Setting up a first solar system

cizzi · January 2008

I'm new to solar setups, been researching the topic heavily for about a week now. Here's 2 possible setups I will be going with, the goal is to provide lighting for a room during the evennings from the energy absorbed during the day or from previously stored energy.

Scenario 1:

Power a 13W light spiral light bulb for 3 hours/day.

Material

2 X 15W Panels
1 7A charge controller
1 200W power inverter
1 32 AH Deep Cycle AGM Deka 8AU1
Roof top mounting brackets
2/10 AWG Wire

Scenario 2:

Power the same 13W light bulb but for 6 hours/day

Material

1 X 85W Kycoera KC85TS panel
30A charge controller
1 200W power inverter
1 78AH Deep cycle AGM Deka 8A24
Roof top mounting brackets
2/10 AWG Wire

This is for experimental purposes to see how the system reacts. I live in Montreal Canada with a latitude of 45 degrees. From the researching I did I used 3 hours of sunlight a day averaged out over the year (more during the summer months), I went conservative in all my math.

Also, I assumed 3 days of cloudy days in a row. And I factored in innefeciencies for using the DC to AC converter. I also assumed that I would deplete my battery no more than the 50% of its fully charged state.I followed a series of long procedures I obtained from a book on exactly this topic.

I just wanted some feedback from some of you guys before I go ahead and place my order for either system, and which system would be best.

Thanks.

mike95490 · January 2008

Re: Setting up a first solar system

cizzi wrote: »

Scenario 1:
Power a 13W light spiral light bulb for 3 hours/day.

Scenario 2:
Power the same 13W light bulb but for 6 hours/day

Take a look here -
http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?t=2166
for very nearly the same thing, only for 25W of lighting.

I'd suggest the following:
Most light per watt: LED bulbs
Most light per $ 12V CFL or cold cathode bulbs

In your situation, given what I know now, I'd go with a LED or CFL bulb, possibly from here:
http://store.solar-electric.com/thinlites.html (this forum's sponsor)
https://glenergy.ca/webstore/catalog/ (I've personally been happy with orders from them)
or here's many LED vendors
http://www.everled.com/everled-fbr/?content=ordering

For a panel, I'd look at a blemish from Florida:
http://www.sunelec.com/ halfway down on main page:
Evergreen B modules have insignificant cosmetic blemishes
170W for $625
It's more than what you are asking for, but one day you will want a radio. then it will be cloudy for a week, and you need all the power when the sun peeks out. Then an outside light.....

You still need a charge controller
http://store.solar-electric.com/chco.html In the $60 - 100 price range

and for your low usage - either the cheapest deep cycle battery from an auto parts store $70 (which you will have to add water monthly) or a fancy sealed battery you never have to worry about watering, and rely on the charge controller to manage all aspects of charging & load control.

Anyway, ask again if this is too vague of an answer.

mike95490 · January 2008

Re: Setting up a first solar system

cizzi wrote: »

I'm not looking for places to buy my items, I allready know where I'm going to get them from. I simply want to know if the system specs I put together will work. I'm not looking to change anything. Thanks.

Scenario 1:
Power a 13W light spiral light bulb for 3 hours/day.
Marginal.

Scenario 2:
Power the same 13W light bulb but for 6 hours/day
More likely to succeed, you have a larger panel, which does NOT warrant
a 30A charge controller

PLEASE read http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?t=2166
and see if you have taken the same steps to allow for all the system losses.

AND Consider using 12V CFL lamps, and skip the 20% losses of using an inverter.

niel · January 2008

Re: Setting up a first solar system

also note that the time period of the winter solstice is when you are likely to have a failure of the system due to the sun being low to the horizon and with fewer hours of it available. optimizing the pv for adjustment to a winter angle would help tremendously as it will give not only the beter angle to the sun, but will help in allowing snow to either slide off easier or not stick to the pv at all. that winter angle during the summer months would not work well so a readjustment for summer would be in order.
without looking you may have less than 3hrs of full sun per day during the timeperiods around the winter solstice so averages yield a time when it won't work well. that's the same time period you'd need the cfl the most due to less hours of daylight.

cizzi · January 2008

Re: Setting up a first solar system

Having access to a Solar Pathfinder would be nice

Setting up a first solar system

Comments

Categories