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Old 05-27-11, 11:21 PM   #4
Ryland
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Those losses in the wiring are great enough that very few off grid homes run 12v so 24v is more common and 36v or 48v is much more common, inverters tend to be cheaper with the higher voltages, you spend less on wire because it's sized smaller and you get more energy because less of it is turning to heat in the wires!
Back when I was a kid, we had 32v lights, power tools, kitchen appliances and so on because 32v is what trains used for many years so when people started getting wind generators 32v became common because you could get a 32v toaster already, but our house also had wiring for 12v, only in a few locations tho because the larger wire cost so much more, but we used it for things that would plug in to a car's lighter plug.
But in a modern house look at how many new electronics work with 120v ac that use less power then there 12v counter part.
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