Inverter questions from Haiti

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Justin in Haiti
Justin in Haiti Registered Users Posts: 1
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
Hey all, I'm new to the whole concept of inverters and batteries, and looking for some help getting started. I'm wanting to hook up an inverter / battery system to hopefully provide some basic lighting and fans for our special needs orphanage, and not sure how to figure out the size for the inverter and the amount of batteries we would need.
The goal is to be able to charge off our big generator during the day, and be able to run 6 ceiling fans, 6-10 lightbulbs, and maybe have a little to spare in case of emergency.
Anybody have an guidance?
Thanks in advance!
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Inverter questions from Haiti

    welcome justin,
    well, if you have seen computer backups then you are familiar with the concept except we are talking larger capacities and better quality. first of all i would recommend using a sine wave inverter for this operation, but if that fails you could opt for using a modsine for a short time.

    now you need to get a handle on the power consumed by each item and then account for the time it is to be used maximally, aka the longest genny downtime you expect this to provide for. after that recommendations will start to come.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,443 admin
    #3
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    Re: Inverter questions from Haiti

    As Niel says, getting a handle on your loads is the first step. And conservation is step ZERO.

    Using LED/CFL lighting is a good start. There are some ceiling fans that are very efficient. It will be a close call if efficient (but expensive) DC fans are worth the money vs cheaper (and somewhat less expensive) AC fans + AC inverter is the better choice.

    Figuring out what is avialable locally, vs what will be better to import (shipping, duties, hassles, etc.) will take some effort.

    You might want to read posts started by KeithWHare and see what he has done so far in that region (perhaps sending him a PM about who he has found as a reliable supplier too).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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