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jdemaris
03-19-2006 11:29:51
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Yeah, doing it off-grid is a different story. My 1000 watt system in the Adirondacks cost me around $6000 total if I don't count my generator. I've got a 1000 watt system at a cabin a built nowhere near any grid power. I mixed and matched panels where ever I could find a deal. Sun, Evergreen, and Kyorcera. Total cost me $3800. Then I got a pretty good deal on a Trace/Xantrex D2412 2000 watt inverter, brand new for $700. It has a built in 100 amp battery charger, but the inverter itself is a modified wave model. Makes no difference for what I'm using it for. I bought a second el-cheapo 3000 watt inverter for $150 brand new and it works great - Northern Hydraulics has been selling them. I shopped all over for batteries and finally bought Trojan golf-cart "clones" from Deka for $48 each (12 of them). The controller - I didn't do so well. I started out with a good buy on a Trace C60 but then changed my mind. It does not have the variable voltage input/output I wanted and would have required me to run my solar array at 12 volts - which is very hard to do with a 100 foot run. So, I bought a Outback MX80 insead and it was expensive. But, it lets me feed the input at 60 volts DC, and have the output set at 12 VDC.
This is a hybrid system hooked to a generator. That originally presented a problem. Seems most generators do not run battery chargers very well - they make the wrong voltage on the sine-wave peaks. Normal grid voltage that is referred to as 120 VAC is actually 170 on the top and bottom of the cycles. Many chargers work on the 160-170 volt range, yet most generators "cheat" and only make a 150 volt peak - thus the problem. It is sometimes hard to figure, if buying new or used, which ones make good current and which ones don't - unless you carry an wave meter in your pocket. I wound up getting a 17 KW standy unit from our school. It was made in the 60s and is powered by a Continental F160 gas engine. It is amazingly quiet, slow running, and water cooled. I paid $300 for it, and put another $1000 in repair and updated parts into it, but it makes nice clean power. I've heard now, that the new inverter series of small generators also work well with battery chargers since they are actually DC generators that run through a full-wave inverter. I know Honda and Yamaha has them - but they are expensive. I think I did fine with my $1300 investment in my big Fairbanks-Morse 17 KW unit although it's a lot bigger than what I needed. If you know of any good buys on panels right now, let me know. I still buy them whenver I can find them. There's a marine dealer in Florida that's been selling me "export only" non-UL listed Evergreen 120 watt, 12 volt panels for $380 each. That's the best buy I am aware of.
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