Comments on: Power Budgets [4] data you can use http://www.genverters.com/genverters/power-budgets-4-data-you-can-use/ Making Energy, Storing it, and using it wisely Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:27:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Arild Jensen http://www.genverters.com/genverters/power-budgets-4-data-you-can-use/comment-page-1/#comment-1097 Arild Jensen Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:35:50 +0000 http://www.genverters.com/?p=833#comment-1097 Marshall one more data point for the budget spread sheet. We were given a bread maker. Its a Hitachi and is rated at 680 watts for 120V. Both my wife and I were skeptical at first. However the temptation of fresh baked bread proved irresistible. Then I plugged in the Kill a watt. To my surprise the consumption was quite low. Lower than a crock pot or the Foreman grill even. Our measured consumption was .075 kilowatt hours for the 4 hour 10 minute baking cycle. Amanda reported that much of the time the watt meter did not change. After some thinking it dawned on me the bread maker was an efficient insulated box. Electricity was used mostly to stir the ingredients and only a short while to actually bake the mix. Baking in a propane oven or a wood stove is fine in winter when the escaping heat simply adds to heating the living spaces; but could create unwanted heat during the hot summer months. I am constantly seeing slightly used bread makers at garage sales. Out of curiosity I have asked why so many are selling for $5 - $15 even if barely used. The most frequent answer is they are fattening or the first owner can't be bothered with the mess of mixing the flour and other ingredients. They would rather pay $2/loaf at the super store than make their own for 50 cents worth of ingredients. Given the low power consumption even a modest solar panel can provide the necessary power while keeping the heat out of the kitchen during hot summer months. Marshall one more data point for the budget spread sheet. We were given a bread maker. Its a Hitachi and is rated at 680 watts for 120V. Both my wife and I were skeptical at first. However the temptation of fresh baked bread proved irresistible. Then I plugged in the Kill a watt. To my surprise the consumption was quite low. Lower than a crock pot or the Foreman grill even. Our measured consumption was .075 kilowatt hours for the 4 hour 10 minute baking cycle. Amanda reported that much of the time the watt meter did not change. After some thinking it dawned on me the bread maker was an efficient insulated box. Electricity was used mostly to stir the ingredients and only a short while to actually bake the mix. Baking in a propane oven or a wood stove is fine in winter when the escaping heat simply adds to heating the living spaces; but could create unwanted heat during the hot summer months. I am constantly seeing slightly used bread makers at garage sales. Out of curiosity I have asked why so many are selling for $5 – $15 even if barely used. The most frequent answer is they are fattening or the first owner can’t be bothered with the mess of mixing the flour and other ingredients. They would rather pay $2/loaf at the super store than make their own for 50 cents worth of ingredients.
Given the low power consumption even a modest solar panel can provide the necessary power while keeping the heat out of the kitchen during hot summer months.

]]> By: Arild Jensen http://www.genverters.com/genverters/power-budgets-4-data-you-can-use/comment-page-1/#comment-129 Arild Jensen Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:10:23 +0000 http://www.genverters.com/?p=833#comment-129 On the subject of power consumption by various appliances. The majority of my clients live on inverter power but many are very afraid of propane and despite the power penalty insist on electric cooking. I suspect this comes mostly from the wives but I can't prove it if they will not admit it. This in turn led me to investigate various countertop cooking appliances. to my surprise many of them proved to use less energy than a regular electric stove and kitchen cookware. Crock pots also known as slow cookers use 80 - 100 watts and will cook a roast as nicely as a 4 - 6 kilowatt oven but takes longer even if using less overall energy. Induction cook tops much to my surprise heats water to a boil faster than a conventional resistive hot plate and kettle. Although my wife has demonstrated she can cook on a wood stove or an open fire her culinary accomplishments with some of the electric counter top appliances are far better. she can serve up grilled garlic prawns and a california salad in about 10 minutes using a George Forman grill. 600 watts for 10 minutes is not that much energy. during winter. Using the outdoor BBQ simply isn't an option when its -20 below and the snow four feet deep. A wood stove is great for cooking stews but only if you like your food chopped into small bits and served as a mish mash slurpy with lumps. On the subject of power consumption by various appliances. The majority of my clients live on inverter power but many are very afraid of propane and despite the power penalty insist on electric cooking. I suspect this comes mostly from the wives but I can’t prove it if they will not admit it. This in turn led me to investigate various countertop cooking appliances. to my surprise many of them proved to use less energy than a regular electric stove and kitchen cookware.
Crock pots also known as slow cookers use 80 – 100 watts and will cook a roast as nicely as a 4 – 6 kilowatt oven but takes longer even if using less overall energy. Induction cook tops much to my surprise heats water to a boil faster than a conventional resistive hot plate and kettle.
Although my wife has demonstrated she can cook on a wood stove or an open fire her culinary accomplishments with some of the electric counter top appliances are far better. she can serve up grilled garlic prawns and a california salad in about 10 minutes using a George Forman grill. 600 watts for 10 minutes is not that much energy. during winter. Using the outdoor BBQ simply isn’t an option when its -20 below and the snow four feet deep. A wood stove is great for cooking stews but only if you like your food chopped into small bits and served as a mish mash slurpy with lumps.

]]> By: Power Budgets[5] Online Calculator Gets You Started | Real Off Grid Energy and Life! http://www.genverters.com/genverters/power-budgets-4-data-you-can-use/comment-page-1/#comment-124 Power Budgets[5] Online Calculator Gets You Started | Real Off Grid Energy and Life! Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:13:40 +0000 http://www.genverters.com/?p=833#comment-124 [...] you get some ideas of what your off grid power needs might be.  Don’t forget to consult the data you can use page for some real ideas on the actual power needed by various appliances.  If you have something that [...] [...] you get some ideas of what your off grid power needs might be.  Don’t forget to consult the data you can use page for some real ideas on the actual power needed by various appliances.  If you have something that [...]

]]> By: off grid dishwasher? | Real off grid Energy and Life! http://www.genverters.com/genverters/power-budgets-4-data-you-can-use/comment-page-1/#comment-115 off grid dishwasher? | Real off grid Energy and Life! Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:30:38 +0000 http://www.genverters.com/?p=833#comment-115 [...] added the data to the data you can use table.  Do you have a newer dishwasher?  What are its power requirements?  Or, do you have a unique [...] [...] added the data to the data you can use table.  Do you have a newer dishwasher?  What are its power requirements?  Or, do you have a unique [...]

]]> By: Arild http://www.genverters.com/genverters/power-budgets-4-data-you-can-use/comment-page-1/#comment-114 Arild Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:00:22 +0000 http://www.genverters.com/?p=833#comment-114 Marshall, in reply to your question about RF Noise emissions.Yes sinewave are very much more quiet. We had one ham radio operator complain about our MSW inverter knocking out his ham radio reception. He backed up his complaint with spectrum analyzer readings. We sent him an equeal sized pure sine wave inverter which he tested using the same spectrum analyzer. Apparently he had access to a fully equipped electronics lab. the result was impressive. All the birdies present in the MSW emissions were gone. He reported clean reception on all ham and marine bands. He also tested for noise on the DC power conductors and found them equally low. One drawback that I later discovered. Pure sine wave inverters tends to trip dock side GFCI as a result of the numerous by-pass capacitors used to supress RFI. Marshall, in reply to your question about RF Noise emissions.Yes sinewave are very much more quiet. We had one ham radio operator complain about our MSW inverter knocking out his ham radio reception. He backed up his complaint with spectrum analyzer readings. We sent him an equeal sized pure sine wave inverter which he tested using the same spectrum analyzer. Apparently he had access to a fully equipped electronics lab. the result was impressive. All the birdies present in the MSW emissions were gone. He reported clean reception on all ham and marine bands. He also tested for noise on the DC power conductors and found them equally low.
One drawback that I later discovered. Pure sine wave inverters tends to trip dock side GFCI as a result of the numerous by-pass capacitors used to supress RFI.

]]> By: Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend http://www.genverters.com/genverters/power-budgets-4-data-you-can-use/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:04:32 +0000 http://www.genverters.com/?p=833#comment-113 You could probably build a solid little business doing these kinds of budgets for people. .-= Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WebsiteInAWeekend/~3/tRN9INdBuOE/" rel="nofollow">Botnet Losing Steam (Under Attack! 2/17/2010)</a> =-. You could probably build a solid little business doing these kinds of budgets for people.
.-= Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..Botnet Losing Steam (Under Attack! 2/17/2010) =-.

]]> By: marshall http://www.genverters.com/genverters/power-budgets-4-data-you-can-use/comment-page-1/#comment-112 marshall Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:24:40 +0000 http://www.genverters.com/?p=833#comment-112 Arild, The kill-a-wat monitor indicates RMS values. When running on inverter, it indicates about 118-119 Vac. With my old backup generator charging batteries and running the house at the same time, I read 101-108 Vac since its loaded down and even sounds a little slow. After Battery bank replacement, comes MPPT charger, and finally true sine wave inverter. I have more plans than $$ at the moment. Speaking of the true sine wave inverters, do you know if they are quieter as far as RF noise emissions? Thanks! Arild,

The kill-a-wat monitor indicates RMS values. When running on inverter, it indicates about 118-119 Vac. With my old backup generator charging batteries and running the house at the same time, I read 101-108 Vac since its loaded down and even sounds a little slow.

After Battery bank replacement, comes MPPT charger, and finally true sine wave inverter. I have more plans than $$ at the moment.

Speaking of the true sine wave inverters, do you know if they are quieter as far as RF noise emissions?

Thanks!

]]> By: Arild http://www.genverters.com/genverters/power-budgets-4-data-you-can-use/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Arild Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:56:22 +0000 http://www.genverters.com/?p=833#comment-111 Post script to previous post on meter readings. I just did a test on a Xantrex MSW inverter. My true RMS meter read 118.6 volts. My Radio shack meter which is average reading read 100.0V another read 91.3V and one read 84.5 volts. This just illustrates the wide range of accuracies you can find in stores today.All of the meters were made in China. The RMS meter cost $150 while the rest cost under $50. Post script to previous post on meter readings. I just did a test on a Xantrex MSW inverter. My true RMS meter read 118.6 volts. My Radio shack meter which is average reading read 100.0V another read 91.3V and one read 84.5 volts. This just illustrates the wide range of accuracies you can find in stores today.All of the meters were made in China. The RMS meter cost $150 while the rest cost under $50.

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