Justifying a smaller off grid television set?

softdown
softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
Have 50" and thinking 40" makes economic sense in the long term. Curiously simple comparison charts did not become readily available in my searches. It was more like "How big of a TV can you fit" from my queries. Perhaps someone else has had better luck. 

I have ~ 1050 sq. inches of viewing area. https://topuptv.co.uk/tv-screen-height-width-dimensions/
A 40" tv delivers ~ 680 sq. inches.  I don't know exactly how that translates to power consumption - other than should much less. 

If we figure that grid power cost ~ 10 cents/kWh then - 50 cents/kWh is not at all unusual when using solar batteries. Some do much better, some do much worse. 

But I am figuring $1/kWh when watching television. Why? Because I watch late night and early morning and watch the battery voltage slowly decline with each passing hour. My router supplies power to the roof top antennae and also kills battery power. But so does my bluray player. 

Power usage varies with screen brightness and data usage of course. I estimate that my Vizio 50" tv uses about 100 watts and the router uses at least 100 watts. Both very rough estimates to be sure. My KillOWatt is clouded over and difficult/impossible for more than rough approximations over days.  I use the darker tv setting but only that single energy conservation setting is available. A stark disappointment. 

Hopeful that somebody here has dove in and crunched some definitive numbers. 

Most of us know that manufactures Energy Guide yellow tags lie. It is so easy to cheat. 

This is rather a dour note for solar energy. The bright side is that energy is much closer to free when the sun is shining. 

My ISP supplies the router that powers my roof top antennae. Don't think I have options there. It likely explains the $25/mt discount I got when they installed the new system. They said it was to decrease the load on their main broadcasting tower in town. 
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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Comments

  • Wheelman55
    Wheelman55 Registered Users Posts: 245 ✭✭✭
    I believe that our 43” Samsung 4K UHD TV uses 45 to 55 watts. It’s 1,500 miles away so I can’t check. 
    Off-Grid in Terlingua, TX
    5,000 watt array - 14 CS 370 watt modules. HZLA horizontal tracker. Schneider: XW6048NA+, Mini PDP, MPPT 80-600, SCP. 390ah LiFeP04 battery bank - 3 Discover AES 42-48-6650 48 volt 130ah LiFePO4 batteries
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2020 #3
    Sounds about right. Some of them have ample energy savings settings. My 55" LG in the city has 10 different brightness levels. I leave it on bright since grid energy is reasonable and I don't get to use it a great deal.

    Before I set up an easy to read system voltage gauge, I had no idea how much energy I consume just doing ordinary stuff like watching tv. Even the game of Risk on an Vista low/medium performance laptop with 14" screen uses a significant amount. Not as much as most video games I would guess. Only way I don't drain the batteries is to lie in the darkness. Books aren't bad - just need reading light. Buying books adds up though. Library doesn't work out so well here.

    If off grid living was a larger sector we could maybe have a good magazine devoted to coping comfortably with off grid solar. I still think one could make it compete with grid power, cost wise, if they played all 52 cards correctly. Pretty well dedicating their life to it.

    As far as I recollect Photowit has managed to only double the cost of grid power? Via his own work, a deal on panels, and a forklift battery. Many have a tough time getting a forklift battery indoors.
    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
  • 706jim
    706jim Solar Expert Posts: 520 ✭✭✭✭
    Presently I have a 49" LED 1020P RCA TV. Takes about 60 watts and idles at nearly nothing. Some years ago we bought my mother a colour TV for camp. 9" screen 12 volts and 60 watts.

    I'm thinking 60 watts 49" screen vs 60 watts 9" screen is an impressive improvement.
    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.
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    No doubt. LED lighting is one of the greatest technologies of the past 50 years. Would have been a luxury to catch a couple hours on a 21" ~ twenty years ago. Perhaps even genset time for many.

    Samsung and Vizio televisions are noted for "spying". They have a "network card" type thing built into them. I wonder how much energy that uses. They surely turn it off when testing for Energy Star energy usage - and I'm speculating a bit here. Just suspicious about much "technology." Very suspicious actually.
    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
  • petertearai
    petertearai Solar Expert Posts: 471 ✭✭✭✭
    Yes the smart tvs use a bit to run the wifi and internal computer .  Think my panasonic 40 inch is energy star rated at 165 kwh per anum .
    2225 wattts pv . Outback 2kw  fxr pure sine inverter . fm80 charge controller . Mate 3. victron battery monitor . 24 volts  in 2 volt Shoto lead carbon extreme batterys. off grid  holiday home 
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    Yes the smart tvs use a bit to run the wifi and internal computer .  Think my panasonic 40 inch is energy star rated at 165 kwh per anum .

    Did you compare the energy ratings before buying? Are they not all "smart tv's" now. I have read of Vizio and Samsung being singled out for spying on their users. Not sure what "a bit" is.

    Dedicating two more panels to a different solar bank hurt my overnight low a bit as well. A subject for a different thread perhaps.
    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
  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm not sure if or to what extent they still are but TVs used to be a significant "vampire" load, sucking power even when not in active use.
    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
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2020 #9
    Lots of electronics have pretty high power consumption in "stand by". People want "instant on" instead of letting things warm up for a few seconds. I also believe electricity costs have generally risen faster than inflation over the past 20 years. Those warm fuzzy solar panels and wind generators may add a lot to the utility company costs.

    Off grid users learn to leave stuff disconnected until needed. It isn't difficult to "turn stuff on twice" - giving it power then pressing the ON button.

    My fridge seem to be on much more often than not between 4am and 7am. I suspect an overly active defrost mechanism. It was built in 2008 when Energy Star was a newer concept and energy conservation a lesser priority.

    Here is a marginal .gov site. They went "all the way" and rated six different sets. Commitment to excellence. https://www.energystar.gov/most-efficient/me-certified-televisions/results

    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
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    So my E50u Vizio uses 89 watts with no tuner. I don't know if that includes the speakers which are rated at 20 watts. I'd imagine the Amazon Fire plug in uses another 10-25 watts or so. Same could be said for Roku. https://www.cnet.com/reviews/vizio-smartcast-e50u-d2-review/

    The reviews I read do not address energy consumption in a highly useful manner.

    Size may not be the indicator of power consumption that you may have suspected. Much more to it than just size alone.

    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
  • petertearai
    petertearai Solar Expert Posts: 471 ✭✭✭✭
    Softdown, .yes  when purchasing a tv , the sales people could not get their head around my desire for low energy consumption. They could only tell me about picture quality  or features .  The last one i purchased  for 3 reasons . 40 inch as opposed to existing 30 inch . Dual tuner , so satelite dish cable connected directly .  And net flix, YouTube loaded into it to make things simple .
    2225 wattts pv . Outback 2kw  fxr pure sine inverter . fm80 charge controller . Mate 3. victron battery monitor . 24 volts  in 2 volt Shoto lead carbon extreme batterys. off grid  holiday home 
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    I never considered energy consumption when on the grid. No big reason to do so. Being off the grid is kind of cool with one caveat: Get good batteries. I had too much excitement with my first batteries. Losing power at 3am in a blizzard sucks. Never happened to me but I'll bet it sucks.

    Everyone here talks endlessly about their solar array. Panels and batteries in particular. But half the battle can be won with smart energy conservation. I'll give BB credit for pointing that out pretty frequently.
    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
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    I have a samsung 65” that uses about 75 watts a 55” that uses 60 watts and a 50”that cost 299 bucks  that uses 45 watts a 20 that uses 19 watts . 
      I don’t have WiFi or satellite I down load compleat shows on thumb drives and save them for ever . 
     There is no antenna nothing, I have one drive I’ve been watching for a month now it must have 50 long movies on it . 
     The thumb drive just plugs in the back of the tv it’s easy Dosent come with a bill attached and Dosent really use much power . 
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    Nice set up. I wonder how much would be involved in transferring my dvd's to thumb drives. Should be faster than transferring data to a dvd due to write speeds - I would hope. I tend to be behind technology, I still listen to cassettes. My dog inadvertently pops out cd's and breaks them in half.

    I think most people are listening to songs on their smart phone via bluetooth. My phone has zero songs, zero videos. Guess that is because I find smartphones to be creepy surveillance devices.
    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
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    Best thing for me would be an energy conserving 40" with built in DVD player. I have hundreds and hundreds of dvd's that I mostly bought for $1/each. But my external player uses far too much energy for some reason. I don't think it should require that much energy.
    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
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    TV specifications should tell us power consumption I would think. Yet that seems to be rarely found. This morning I have found exactly one TV spec's list including power consumption.
    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
  • 706jim
    706jim Solar Expert Posts: 520 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2020 #17
    As previously mentioned, my 49" TV is quite thrifty around 60 watts. And virtually nothing in standby mode. I figure my whole setup consisting of TV satellite and stereo take about as much power as my fridge except that the fridge probably runs a total of 8-10 hours per day and the TV somewhat less. And until recently I was able to keep the batteries up with only 400 watts of panels.

    Before adding the fridge of course.

    BTW since adding the fridge I run the Trace 24/7 with the standby circuit defeated. This for my 6 month season.
    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.
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2020 #18
    That is much better than my 50" that uses 89 watts. Here we have a 40" Sansui rated at a miserly 59 kWh/year. https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-televisions/details/2327932

    Is it asking to much to simply state how many watts the power consumption is thought to be? I guess so - finding that number is quite rare. Obviously not something that many consumers look at.

    Then we have LG who cheated the tests by supplying tv's with their brightness levels turned way down.

    EDIT: Found the wattage rating for this Sansui: Power Consumption in On Mode (watts)Field details: 31.14
    Almost 1/3 what my tv consumes while offering about 2/3rds the screen size. Looks like a "winner".

    Also - it appears that kWh/year can roughly be cut in half for watts usage. i.e.: 60 kWh/year is about 30 watts.

    So my 89 watts is roughly 180 kWh - a significant energy consumer.

    I could save ~ 150 kWh with the purchase of a $400 fridge. Or ~ 120 kWh with the purchase of a $300 tv that is 1/3 smaller.  I'd do that but income is now zeroed out with no end in sight.

    I should call my ISP and ask about the possibility of a router that is more energy efficient. Why not - when one has almost nothing to lose?

    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
  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Personally I haven't watched TV in the past 5 years and don't miss it, commercial television is, for the most part, a conduit for propaganda, controlling the minds of viewers, camouflaged as entertainment  for the masses. Just watch Fox "news ", an oxymoron in itself, to see the power of misleading information guiding anyone gullible enough to follow then into the twilight zone. This  has been going on for years and some who could see it acknowledged it, for example Frank Zappa wrote a song in 1973, 47 years ago about this, here it is.

    I  am gross and perverted 
    I'm obsessed 'n deranged 
    I have existed for years 
    But very little had changed
    I am the tool of the Government 
    And industry too 
    For I am destined to rule 
    And regulate you
    I may be vile and pernicious 
    But you can't look away 
    I make you think I'm delicious 
    With the stuff that I say
    I am the best you can get 
    Have you guessed me yet? 
    I am the slime oozin' out 
    From your TV set
    You will obey me while I lead you 
    And eat the garbage that I feed you 
    Until the day that we don't need you 
    Don't go for help...no one will heed you
    Your mind is totally controlled 
    It has been stuffed into my mold 
    And you will do as you are told 
    Until the rights to you are sold
     
    TV is the big brother or INGSOC, if you like, controlling the minds of the gullible who subscribe to it's nonsense, only they don't know it, blindly following what is fed to them as fact, regardless of the consequences of doing so, it's so easy to control the uneducated and ignorant  into believing what is said is true, it's no wonder they, the powers, use this tool to their advantage.


    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,622 admin
    Remember that TV viewing surface size goes with the square of outside dimensions. A 20x30 inch TV is 1/4 the screen area of a 40x60 inch TV... So power requirements are roughly proportional (1/4 screen sq inches is about 1/4 the energy used).

    Another caution, I would not pay extra or "smart TVs" (or smart DVD players, etc.)--My Vizio tv, not more than a few years old, does not support Amazon and other video services (Netflix just hangs).

    Lastly, the Vizio remote I have--All of the button markings have long since worn off from normal usage... Nothing like a remote with a hundred buttons front and rear--All black. Since I use a Roku to access my non-broadcast channels, I only need to use the 0-9 and a few other menu keys--So remember those locations.

    And if you are worried about Internet Snooping--Look for Pi Hole software (runs on cheap Raspberry pi and other devices). The software replaces the DNS lookup on your router--And returns "null" for blacklisted sites (besides many ad sites, it also blocks Facebook and similar--If you wish).

    https://pi-hole.net/

    There are new(er) Browser functions that can bypass the Pi Hole (Secure DNS) blacklisting (secure DNS does block your ISP from tracking your web surfing)...

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    Nice input lately. It makes sense that power consumption would be closely related to size - but the claims often fail to substantiate that. The odds of some form of "test cheating" are quite good by my estimation.
    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
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2020 #22
    I just posted a question regarding the power consumption of this $190 40" Sansui: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085VJ6VP3/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

    Since model numbers change very rapidly it seems difficult to find solid energy numbers.

    Then we have descriptions like this:

    Sansui SLED3228 32IN HD LED TV (2018 Model) (50IN)


    A 50IN 32IN HD LED TV! We now have shape shifting TV's!



    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
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    In the lower right you will find a strong correlation between size and power consumption of very similar LG televisions. Which surprises nobody. https://www.costco.com/wcsstore/CostcoUSBCCatalogAssetStore/Attachment/9887343_SS.pdf

    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
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2020 #24
    If you poke long enough and hard enough sometimes you find a pay off. Found this just released 40" Sansui on sale for $140 at Electronic Express.com in Tennessee. Shipping was $15. https://www.electronicexpress.com/catalog/187402/Sansui-S40P28F

    Look at the Energy Guide:

    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
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,622 admin
    I am not sure I "trust" specific energy star tags (trust, but verify works for me):
    • 64,000 WH per year * 1/365 days per year / 5 hours per day usage = 35 Watts average load
    Use a Kill-a-Watt meter or similar to measure... The couple of "modern" digital TVs I measured the standby losses on, I could not even get 1 Watt of load (both read zero Watts).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2020 #26
    Electronic Express is an established business. Their online reviews are quite poor overall. I'll just hope for the best I suppose. The best price often carries a degree of risk - win some/lose some. It was $25 cheaper from them which is still credible. Could have been dropped or...

    Anyone placing bets?
    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
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2020 #27
    BB. said:
    I am not sure I "trust" specific energy star tags (trust, but verify works for me):
    • 64,000 WH per year * 1/365 days per year / 5 hours per day usage = 35 Watts average load
    Use a Kill-a-Watt meter or similar to measure... The couple of "modern" digital TVs I measured the standby losses on, I could not even get 1 Watt of load (both read zero Watts).

    -Bill

    I have seen a number claiming .5 watts in stand by. Not worth unplugging.

    I am using broad, easy to use, figures here. $8/year is roughly 16 watts of power by my figures. They may not include speaker power - for one thing. Hard to know without trying it - not many hook up a Kill-a-Watt then post up results. Going from 89 watts to ~ 16 watts would be fantastic. Also - hard to believe. I'll be happy with 30 watts and I'll take 40 watts.

    Hope my math was generally acceptable.

    EDIT: Think I got turned around on the math. $8/year is about 80 kWh/yr. Or ~40 watts by previous figuring. Why can't they just state watts?
    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
  • 706jim
    706jim Solar Expert Posts: 520 ✭✭✭✭
    I recall listening to Zappa's "Freak out!" And figured I understood Frank. Thinking back; not a chance!
    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.
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,915 ✭✭✭✭
    706jim said:
    I recall listening to Zappa's "Freak out!" And figured I understood Frank. Thinking back; not a chance!


    At any rate, I'm sure it was high.

    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
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
     hay soft my numbers are 100% on the money.
    all you need is a 12 year old girl that can down load movies on a thumb drive for you.
    i have no set up, the Samsung tv come with the plug in the back, my wife buys thumb drives on amozan 
    AND MY 12 YEAR OLD DAUTER DOWN LOADS MOVIES FOR ME.
     I’m not really sure how she dose it, but I know I pay for it to happen.
      She has no fancy equipment lap top and I pad.and a movie Account.
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
    All my tv ares are on switched out let’s by the door I just turn them off.
     But the Samsung tv s don’t use enough power to read on a kw meter
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .