Posted: 4/9/2011 12:54:54 PM EDT
| Can anyone recommend a solar generator? |
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Can anyone recommend a solar generator? If you are asking about the solar generators as advertised on mysolarbackup.com...... A quick google search will give you lots of (not so good) reviews. If you look closely at the specifications on their website, you don't really get much for your $$. |
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Are you planning to build a Stirling hot air engine, or thinking more along the lines of a steam turbine with a very large number of tracking reflectors?
Seem to be economy of scale problems with most of the designs I am familiar with. If you build something smaller, please keep us updated. |
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Quoted: building your own will cost less than a prebuilt kit. what do you want it to power? Incredibly expensive to buy one that setup. I say you learn how to solder, build your own panel from sourced parts and buy some deep cycle batteries, a charge controller, and an inverter. If interested, I even have a spare 1800W inverter I was going to get rid of soon. |
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Can anyone recommend a solar generator? I sure can't. Invariably, they cost much more than what their individual components would cost if purchased separately. Some of them make exaggerated claims about their power output. Many of them come with grossly undersized batteries - a side effect of making them small enough to be portable. As has already been suggested in this thread, the best strategy is to figure out how much solar power you actually need, and then go shop for individual solar panels, batteries and a charge controller that will meet those needs. |
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Quoted: Off the shelf? Can't think of one that excites me. Building your own is the best way. If you are the least bit handy it's not hard at all. I would love to build my own if anyone could provide what exactly needs to be bought. Like what panels, do they need to match etc etc |
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Off the shelf? Can't think of one that excites me. Building your own is the best way. If you are the least bit handy it's not hard at all. I would love to build my own if anyone could provide what exactly needs to be bought. Like what panels, do they need to match etc etc I'm in on this, too, please. |
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I hope this isnt too far off topic. Can one be built to run a house AC unit. If so what would the initial hit on the billfold run?
Not for any reasonable amount of money. You best bag for the buck in climate control department is a generator coupled with a portable AC unit. My plan is to retreat to my basement room in the Summer and use this setup to keep cool during perceived short term events. If I perceive it to be a long term event, won't bother. My limited fuel supply would be too important. |
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I'm pretty sure one of the old established posters will come along and give you threads to look back on. In the meantime I'll try to elaborate.
First off, one must have realistic expectations of what a system like this will do. The ads for the mysolarbackup product speak of running a refrigerator, etc. This is misleading. The most power/dollar is derived from generators. For short-mid term events a honda eu2000 would be my choice. It is fuel efficient and can do A LOT on a gallon of gas. Solar is useful for situations where noise or fuel storage is a real issue. It is completely quiet. If you have a place for your panel you can even run solar in an apartment. Solar is good for the longer term scenario even if you have generators. It could supplement your electrical needs significantly. With a properly sized system you could have a battery inverter setup powered by solar on sunny days. You can save your gas to charge batteries on cloudy days. You do NOT want to use a small solar system for long term use of conventional refrigeration, and heating of any type, including cooking hair drying, etc. For a few hundred dollar you can buy and convert a chest freezer into a low draw refer. What you CAN do with a small system is stuff like: charge batteries of all types for radios, walkie talkies, cordless tools, laptops, etc run small draw electric appliances like TVs, stereos, computers, For limited periods of time, run power tools. Run efficient lighting- fluorescent or LED run some medical equipment like a CPAP machine. run your home security system Run fans, ceiling fans, exhaust fans, etc. |
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Boiled down to it's most essential components, a solar system consists of just a few things:
The equipment to generate electricity -The panels. The equipment to control the current flow - the charge controller The equipment to store the energy generated - the batteries The equipment to convert DC back into AC power-the inverter The hardware to hook it all up. That's it guys, theres no magic to it........ If you look at the mysolarbackup product, all they did was take a big honkin UPS, a Xantrex powerhub 1800, (which consists of the battery and inverter) and slap a charge controller on it. They then mounted a solar panel on wheels, a made a cord to connect the panel and UPS. I do understand why they did this. It is simple, easy to convert, and packaged nicely. Any of you can do the same thing and save several hundred dollars, if not more. You can also buy a name brand panel such as a kyocera or sharp panel that has a long term output warranty. You don't need to know how to solder, just understand the most basic of electrical theory and have some basic skills If you want to delve into assembling your own, you can. You can use better components, such as a pure sine wave inverter and use golf cart batteries wired in series to provide 12V. |
| I just put one together. Sunforce 15W solar charger and charge controller from Tractor Supply. Solar Wal Mart for a deep cycle battery, found a cheap stanley rolling toolbox with two stacking boxes at home depot. Put the battery in the bottom box, mounted a 750W inverter from Wal Mart and a cigarette plug in the top box. Not as elaborate as some I have seen on here, but just as effective. Probably $350 and two hours construction in the whole thing. |
Hers a pic of "my" solar backup system. My apologies to the anal-rentitive craftsman on this board that have such clean builds.
As mentioned in the previous post- It consists of: The yellow box on the shelf is a xantrex 2.0 inverter/charger. It is a pure sine wave unit which supposedly puts out very clean power, and integrates a battery charger in an all in one package. The control panel for the inverter is shown mounted in a PVC box. You can see the two golf cart batteries down below. That's probably best bang for the buck in battery storage The two panels are unisolar 64s, fastened together with a hinge I bought at Lowe's. I bought these panels because they are virtually unbreakable and the primary use for these is portable in-field usage. For what I paid for these a few years ago, you can now get probably 250-300 watts of generating capacity. The only thing not shown in the pic is a morningstar charge controller. This system will perform much like a big UPS. You hook up 120VAC to it and it powers through to the extension cord attached. If power cuts off the unit will almost instantly switch to battery power. The panel indicates battery health. Once 120V power is restored the unit will begin to top the batteries off. In a grid down scenario, this unit will be used continually and supplemented by the power the panels bring in. Once the batteries get to a certain point of depletion, I'll use the EU2000 generator to charge them back up. During the time the genrator is running I'll also run the higher draw appiances while the batteries are topping off. |
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Here's a list to make your own "my solar backup" unit.....
ETA: This Xantrex powerhub is not my preferred route. You'd get more for your money by piecing together separate components. But you could build a unit virtually identical to what they're selling. The unit would be fairly idiot proof, also. Prices may be better elsewhere, I'm just getting a list for those who want to look into building this for themselves. Kyocera 135 watt panel Big advantage here over msb - It's a well established name brand, and 35% larger than the one that comes with their stock unit. - $380.00 http://www.solar-electric.com/kyso130wa12v.html Morningstar Sunsaver MPPT Charge controller- 246.00 http://www.solar-electric.com/mosumpsochco.html MC4 Cable 50 ft - 45.00 http://www.solar-electric.com/50fomc4so2ex.html Xantrex powerhub 1800 - 799.00 at amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-PH1800-GFP-PH-1800-GFP-PowerHub/dp/B000NONM94/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1302463244&sr=1-6 You will have to go to a hardware store and get a couple of lawnmower wheels and some metal to build that setup they have mounted on their panel to make it rollable and tilt it. By the time you pay shipping, you will be in for about 1600.00 That's 200.00 cheaper, and the big advantage is that you get a name brand solar panel with 35% more output and long term warranty. Take that 200.00 you save, buy a larger panel and your total solar generating capacity should exceed about 200 watts, compared to 90 watts for the mysolarbackup unit. |
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Nice set up cfcw. I have a ProSine 2.0. It is an awesome inverter/charger. Thanks, I really would like to add two-four more batteries and about 300-400 watts of panels. One of the problems I have is that I live on a relatively small lot surrounded by large trees. My front yard gets a decnet amount of sun, but panels out there would draw too much attention. I have focused my resources on smaller, portable systems that I could use for other activities and for minimal 12V power applications if the grid goes down. BTW, anyone feel free to jump in and comment on better ways to accomplish what the OP wants to do. |