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Step 16That's about it.
Now all you have to do is get out there and Do It.
I'll be updating this instructable as new ideas emerge and suggestions come in.
I hope you've enjoyed the read and have gained a little from it.
I hope I've inspired you to give it a go.
All the Best.
Rob.
I'll be updating this instructable as new ideas emerge and suggestions come in.
I hope you've enjoyed the read and have gained a little from it.
I hope I've inspired you to give it a go.
All the Best.
Rob.
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Thanks for sharing this instructable.
I have a question about the solar tracking.
Generally, do the panels rotate on only 1 axis or do they need to move on 2?
Tom
A dual axis tracker will point the panels in exactly the optimum direction all day but cost became a limiting factor for me ( a 3 panel one sold on ebay a few days ago for $700 including freight, I could build a kilowatt of panels for that much :-) ).
I opted to build mine so that the day to day following of the sun is done by the tracker and the seasonal adjustment is done manually by me.
This probably loses me a small percentage of output but, them's the breaks.
Cheers Tom.
Rob.
I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you.
In your circumstances I would suggest a straight grid tied tracking system.
It's probably not the cheapest to set up but once running it will produce income in your absence. The bigger the system you invest it the bigger the income.
This will also allow you to use your "normal", cheaper, appliances.
Please keep in mind, when doing any cost analysis, that the panels will still be producing the same (almost) amount of power when your grandchildren are old folk....and most likely will still be doing it when their grandchildren are old folk....
We don't know yet how long the serviceable life of a pv cell is because the first cells made have not yet failed!
As for the cost of building your own panels.......
The panels I have built cost less than 1/3 that of professional panels of the same output. The downside is the time taken building them.
Ebay USA is the cheapest source of cells.
Would this project really be worth your time?.....In straight dollars and cents?...perhaps not.....In doing a little to help our environment?....Absolutely!
Cheers.
Rob.
Thanks for your comments.
I'm happy that you enjoyed, and obviously got a lot out of, my Instructable.
I see no problem using 60/40 although 3% Silver is said to make a difference.
The thinner the better....it's a lot easier to consistently do nice, flat joins with fine solder.
The Flux Pen makes a huge difference. Even though the Solder is Resin Cored the extra flux (you only need to apply a little) applied with the flux pen allows the solder to flow and adhere far more readily than without using it.
I stress the need to spend a bit on your soldering iron.....a cheap/nasty low wattage iron will waste your time and give inferior results.
Thanks again.
Rob.
Condensation inside the panel was one of the first major issues I had to deal with after the first test run of my first panels.
Luckily I had only attached the perspex front with Silastic so it was easy to remove.
I found it impossible to stop condensation forming without adding ventilation to the panel (and the panels I built later).
On the double layer panels it was simple. I drilled a rectangle, about 10cm X 5 cm, of a whole bunch of 5mm holes at opposite corners of the ply back.
These were then covered with a few layers of insect gauze.
This allows air to move through the panel.
On the single layer panel it was a bit more complicated. I cut 2 X 20cm lengths of plastic irrigation pipe (about 12mm) and drilled a straight row of 5cm holes along them.
I then drilled a row of the same number of holes (very carefully :-) ) in each end of the panel so that they would exactly match the holes in the pipe.
I then screwed the pipe to the panel making sure the holes in the pipe met the holes in the panel.
I then stuffed insect gauze into the ends of the pipes.
I hope this helps.
Rob.
Thank you for your question.
The ideal setup would have the power source, the panels, as close as possible to the batteries and the load, the appliances you run off the panels.
If you chose to run 110 or 240 volt appliances via an inverter, as opposed to running 12 volt appliances, you will lose a large amount of the power your panels produce. I read a table somewhere that gave the exact losses but I'm darned if I can find it :~(.
The wire I used from the panels to the solar controller is the same as would be used for a 20 amp, 240 volt power circuit in a house and is only slightly heavier than normal (10 or 15 amp) 240 volt house wiring.
The cabling used from the solar controller to the load (appliances) and battery bank is a different matter.
This is where you need to deliver as close to 12 volts as possible so the heavier the wire the better.
I believe that most house fires attributable to 12 volt lighting and appliances are started by the overheating of inadequate sized wiring.
It would be more cost effective to have your 12 volt appliances as close as possible to your controller but, as in my case, this is not always possible.
I googled "house fires and 12 volt lighting and appliances" and below are 4 of the most interesting links.
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/12/17/33433/804
http://www.selfsufficientish.com/12v.htm
http://www.rpc.com.au/products/efn/efnextracts/remote.html
http://ask.metafilter.com/123208/what-voltage
I hope this answers your question.
All the best.
Rob.