PV system check

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  • zoneblue
    zoneblue Solar Expert Posts: 1,220 ✭✭✭✭
    #32
    Re: PV system check

    Well for the latest update i installed the cheap sine wave inverter i bought (rather stupidly), and the third time we used it it went pop and that was the end of that short lesson. For a home environment you want a reliable and safe inverter and that means buying brand name. So now im shopping for an inverter. The one im looking at is a powermaster 3kw http://www.powermaster.com.tw/PM-3000L.htm

    People here say they go ok for their price. Low standby draw, decent weight to it etc. 2 year waranty.

    Short of spending more will be find a better inverter for NZD$1700?
    1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
    http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar


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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #33
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    Don't know about where your are but these sell for a lot less than that here in Canada.
    http://www.cotek.com.tw/product/18.html
    http://www.cotek.ca/

    hth
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
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  • zoneblue
    zoneblue Solar Expert Posts: 1,220 ✭✭✭✭
    #34
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    By 'these' you mean cotek inverters? They appear to be available here in the odd obscurer outlet but i cant find a price on line. There is a used one here http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=563313903
    I know nothing about them, how do they compare quality wise?

    If i might have some more money next year we could look at whatever midnite comes up with, but mean time i need something cheaper than say outback, but reasonably reliable. Mate, everything here is expensive. Our classic 150 lite was 1150 or so. NZ is a small market a long way from anywhere.
    1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
    http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar


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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #35
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    Looks like the SK 3000 W sells for $ 1370.00 US as far as I know. The one you show has the same blue colour.
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #36
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE
    westbranch wrote: »
    Looks like the SK 3000 W sells for $ 1370.00 US as far as I know. The one you show has the same blue colour.

    US$ vs NZ $ is 100:84 so pretty close.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #37
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE
    Photowhit wrote: »
    US$ vs NZ $ is 100:84 so pretty close.

    Exchange rate is not the same thing as available or price. Our CDN$ is often at par or above the US$, yet there are many things you can get there that we can't here and when we can our prices are inevitably higher. Very rarely is it the other way 'round. :cry:
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #38
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    Just for information, the mailing costs to Canada from the US have more than Doubled in the last two weeks. I have a part that use to cost $4.08 to send and it now costs $9.15 to send it.
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #39
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    Mailing or UPS?
    UPS has always been a rip-off to Canada. Mail rates have been more reasonable. We used to send things via Greyhound, but that has gone up in price enormously. They always blame it on fuel costs ($4.49 per US gallon here right now, it has been as high as $5.32).
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  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    #40
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Mailing or UPS?
    UPS has always been a rip-off to Canada. Mail rates have been more reasonable. We used to send things via Greyhound, but that has gone up in price enormously. They always blame it on fuel costs ($4.49 per US gallon here right now, it has been as high as $5.32).
    It's for the USPS and Canada Post, First Class International. Australia went from $9.75 to $12.25, I could see it going up some, but my Canadian costs going up that much really hurts, I do a lot of business there. I'll probably have to subsidize it some, I always kept the US shipping and Canada the same and let it average out. Shipping is not a profit center for me, try to use the exact cost.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #41
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    We are not far behind you for gas prices in California. Pretty much all the stations are north of $4.00 per gallon for regulator now. $4.50 per gallon + for diesel.

    And "nobody knows why"... (maybe the hit we take every year as the few refineries left switch over to California Summer Blend, etc.).

    Gas     prices still going up
    “It’s the 33rd day in a row that we’ve seen a consecutive increase” in gasoline prices, said Nancy White, a spokeswoman for AAA, who said there are several explanations but that none seem overly convincing.
    The rising gasoline prices come even as the United States now produces more than half the oil it consumes. In fact, the nearly 800,000 barrel per day increase in U.S. production output from 2011 to 2012 reflected the largest one-year jump since oil drilling began in 1859.
    The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. oil production will rise from 6.89 million barrels per day in November 2012 to 8.15 million by December 2014. At the same time, the International Energy Agency has lowered its estimates for global demand for oil. Lacking demand, OPEC, the oil-exporters cartel, has reduced production.
    It all argues for lower oil prices, or at least less volatility in the price of oil and thus gasoline.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Rybren
    Rybren Solar Expert Posts: 351 ✭✭
    #42
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    Ours has been going up steadily as well with daily fluctuations of ~ $0.06 per litre.

    This morning it was $1.30/L (~$4.88/US Gal) for Regular.

    Yesterday it was $1.22/L

    sigh...
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #43
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    And the taxes are less in AZ but the price of regular is now $3.699 and Diesel is $4.039. Not that I really care to much directly.

    I see WTI crude took a hit yesterday as did RBOB gasoline, but that will be short lived and it is headed back up as we get more towards summer.
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #44
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    Rybren, our/ L price jumped 12 cents yesterday... I yearn for your increase

    btw Oil went down $2 / barrel yesterday...
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #45
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE
    westbranch wrote: »
    Rybren, our/ L price jumped 12 cents yesterday... I yearn for your increase

    btw Oil went down $2 / barrel yesterday...

    Ah, but we have a carbon tax: saving the ecology six cents at a time! :p
    Introduced at two cents when gasoline was $1.46 per gallon. It's dropped almost 15 cents since then, even though the carbon tax has gone up. So you can see how effective the tax is and reducing fuel consumption and thus pollution.

    Oh wait, no it's not; fuel consumption just keeps going up anyway. The only difference is a new nightmare of bureaucracy costing us more money (despite being 'revenue neutral').

    My new famous saying:
    "Economics is to mathematics as religion is to science."

    And yes this is related to the forum as we're all for clean energy here but above all making it practical.
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #46
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE
    Cariboocoot wrote: »
    Exchange rate is not the same thing as available or price. Our CDN$ is often at par or above the US$, yet there are many things you can get there that we can't here and when we can our prices are inevitably higher. Very rarely is it the other way 'round. :cry:

    Hi Coot, I was comparing the known costs of 1370 US$ and 1700 NZ$ which works out to about 100:80.5 or "pretty close"
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #47
    Re: PV system check- UPDATE

    their riding high right now. In 2009 they were at $1.00 NZ to $.50 US

    OUCH!
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
    · Share on Twitter

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