solar in the rain.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Finally a day that is smoky and rainy. Output to the (hungry) battery bank is 3.3 amps at 1:00 p.m. local time on August 26, 2018.

Panels are from 2005 (Unisolar) and are connected in series parallel with an input voltage of 33 to a Blue Sky 3024 di MPPT controller. This is a flat fixed installation of 256 watts. The wire from the panels to a combiner box is 4 #12 (dual wires to each panel). From the combiner box to the controller is #10 (prewire from factory). From the controller to the dual battery bank is #8 with a 25 amp fuse. There is a catastrophic failure fuse at the positive post on each of the dual banks. The batteries are 4 used telecom jars, wired in a balanced manner, with an OEM capacity of 556 amp-hours @ as volts.

[BFL13]

It is all about scenario as usual. With the 5er barn, hard to heat, we went through 100AH or more just running the furnace when temps were near freezing. No solar in the woods either. Saw 200AH daily at times. 6 batts. Gen was a must. Recharging at 156 amps.

With the Class C, same conditions, same "lifestyle" for 12v, found we can go without a gen. C easy to heat. While "camping" toodle around town near the campground in the C instead of using the truck for that as before, and in the (limited in winter) sun can soak up some rays, plus you get alternator charging (which is a game changer from having a 5er). Result, don't have a gen with us anymore.

If I had a 2000 I would take it anyway just in case, but there is no place to put the Honda 3000 we have. (This C has no on-board gen)

So I could brag about how we don't need a gen, but is only because we don't have to heat that 5er anymore in the woods!

[Lwiddis]

3.3 amps isn’t useless, BFL, and my between generator recharges are approaching 60 camping days. Solar is not a toy.

[pianotuna]

Hi BFL13,

I've never run the generator to recharge the battery bank with the exception of testing once to see if I could do it. I do, of course, "opportunity" charge the battery bank via generator.

It's complicated why I have a generator. My first RV was a class C diesel from 1987. (with 30 watts of solar which cost $1700) Just TRY to start that at 30 f (-1 c). NO luck at all. I purchased a Kipor 2800 electric start and lugged it around on a rack. It worked well for a long time and then started having issues.

In those days I was winterizing and de winterizing up to 7 times per year.

Then I got a new to me RV which was gas. I said "sayonara" to the genny and it languished in my garage.

Then I got involved with someone who had a Mac computer. My existing MSW inverter would have destroyed the Mac. Air conditioning--which I had avoided was going to be a requirement, so my 256 watts of solar just could not do the deed. The Kipor was refusing to throttle up and would die at about 900 watts of output. Hence I purchased the Yamaha 2800 sIEB.

In hind sight I wish I had redone the solar boosting it to enough to run the roof air when the sun was out. I know now that would have been futile with a Magnum 3012 as they do NOT recommend that sort of load. To be successful I would have needed to change to a 24 (or even better) a 48 volt battery bank and inverter at the 4400 watt level. I was in "too deep" to do that financially.

So to run the roof air I would had to abandon the charge controller, panels, Magnum Inverter, rewire battery bank, add a dc to dc converter, build a frame for panels to get them above the air conditioner and build a storage rack of some kind for L-16 jars. It just did not make sense--so I caved in and used the generator.

As Time2roll has often said--it is cheaper to go to an inexpensive powered campground than to run the generator. And that's why I've added over 600 locations to freecampsites.net.

I do know if I were going to buy another generator it would be the Champion 3400 watt with remote electric start. But that is unlikely as I'll not be full time after November of 2018.

[crosscheck]

ISTR PT said they are amorphous and so take up more roof space than polys would. 3.3 amps is fairly useless IMO, so with the batts hungry as he says, out comes the generator. Which again goes to show that solar is just a way to increase the time between generator recharges.


I made a nice fire and watched the stars. At 7600ft, it dropped down in the 20's that night and when we woke it ws 42f in the TC. We have been using the toaster every morning, the micro off and on and My DW uses her hairdryer after the daily shower plus the Feb sun is low in the sky and it is currently snowing so I have to make a confession. I had to run George the Generator for an hour before going to bed. Telescope peak seems to attract the clouds if there are any around meaning my panels were not replaceing the juice that we were using.This will be the only time that we had to use our genny.(Death Valley NP)




10 day trip to the Sunshine Coast over the July long weekend 2012 to canoe the Powell Forest canoe curcuit where it rained or was cloudy the whole time. Still waiting for our solar to let us down after 61/2 years of no generator time.

Dave

[BFL13]

"In the past year, the generator has been run less than 100 hours. That makes the cost of power from it astronomically expensive. "

PT meant to say, "priceless" of course. What would be the "cost" of having no solar and no gen, and the batts run down? That's why even PT has a gen in his back pocket.

[pianotuna]

I do try to do "full disclosure" but no matter how careful I am--I seem to leave some information out.

3 tons, and Almot,

I'm at 50.407544, -104.649852

BFL13 it is 3.3 amps that are getting stored and running the fridge (on propane). The generator is not with me, as it nearly ripped off the rear bumper--so that is being rebuilt. It will consist of two square 3 inch tubes, separated by 3 inches, with braces to the main frame. I suspect I'd be able to tow the Eiffel tower, with the replacement bumper, if I had enough horsepower. It is currently being sandblasted and then will be powder coated. It is an inch wider than the old bumper.

landyacht318 Unisolar Triple Junction amorphous thin film silicon cells (i.e. three frequencies of light). The specific panels are unisolar us-64. I wish I had been able to fit six of them, but that would overload the charge controller. Cost, including the controller was $1700.00 Cdn fob Regina.

It is now six pm local time and I'm still getting a tiny bit (0.4 amps) of energy (rain). Maximum output is about 17 amps in full sun in June. After the first month, I've never seen over 17 amps.

The system was purchased when I had no plans to full time. I had enough storage to do pretty much what ever I wished for a 7 day trip. I manged to be generator free for 5 lovely years.

In the past year, the generator has been run less than 100 hours. That makes the cost of power from it astronomically expensive.

[red31]

nwrweather reported High: 264 W/m2 @ 11:24am Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

[3_tons]

Not sure where Regina is but we left Waterton Lakes yesterday, smoke was thick in the air and unhealthy...Still got a fair enough harvest to maintain with 440w...Clear blue skys today in Leavenworth, WA...

3 tons

[77rollalong]

Maybe a few of these panels would work 47V at 9.5A been wiring a few of these up the past little while, Total output will be 90MW...

[BFL13]

landyacht318 wrote:
I do not thnk PTs Unisolars are amorphorus.

I've seen various outputs from 0 to 3 amps during rain events around noon here at 32' N, from 198 total watts. 130 watts of a poly framed Kyocera and 68 watts of Amorphorus pvl-68.

Lots of variables as to what one could/should expect with cloudcover and or rain.

ISTR PT said they are amorphous and so take up more roof space than polys would. 3.3 amps is fairly useless IMO, so with the batts hungry as he says, out comes the generator. Which again goes to show that solar is just a way to increase the time between generator recharges. 🙂

[Almot]

Don is pretty far North, I think 50-something.

[landyacht318]

I do not thnk PTs Unisolars are amorphorus.

I've seen various outputs from 0 to 3 amps during rain events around noon here at 32' N, from 198 total watts. 130 watts of a poly framed Kyocera and 68 watts of Amorphorus pvl-68.

Lots of variables as to what one could/should expect with cloudcover and or rain.

[Almot]

3A from 256W in rain is impressive, amorphous Unisolar must have some sweet spot for this kind of conditions. Well, it's still summer, a lot of sun behind those clouds.

[Lwiddis]

Twelve, ten and eight gauge might be a slight bit small depending on the distances but during rainy and smokey conditions, that’s not bad at all. Are you in bulk, absorption or float stage?