On Apr 15, 8:54 am, wrote:
On Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:40:01 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On Apr 14, 11:25 am, wrote:
On Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:58:34 -0500, "[SMF]"
wrote:

On 4/14/2010 5:25 AM, wrote:

Who said anything about running an electric cooker off this system?

The AGM batteries will not double the cost, require zero maintenance
and in this application will likely last 8-10 years. Possibly more.
They can be located in a broom closet, basement, or anywhere else you
wish. They can even be hung upsiide down from the ceiling if you like.

Oh, and I have a gas range that can be operated manually just fine,
even when the power goes off. Not that that has anything to do with
this subject.

Try and pay better attention, dopey. You "might" learn something.

What is the cost of installing geo-thermal (system only)?

What is the cost of the solar panels?

What is the cost of mains interconnect (if planned)?

What is the cost of the charger/power supply/conditioner?

Batteries?

http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm

It is never advised to store battery banks inside the residence. Back
in my off-grid days every source I ever referenced insisted that the
batteries be stored in their own shack, separate and at a safe distance
from the residence. Just because it is a sealed, VRLA battery does not
mean that it will not off-gas, hence the inherent fire hazard and the
need to store them away from structures and *NOT* have the electronics
inside their enclosure.

At that time (mid 90's) Trojan's were the recommended battery, were not
cheap, and at 6 volts each, required twice the quantity to obtain 12
volts, and four times the quantity to get 24.

Batteries do wear out and getting more than seven years out of them is
not to be expected.

Solar is inefficient and your expected Ah output for charging should be
halved when designing a system unless you plan on using a motorized
tracking system, and your expected useful output should be ~2/3 of the
sunrise/sunset time.

Note: This does not account for cloudy days. Only plan on getting 1/4
of the output in winter (this does not account for winter
weather). This accounts for shorter days and the lower
intensity of sunlight (more atmosphere) striking the panels.

Depending on location, 10% of rated output is the norm.

Solar panels wear out, too.

Whatever you *THINK* you need, double it.

Do plan on using grid power if you do not want *ANY* down time.

Other than for light loads, solar is only supplementary unless you
want to shell out the cost of a vehicle or two, and still not have
100% independence without another form of off-grid power.

It all depends on what you plan on running with the system. Motors
are not a favored load for a small system, since you not only have
to power the motors with the solar panels, you also have to charge
the batteries on top of the load. Two or more hot/cold, cloudy days
will get you, every time.

Plan for the worse, build for twice that.

A lot of what you say is based on very outmoded technology, and by
todays's standards, is simply incorrect. Just one example is that
there is no problem inherent with having AGM batteries located in the
living space. I have them on my boat in relatively tight quarters.

I'm very familiar with most aspects of the subject of solar panels and
batteries, because my second home is a sailboat that is completely off
the grid. I'm not a newbie at this.

Mixing apples and oranges. A solar/battery system makes sense on a
boat because when away from the dock, you have no grid power and the
typical power requirements on a boat are modest. For example, can
you run your AC system on that battery at night? It would have to be
one hell of a big battery. The cost/benefit equation changes
completely when you are talking about a large house that is connected
to the grid.

You are about as thick as any brick, and dumber than most dirt.

Please refrain from any more inane responses until you get some wisp
of a clue.

My home geo-thermal heating and air-conditioniung system will have all
of it's modest electricity needs met quite easily by solar panels and
batteries. It will run 24/7/365 that way, without any connection
whatsoever to the power grid.

Why exactly is it inane to do solar electric power the way every home
here that I have seen does it? Which is to say it's connected to
the grid, you use the power you generate and get credit for any excess
that you put into the grid. In turn, the grid is available at night
or when it's not cloudy. And you don't use batteries.

What exactly is the point to buying an array of storage batteries and
if it's such a great idea, why is it that I have yet to see it done in
any normal residential application?