(ET) Re: et/solar

[robert winfield <winfield100 yahoo com>]

Oasis654,
I am not sure how appropriate this is for the ET forum
since it is Solar PV. The ET?s do run on batteries and
Chris Zach in Baltimore has a totally solar PV powered
ET.
Here is some info.
http://www.dsireusa.org/
this is a site which details financial incentives,
which differ wildly state to state, in the USA. Right
now the US is experiencing a shortage of high wattage
panels due to Germany, Italy and Spain having national
programs to PV their countries, Holland is buying ALL
the output of GE wind turbine manufacturing
http://lists.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/read?sort=d&start=15187
(RE-Wrenches list)

California, New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Illinois
and a few others offer quite lucrative incentives to
homeowners for PV. 

New Jersey offers a rebate of up to $55,000
($5.50/watt) for a grid tied, netmetered PV of up to
10kilowatt system. IE, for a net cost of about $23,000
you can buy most of your electricity forever a single
time 
New York offers between $4.00 and $5.00 for up to a
15kilowatt grid tied system rebates
(i.e., some one giving you a check of between $60,000
and $75,000 to make your own electricity)

Maryland has a program that gives a measly 15% tax
credit (better than zero) up to $2,000 that ends this
year
(the meter runs backwards on my system occasionally
here in Maryland)
(I have a tiny 1.2kw system and would like a 6-10kw
system but big buck$)
I would like to go all electric and use a 48v system
to invert (lower wire gauge) and have the ET be 48v as
part of my battery bank.
I made a LOT of mistakes with my initial system 
I got Amorphous Silicon thin film panels which was at
best 5% efficient and now are about 4% (20%
degradation in 6 years) and they are no longer
manufactured due to QC problems. They are hi voltage,
81v each,
(Only one company still manufactures thin film)
If I got another inverter to use for them, I could
only use something like a Sunny Boy (no battery
inverter but in the low 90?s efficiency as it is high
voltage but I hate even the idea of fiddling with up
to 4-500v DC)
I got an Omnion Inverter and I have to maintain it due
to the company going out of business. (what warranty!)

I would get single or poly crystal panels only.
http://altenergystore.com/
http://www.sunelec.com/
(lower cost Renewable Energy supplies for the handy
person as examples)

http://homepower.com
Very good magazine on Renewable Energy

http://www.solar-guppy.com
dude who has several arrays and forums

Solar panels are essentially commodities and I would
go for lowest cost per watt but make sure they have at
least 12-14% efficiencies
(Also remembering that any panels in a series string
are current limited to the LOWEST amperage panel)
I would get a battery capable Inverter like
OutBackPower.
http://www.outbackpower.com
grid tied with battery inverters

I firmly believe the grid is going to go down a lot
more often simply by driving about my neighborhood and
looking at the NON-maintenance of the electric lines
and all the trees growing up through the lines.
Hurricane Isabel was an eye opener.

Hence, we have to start relying on ourselves for
continuous electricity. PV, Solar, Wind, micro hydro,
ET are all part of the problem

--- Oasis654 aol com wrote:
> hi folks, i think there are several people on this
> list particularly 
> interested in solar/electrak technology.  would any
> of you care to talk more about a 
> package of solar gizzmos we could use to get
> started? a standardized, entry 
> level solar package, easily replicated?  thanks jon
> k albany ny, where there is a 
> solar house tour coming up soon.



        
                
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