Solar power

Rusty · Newbie

Solar power

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Just exactly where is this "3-4kVA" going to come from Rusty?
I am a bit confused...

Cheers,
Peter

countryroad · Senior Member

isn't 180 watt solar about enough to power up your mobile phone ?

Perhaps you mean 1.5 kw which seems to be about 9 panels, so 3-4 kw would be a roof full of panels, perhaps that isn't what you meant...might have been a typing error

Could you clarify please

Cheers
Robyn

GrumpyOne · Senior Member

Have had plans in my head for several years now on how to set up a self sufficient home power grid utilising several 12 or 24 volt dc generators being run by a belt drive system using the a version of those miniatire windmills that you can get as decorations for your yard.

Obviously the ones that you can get that are cheap would do the job but they would need a certain amout of work to make then operate freely without binding such as modification with bearings and good quality low friction drive belts and the vanes of the fans would need to be assessed for optimum production so that they will turn at low wind speeds.

A combination of three or four of these and a few solar panels running through a regulator/smart charger system to a half dozen 180 amp hour 1000 cca batteries would surely provide sufficient supply for a modest home.

An inverter would obviously be required for those items that cannot be run on 12 volts dc, but when you consider all things, most items are availabe in DC format now due to the mobile home market.

All ijn all if you installed LED lighting throughout, low voltage appliances suck as the Dometic or Waeco range you would have to comeclose to being self sufficient, the question is weather the local authorities would frown upon the errection of the windmill type generation devices and how good are your neighbours.

Dont let the bastard win, keep at em, get the greens on your case.

Thats my plan in the long term and it will one day become a reality.

Hoo Roo Happy Days
Grumpy

trebor · Member

We have just ( 2 weeks ago) installed a 10 x 185 watt panel system with a 1.7kwh inverter. This will subsidise our electricity use only. If however, we generate more than we are using, we export electricity to the grid and get (hopefully)paid for our input. It is set up to use our generated power first , then access the grid for any surplus requirements. Energex have not yet installed the new " smart meter" so the plus and minus figures are not yet available. On a sunny day, we have generated up to 10.5 kwh in a day, but on overcast days , we are lucky to generate 3 kwh.

I am not electricity savvee , but as I see it, you would need a dam big roof, and a monster bank of batteries , along with a large inverter , or rewire your house for 12 volts along new associated appliances.

Bob

milo · Guru

my dad got solar pannels on his house roof, and it too goes back to the grid and he gets a bill and hardly has to pay any thing

he also has solar pannel on the motor home too,

Rusty · Newbie

Hi to you all,

Many thanks for all your replies..I appreciate it.

This is my first time on this site and I'm not sure if by using this quick reply I can answer all your questions rather than individually so here goes.

Sorry I haven't got back to you all earlier but have been busy at work.

Peter, the figure of 3-4Kva was an rough estimate of the power required to power the house but as what Bob was saying I would need a roof full of panels plus a big bank of batteries etc.
The cost alone would wipe the idea.

Bob, there's nothing wrong with your system..it's great. There is another system I believe in that the power you produce goes direct to Energex and you get credited with that particular amount. The power consumed is charged to you seperately in the normal manner.

Like Grumpy, I'm looking at a completely independant system from Govt. and Private bodies and being completely self reliant as I believe we will be forced in the coming years to pay a redicously high price for power wether we like it or not. Wait 'til the "Greenies" take control with the ETS and Carbon credits..it's frightening. The same thing is happening with water.

Yes, Grumpy your system has a lot of merit in it and I was looking at a similar system using D.C generators or alternators driven from several solar panels. I came across several web sites on power generation but lost them so I'll have to do more research.

Many thanks for your help and interest

Rud