Table of Contents
The Difference Between AC and DC Fuses
August 17, 2015
It saddens me that folks are still trying to save a dollar by using off-the-shelf AC (alternating current) fuses (or circuit breakers and switches) in their 12, 24 or even 48 volt battery systems, not to mention their 120, 150 or 200 or even 600 volt DC (direct current) solar arrays. USING AN AC FUSE […]
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What Voltage Should My Battery Bank Be? 12, 24, or 48.
August 14, 2015
The most common question I get as a solar consultant is… What voltage should I use for my battery bank? And Why? Almost everyone who is new to solar, wind or micro-hydro assumes that 12 volts is the way to go. It seems obvious. You can buy 12 volt lighting, 12 volt coffee makers, 12 […]
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Why Renewable Energy Isn’t For Everyone | In Fact Almost No One!
August 13, 2015
In the developed world we have become accustomed to having unlimited electricity. We turn on a light switch and a light turns on. We leave the light on for two weeks straight and the light stays on for two weeks straight. Even if we do leave a light bulb running for two weeks it affects […]
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Making a Solar Electric Water Heater | Can it Be Done?
April 1, 2015
As the price of photovoltaic modules (solar modules, solar panels) continues to drop there are many discussions about using solar electric modules to heat water. No more leaks, messy and complicated plumbing, heat exchangers, controllers to fail, pumps to maintain and fluids to freeze. Solar hot water has been plagued with leaks, freezing (or poisonous […]
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Why 120/240 Volt Generators Are Not Good Battery Chargers
January 13, 2015
Using a 120 volt or 120/240 volt single phase generator to charge your batteries is very common, inexpensive to purchase and horribly expensive to operate. Expect to pay anywhere from $2.50 to $5.00 per kWh when using a single generator to operate your home and charge your batteries. If you are going to use a […]
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Our Steam Engine / Battery Charger
December 8, 2014
We bought a stream engine in 2011 with the hopes of someday using it as a backup for charging batteries if gas and oil were ever to become in short supply. Our biggest problem has been to find a wood boiler that can produce enough steam to operate the engine for long periods of time. […]
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Using Your Generator to Charge Your Batteries
September 28, 2013
There are going to be many times when the sun isn’t shining, the wind isn’t blowing and your batteries are low. The only choice you might have is to charge your batteries using your fossil fueled generator. As you may already know, there is not a more expensive method of battery charging than using a […]
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How to Find the Defective Battery in Your Battery Bank
September 24, 2013
It only takes one bad battery to bring your off grid power system to a complete halt. Even in systems that have 8, 16, 24 or even more batteries, one defective battery can drain every good battery and leave you powerless. Unfortunately it is not always easy to find the battery causing all the trouble. […]
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The Best Choices for Your First Solar Battery Bank
September 18, 2013
You will make a lot of mistakes in the beginning of your “off grid” adventures and your batteries will pay the price whether they are deluxe and expensive models or decent quality and cost effective. If your solar installer/designer tries to sell you a “high end” (and very expensive) battery bank for your first energy […]
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How To Make Your Batteries Last as Long as Possible
September 12, 2013
Your battery bank will likely be one if the most expensive components of your “off the grid” energy system. They are also the only piece of the system that will need replacing on a regular basis. Every extra day you can squeeze out of your battery bank will reduce the overall cost of your renewable […]
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Battery AH Ratings. C5, C20 and C100. What Does This Mean?
September 9, 2013
Why Are Batteries Rated in Amp Hours (AH) and How Can One Battery Have Different AH Ratings? Part of designing an independent power system is calculating the amount of amp hours (AHs) your battery bank will need to keep your system operating between charges. All manufacturers provide amp hour ratings for their deep cycle batteries […]
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Are My Batteries Really Full? How Can I Be Sure?
September 5, 2013
You would think that knowing your batteries are completely charged is straightforward. However the state of charge a.k.a. SOC of your battery/battery bank it is not even close to being simple. This short article will explain why. Here are some of the common industry practices: BATTERY “AT REST” VOLTAGE Using the common “at rest” voltage […]
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Dump Loads for Solar, Wind and Microhydro
May 2, 2013
Dump loads a.k.a. diversion loads are are an important part of the off grid electric system. Almost all wind and water turbine installations will require them and most solar installations can benefit from a dump load. As we discussed in the dump load intro, a dump load is simply an electrical device (load) to send […]
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Solar Module Efficiency
April 25, 2013
As manufacturers improve their processes, solar module efficiency increases. But the real question is “Who cares?”. A solar module’s efficiency is stated in a % (percentage) of how much energy is captured per square meter of solar panel. The module on the right is considered high efficiency with a rating of 20.2%. Solar modules are […]
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Skystream Automatic Disconnection
April 22, 2013
Southwest Windpower’s Skystream can be used to charge batteries but a circuit must be present that will shut the turbine down as the batteries reach a full state of charge or a circuit to dump the extra power. If you could hire someone inexpensively to shut the breaker off as the batteries “top off” that […]
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Add a Diversion Load to a SkyStream
April 18, 2013
There are a few methods to add a diversion load to your Skystream. The best methods are shown below (option #1 or option #2) but it assumes you either have a charge controller/ inverter with a programmable relay driver/output or you will purchase a diversion controller. Outback Power, Schneider Electric and Magnum Energy. Midnite Solar, […]
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Skystream Battery Charging How To
April 18, 2013
The Skystream made by Southwest Windpower is a grid tie wind turbine that is designed to produce 240 volts AC at 60HZ (or 50HZ) no matter what speed the wind is blowing. It does this by taking the wild AC from the alternator, rectifying it to DC and inverting back to AC. It is quite […]
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Dump Load / Diversion Load Intro
April 16, 2013
Since there is a lot of confusion about diversion loads, we will discuss what they are and why they are used. A dump load is nothing more than a resistor (heating element) that is used for dumping electricity when it is not needed or to prevent your battery bank from being overcharged. It could be […]
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Using an Electric Heater as a Dump Load
April 12, 2013
A common question I get asked is “Can I use a standard 120/240 AC heating element or hot water heater element as a DC dump load for my wind turbine/water turbine/solar system?” (Wondering what a dump load is? Click here) The answer is yes but don’t expect it to consume (dump) as much electricity as […]
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How To Eliminate Phantom Loads
March 19, 2013
Phantom loads are plaguing the world and are a huge problem for those of us living off the power grid. What is a phantom load? Everything possible must be done to eliminate phantom loads or at least reduce them. But how do we do that? The simplest way to eliminate a phantom load is to […]
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