Off Grid Cabin in Arizona - help me re-design the solar system

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  • Chuck46
    Chuck46 Solar Expert Posts: 95 ✭
    #32
    Re: Off Grid Cabin in Arizona - help me re-design the solar system

    Well I live outside Saint Johns AZ and have been off grid in the AZ high country for many years now. I use 2 swamp coolers on split controls and cool a 1800 sqft home using it from around 12:00 noon to 4 pm or so with minimal gen useage.
    As everyone says get the shade up. It will do more to keep the solar gain off of your home then trying to cool it down once it gets hot. Good luck

    Chuck
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #33
    Re: Off Grid Cabin in Arizona - help me re-design the solar system
    mwilsonnm wrote: »
    Your set-up has some similar features that I have . For heating I use "direct vent" heaters that are propane fed.

    Do you mean "direct vent" as into the room or thru a port right outside the wall ??


    I've heard problems with "vent into the room" at elevations. Air mix is not right, as propane orifice is set for sea level.
    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 ,

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  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #34
    Re: Off Grid Cabin in Arizona - help me re-design the solar system

    Mike,

    Direct vent in this case by definition, is a system that draws combustion air in one pipe, and exhausts out another in a sealed unit. Most draw the intake around the exhaust. They don't then vent through a typical "B" type gas vent, but straight through the wall.

    You are also right about Propane at elevation. You should check with the mft and/or your propane supplier about increasing the orifice sizes and/or your regulator pressure.

    Icarus
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #35
    Re: Off Grid Cabin in Arizona - help me re-design the solar system

    Unvented is the term for vent into the room heaters... Illegal in some states, legal in others. I believe there are unvented gas heaters that include an oxygen depletion sensor for "safety"...

    I personally would avoid an unvented gas heater if at all possible. Here is an older 1996 article with a bit of history about the Unvented Gas Heater. And another anti-unvented heater article...

    Given that everyone is pretty much sealing up homes/cabins/cottages/lake camps (is "that person" happy now :p ) with insulation and weather stripping--I would not want one of those in my quarters.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #36
    Re: Off Grid Cabin in Arizona - help me re-design the solar system

    Chuck46, that is interesting. What is your elevation? I'm at 5,100 feet.
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  • Chuck46
    Chuck46 Solar Expert Posts: 95 ✭
    #37
    Re: Off Grid Cabin in Arizona - help me re-design the solar system

    we are 6340 were I live nice and cool at night. Our daytime max high that I have seen is 102 several years ago.
    Chuck
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #38
    Re: Off Grid Cabin in Arizona - help me re-design the solar system

    Don't forget there are many ways to Stop heat from entering your home?And keeping it in in the winter "thermos bottle" approach.
    I own an energy conservation company based out of Phx but moving to Northern AZ soon enough. We have many different ways of stopping thermal gain into structures with proven methods that really work well...
    I am building a new home off grid east of flagstaff this year and am excited to learn more about solar and what it will take to be comfortable with out spending a ridiculous amount of money to power my home...Hence my visit to this forum to learn the "ways".. Seems to be LOTS of great info here! This post in particular!
    Thanks for all the great info! I see I have alot to learn yet!
    Remember: There are ways to STOP infrared heat from entering your home as well this will make your home much more comfortable without the use of air conditioning for sure....
    Bob
    www.azsynergysystems.com
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  • Telco
    Telco Solar Expert Posts: 201 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #39
    Re: Off Grid Cabin in Arizona - help me re-design the solar system

    Anytime someone wants information on heating their house, I love trotting out the solar heating shed. With this you can use the sun to heat a couple thousand gallons of water, and use that hot water to heat the house. The only cost would be the power needed to pump the water into the collectors, and to pump the water through the house. A solar power system will easily provide enough power to run the pumps, allowing you to heat both your house and your domestic hot water year round with the sun. For safety, you'd want to have a backup boiler to heat the water in case the sun hid out for a few days, but you can size the tank to store several days worth of heat in a reasonably sized tank. This is the method I plan to heat my own home with, when that time comes and I can finally abandon the McMansion I live in now.

    On the other hand, thanks for the air conditioning info folks, this was a place where I was going to see problems as I do need AC in my area. Oklahoma gets pretty hot in the deep summer.
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