Solar system review

[Sunking]

I thought I gave our location in the biggining, but I may not have. We are on the Western central washington border. The closest town that may be on the map is Goldendale, WA.

The S-1590s have about 1540AH at the 100hr rate, so the batteries are fine. So it sounds like I just need to get a few more panels.

Yes the batteries are fine. But the panel wattage is way low as well as the charge controller because of your location winter insolation is going to be on the order of 2 hours or less. With only 2 Sun Hours you will need 1800 watts of solar panels.

As Mike suggested plug in your zip code and data in PV Watts and it will tell you exactly what you need assuming you have clear view of the horizon east-west-south with proper panel orientation and tilt. Any deviation from optimum will come with a penalty.

[mikejh]

Wow. It sounds like it is time to downsize! I think I could get the draw down to 2kw, but that is about it.

I am not quite sure how to read my kill-a-watt meter though. It says my draw is about 400watts, but scroll through a couple diffrent displays and it says it is so and so Kw. Does it mean Kwh???

[Sunking]

I am not quite sure how to read my kill-a-watt meter though. It says my draw is about 400watts, but scroll through a couple diffrent displays and it says it is so and so Kw. Does it mean Kwh???

Kw = kilo watt.
Kwh = kilio watt hour.

[mikejh]

I know what they stand for, it just doesen't make sense to me. Correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that a watt is the current it is drawing. The same with a KW. When you go to KWh, or watt hours, it is the amount of electricity used durring the specified amount of time. What I don't understand is if my draw is 400watts, how could it also say it is 2KW, or 2,000watts. It seems like it would be KWh, instead of KW. I am wondering if the screen just leaves the "H" out... Or is this not correct?

[Sunking]

No the screen is not leaving out a character.

Watt = Voltage x current, so current has something to with watts, but only half of the equation. 1000 watts = 100 Volts x 10 Amps = 10 Volt x 100 Amps = 50 Volts x 10 Amps

Watt Hours is a terrible complex formula that takes a 8 year college education to understand and apply.
Watt Hours = Watts x Hours..

Watts is just an instantaneous measurement of power at a moment in time like a snapshot of a picture. Watt Hours is a measurement of power over a period of time. For example how much power does a 100 watt light use in 10 hours? 100 watts x 10 hours = 1000 watt hours = 1 Kwh.

Electric power is all about numbers and formulas. Think of it like money. If you earn $10/hour, how much money do you make in a day, week, or year? There is no answer to the question because there is missing information. What is information is missing?

[mikejh]

That clearifies things a bit. The only thing I don't understand now is how it can say both 400watts and 2 kilo watts.

Missing information = hours put in each day.

[john12]

PV solar system

For the solar power system,the PV grid tie one is a better choice compared with the off grid one.
PV grid tie power system can supply eletricity more stable
As for 5 people family,a 5 kw on grid system is enough,and it just cost 3k, and local goverment will offer allowance for the solar product.
You can tontact me ,and my e-mail:

moderator note - it is not good to place your email on any forum plus advertising is not allowed.

Also - your 3000$ for a 5 kW system is totally wrong.

Russ

[mikejh]

PM sent. I'm having a hard time figuring out how a 5kw system is anywhere under 6/8K.

[mikejh]

Being that I have to add more panels, I am returning the 50A charge controller, and am going to have to get a bigger one. I am not finding many MPPT charge controllers over 60A, other than the Outback. Do you guys have any reccomendations for bigger charge controllers? Thanks.

[Mike90250]

Being that I have to add more panels, I am returning the 50A charge controller, and am going to have to get a bigger one. I am not finding many MPPT charge controllers over 60A, other than the Outback. Do you guys have any reccomendations for bigger charge controllers? Thanks.

Xantrex has a 600VDC charge controller, it may be 80A.
Midnight Classic 150 is good for 96 amps.

At some point, (now?) you need to consider going to 2 charge controllers. It's OK to parallel charge controllers, and if they are the same brands, some can share the Batt Temp Sensor, and sync their charge stages.

[mikejh]

Xantrex has a 600VDC charge controller, it may be 80A.
Midnight Classic 150 is good for 96 amps.

At some point, (now?) you need to consider going to 2 charge controllers. It's OK to parallel charge controllers, and if they are the same brands, some can share the Batt Temp Sensor, and sync their charge stages.

So I could just get another 50A controller and run them in parallels? That would be awesome! Is there a diagram showing how to wire them up? Also, I don't think that the Instapark controllers can have a batt temp sensor. Do I need to get an external one?

http://www.amazon.com/Instapark%C2%AE-MPPT-50-Solar-Charge-Controller/dp/B004XCOCC8/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1312301291&sr=8-13

[Mike90250]

Hooking up parallel controllers is easy, and if they don't have inputs for the battery temp, there is nothing further to do to them.

+ to +, - to -

With MPPT controllers, you want to only have matched panels on each, don't mix flavors or sun angles on one controller, it drives them nuts and screws them up.

[mikejh]

Ok, that sounds great. I could also run two panels off of one controller and two off of another, having a compleatly redundant system. I know this probably sounds crazy, but I am a pilot and am used to making everything redundant... Wire isn't an issue, because I have a few houndred feet of it laying around.

[mikejh]

How important is it to get a pure sine inverter? Since I am not running computers or small electrical devices, would a modified sine wave be fine? I am just asking because it is another $600 to get a pure sine vs. the modified sine. This is the one I have been looking at:

http://www.theinverterstore.com/the-inverter-store-product.php?model=pwrinv500012w

The same one, only pure sine is $1,000.

I am also looking for a good battery charge indicator. There are so many of them and the prices are so drastically diffrent, it is hard to know which one to get. Just though I'd ask, because i'm sure somone has done all the reasearch already.

[Mike90250]

inverters mod vs pure
Everything is fine on Pure sine

heating type appliances don't care. (toasters, blow dryers, incandesant lights)

motors: small brushed motors don't care, but un-brushed motors will consume 20% more power, and some burn up, (fridge compressors, pumps, ceiling fans) and some are fine. But wattage consumed is 20% more. (and battery life is reduced)

electronics: some buzz, some are fine, some fail in minutes.

CFL lamps: some flicker, some are fine, some buzz

Transformers : like motors, they will consume 20% more power and run hot. Some fail, some don't. (heavy, wall wart power supplies)

Get some more opinions - not just mine