A while back we wrote about the performance of our refrigerator and presented the power details. However, one item was probably missing in the data. That is, how much power does that thing take when its summer?
I pulled out our trusty Kill-o-watt power monitor and set up the test a couple days ago, and began recording . Unfortunately, we are not in the middle of a hot spell which would raise the ambient temperature in in the kitchen to 80F or more. For this test I’d say the average temperature remained between 70-72F. This is better
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[Welcome to Arild as our first guest post! If you are interested in adding your original content on genverters.com, just email and I'll get you the details - M]
Along with Solar power; LED have been getting a lot of media attention lately.
The good points about LED are: very low current consumption compared to any other light source with a few exceptions we will deal with later.
The old complaint of color quality have largely been solved. Early white LED were admittedly not so great compared to a halogen light or fluorescent. They tended to be dimmer .
Recent developments in camping lights, flashlights, and
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Purchasing the right solar charge controller is an important decision for your power system. The right choice will be flexible and grow as you add solar panels and other components. As I mentioned in a previous post about MPPT charging, this is the most flexible choice.
I’ve looked over two popular MPPT charge controllers from Outback and Xantrex. Next month I think I’ll select the Xantrex XW MPPT 60 amp controller. Yes it costs more, but it will produce slightly more power from the exact same solar panel array. Here are my reasons for the MPPT style choice, and for the Xantrex unit:
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What is a shunt, and why would you need or want them in your genverter or off grid power system? Technically, you can make, store and use power from you off grid system without a shunt. Doing so would be like putting on a blindfold and having your friend in the passenger seat give directions as you drive across New York city. Yes, possible, No, not recommended!
A shunt is a resistor
In the electronics world, it is normally called a current shunt. Shunt resistors come
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Really busy recently taking on some extra work to help finance the desperately needed replacement battery bank. I was thinking about other ways to store our power and had an idea on how we might be able to setup a mechanical system to store energy by lifting a large weight. Might this complement the batteries substantially? So, I decided to run the numbers on the physics involved to see.
Stored Energy in Lifted Block
This system would convert electrical energy into stored potential energy by lifting a large weight off the ground. Whenever we
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In a previous post about a windstorm last fall, I described some damage to the mounting system for our solar panels. This time we’ll go over repairs, maintenance, and improvements to our solar power system.
Too often I have many projects that are “round tuits“. You know, those projects or chores that you will get around to it when you can? Last fall we had a windy spell that partially damaged a pole in our 10 x10 foot solar panel mounting system. At about that time, it was a good time to have the array lowered to a 45 degree angle for the low angle sun during winter months.
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What does your off grid power system have in common with the power company’s cross-country high power lines? Both systems need to be designed to move electrical power from one place to another with minimal loss. In their case its across states, and in ours it may be across the house or property.
Getting a firm grip on this fixed loss will help you make good choices early on in designing your off grid power system.
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How do you know if those deep cycle batteries are still in good shape? Knowing their condition is important information that will help you get years of service. Measuring your battery bank monthly and tracking the results will help you manage this critical resource in your off grid power system. Below is a short video explaining how to make these measurements with a hydrometer (battery tester).
Keeping the regular testing schedule is important. I know because
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Recently, I was busy trying to create a screen capture video for a client with new software. Thought I had everything worked out when I did my final capture. Big surprise this time, as there was a very loud hum, hum, hum, in the background of the audio I had just captured. What was the problem? Earlier versions were fine. As it turns out, my modified sine wave inverter was to blame. I’ll explain where the noise comes from and some solutions I have for defeating the hum in my recordings.
Where does the noise come from?
The modified sine wave inverter is very common for off grid power systems
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Today I want to address one of the fears that may hold you back from acting on your remote off grid move.The best plans can sometimes fall short, or not work out due to circumstances beyond our control. Ideally, we get the right solar and wind data for our location to make good choices before spending money. If you find your self in this situation without good sources of sun, wind or flowing water, don’t worry there are still alternatives.
Gas and Diesel generators: They’ll operate anywhere as long as there is fuel (and you are able to purchase/barter for it). Unfortunately, there are few options for making your own gasoline. Fortunately
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