EcoRenovator  

Go Back   EcoRenovator > Improvements > Solar Power
Advanced Search
 


Blog 60+ Home Energy Saving Tips Recent Posts Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-29-11, 08:05 AM   #1
Xringer
Lex Parsimoniae
 
Xringer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Woburn, MA
Posts: 4,918
Thanks: 114
Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts
Default How many here, are using solar PV right now,

How many here, are using solar PV right now, to power their PC??

This is great, I can go read a book for 2 or 3 hours, and not have to turn off my PC..
Just come back and bring it out of powersave mode, and it's up in 2 seconds.

Just skimming about 200w off the top of the back-up battery bank..

Soon, I want to be powering my Sanyo Mini-split with PV during sunny days..

Xringer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-11, 08:17 AM   #2
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default

I'm not, but I really should. I have a spare 100Ah deep cycle laying around and a power inverter, and a home made ~25W solar panel. Theres no reason that couldn't be used to power my laptop that I don't even use every day.
__________________
Current project -
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
&
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Last edited by Daox; 04-29-11 at 08:19 AM..
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-11, 08:32 AM   #3
Xringer
Lex Parsimoniae
 
Xringer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Woburn, MA
Posts: 4,918
Thanks: 114
Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts
Default

Sounds like you might need a charge controller too. Can your laptop run on 25w?

Today, my tracking PV array will be making 400-500w, most of which would not normally be used..
Since the charge controller peaks up the battery and takes a break..
So, I figure that I can skim at least 400-500w while the sun is up and the SOC is cool..

If your laptop uses more than 25w, then your SOC will be dropping all day,
and you will need to go back to the grid at some point to get your SOC up..

My SOC only starts dropping after the sun gets low. I normally switch it off
before 7 or 8 PM..

Tonight, I plan to watch the voltage and see how far I can push it. (down).
Maybe 12.25vdc? per battery? (49v on the bank).
Might have to stay up late tonight..
Or, I can add on some more load and speed up the process.?.
Xringer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-11, 10:34 AM   #4
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default

Well, I don't use the laptop all day (idle is ~23W I think) and I turn it off while not in use. Its used maybe a couple hours each night, if its used. A charge controller would be a good idea. That setup would also be great for charging up all the electronic dodad we use like cell phones, ipod, kindle...
__________________
Current project -
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
&
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Last edited by Daox; 04-29-11 at 10:40 AM..
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-11, 09:06 AM   #5
OffGridKindaGuy
Hi-Tech Hillbilly
 
OffGridKindaGuy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Ohio
Posts: 97
Thanks: 1
Thanked 16 Times in 15 Posts
Send a message via AIM to OffGridKindaGuy
Default

Everything!..
__________________
If it don't, I'll always think it shoulda..
OffGridKindaGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-01-11, 10:50 AM   #6
Xringer
Lex Parsimoniae
 
Xringer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Woburn, MA
Posts: 4,918
Thanks: 114
Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts
Default

Hahaha.. Someday, we might all be off the grid.. By accident..

We have a sun forecast for tomorrow, so I'm using Solar for the PC today.
But tomorrow, it's going to charge only, since there is rain in the long range forecast.
Only two days of partly sunny out of the next two weeks.. Lots oh rain!
Might need some juice for running the pumps..
Xringer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-11, 08:06 AM   #7
E_lexy
Lurking Renovator
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Catalunya Spain
Posts: 4
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default living odd gric

...since 2008, comfortably.
We have an electric oven, 42" plasma and several pc's. Obviously in wintertime the generator comes on (automatically), but with 800Ah 24V Rolls Surrette batteries in combo with a Victron 3000Va inverter, we are comfortable.

We have 820Wp in solar and a 750W wind generator.

Where we live in rural Spaint his is common.
E_lexy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-11, 08:33 AM   #8
Xringer
Lex Parsimoniae
 
Xringer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Woburn, MA
Posts: 4,918
Thanks: 114
Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts
Default

I remember being at my grandfather's farm in 1950, on the day the power company
was blasting along the roadway. The noise of the blasting was impressive.
Rocks were falling out of the sky and hitting the tin roof.
The next day, we had power wired into the house.
That was near Salado Texas. We had a wind-mill, it was for pumping water only.
Xringer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-24-11, 12:25 AM   #9
kbhale
Helper EcoRenovator
 
kbhale's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Evansville IN
Posts: 88
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default

I have 270w of solar panels and 8 Alpha 195 GXL gels. I can run almost anything for short period of time. I do use it everyday mostly light. I'll probability use it more once I put a smaller inverter on the batteries. My current 2000w inverter sounds like jet getting ready to take off.

My 4 cup coffee pot likes the pv. It makes the morning coffee taste better.
kbhale is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-24-11, 07:41 PM   #10
Xringer
Lex Parsimoniae
 
Xringer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Woburn, MA
Posts: 4,918
Thanks: 114
Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts
Default

Must be fan noise? What kind of inverter is it? My larger inverters don't run their fans until they get hot.. Maybe you can hack a heat switch into yours?

Xringer is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Ad Management by RedTyger
Inactive Reminders By Icora Web Design