Replies to post #3606 on Dare to Prepare

[Toofuzzy]

I have been living with 200 watts of solar and a mostly 12 volt system for the last 20 year. I put a Danfoss marine compressor kit in a dead freezer chest that I added 4 more inches of insulation to. It runs on 60 watts about four hours / day. or about 240 wh / day. The system on averages produces 600 wh / day or 500 wh after losses. So the fridge is the major load. I use 12 v LED now but used 10 w halogens in the past. 3 w boom box stereo, laptop computer, and 13 in 12v B+W 10 w TV (13 in color would use 100 w )

So one modern 250 watt panel and six 6 volt golf cart batteries (T-105 or similar from Nappa) charge controller, and the smallest inverter you can get by with to run occasional loads could provide most NEEDS. You don't want to run an inverter 24 hrs / day on a small system. Things that come on by themselves you want to run on DC no matter what voltage you decide to use. Higher voltages allow you to use smaller wire sizes and have less line losses but there is more 12 volt equipment available than 24 or 48 volt. 12 volt is also safer for idiots.

I recently bought 6 250 watt panels ( 1500 watts) that will produce 4500 watts / day or 4.5 kw.

The panels were $1.60 / watt or......................... $2400
3000 watt inverter................................................ $799
80 amp power point tracking charge controller ....$598
Incidental wiring ...................................................$500 +-
Batteries from a nuclear power plant alarm system FREE! would be another $800 to $2400
Total....................................................................$4297

Per watt cost $2.86 for an off grid system Original system cost $2,000 or $10 / watt

Most people putting in a grid tie whole house system need 4000 watts or more to replace existing electrical usage including water pumping and air conditioning. Grid tied inverters are MUCH more expensive. You save LOTS by not having a battery bank that wears out every ten years.

Reduce your loads FIRST! Conservation is cheaper than buying solar!

Toofuzzy