Anotherpower.com Forum
Renewable Energy Questions/Discussion => Renewable Energy Q&A => Topic started by: philb on January 29, 2012, 12:18:12 am
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Sun electronics has laminates for sale in various wattages. They are now 58 cents per watt. I can't buy the cells and make my own for that price.
http://www.sunelec.com/solar-laminates-c-47.html (http://www.sunelec.com/solar-laminates-c-47.html)
Does anyone here have experience with mounting the J-boxes on these panels? Did you find the job easy or difficult?
Is mono-crystalline or poly-crystalline best? I will be mounting them (if I buy) in an area that has no shade obstructions.
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Gads thats a good price. I can't make them for that.... and I've made a few:
[attachimg=1]
And a few more than that too.......58 cents.... drool.
.............oztules
Edit : Mine are just a bigger than those 245 poly panels on their site.
[attachimg=2]
I have 66 cells per laminate. As you see, there is no shading issue for me either, but i did use a single diode (blocking) anyway.... no real excuse I can think off... I guess it's just because I had them.
I just silicone the jbox on and put in a few 1meter leads out. In my case the leads are inside conduit (flexible) and they then go to more electrical j-boxes on the array frame so the whole lot is water proof from panel to final j-box wiring loom (also in conduit) that runs the whole length and stitches them up into two banks.
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"Does anyone here have experience with mounting the J-boxes on these panels? Did you find the job easy or difficult?"
The big boys just silicone them on.
Might be a good idea to use a non acid bearing silicone if it will be on any conductors, and it most probably will to keep the conductors from flexing during handling and snapping off.
The stuff I have here is Dap 3.0 ($6 / tube at Lowe's).
Typically, the panels have 3 or 4 flat wide conductors leaving the rear of the panel. They are soldered to a terminal strip, which may or may not be molded into the J-box.
This one is a European Photowatt, so is different than most, but it was still just siliconed on.
The conductors were coated with that brownish-red silicone-ish stuff first, then the whole assembly was squished down in a large quantity of silicone.
Hope that makes sense,
G-
[attachimg=1]
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phil-
i bought six laminates from sunelec last year. 245watters, 30.5vmp. including freight shipping from miami, FL to portland, OR, they were still less than a buck a watt. they were "sun" brand.
the cells/glass were very beautiful/clean ect. the J box wasn't there, but you could tell it was there at one point. they tear them off and it leaves that area a little torn up. four flat tabbing wires exited the panels for connections.
i made nice clean wood frames for them out of clear fir, and siliconed a plastic 4square box with the back hogged out for the tabbing wire to come through. worked beautifully.
for me, it's worth my time/energy to "finish" these laminates rather than buying "panels" at a much greater cost.
FYI- i'd order over the phone, and not via their webpage. small orders are not these folk's specialty, and they don't care about customer service if your order is less than 10K FWIW.
adam
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Would it be possible for someone to explain what is all involved in finishing these laminates to the point they are ready to mount?
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Would it be possible for someone to explain what is all involved in finishing these laminates to the point they are ready to mount?
Yeah, me too! Be curious to know this. I could probably convince the CFO they would be a good investment "if" I could make them useful without dropping a lot extra on the framing / etc.
I cannot seem to get their how to video to play here?
Thanks in advance.
Tom
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It does not seen there ho to video shows more than how to add the junction boxes anyway Tom so your not missing much.
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I cannot seem to get their how to video to play here?
Tom
Try this address "http://www.sunelec.com/videobox/videoplayer.php" .....it worked for me....See ya
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I downloaded the videos with clip grab running on Ubuntu. They seem straight forward and not too technical.
Oztules, The videos show diodes but I will check for them anyway. Good point.
Ghurd, that looks like a plastic junction box available at major US DYI retailers. I wondered if that would work. J-boxes on flee-bay are about $10 per box. The non-acid silicon should not have the acetic acid (vinegar) smell. Correct me if I'm wrong. :)
Birdhouse, Thanks for the heads up about ordering information. I'll ask how long it will take to get them when I call.
Wolvenar, I'll be glad to do a post. It may take a while. BTW, there is talk among the politicians to put a big tariff on solar panels coming into the US now. I think most come from China anyway.
If my fuzzy math is correct, a 4KW system with all the trimmings can pay for itself in about 10 years. I'd pay today's solar prices simply to lock the cost of my future energy bills down and get dependable power. Of course, the system will not function without at least one wind turbine online. ;D Yes, there are worse addictions so I face it and keep building them.
Thanks for all the comments. Keep them coming.
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Try this address "http://www.sunelec.com/videobox/videoplayer.php" .....it worked for me....See ya
Wilfor03;
Thanks. That did it.
Tom
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All I see are videos showing how to add the junction boxes, is that all that is needed? I have always been under the impression they need framework, etc.
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If my fuzzy math is correct, a 4KW system with all the trimmings can pay for itself in about 10 years.
Like so many things, the equation changes for each person.
I calculated mine would probably payback in about 2.5 years, based on what I'd save by not burning propane.
Between the time I made the decision, then ordered, paid for, waited for and installed them, propane had increased in price. I think I actually reached payback after about 19 months.
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I am not going to try to justify the purchase with the time for payback, besides it may be impossible to do so.
With electricity now going to 18c Kwh here, and likely rising higher in the next couple years according to the electric cooperative, we figured now is the time.
Part of the payback is in the fun of the project, part is to be independent as possible.
When the costs go through the roof I can only assume the the alternative energy products will go up as well. So for us, now is the time.
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With electricity now going to 18c Kwh here, and likely rising higher in the next couple years
Wow you guys sure got it cheap. I haven't paid a power bill in years.... so I just checked with a good friend who is still on the power merry-go-round....
Consumption: 28.85080 c/kWh
plus
Supply charge: 107.80440 c/day
So a "typical" place taking what, 20 kWh/day?... is up for $5.77 in power + $1.078 in "supply charge" = $6.85/day
Typical billing looks to be quarterly, so near enough to $625 per quarter.
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We have what is called a minimum connection fee per month. This is something like 50 a month, and then a cost *adjustment* to make the differences in thier supply cost per kwh for the month average that varies 2 to 3c /Kwh per month but is generally 8c/Kwh, not as bad as you guys sure, but I wasnt going to get into the details in the last post.
To me, since in 2006 we paid 6c Kwh .... and its not around 20...
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At that rate Wolv.. and others have said it. If the goal is to save money near term (I can't forecast power expenses in the future)... you will not save $ .
I do it as a hobby.. and pride etc....
Rover
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Oztules, The videos show diodes but I will check for them anyway. Good point.
Ghurd, that looks like a plastic junction box available at major US DYI retailers. I wondered if that would work. J-boxes on flee-bay are about $10 per box. The non-acid silicon should not have the acetic acid (vinegar) smell. Correct me if I'm wrong. :)
I did NOT watch any of the videos.
There is no gain to be had with bypass diodes in a non-MPPT 12 or 24V system. If I install PVs that the factory put bypass diodes in, I cut the diodes out to save returning later to do it after they failed.
Blocking diodes, maybe, but it depends on the situation, system, and controller, so I'd say use blocking diodes.
Not much potential for causing a problem, and they won't hurt anything in a decent system.
J-box.
If this was my project...
I would use a plastic box that is UV-resistant ("outdoor rated"), with a flat back.
I'd get a plan in place depending on how and where the PV conductors were, what terminal strip was available, and attack the back of the box with a Dremmel tool.
After a trail fitting, then I'd start by making the permanent electrical connections, more trial fitting, more planing, etc...
THEN I'd actually cut open the silicone.
It takes a LOT of silicone, so don't expect a tube will make 5 PVs.
Remember, there WILL be air moving between inside & outside of the J-box. Nothing you can do about that.
Keep the PV side of the J-box completely sealed to keep water out, natuarally.
But the moving air will cause condensation inside the box, and it would be best if that water could drain out.
I seal the high side, both side sides (?), and in about 25% of the way from the sides on the bottom side.
It leaves a place for the water to get out, but nowhere for the water to get in.
If the J-box has an O-ring gasket, cut out 1" in the center of the bottom side.
If it does not have an O-ring, silicone 3 and a half sides of the lid (you know what I mean).
Works for me.
"The non-acid silicon should not have the acetic acid (vinegar) smell. Correct me if I'm wrong."
You are correct.
The non-acid stuff is not at all offensive to me.
Smelling the acid stuff makes every sphincter in my being contract violently and uncontrollably.
The non-acid stuff takes a few hours before it can be exposed to water, and it costs more, so start looking at the expensive end of the caulking compound.
I would not use wood for the frame, ever. Wood warps.
Aluminum angle stock is cheap enough. Cheaper than wood here (by the foot, in context).
Mono vs Poly?
3 main arguements.
"Mono is more efficient" yet I have bought poly of the same size with 20% greater output ratings than monos of the same or smaller size.
"Mono is less fragile" yet I have seen more than a couple polys with shattered or broken to the point of 'gone' front glass still producing rated power (I do not expect they maintained it for long, but they did it when I was there).
"Poly is less expensive per rated watt" yet I have (many times) purchased larger monos of the same brand and model for less $/W than the mono counter parts.
To me, it all comes down to cost per amp into the battery under the conditions when the customer needs it the most...
And the reliability. So no amorphous PVs.
G-
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Remember, there WILL be air moving between inside & outside of the J-box. Nothing you can do about that.
Actually, there is :)
I've done this in the past and it works. Using better materials will work far longer. If I need to take a picture, I will...
Your junction box (control box, remote radio node, whatever it is you want to keep the air (and thus moisture) out of needs to be a little oversize. Drill one additional hole towards the bottom of the box. Put in a standard (small) electrical gland. The type that seals. Do it up. Nice and tight.
Shove a cigarette filter or other "open pore foam rubber" material up the gland to stop critter access. (ants, mostly). And here's the kicker... a decent kiddies balloon goes over the inside and seals on to the thread protruding into the box. A tiewrap or twist tie or even adhesive tape just to keep it there.
The reason your air moves in and out of the box is changes in pressure. The balloon allows pressure to be equalised, but prevents nasty "outside" air getting into the box.
When I've done this, I usually fill the junction box with something dry. Nitrogen if you can get it. Just about any compressed gas (even refrigeration gas) will generally do, just to "flush out" the air. If you want to really do it properly, you have an extra hole you can seal. Suck out what you can of the air easily and re-introduce dry inert gas. Repeat a couple of times. When you're finished, leave the internal pressure SLIGHTLY below atmospheric pressure at the time, so the balloon is partly inflated. This will allow the pressure to drop without trying to suck the balloon back out the gland. (prolapse?)
Treated this way, I've kept slot antennas, resonant cavities and control equipment completely dry inside for many years without a single failure.
I've seen some of the nice rubber bulbs used on squeeze type horns, and on hydrometers, that I think would likely be an even better long-term solution than a cheap balloon, but I've never tried one.
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Thanks Ghurd. That's a wealth of information.
I'm planning a incoming solar voltage around 120 volts open circuit.
MPPT charge controller voltage 150 max. Three brands to choose from. I haven't made a choice yet.
I'm leaning towards the new Outback Radian for its grid tie/non-grid and generator capabilities. I cannot see much difference in price between buying the Radian and two true sine inverters tied together for 240 V split phase. If I go with the Radian, I will loose redundancy. Chris discussed this in a thread not long ago.
Batteries...Rolls or Crown are the best choice IMHO. We will see.
Rover...I've been through the hobby phase. It's time to get serious for me. I won't get on my soap box about power companies here. ;)
RossW - I didn't put propane into the equation. I'm glad you mentioned that. For me, that's $100 per month averaged on an annual basis.
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@ Rover,
I plan to do this for a learning and fun project first, and a long term investment as the power costs are doing nothing but go up. Thinking its best to get the big investments into this now while its semi affordable.
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ghurd-
i'd have to disagree on "never using wood for a panel frame".
provided certain species/steps are used, wood can be a perfect panel frame material.
i used clear straight grained douglas fir. it came out of a 80 year old building. i resawed the beam into panel frame sized pieces, primed all six sides, painted all six sides, twice, with oil based aluminum paint.
if these pieces were going to warp, they would have done so in their previous 80 years of service in the building the beam was initially installed.
old growth clear fir is hands down the straightest wood species i've ever encountered. it's almost like it's engineered via nature for perfection.
adam
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Birdhouse, you are lucky to find old growth wood like that. There's none around here. Most of the wood I can get would be from a major DYI store. Most of that will warp before I can get it home.
I've had a few sticks of 50 year old pine in years past. It was so hard I had to pre-drilled nail holes. :)
I do like the way you are handling/treating the wood though.
RossW, that is serious weatherproofing! Thanks!
If I can fill the J-box nearly full of non-acid silicon, that should work as well?
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RossW, that is serious weatherproofing! Thanks!
If I can fill the J-box nearly full of non-acid silicon, that should work as well?
If there is ANY airspace in there, it will expand and contract and try to suck in outside air (and moisture)
If you completely fill the space, it'll be a real PITA if you ever have to get back into it.
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Remember, there WILL be air moving between inside & outside of the J-box. Nothing you can do about that.
Actually, there is :)
Uhhh... OK?
I have seen factory made versions, I think, on panels.
J-box knock-outs were just 4 holes, so had to install the 4 fittings to seal the holes, even if the fittings did not hold wire.
The J-box fittings were made for single conductor wire.
The O-ring / gasket was sort of like an O-ring with a membrane covering the O.
Had to cut through the membrane to get a wire in, then tighten the fitting to the wire.
Pretty sure it would do what you said, and it was factory made.
Might have in been some of the earliest SolarWorld PVs I ever saw.
Made in Europe, circa '08?
Anything with a European J-box is a serious PITA in the states.
Our hardware does not fit the box, and our (common AND suitable) wire does not fit the fittings.
G-
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The J-box fittings were made for single conductor wire.
The O-ring / gasket was sort of like an O-ring with a membrane covering the O.
Had to cut through the membrane to get a wire in, then tighten the fitting to the wire.
Pretty sure it would do what you said, and it was factory made.
The balloon or other bladder is a critical part of my cure.
A sealed box *WILL* get a pressure differential. Partly from normal diurnal variation, partly because high and low pressure systems will move through the area, and largely because of temperature changes.
The balloon, with the inside vented to the outside, allows the outside air pressure and the inside air pressure to equalize - the balloon itself just inflates or deflates, and thus there is no pressure difference elsewhere in the box, and air doesn't even try to squeeze past the o-rings and other cable entries.
The larger the container, and/or the larger the pressure variations, the better this system works.
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My laminates arrived. They are LG 235LP-24V, 235 watt poly.
There are 4 tabs that the J box should cover. I checked the voltage on a few panels for reference while they were inside a building, pointed to a bright cloud outside. From right to left, first tab to second, I get ~+10volts. First tab to the third, I get ~+20 volts. First to the forth, 29.9 volts.
Now for the solar newby questions...
I'm thinking I connect the first(+) and fourth tab(-) in series to the next panels and forget about connecting the middle two tabs to anything.
The panels will have no obstructions except snow. From what I understand, I do not need blocking nor by-pass diodes. Is that correct?
I plan to use a Mid Nite Classic 150 volt controller with five panels in series with 3 sets of these in parallel. Clear as mud?
Maybe someone can come up with a better connection strategy while keeping the wire runs between the panels to a minimum.
Here's the panel specs:
Peak power 235 watts
Peak Vmp 29.6 V
Imp 7.94 A
Voc 36.8V
Isc 8.58A
Wolv and TomW...
I plan on a story you asked for after I get it things all lined out. WIFI on my computer is on the blink and can't download pictures until I find out why it's is locking up Ubuntu. I'm definitely a solar newby but not afraid to risk letting the blue smoke out! :)
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Hi philb,
Exciting times! Glad to hear the modules came in, I've had both good and bad luck with 'sun' but you can't beat the price. :D
May have been a typo? 3 of 5..or 5 of 3?
With 15 of those modules, best to go with 5 parallel strings of 3 panels in series* to a fused pv combiner box (each string with it's own fuse/breaker) into the mppt 150 and a 48v nominal system.
Not a big fan of adding in any bypass diodes..should do OK without them if we keep the array out of any shading?
Lots of work ahead of you now :D ..more fun than work really....
Any ideas on your mounting strategy?
cheers, dave
* 3 series panels lets us keep within the controllers operating range.
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I should be following right behind you, really close (I hope) to getting some panels also.
Looking forward to your posts
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Hey again philb,
Was just reading up a bit on that controller and wanted to share this link.
http://www.midnitesolar.com/classic/classicCP.php (http://www.midnitesolar.com/classic/classicCP.php)
Some real clever buggers over there at midnite..looks like that controller comes with an on board system set up menu that spits out everything you need right down to the wire size and breakers!
cool beans,
edit:(sic) changed midnight to midnite
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Hi Dave, I've been reading about the Classic for a while. It looks like an excellent piece of equipment. Excellent service after the sale too.
I got thing a bit backwards, it should have been 5 parallel strings of 3 panels in series.
Wolv - I'm not going to be in a big hurry. I'll hook up two for now. That will give me the electricity without running the generator for now.
I've already learned the laminates have a learning curve. Some came with silicon strips wrapped around the edges like they were ready to put the frame on. Others looked fresh out of the press with 1/2" edges to trim.
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a word of caution, the glass on the face is tempered. though incredibly strong in most all circumstances, there is a weakness. the corners. if the corners of the glass are bumped/dragged ect, there's a possibility that the whole piece will shatter into hundreds of pieces.
once the corners are protected/encased, the glass is darn near framing hammer proof.
adam
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Thanks for the heads up birdhouse. I suspected they are fragile since they are only 1/8" think AND glass.
The panel plus silicon came out to about 1/4". So I'll look for 1/2"X1/4"X1/2" aluminium 'C' channel locally as I haven't found any on line that seemed reasonable.
I found grey electrical boxes at the big chain hardware store. The boxes are a little smaller than the original J boxes but cost $1.21. It's an Old work single gang 8 cu in that's about 1 inch tall. I'll find some Krylon black plastic paint to make them look factory made.
What type of wire is recommended? I'm guessing it will be an SJO if it is to be ran outside of conduit. Sound right? More research needed...
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phil-
i have two laminates very similar to yours. mine aren't installed yet either. i've got frames/j-boxes on them though i like to run PVC conduit to another j-box, then connect the two j-boxes with a flexible ext. whip. then you can pull wire. i guess i do it this way because i adjust the angle of the mount with the seasons.
go to a voltage calculator to check for wire size and and shoot for less than a 3% voltage drop if you can afford it.
adam
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What type of wire is recommended? I'm guessing it will be an SJO if it is to be ran outside of conduit. Sound right? More research needed...
SJOW, maybe.
Keep in mind you will need to get a waterproof /weather-resistant strain relief fitting that will hold the wire snug. Nut tightens on a thick rubber gasket with a hole the size of the wire, and holds it quite well.
#12-2 w/g UF-B is what I usually use. Can see it and the fitting in the pic I posted on the 1st page.
The US fitting needed 'screwed' into the unthreaded J-Box hole.
BTW, that pic was after the "roofer" and owner decided he could rip it off himself, replace the roof, and it would only need a squirt of silicone to fix it. (it looked like that when I got there to fix it)
Ross,
The O-rings with a thin center membrane I mentioned earlier were like what you were describing. Not sure each would allow a cubic mm of displacement, but there were at least 4, maybe 6, per J-Box. In those, needed to put a wire in at least 2 fittings, which didn't leave much diaphram action available.
G-
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Ross,
The O-rings with a thin center membrane I mentioned earlier were like what you were describing. Not sure each would allow a cubic mm of displacement, but there were at least 4, maybe 6, per J-Box. In those, needed to put a wire in at least 2 fittings, which didn't leave much diaphram action available.
Yup, I know the ones you mean. And yeah, they don't allow much movement.
It's pouring rain outside, so I don't want to go topside and open boxes for a photo... so here's a rough mock-up.
An IP67 rated box. Seals tight... but summer to winter will almost always end up sucking something in if there's even the smallest hole. A standard nylon gland, a good quality party balloon. Missing from here is a filter. Cigarette filter, wad of scrunched up flyscreen, whatever is at hand to stuff up the middle of the gland to stop critters getting past.
(http://house.albury.net.au/26feb2012/100_5273.JPG)
The gland. Nothing special. Any hobby-electronics store or electrical wholesaler will have them.
(http://house.albury.net.au/26feb2012/100_5274.JPG)
Take off the end that closes it. This would normally be the "outside", although I will be using it the opposite way here.
(http://house.albury.net.au/26feb2012/100_5275.JPG)
Roll balloon up and put over the end of the gland. A tiewrap around it is a good idea to keep it there.
Drill appropriate size hole in case, somewhere the balloon won't interfere with your installed goodies.
Put gland in from the inside, nut on the outside, tighten. Usually these things have a rubber washer to ensure a good seal.
Poke filter material up hole firmly, so the air can pass but critters cannot.
(http://house.albury.net.au/26feb2012/100_5276.JPG)
I've used this in places it was nearly impossible to keep a box sealed and dry, and had years of perfect operation from them since. (Ideally, a second, sealable hole, and I blow in some inert dry gas to charge the box before completely sealing it)
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Yup! Thats the ones!
(the box was 100% non-corrosive, non-magnetic, genuine plastic)
In this hemisphere's side of the perpendicular hemisphere, its pretty difficult to get suitable wire that fits in those Metric things.
Most wire here is too small or too large (OD).
I would guess thats why the PVs were cheap.
Luckily, I live in a steel mill area, where most of the wire manufactures wholesale distributors have a fairly serious on-hand supply of unusual stock.
Suitable wire that fit was crazy expensive.
G-
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That balloon is damn cunning Mr Walker...
I'm liking it
..............oztules
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That balloon is damn cunning Mr Walker...
I'm liking it
..............oztules
Who the hell is mister Walker?
The balloon guy is a wheeler not a walker. One needs tires the other needs shoes!
:D ;D :o
I love it when I can keep a fight from starting by the application of a bit of silliness.
Tom
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Who the hell is mister Walker?
The balloon guy is a wheeler not a walker. One needs tires the other needs shoes!
"Mister who walks"?
Only I don't have the fancy skull ring :)
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Yes Tom,
It is remarkable how as we get older, we can think one thing and type another.
I'd like to use that for an excuse.... but while there is some truth to that... really I'm just stupid sometimes.... most times
...........Sorry Mr Wheeler..... and It's still damn cunning too.
"Only I don't have the fancy skull ring :)"... I still have the purple leather jacket to go with it somewhere.... gosh I'm gettin old...
................oztules (or similar)
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There may be simpler ways of doing a J box, but I dare say, not better.
I have discovered I will pay more money if the components are assembled from scratch than buying a completed IP67 box.
The single gang boxes are going back to the hardware store. You have me convinced RossW.
I've never seen or heard of using a balloon in this way before, but it makes sense. I haven't found anything like that on the internet through my research. It's so simple.
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Today, I got around to finishing up two panels from laminates. I used super-strut from a major DYI supplier. Instead of using bolts, they are welded together. The frames are made for the laminates to sit on top with a 1/4" border. This is an experiment to see which panel holds up better. It's upside down in this picture. ;D
(http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20229&g2_serialNumber=4)
The first panel had its edges surrounded with butyl, aka plumbers tape and a 1/2" X 3/8" X 1/2" aluminium frame was cut and mashed into the butyl tape.
(http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20220&g2_serialNumber=4)
(http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20223&g2_serialNumber=4)
The butyl was trimmed with a dull pocket knife. This material was very sticky.
(http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20226&g2_serialNumber=4)
The framed panel was set on the frame and caulked in place with DAP 3.0 that Ghurd suggested. And thanks Ghurd, it worked better than any previous silicon I have tried. It cost $1 more per tube. I used two tubes on the entire assembly.
The second laminate was set without any aluminium trim. I used a strip of silicon on the two long edges of the panel and sealed the edges all the way around the panel with another bead. I'm sceptical about using the super-strut which is steel with the panels because the expansion and contraction may not be compatible.
Here is a photo of the completed experiment.
(http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20217&g2_serialNumber=4)
BTW, larger pictures are in here:http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery2/main.php/v/philb/laminates/ (http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery2/main.php/v/philb/laminates/)
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Looking very slick Phil, very slick.
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I've never seen or heard of using a balloon in this way before, but it makes sense. I haven't found anything like that on the internet through my research. It's so simple.
So, you're calling me "simple" now? ;D
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Brilliance found in simplicity, is what comes to my mind Ross.
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Brilliance found in simplicity, is what comes to my mind Ross.
Wolv;
Damned fine save! 8)
T
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Just have to admire footwork like that ;)
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No RossW, It is very obvious your mind is not simple. You came up with an elegant solution using off the shelf parts anyone can buy. :)
Wolv said it best.
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A quick check of the panels yesterday showed no signs of either panel warping. I'll be looking at them all summer.
We had cloudy to partly cloudy skies on Friday. The Classic recorded 1.2 Kw from the 2 laminates in 24 hrs. I'd say that's not too bad considering they are lying flat on a zero pitch roof. The batteries were at 12.7 at the beginning of the day.
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Yesterday I added two more panels in series for a total of four. The sky was overcast most of the day.
(http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20519&g2_serialNumber=4)
The panel voltage doubled to 136 Voc. The classic is in control.
(http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20522&g2_serialNumber=4)
Today, the system went to 24 volts. The classic detected the change and went into the setup mode. The xantrex C-40's I had before don't hold a candle to the classic. Sorry for the bad pictures.