use a wind generator while in motion as it is almost certain to cause problems.

a) If the propellor is big enough to generate useful power while you're at rest, it will overspeed when you're driving down the freeway at 70'

b) If you lock the propellor so it doesn't overspeed in motion it will create extra (unwanted) drag;

c) The mounting would be subject to unusually high stresses and could break something important on your coach.

While you're parked, however, a wind charger is a viable option. In my experience (with a home-built unit using a 36vdc motor (not alternator) and a hand-made propeller) by the time it's generating really useful power it's so noisy that you can't stand it any more.

Mind you, the propeller may have not been perfectly carved. We had a pattern that six or seven yachties anchored in La Paz, Baja Calif. chipped in to buy and used clear 2x4s from the local building supply store.

Even so, strung up in the rigging that wind generator put out about 8amps when the wind was 15 to 20. I used galvanized water pipe screwed into a 4-way tee and used stainless clamps to secure the motor to one, a hand-made tail on the other end... and a stainless cable strung through the uprights to which I connected a halyard (to pull it up) and a downhaul (to keep it in the middle of the foretriangle. A line hung from the tail was used to turn it off... I'd just turn it 90-degrees and tie it off.

On an RV I would be tempted to mount it on the ladder uprights but I suspect that it would have to be guyed in order to make sure the ladder isn't torn off by the load. I'd buy a prop (grin) but I'll bet there would still be a goodly amount of vibration. In addition, it would need a substantial swivel and you'd have to be prepared to get up at night to shut it down if the wind got too high.

Kind of cool in a desert campground though. Direct current motors used to be available from surplus outlets in the 1980s. I don't know if they are that common any more. Mine cost me $50 or so.

Craig

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #34 – December 02, 2011, 03:51:42 pm

well here we are in Sayulita (north of PV) on the coast and so far on the trip we have not plugged in. Here when the cooking is over for the day we average around 91% of battery left and as soon as the sun comes up it is charging at 22-27amps so by 1 o clock batteries are full up again.
Everyone here is very interested in them and what the change to led is like. I wish I had brought all the rest of the stuff with me to do a total change over as now I have the time!!! Anyway-suffice to say we are extremely happy with the panels and batteries-long may it last.
John.
in the pic you cannot see the back one and other side but all 4 are up tilted.

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #35 – December 02, 2011, 07:21:29 pm

Looking at the picture sure gives me a toothache wanting to be there.

I'm sure it would be warmer than El Centro is now. We spent some fun times on that coast, especially in Teacapan:

Kathleen & Paul Smith's RV Travelblog

Kathleen & Paul Smith's RV Travelblog

best, paul

Quote

in the pic you cannot see the back one and other side but all 4 are up tilted.

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Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #25 – November 29, 2011, 10:36:10 am

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #26 – November 29, 2011, 10:58:16 am

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #27 – November 30, 2011, 08:14:02 am

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #28 – November 30, 2011, 01:34:01 pm

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #29 – November 30, 2011, 02:17:49 pm

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #30 – November 30, 2011, 05:06:15 pm

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #31 – December 01, 2011, 11:33:44 am

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #32 – December 01, 2011, 11:55:12 am

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #33 – December 01, 2011, 12:08:05 pm

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #34 – December 02, 2011, 03:51:42 pm

Re: Questions about adding solar panels

Reply #35 – December 02, 2011, 07:21:29 pm

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