Powering WiFi

johntcantrell
johntcantrell Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
So Spectrum won't run cable to our house and the only Internet provider is DSL which is less than idea. A mile away we have property where Spectrum does run service. So I was thinking about having them run Internet to our barn which does not have electricity so I was thinking of powering the equipment via solar. I know the device that will shoot the Internet from the barn draws .8 amps I'm not sure about the Spectrum modem can't find any info. Would anyone have any recommendations on what solar panel how big battery and power inverter to use. I would be forever in your debt
· Share on Twitter

Comments

  • johntcantrell
    johntcantrell Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
    #2
    Also the wifi part is 24volt and the modem I'm assuming would be 12volt
    · Share on Twitter
  • littleharbor2
    littleharbor2 Solar Expert Posts: 2,113 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Is there a reason you can't get Satellite based internet? Hughesnet, ViaSat and others offer satellite internet.

    2.1 Kw Suntech 175 mono, Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 ( 15 years old  but brand new out of sealed factory box Jan. 2015), Bogart Tri-metric,  460 Ah. 24 volt LiFePo4 battery bank. Plenty of Baja Sea of Cortez sunshine.

    · Share on Twitter
  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Not sure about regular wi-fi over a 1 mile range. Depends on terrain, potential interference, etc I suppose. Personally, I'd consider DSL, or a point-to-point wireless system.

    Anyway, .8a at 24v is ~20w (hopefully not .8a at 120vac). Assuming the modem would be about the same, call it roughly 50w total load. The radio (wifi) part of the load may vary with actual send/receive time, but assuming constant 50w load 24x7, that's 50x24=1200 watt-hours/day. Assuming you stay lit for one cloudy day, that's 2400wh storage. For good life, a deep cycle lead acid battery shouldn't be discharged more than 50%, so 4800wh of storage. At 12v nominal, that's 200amp-hours, so a pair of 6v golf cart batteries may be a good choice.

    If possible, both devices should be powered with DC voltage converters, not an AC inverter (to avoid losses).

    Assuming your location would get at least 4hrs of full sun equivalent (check pvwatts.nrel.gov for actual location) on average in poor months, and actual output ~75% of STC rated output, (eg) 600w pv x 75% x 4hrs = 1800wh. Not enough to fully charge batteries plus run loads in poor sun months, but likely enough to get there over a period of a few days. If you get longer runs of gloomy weather, you'd need to charge with a small generator, or take the batteries home to charge.

    All above just for example purposes.
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
    · Share on Twitter
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #5
    littleharbor2 said:

    Is there a reason you can't get Satellite based internet? Hughesnet, ViaSat and others offer satellite internet.

    New policy, sat internet requires you have an pow-co meter, which takes off-grid installs out of the picture. Existing ones are grandfathered in. Big news in my neck of the woods where there are a fair # of off-grid sat installs.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

    · Share on Twitter
  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    What about boats etc? They don't sell sat systems inet for them anymore?
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
    · Share on Twitter
  • johntcantrell
    johntcantrell Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
    #7
    littleharbor2 said:

    Is there a reason you can't get Satellite based internet? Hughesnet, ViaSat and others offer satellite internet.

    DSL would be better than Satellite the DSL is not bad but Spectrum would be better.
    · Share on Twitter
  • johntcantrell
    johntcantrell Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
    #8
    Estragon said:

    Not sure about regular wi-fi over a 1 mile range. Depends on terrain, potential interference, etc I suppose. Personally, I'd consider DSL, or a point-to-point wireless system.

    Anyway, .8a at 24v is ~20w (hopefully not .8a at 120vac). Assuming the modem would be about the same, call it roughly 50w total load. The radio (wifi) part of the load may vary with actual send/receive time, but assuming constant 50w load 24x7, that's 50x24=1200 watt-hours/day. Assuming you stay lit for one cloudy day, that's 2400wh storage. For good life, a deep cycle lead acid battery shouldn't be discharged more than 50%, so 4800wh of storage. At 12v nominal, that's 200amp-hours, so a pair of 6v golf cart batteries may be a good choice.

    If possible, both devices should be powered with DC voltage converters, not an AC inverter (to avoid losses).

    Assuming your location would get at least 4hrs of full sun equivalent (check pvwatts.nrel.gov for actual location) on average in poor months, and actual output ~75% of STC rated output, (eg) 600w pv x 75% x 4hrs = 1800wh. Not enough to fully charge batteries plus run loads in poor sun months, but likely enough to get there over a period of a few days. If you get longer runs of gloomy weather, you'd need to charge with a small generator, or take the batteries home to charge.

    All above just for example purposes.

    Thank you for the help. Yeah it would be a wireless point to point using Ubiquiti equipment. Have used their stuff for work it's crazy what you can do with it.
    · Share on Twitter
  • littleharbor2
    littleharbor2 Solar Expert Posts: 2,113 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #9
    mike95490 said:

    littleharbor2 said:

    Is there a reason you can't get Satellite based internet? Hughesnet, ViaSat and others offer satellite internet.

    New policy, sat internet requires you have an pow-co meter, which takes off-grid installs out of the picture. Existing ones are grandfathered in. Big news in my neck of the woods where there are a fair # of off-grid sat installs.
    What is the reason for this? One thing I can say. A properly designed off grid system is way more dependable than typical POCO power. Only time I'm without power is when I intentionally shut down. THOH the So. Cal. Edison power here at home goes down at least once a month.

    2.1 Kw Suntech 175 mono, Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 ( 15 years old  but brand new out of sealed factory box Jan. 2015), Bogart Tri-metric,  460 Ah. 24 volt LiFePo4 battery bank. Plenty of Baja Sea of Cortez sunshine.

    · Share on Twitter
  • johntcantrell
    johntcantrell Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭✭
    #10
    Estragon said:

    Not sure about regular wi-fi over a 1 mile range. Depends on terrain, potential interference, etc I suppose. Personally, I'd consider DSL, or a point-to-point wireless system.

    Anyway, .8a at 24v is ~20w (hopefully not .8a at 120vac). Assuming the modem would be about the same, call it roughly 50w total load. The radio (wifi) part of the load may vary with actual send/receive time, but assuming constant 50w load 24x7, that's 50x24=1200 watt-hours/day. Assuming you stay lit for one cloudy day, that's 2400wh storage. For good life, a deep cycle lead acid battery shouldn't be discharged more than 50%, so 4800wh of storage. At 12v nominal, that's 200amp-hours, so a pair of 6v golf cart batteries may be a good choice.

    If possible, both devices should be powered with DC voltage converters, not an AC inverter (to avoid losses).

    Assuming your location would get at least 4hrs of full sun equivalent (check pvwatts.nrel.gov for actual location) on average in poor months, and actual output ~75% of STC rated output, (eg) 600w pv x 75% x 4hrs = 1800wh. Not enough to fully charge batteries plus run loads in poor sun months, but likely enough to get there over a period of a few days. If you get longer runs of gloomy weather, you'd need to charge with a small generator, or take the batteries home to charge.

    All above just for example purposes.

    Sorry for the double reply. So do you think one of those 100watt panels from Amazon that are like 110 bucks would be powerful enough?
    · Share on Twitter
  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #11
    You need to nail down the load needs (actual draws including conversion/inversion losses, 24x7 or ??), and location (average insolation, tilt, any shading, etc.), but probably not.

    Most likely, a 100w panel will produce ~75w in full sun at normal operating temps. Assuming it runs year-round, you'll want the design to provide reasonable charging in poorer months, which may be 3-4hrs of full sun equivalent. That might be ~300 watt-hours for the one panel. Using the guesses above, you'd want more like 6 of them, but actual load and location numbers could easily make it half (or double) that.
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
    · Share on Twitter
  • jonr
    jonr Solar Expert Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
    I'd size your system after you get the equipment and some accurate power measurements.

    I am available for custom hardware/firmware development

    · Share on Twitter
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #13
    johntcantrell said:

    Thank you for the help. Yeah it would be a wireless point to point using Ubiquiti equipment. Have used their stuff for work it's crazy what you can do with it.

    This same equipment is used with WISPs which might be available in your area.

    http://www.wispa.org/Directories/Find-a-WISP
    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.
    · Share on Twitter
  • firerescue712
    firerescue712 Solar Expert Posts: 95 ✭✭
    #14
    Do you have strong cell service? We are using one of the unlimited plans and have 20-40 up/down speeds. We are remote and have very few users on the tower nearest us. We changed over because our old cell provider's towers were overloaded and our speeds died off to dial-up speeds or less when congested. We are thrilled with the new provider? An added plus is we can take the internet with us when we travel. Don't let the sales reps at the cell phone stores talk you into their internet service unless they will give you a free trial period and will not charge a restocking fee. If using cell internet is an option, have someone with each provider come over and run a speed test on each service. I am intentionally not mentioning which service was good and bad because the results vary according to tower distance, terrain, foliage, and number of users on each tower.
    · Share on Twitter

Categories