WD9EKA Alternative Energy Information

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Bogart Tri-Metric(Red LED readout) typically set to ammeter. Negative values are discharging, positive is charge currents.

My current setup consists of the following equipment:
        1 - 100 watt Arco Tri-Lam PV panel (in use since 1990 and 2 moves)
        3 - 120 watt AP-1206 . 1 on line 5/1/99. 2 and 3 on line 7/9/99
        4 - 130 watt KC130's . Online mid May 2008
        6 - 205 watt KD205's . Online July 14, 2009
        1 - 300 watt Southwest WindPower  Air 303 mounted at 45 feet
                on a Rohn 25 tower
        1 - Xantrex C-60A charge controller with DVM, currently unused
        2 - Outback FM80 80 amp mppt controller used for the solar panels
        8 - US Batteries L16HC 6V/420AH, configured for 12V/1680AH In service 4/9/09
        1 - Trace DR2412 with Trace DC250 Cutoff

        1 - Coleman PM9375 7.5kw 16hp generator

        1 - DC charge cart - 8hp briggs and 12 SI alternator

        1 - SolarSheats 1500GS air heater

Summer 2009 6 Kyocera KD205's and an additional FM80 controller was added. This added 1250 watts.

Expansion pictures and data.  

A single 20 watt panel and its associated controller and battery to the garage. I seperated out the lighting circuits and have all the flourescents on solar. I dont spend much time out in the garage and so far this winter(2008-2009) I've had light everytime I have needed it.

The garden tiller sits idle most of the year. I have converted it to an auxillary power unit using a Delco 10SI 94 amp alternator and adaptor plate from The epicenter

  September 2009 added a SolarSheat 1500GS air heater to the house. I mismeasured the wall height and where I wanted to install it was a few inches short. So the next best place was to mount it on the front deck. Plans are to add side covers to the exchanger to make it a little more presentable. I am hoping this will provide enough heat on sunny days to allow the corn stove to be shutoff during some of the days.

For those that think nuclear power plants are our salvation. I strongly recommend they read the following book available from www.thenewpress.com. I have always had a gut aversion to the concept of nuclear power plants. After reading the book I have become even more against them. The only good nuclear power comes from the sun.

Links to Alternative Energy Vendors:
 

Arizona Wind and Sun
Backwoods Solar
the Alternative Energy Store

Alternative Energy Forums/Websites:
Off-grid.net
12 Volt power

Solar power data updated daily
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2001  2002   2003
2004   2005   2006
2007   2008   2009
2010  

From way back when I found the following pictures. In 1980 while in college I became interested in solar power. I constructed a panel from 36 Radio Shack 1 amp cells that the local store had to call most of the other stores in the state. The cost was around 10 dollars per cell. I fiberglassed a plywood board and used a silicone caulk to place the cells on the fiberglass. There was a lot of heat stresses and at the time I didnt really understand all the "right" ways to do it. It worked for about a year. I kept a plexiglass cover on them when I wasnt around. Even with that I accidentally left the cover off one day and some pea size hail obliterated it. I ran one light bulb and an Ten-Tec Argonaut 509 off of it.