Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Fossil Fuel Free
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 01-23-2019, 11:42 PM   #11 (permalink)
It's all about Diesel
 
cRiPpLe_rOoStEr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Posts: 12,548
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,622 Times in 1,447 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snax View Post
As a field service technician, I see so many homes with running streams nearby that don't utilize micro-hydro, I die a little inside each time. Most people have no clue about that.
I've seen similar situations too. Sometimes even some makeshift resorting to an old car alternator, a battery and eventually some inverter could already do the trick, since some appliances are either also available in 12-volt options meant to be used on board of a vehicle or can resort to an inverter.

  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 01-24-2019, 01:16 PM   #12 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
NeilBlanchard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth
Posts: 7,907

Mica Blue - '05 Scion xA RS 2.0
Team Toyota
90 day: 42.48 mpg (US)

Forest - '15 Nissan Leaf S
Team Nissan
90 day: 156.46 mpg (US)

Number 7 - '15 VW e-Golf SEL
TEAM VW AUDI Group
90 day: 155.81 mpg (US)
Thanks: 3,475
Thanked 2,950 Times in 1,844 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snax View Post
I'm just curious as to people's thoughts on photo-voltaic panels for their homes.

- Do you have them?
- Are you seriously planning to get them?
- Do you use a battery backup?
- Do you directly charge an EV with them? Would you?
- Is/was having solar power a factor in deciding to own an EV?
- What would you do differently now if starting from scratch?

I'm not really interested in the politics of clean vs. dirty power etc. (There's another thread for that.)
We have a 10.1kW rooftop PV array. And we have 2 EV's - we have had 2 for over 5 years.

My plan / hope is to get a battery system to be able to use electricity rather than feeding the grid, and to be able to use the panels when there is a grid outage.

If you are asking about charging the EV's from the battery - then that is not very likely. We do plug the EV's in during a sunny day, when we can.

Yes - we have long hoped / planned on having both solar PV and EV's. The benefits of each is greatly enhanced by the other.

I am not sure what you are getting at in your last question - can you explain what you mean?
__________________
Sincerely, Neil

http://neilblanchard.blogspot.com/
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2019, 01:18 PM   #13 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
NeilBlanchard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth
Posts: 7,907

Mica Blue - '05 Scion xA RS 2.0
Team Toyota
90 day: 42.48 mpg (US)

Forest - '15 Nissan Leaf S
Team Nissan
90 day: 156.46 mpg (US)

Number 7 - '15 VW e-Golf SEL
TEAM VW AUDI Group
90 day: 155.81 mpg (US)
Thanks: 3,475
Thanked 2,950 Times in 1,844 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stubby79 View Post
Over priced here, plus limited sunlight hours...so not happening as things stand.

Our electricity is all hydro generated anyway, and 10c a kwh...as much as I'd enjoy being off-grid, there's no real point.
You have a bit more sun than Germany, and even places like Orkney have some solar PV.
__________________
Sincerely, Neil

http://neilblanchard.blogspot.com/
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2019, 04:02 PM   #14 (permalink)
It's all about Diesel
 
cRiPpLe_rOoStEr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Posts: 12,548
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,622 Times in 1,447 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard View Post
My plan / hope is to get a battery system to be able to use electricity rather than feeding the grid, and to be able to use the panels when there is a grid outage.
That's also what I would consider to do if I weren't living in an apartment instead of a house or a country estate. Having some power storage would be desirable when time comes for some scheduled maintenance to the power generation system too.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2019, 09:14 PM   #15 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Eugene, OR, USA
Posts: 375

Lord Vader - '15 BMW i3 REx
90 day: 35.06 mpg (US)
Thanks: 90
Thanked 167 Times in 123 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard View Post
I am not sure what you are getting at in your last question - can you explain what you mean?
Don't read too much into it really. Mostly wondering if people would size their array larger or smaller, start out with a battery backup, or avoid it altogether, etc.

I keep looking at the battery backup thing, and the electronics and panels I would need still pale in comparison to the cost for a solid battery. (My free 10kW generator will do for now, though a propane conversion remains on the to-do list.)

I did pickup 1.2kW of Grape Solar panels locally this week, and I've been researching what I need to do to add them onto the current system. Fortunately the legal hurdles appear to be just a new net metering agreement and electrical permit. No other permits required as they will technically be added as a wall mounted awning.

Frankly, I wish I would have had the resources to do the entire system earlier before the state tax credit evaporated. Now as a DIY add-on, the cost factors remain the same, but I HAVE TO DO ALL OF THE WORK! :P

I should have had them wire in a genset outlet outside as well as a critical loads panel and EVSE outlet. I probably could have included that all for the tax credit!

I did just discover last week that EWEB, our local utility, offers a $300 rebate for an EV purchase. That check is supposedly already in the mail.
__________________
2015 BMW i3 REx
2011 Ford Flex SEL AWD
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Snax For This Useful Post:
NeilBlanchard (01-25-2019)
Old 01-24-2019, 09:27 PM   #16 (permalink)
Corporate imperialist
 
oil pan 4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NewMexico (USA)
Posts: 11,175

Sub - '84 Chevy Diesel Suburban C10
SUV
90 day: 19.5 mpg (US)

camaro - '85 Chevy Camaro Z28

Riot - '03 Kia Rio POS
Team Hyundai
90 day: 30.21 mpg (US)

Bug - '01 VW Beetle GLSturbo
90 day: 26.43 mpg (US)

Sub2500 - '86 GMC Suburban C2500
90 day: 11.95 mpg (US)

Snow flake - '11 Nissan Leaf SL
SUV
90 day: 141.63 mpg (US)
Thanks: 269
Thanked 3,522 Times in 2,796 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr View Post
That's also what I would consider to do if I weren't living in an apartment instead of a house or a country estate. Having some power storage would be desirable when time comes for some scheduled maintenance to the power generation system too.
You can use grid tie power when the grid goes out.
Just need a sunny boy SPS serries inverter.
Only thing is it will only produce power while the sun is up, as it does not use batteries.
__________________
1984 chevy suburban, custom made 6.5L diesel turbocharged with a Garrett T76 and Holset HE351VE, 22:1 compression 13psi of intercooled boost.
1989 firebird mostly stock. Aside from the 6-speed manual trans, corvette gen 5 front brakes, 1LE drive shaft, 4th Gen disc brake fbody rear end.
2011 leaf SL, white, portable 240v CHAdeMO, trailer hitch, new batt as of 2014.
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2019, 12:58 AM   #17 (permalink)
Human Environmentalist
 
redpoint5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 12,394

Acura TSX - '06 Acura TSX
90 day: 24.19 mpg (US)

Lafawnda - '01 Honda CBR600 F4i
90 day: 47.32 mpg (US)

Big Yeller - '98 Dodge Ram 2500 base
90 day: 21.82 mpg (US)

Prius Plug-in - '12 Toyota Prius Plug-in
90 day: 57.64 mpg (US)

Mazda CX-5 - '17 Mazda CX-5 Touring
90 day: 26.68 mpg (US)

Chevy ZR-2 - '03 Chevrolet S10 ZR2
90 day: 17.14 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,189
Thanked 4,378 Times in 3,353 Posts
I don't see the point of battery backup at all unless the solar system is off-grid entirely. A generator is a couple hundred bucks new. Who cares if it burns a gallon of fuel every other year?

The only way I see a battery as useful is to game TOU pricing to charge them up when electricity is cheap and discharge when they are paying top dollar for electricity.
__________________
Gas and Electric Vehicle Cost of Ownership Calculator







Give me absolute safety, or give me death!
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2019, 01:17 AM   #18 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Eugene, OR, USA
Posts: 375

Lord Vader - '15 BMW i3 REx
90 day: 35.06 mpg (US)
Thanks: 90
Thanked 167 Times in 123 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5 View Post
I don't see the point of battery backup at all unless the solar system is off-grid entirely. A generator is a couple hundred bucks new. Who cares if it burns a gallon of fuel every other year?

The only way I see a battery as useful is to game TOU pricing to charge them up when electricity is cheap and discharge when they are paying top dollar for electricity.
The truth is that economically, aside from disaster preparedness, TOU really is the only way they make sense for grid connected locations. Disaster preparedness is my primary focus.

I'm thinking it may make more sense to just store a lot of propane.

I'm not a harcore prepper or anything. I just keep flashing back to the fact that Puerto Rico is still a shambles, and I have little doubt about the current administration's lack of resolve to help out our home state much.
__________________
2015 BMW i3 REx
2011 Ford Flex SEL AWD
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2019, 04:34 AM   #19 (permalink)
It's all about Diesel
 
cRiPpLe_rOoStEr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Posts: 12,548
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1,622 Times in 1,447 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5 View Post
I don't see the point of battery backup at all unless the solar system is off-grid entirely. A generator is a couple hundred bucks new. Who cares if it burns a gallon of fuel every other year?
Sometimes I do wish going off-the-grid. Would also not disconsider a genset as a way to get rid of waste cooking greases and eventually supplement it with biomethane
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2019, 06:19 AM   #20 (permalink)
Corporate imperialist
 
oil pan 4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NewMexico (USA)
Posts: 11,175

Sub - '84 Chevy Diesel Suburban C10
SUV
90 day: 19.5 mpg (US)

camaro - '85 Chevy Camaro Z28

Riot - '03 Kia Rio POS
Team Hyundai
90 day: 30.21 mpg (US)

Bug - '01 VW Beetle GLSturbo
90 day: 26.43 mpg (US)

Sub2500 - '86 GMC Suburban C2500
90 day: 11.95 mpg (US)

Snow flake - '11 Nissan Leaf SL
SUV
90 day: 141.63 mpg (US)
Thanks: 269
Thanked 3,522 Times in 2,796 Posts
I want to go off grid as much as possible.
Last agriculture auction I went to I got a 250 gallon propane tank and a 1,600 gallon water tank for rain water catchment.
Propane is more for convince, small price to pay to keep my wife around.

__________________
1984 chevy suburban, custom made 6.5L diesel turbocharged with a Garrett T76 and Holset HE351VE, 22:1 compression 13psi of intercooled boost.
1989 firebird mostly stock. Aside from the 6-speed manual trans, corvette gen 5 front brakes, 1LE drive shaft, 4th Gen disc brake fbody rear end.
2011 leaf SL, white, portable 240v CHAdeMO, trailer hitch, new batt as of 2014.
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com