ewarnerusa wrote:
Bobbo wrote:
What I don't understand is why you feel the need "to do something with excess solar harvest that would otherwise be wasted." It's not as if you would have to go out and buy new "solar harvest" if you waste it. It seems to me that this is a solution in search of a problem.
Because wasting is...well...wasteful? Sure, this isn't a lot of wasted amps we're talking about and not worth buying a lot more stuff just to be "wasting" less. But a $25 heating element plus wiring and my time is play money if it works as described in the manual and/or as the thread I linked to. Rephrasing this, it an idea to offset a little bit of propane used for water heating when boondocking.
People seem to get on this "we are waisting solar power when our batterys are full" kick every now and then. you are not waisting it, it is always being radiated and you can only waist somthing you have control over like a kitchen faucet left running for no reason. other wise we could say anyone who doesn't have a solar panel is waisting energy.
now personaly I think the idea of a deversion load is kinda neat and a 12V water heater eliment would be awsome to save a bit on propane, I have two issues though.
you are using a PWM controler so you are waisting solar energy by not having an efficient controler :B
second I am not sure of it will put out enough energy to make the element hot enough to keep it above the temp where it starts the burner up again, it might though...
