02-15-2006, 03:31 PM
Aloha HA Dave & All,
Solar photovoltaics have come a long way in the past several decades. I was off the grid in the early eighties and am off the grid again, but today's systems are much better.
We have $4,600 worth of photovoltaic equipment, wire, batteries, etc., that was bought from Inter-Island Solar four years ago. We run several computers, the refrigerator, washing machine, lights, aquariums, table saws, a big plotter, a big screen tv and miscellaneous other things. The stove and water heater (instantaneous type - a Paloma) are gas. There is also the "iron sun" (a gas generator) for when it isn't sunny enough or if we want to do loads of laundry followed by all night videos. So far the only thing we haven't been able to run has been the 1/2 HP jacuzzi pump. Sigh!
The inverter we have, a Trace DR1524 makes fifteen amps of 120volt regualar house current. Inverters can be stacked to make three phase power, but we just have single phase. You can also start out with a smaller system and add to it. We have four photovoltaic panels now and I would like to either add a few more panels or a wind generator. (Wind may not be so good in some areas.)
If I was going to do another system, I'd go with an Outback inverter (true sinewave!). The engineers at what used to be Trace and are now Xantrex left in a herd and started Outback when the "beancounters" got too involved in inverter design. At least, that's how the legend goes.
Right now, from what I hear, there is also a waiting line for photovoltaic panels.
A hui hou,
Cathy
Hawaii Drafting Service
hotzcatz@yahoo.com
Solar photovoltaics have come a long way in the past several decades. I was off the grid in the early eighties and am off the grid again, but today's systems are much better.
We have $4,600 worth of photovoltaic equipment, wire, batteries, etc., that was bought from Inter-Island Solar four years ago. We run several computers, the refrigerator, washing machine, lights, aquariums, table saws, a big plotter, a big screen tv and miscellaneous other things. The stove and water heater (instantaneous type - a Paloma) are gas. There is also the "iron sun" (a gas generator) for when it isn't sunny enough or if we want to do loads of laundry followed by all night videos. So far the only thing we haven't been able to run has been the 1/2 HP jacuzzi pump. Sigh!
The inverter we have, a Trace DR1524 makes fifteen amps of 120volt regualar house current. Inverters can be stacked to make three phase power, but we just have single phase. You can also start out with a smaller system and add to it. We have four photovoltaic panels now and I would like to either add a few more panels or a wind generator. (Wind may not be so good in some areas.)
If I was going to do another system, I'd go with an Outback inverter (true sinewave!). The engineers at what used to be Trace and are now Xantrex left in a herd and started Outback when the "beancounters" got too involved in inverter design. At least, that's how the legend goes.
Right now, from what I hear, there is also a waiting line for photovoltaic panels.
A hui hou,
Cathy
Hawaii Drafting Service
hotzcatz@yahoo.com
Kurt Wilson