Fouling

CALLD
CALLD Solar Expert Posts: 230 ✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
It's one of this things, you put up your panels, connect everything up and switch it on. After you have calibrated your system and finally got it firing on all cylinders you aim to sit back and watch the magic happen. You have stressed about the batteries and how to keep them running optimally and after some time you have it nailed!

Then, on one of those glorious sunny mid-summer days you stroll over to the charge controller anticipating that smug feeling you get when you see your system running at full-steam giving you that warm fuzzy feeling that can only come from knowing you are plugged directly into the most awesome nuclear reactor within several light-years!

I did that today - fully expecting to see around 28 amps are thereabouts streaming into my batteries. It was mid-day after all and not a cloud in sight. Instead the charge controller reading was 11.8 amps, then 16.4, then 13.2, 14.3, 21.5, 10.9, 15.0 etc...

Those pesky crows having a party on my panels again!!!!!

The life of an off-gridder is so interesting........
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Comments

  • gww1
    gww1 Solar Expert Posts: 963 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: Fouling

    Don't feel so bad, I have only seen the sun three times this month and then not for the whole day. The continual moister and snow has kept my panels pretty clean.
    Cheers
    gww
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Fouling

    I had that problem with pigeons. They learned about lead poisoning really quick. I still see some but not on my roof! LOL
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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,895 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Fouling

    http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Gone-Stainless-Steel-Spikes/dp/B001H1GRNU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1419013381&sr=8-4&keywords=bird-b-gone
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • 706jim
    706jim Solar Expert Posts: 519 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Fouling
    solar_dave wrote: »
    I had that problem with pigeons. They learned about lead poisoning really quick. I still see some but not on my roof! LOL

    Lead acid batteries I take it?
    Island cottage solar system with appriximately 2500 watts of panels, 1kw facing southeast 1.3kw facing southwest 170watt ancient Arco's facing due south. All panels in parallel for a 24 volt system. Trace DR1524 MSW inverter which has performed flawlessly since 1994. Outback Flexmax 80 MPPT charge controller four 467A-h AGM batteries. Insignia 11.5 cubic foot electric fridge 1/4hp GSW piston pump. My 31st year.
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  • AuricTech
    AuricTech Solar Expert Posts: 140 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: Fouling
    706jim wrote: »
    Lead acid batteries I take it?

    While I wouldn't presume to speak for solar_dave, I rather suspect that the pigeons in question were tragic victims of Lead-Moderated Kinetic Energy Poisoning (IYKWIMAITYD).... ;)

    ETA: My original thought, upon seeing both the title of this thread and the nature of the event that inspired it, was that the thread title could easily have been spelled "Fowling," with little loss of accuracy (though they are also birds, crows are seldom viewed as poultry...).
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  • DanS26
    DanS26 Solar Expert Posts: 269 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Fouling

    Try one or more of these:

    http://www.gemplers.com/product/G73500/Rotating-Head-Owl#TAB-REVIEWS

    http://www.gemplers.com/product/221414/Solar-powered-Owl-Rotating-Head?pfx=OAWP

    Crows are smart, so you have to move it around to avoid acclamation.
    23.16kW Kyocera panels; 2 Fronius 7.5kW inverters; Nyle hot water; Steffes ETS; Great Lakes RO; Generac 10kW w/ATS, TED Pro System monitoring
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  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,895 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: Fouling

    Crows are indeed that smart. Someone gave me a few alpacas. Suddenly neighborhood coyote activity picked up considerably. Then it seemed that a crow was sitting on the roof and calling in more coyotes. Figuring he (the crow) would enjoy plenty of left over pickin's. In four years, there was never a crow making calls on the roof at night,
    DanS26 wrote: »
    Try one or more of these:

    http://www.gemplers.com/product/G73500/Rotating-Head-Owl#TAB-REVIEWS

    http://www.gemplers.com/product/221414/Solar-powered-Owl-Rotating-Head?pfx=OAWP

    Crows are smart, so you have to move it around to avoid acclamation.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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  • CALLD
    CALLD Solar Expert Posts: 230 ✭✭
    #9
    Re: Fouling

    It really is well and truly bird-bomb season here now, two of my 300w panels looked like they'd been blasted with a poop shotgun this morning! Interesting thing though is after cleaning them off the production only increased from 22.5 to 23.4 amps at 09:30 despite the awful state they were in...
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