Solar Power

[Yankee802]

I don't know if this has been discused before or to what depth, so I'll just go ahead and ask and if it has, just point me to the relevant thread.

SOLAR, sound like an awesome idea, and I'm starting my research into this and wanted any/all input from the knowledge base here.

My intention is to have a system in place that will allow me to be completely free of shore power or my generator, or as much as possible. That said, I don't intend to replace these power sources, and I know that A/C usage will require the use of either of these sources, but I want to generate the most power I can from the sun. I would like to have the ability to boondock indefinitely, with my only limitation being my water tanks/usage.

I found this website: http://amsolar.com/ that I've started my research with. So now I'm asking for your input. Any input is good, has anyone installed any of these systems?

Geoff

[garyde]

Geoff, As long as you are full timing , it sounds like a good idea for dry camping. I don't see where it is needed if your hooked up constantly to shore. People use them mostly to keep coach batteries up to full charge and your inverter/charges do that while plugged in.

[Yankee802]

Geoff, As long as you are full timing , it sounds like a good idea for dry camping. I don't see where it is needed if your hooked up constantly to shore. People use them mostly to keep coach batteries up to full charge and your inverter/charges do that while plugged in.

I know and you are absolutly right, I don't need it being I live/work at a KOA. However, maybe it's just the boyscout/survivalist in me, but I want to have the ability to be self suficient when/if needed. Who knows, campgrounds could start charging for power soon the way things are going.

Geoff

[sawdust_128]

These are links that I have found over the last year that seem to be useful. They may not be to the org's home page, but you will be able to get there from these.

Hope that helps.

Ed

http://www.siliconsolar.com/complete...it-p-17943.php

http://www.mb-soft.com/solar/intake.html

http://www.mb-soft.com/solar/intake.html

http://www.pasolar.ncat.org/lessons.php

http://www.homepower.com/

http://www.kyocerasolar.com/

http://www.mrsolar.com/page/MSOS/PRO...060292c8889be5

http://www.partsonsale.com/

http://www.wholesalesolar.com/

http://www.solarhome.org/index.html

http://www.rvsolarelectric.com/

http://store.solar-electric.com/helpwanted.html

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The capital costs of installing a sufficiently large solar system combined with having to live in a luxury coach using minimal assets strikes me as being akin to living in a metal tent, and getting a return on the investment in a decade or so.

If I had to balance living expenses in a luxury coach and campground, versus living in a primitive setting with no utilities, I would instead research a less expensive way to get campsites. That might mean finding cheap monthly rates, using cheap military facilities, or work camping like Dale and Paulette did.

Just the solar panel array to make a meaningful contribution to battery charging is going to be very expensive and I'll be damned if I want to sit in the dark just to save battery power til the sun comes up.

[sawdust_128]

I'm pretty much in agreement with Jon on solar for these coaches at this time. However, here is a link to a site that I believe will have some application in the near future and great promise in the long run.

http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/index.htm

Look at the application for their power film to architectural fabrics, like our awnings.

Seems like this is beginning to address many of the issues like:

-Cost/sqft of collector
-Large enough collector surface to matter
installation and attachment to the bus (don't want to put holes in the bus)
-Collector efficiency. My last contact with them suggested that hey were working a coating to allow photon collection from both sides of the crystals. They were able to take advantage of direct and back-reflected energy.
-Manageability in that the systems for awnings and slide tops and coach roof is already managed.

Additionally, they have power film integrated into membrane roofing material. I believe that will open up a whole bunch more avenues in the mortorhome and marine industries.

I keep looking at this. I think that there is promise. I think that in the not too distant future, we will have greatly enhanced boondocking capacities because of this type of innovation.

As Jon said, PV electricity is not cheap. On the upside, battery storage and inverters are already installed in your bus and the PV sources are add on to what you already have.

You might also look at a solar supplemental water pre-heater. I started with this on my solar house and added a solarium during the design stage. I supplemented those with electric, high efficiency, ground-water sourced heat pump and high mass flooring. About 3000sqft and cheap to operate. The nice thing about doing solar is that there are a lot of right answers.

[gmcbuffalo]

I have 8 panels on my roof and I see the numbers on the meter but can't really tell you it's doing any good. They really needs to be a major improvement in technology before it really works. If you go to Quartzite, AZ you see people with system that tilt and track the Sun. They also have panels around their RV on the ground. We only have some much space on the roof.
GregM

[ronwalker]

My fourteen panels are generating over 100 amp hours per day, occasionally sending down 40 amps at 24 volts... but you've got to stay where the sun shines. Reducing noisy generator time works for me.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Forgive me for thinking but this stuff seems like a decent place to invest some doe right now.

Maybe some Campbell Soup shares too, to balance the portfolio

[sawdust_128]

Forgive me for thinking but this stuff seems like a decent place to invest some doe right now.

Maybe some Campbell Soup shares too, to balance the portfolio

A couple of good overviews here:

http://www.sunrisesolarcorp.com/investors.html

I checked, nothing here on campbell soup. Joe, get in on this and you could buy some really fancy slippers.

hey, with all the hoopla about Joe the Plumber, are you thinking about changing your handle to Joe the Bus Guy?