Author Topic: Solar build  (Read 14986 times)

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Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #30 on: March 18, 2012, 02:06:24 am »
Well some time at junkyards turned up a frame used that was covered in tin. I am not sure what it was meant for originally but I was told it came from a local factory. It's very close to the dimensions I need with little reworking.

The large heavy square tube in the image was part of an axle from a very large drag that had been cut up at the junkyard.

Sorry the image is terrible, I took this with nothing more than the area lights from across the yard.
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #31 on: March 21, 2012, 05:08:24 am »
Update, in case anyone is wondering if I have made any progress,

I have a solar tracker frame 3/4 build now ( rather heady duty bugger)
As I am not at all impressed with the frames on these panels I will be making multiple connections from the panel frames to the tracker frame. Besides most of it was already built when I found it. almost a perfect fit, just needs a bit of extension.

The weather has been stormy, or threatening to be so for the last 3 days, so its been little do no progress.

Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline kensue49

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #32 on: March 21, 2012, 03:36:08 pm »
Maybe it will move on.
I watch this thread with a-lot of interest.
Good training for me.
Kenneth

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #33 on: April 14, 2012, 12:50:54 am »
I decided against the tracker until I can get an MPPT, and mount these in a place that best benefits from the tracker.
Right now I would lose a large amount of power as its almost 150 foot run to the best location and with a simple charge controller I am pretty much forced into the 24v the controller will clamp the panels to.
With a good MPPT I can run these ~34 v nominal in series reducing the amperage, and requiring a bit lesser wire cost also.

So for now I have solid mounted these on the garage roof where there is only a ~15' wire run, using 12 gauge wire from each panel. I made time to get one up early on wed, all day Thursday I saw 10-11 amps from that one panel
I verified this with a couple different meters including my digital hand held I do normally trust, as I could not believe it!

This is 3-4 amps more than rated..
So as that was busy making power I got another one put along side of it, and though that didn't get the chance during the already early afternoon sun to strut its stuff, I saw 9 amps from this ( which is what the other was doing at that time too)

I read here and other places all the time about getting more out of panels than rated, but that is generally when matched to an MPPT, or some other really lucky setup like that.. I haven't seen anyone ever boast THIS much more than rating with just a charge controller...
..
Anyone think I have gone mad, or have some explanation, or am I just damned lucky?

Today ( friday) the weather was ick rain-misty-dull  (not complaining, we need it )
But still I saw a couple times while I was home around noon a 2 or so amps from each panel.
I have one more to get up there but finding time is always my problem lately.

I will post pics later,  I completely forgot to take any while fighting the wind
and a painful knee climbing up and down a ladder.
The next time the sun comes out I will get some pics of the gauges at work too

Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #34 on: April 19, 2012, 10:08:34 pm »
Started putting together box with meters, fuses,  power adapters, controls, etc

front panel


Rear of panel


Front close up..

As you can see from the images, this thing got hot trying to drill.
I had cutting oil and it cut really quick, but got HOT *really fast*
This metal is seriously hard stuff, didn't expect it to be this hard when I decided to use this.

Plan to add switch under each of the fuses so I can disconnect each panel.
This works at least for now while the panels are on the garage roof.

Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #35 on: April 21, 2012, 10:55:09 am »
Made some more time to work on this today.



Even with this tungston carbide the metal was hard to drill
Just wont find boxes made like that these days I bet.


Setup in drill.. now I just had to track done one of the kids to help with the cooling :)

Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline birdhouse

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #36 on: April 22, 2012, 11:09:09 pm »
that looks great wolv! 

looks like an ammeter and fuse per panel?  your making me want to redesign my system!  it's all shabbed together as of current. 

certain steel types can be a pain to drill through!  thank god it's not stainless!  that can be the worst.  stop your drill for a break, and the stainless hardens from the cooling! 

keep on keeping on buddy!

adam

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #37 on: April 22, 2012, 11:14:57 pm »
For a while now I have been trying to figure out why I seem to consistently get a lot more power out of my panels than they are labeled for.

Well thanks to RossW that mystery seems to be solved.


Ok here are the specs as sold ( as pictured and in the pdf above )

Physical Dimensions
39.1” x 64.6” x 1.8”/994 x 1640 x 46 mm

Electrical Characteristics

Maximum Power (Pmax)* 240 W
Tolerance of Pmax 0%/5%
Type of Cell Polycrystalline silicon
Cell Confi guration 60 in series
Open Circuit Voltage (Voc) 37.5 V
Maximum Power Voltage (Vpm) 29.3 V
Short Circuit Current (Isc) 8.75 A
Maximum Power Current (Ipm) 8.19 A
Module Effi ciency (%) 14.7%
Maximum System (DC) Voltage 600 V
Series Fuse Rating 15 A
NOCT 47.5°C
Temperature Coeffi cient (Pmax) -0.485%/°C
Temperature Coeffi cient (Voc) -0.36%/°C
Temperature Coeffi cient (lsc) 0.053%/°C

Well I have been getting 11-12 amps consistently out of each panel with short bursts to much more than that.
So Ross and I have been talking this one out, and I lost a bit more hair trying to figure out how I have something messed up in my wiring so I was reading it wrong..
Turns out I am not reading it wrong, I more likely have mislabeled  panels!

I certainly wont complain about this particular mislabeling though

Here is a rough measure of the panels in reality

45.5"  x   64.5" 
<RossBot> 3 feet 9.5 inches is 1.2 m  (43.5")
<RossBot> 5 feet 4.5 inches is 1.6 m  (64.5")

And as Ross worked out with Rossbot

RossW> !calc 1.92*.15
[22:53] <RossBot> .2880
[22:53] <RossW> looks to me like that is a 288 watt panel, near enough.


Now I should look up who I bought those from and see if he has more !!
Nice to have things work in my favor this time.

Thanks for helping sort that out Ross

 
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline birdhouse

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #38 on: April 23, 2012, 01:01:05 am »
i could have sworn you writing about 285 or 295w panels in the past???  am i tripping?

i did the same thing not too long ago...  thought i ordered 215 watters and ACTUALLY bought 245w panels... 

how soon we forget??

adam

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #39 on: April 23, 2012, 03:13:05 am »
If you look in earlier posts on this thread there are actually images of the specs that are on the back of each panel..
Which are obviously NOT what they really are.
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
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Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #40 on: May 02, 2012, 05:28:36 am »
I have been in awe of how solar power tends to add up.  A LOT more than I had imagined it would.

I know I have mentioned it before but I just gotta say it again..  ;D
This site runs on 100% solar power these days.
I have it setup so if the batteries were to get to low, a charge circuit comes on to keep the batteries alive until the sun comes out again. So far that charging system only has a couple hours racked up and that was only on the first few days or so before I sorted some battery issues.

For 24/7 loads
I now have a couple 8 port switches, the system that runs this web site (it does a lot of other things too), a muti-dish dish network switch ( and LNBFs),
a laptop (which I am on now), a small fridge, an incubator, and the computer interfaces and controls for the climate control and home automation

The garage lighting, along with our entire master bedroom, which has very little as far as power consuming devices, just a 32 inch LCD tv that gets maybe 30 min a night but adds some phantom load if I forget to shut off the power strip.

I also have been running most every power tool in the shop off this setup in the daytime. As of today our well also is powered from this system. I will have to keep an eye on this to see how that goes as the well serves a second house as well as ours. My feeling is this will be to much for the system, particularily on days like today where it was all overcast and rainy.

As long as I keep my heavy loads to sunny daytime hours it seems I have more than enough power to play with.
From what I have seen, these panels quite often put out near 900 watt when there is enough demand and sun to make it happen.

I know I am lacking a LOT of battery capacity yet but I am more and more impressed with this little setup every day, glad I am in good company with birdhouse and strider
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)

Offline ghurd

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #41 on: May 02, 2012, 08:10:16 am »
Cool!

"As long as I keep my heavy loads to sunny daytime hours it seems I have more than enough power to play with."
Yup, use it while its there to use.

Not sure how much cordless stuff you have, how heavily it is used, etc.
Could use a ghurd controller with the hysteresis somewhere between dump load and LVD.
With resistor RX of 12K, should give about 0.3V (or a bit more) of hysteresis.
Adjust the voltage window to maybe 13.90V On, 13.58V Off?
RX of 8.2K would be a litte bigger window / more hysteresis / less cycling.
Ghurd controller controls a relay, which sends AC power to a power strip, which charges drill batteries, digital camera, laptops, cell phone, etc?
Ta Da!
Automated "use it while you got it" circuit.

G-

Offline philb

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #42 on: May 02, 2012, 06:59:38 pm »
I'm glad things are coming together Wolv!  Very impressive.

I have 4 panels, 235 watts each, on a flat roof now and they keep eight 6 volt batteries on float from about 10 am even on cloudy days. Gotta put more loads on them.

Offline birdhouse

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #43 on: May 03, 2012, 12:12:20 am »
yea! wolv, stoked this forum is "run from the sun"!

Quote
I have been in awe of how solar power tends to add up.  A LOT more than I had imagined it would.

have you seen the two decks i built from 390w of solar??   

it's a really keen feeling!

adam

Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Solar build
« Reply #44 on: May 03, 2012, 01:29:30 am »
Thanks guys for the praise.

@birdhouse
Yep I have Adam, 
, glad I am in good company with birdhouse and strider

@Ghurd
I threw together a crude circuit similar to your controller that runs the charge circuit for now.
I already run a pc that I plan to make use of as much processor time as sensible to make it worth it's draw since there is rather little difference in wattage use. I have found a couple ebay items from china that have volt meters and relay controls on a single board that I plan to put to use for just that idea. I had done this some time ago with a wind genny, and UPS based power system. Difference is I had easy access to voltage monitoring via serial port on the UPS in that setup.

I really cannot tell you how well that system produced power as I really didn't monitor anything of use in that department, or have any data I did have left to base any estimates. I still don't have that monitoring today, but I am working on that problem
Trying to make power from alternative energy any which way I can.
Just to abuse what I make. (and run this site)