"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:33:29 -0700, "Stu Fields" wrote:


"Gunner Asch" wrote in message
. ..
On Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:17:58 -0700, "Stu Fields" wrote:


"Ignoramus12838" wrote in message
news:mPWdnToWc8KWjKLRnZ2dnUVZ_hSdnZ2d@giganews .com...
On 2010-07-15, Stu Fields wrote:
Having welding, machining, and ceramic equipment, our power bill was
getting
out of hand. ( than $200/mo) We recently installed 30- 230w solar
panels
and now have watched our power meter go backwards at rates up to
6sec/rev.
In just a few days our panels generated more than 200kwh and one of
those
days had cloud cover. Oh and we used the solar installation to also
create
a car port. It may take a few years to recover the cost, but just
watching
that meter go backwards was worth quite a bit.

Can you tell us some more, like how large are your panels, where
approximately are you, what was the cost etc. I am very interested.

i
Well we are probably in the Sun Capital of the World. Inyokern
California.
The panel array is 30 panels that occupy a 12X40 space starting 7' off
the
ground and going up at a 20º angle. They form the roof of a car port.
It
is snaggle toothed with two panels missing to allow light into existing
skylight panels. The cost before rebates and tax advantage was $46K
which
included the steel structure for the carport. Out of pocket costs are
expected to be approx $26k. Panels have a relatively long warranty and
are
expected to still be producing useable power in 25yrs. These are
Sunpower
panels and as early as 0600 this morning I was seeing some 60w being
generated. Now at 0800 it is reading 1.9kw.
Cleaning maybe accomplished by the wind that we get around here. If it
only
blows 45mph, no one thinks much of it. Probably a good wind generator
area
also, but I don't like whirling things above my head unless I'm in my
helicopter.
We are grid dependent and have no batteries. The future battery
development
will probably let us change that and reduce our dependency on the grid.
As
it stands now if the grid goes down, so does our solar power.
Another thing is the availability of what amounts to a zero interest
loan
for one year. We are going to take advantage of that and keep our $26k
drawing interest until such time as the payment is due. To date we are
out
$1k and making power.

Out of curiosity, why no battery bank? In your location..it would
appear to me that batteries would be nearly a requirement.

Gunner
Hello Gunner. The cost of the batteries, the maintenance costs to go
completely off the grid aren't in our play book yet. However we are
tracking some solid sodium battery technology that could change our
system.

Thats pretty new stuff, isnt it?

Gunner

Gunner: It is new stuff coming from Coors!! Evidently Coors has a ceramics
lab that is more exciting than their beer. Initial data seems to have a
15kw battery the size of a small refrigerator that can be discharged and
charged every day for 10yrs. Estimated price: $2,000. This is some
technology that we are following. With development, in both the battery and
impoved solar cell efficiencies, apartments living off the grid may be
possible.