First Post! First Project!

[OrlandoSolarBears]

Hey y'all Cool Solar Cats!

It's nice to meet you! I've taken on a rather intense hankering to start a solar project in the last few week. Converting my 1.5 hp pool pump to solar power seems like a good first project. I only need the pump to run during the day, and I was wondering where you guys recommend starting.

Do you guys know of any ready-made kits or self-contained units that I could purchase from the internet, plug in and go?

Thanks for the help and advice!

[thastinger]

Welcome to the site.

There have been several threads on your subject recently. A search should reveal the results.

It is a long subject and folks have different feelings about it but it could be done with non UL listed equipment (the ebay gridtie inverters that will run directly from a PV panel which are illegal to hook to your home electrical system in the US), the proper speced PV specific water pump designed to run direct from panels or a ton of money for an off-grid battery design. There is a lot of risk and liability to the utube guys "system" if that is where you got the idea.

If you want to save electricity, buy a 2 speed pool pump and run it only long enough to turn your water over 4 times.

[OrlandoSolarBears]

First Reply!

Thanks! I was wondering about a system that didn't specifically tie into the rest of my home. My hope is to just power the pump if the sun is shining; if it isn't the pump would be powered by the grid. I've spec'd out a 1500 W array, charge controllers, batteries, and appropriate inverter. While I can just pirchase all of the individual components myself, I was wondering whether there is a product out there that already has everything I need.

Has anyone thought of trying to find a similar product?

[thastinger]

There are some products along the lines of the "solar breeze" which are in-pool supplemental cleaners which would allow you to run your regular pump for less time per day but I'm not aware of any pre-packaged system capable of delivering the 10Kwh a day you would need to run a single stage pool pump for 8hrs. The system you've already speced is going to be grossly undersized, look into a DC water pump that will run directly from panels and plumb the water system in parallel with your existing AC pump then just run the AC pump as needed on cloudy days.

[OrlandoSolarBears]

Albeit, I'm not an engineer, but how is the system undersized? As long as the sun is shining, 1500W should be plenty to power 1.5 horsepower motor, shouldn't it?

[SunEagle]

Albeit, I'm not an engineer, but how is the system undersized? As long as the sun is shining, 1500W should be plenty to power 1.5 horsepower motor, shouldn't it?

It doesn't work like that. The 1500w is DC. By the time you convert it to AC you have multiple places of inefficiency and losses so it may be only 1000 watt going to the motor.

Also the most you will get is 6 hours of "useful" sunlight in the peak of the summer. So most days you will not get more than 4 to 5 hours to run that pump unless you greatly increase the panel wattage to compensate for shorter output.

In the end there could be multiple days that the pump does not run as long as needed to keep the pool water circulated.

On top of the inefficiencies of a solar power system, by the time you add it all up you will be paying many times more for power then just purchasing it from your POCO.

[Naptown]

For about the same investment in all of the battery system components consider doing a grid tie of maybe 3kw
May not run all of the pool but will continue to work when the pool is not in operation

[OrlandoSolarBears]

Well, assuming I get the technical stuff put toether, I was musing the thought of trying to market a self-contained solar powered pool pump to my local community (it sounds like their an interest in that sort of thing here in Florida).

The system would power the pump directly, so when the sun is shining the pump is solar powered; but if it's nighttime or a cloudy day the pump reverts to using the grid.

The benefit of the Solar Pack is that it's a one-stop-shop for a pre-spec'd solar power system that can be readily wired into any existing pool filtration system. The Solar Pack does not tie into the grid, so users won't need to deal with their local utility companies to get started using solar power. It utilizes solar tracking sun panels and ~sleek, modern design~ to increase power and please the aesthetic sense.

Since I don't currently own a house or a pool, I was wondering what the Solar DIY community would think about such a product. Do you think that it would make acquiring solar energy a more straight-forward process? Do you think it'd be worthwhile?

[SunEagle]

Well, assuming I get the technical stuff put toether, I was musing the thought of trying to market a self-contained solar powered pool pump to my local community (it sounds like their an interest in that sort of thing here in Florida).

The system would power the pump directly, so when the sun is shining the pump is solar powered; but if it's nighttime or a cloudy day the pump reverts to using the grid.

The benefit of the Solar Pack is that it's a one-stop-shop for a pre-spec'd solar power system that can be readily wired into any existing pool filtration system. The Solar Pack does not tie into the grid, so users won't need to deal with their local utility companies to get started using solar power. It utilizes solar tracking sun panels and ~sleek, modern design~ to increase power and please the aesthetic sense.

Since I don't currently own a house or a pool, I was wondering what the Solar DIY community would think about such a product. Do you think that it would make acquiring solar energy a more straight-forward process? Do you think it'd be worthwhile?

Well in Florida our electric rates are pretty low so running my pool pump using solar panels and equipment would probably be more expensive then using grid power. It would be hard for me to spend a lot of money up front with a long time to get back what I spent just to run my pool pump.

Now in CA where the rates are much higher you might get some interest. The problem is if you are going to install a solar pv system big enough to run your pool pump you might as well just put in a slightly larger system and have it grid tied. At least that type of system has some type of payback.

[Mike90250]

Thanks! I was wondering about a system that didn't specifically tie into the rest of my home. My hope is to just power the pump if the sun is shining; if it isn't the pump would be powered by the grid. I've spec'd out a 1500 W array, charge controllers, batteries, and appropriate inverter. While I can just pirchase all of the individual components myself, I was wondering whether there is a product out there that already has everything I need.

Has anyone thought of trying to find a similar product?

Whoa . Stop and wait. Battery based systems NEVER save money, the recurring battery costs prevent that.

Most bang for the buck is an efficient 2 speed pump. just a 1 or 2 year payback

The next way is a simple Grid-Tie system which will break-even in 5-15 years (depending on your electric rate)

[SunEagle]

For your fist solar project I would suggest looking to power some very small "non motor" 12VDC or 120VAC loads. You can learn more about solar as well as get to understan the limitations it has when you see how many panel watts and batteries is required to run even something like a small refrigerator or a normal household entertainment system.

Yes solar is a way to generate electricity. Unfortunately until a low cost energy storage device is designed and marketed, solar will not provide any where close to what an average US citizan needs on a daily basis because it requires way too much up front expense. There are other forms of power generation that are much cheaper to use and will provide more than enough power to keep that citizan average happy.

[Sunking]

Thanks! I was wondering about a system that didn't specifically tie into the rest of my home. My hope is to just power the pump if the sun is shining; if it isn't the pump would be powered by the grid. I've spec'd out a 1500 W array, charge controllers, batteries, and appropriate inverter. While I can just pirchase all of the individual components myself, I was wondering whether there is a product out there that already has everything I need.

Reality sucks like your idea and thinking.

Anything you take off-grid will cost you 5 to 10 times more than buying it from the electric company.

If consumers have a choice between your gasoline at $30/gallon, or anywhere else for $3/gallon; How long are you in biz before you go bankrupt? No one in their right mind would buy your product.