Solar Power for CW?

[chebytrk]

Just looking for some advice on a few things......

I have a storage barn/shed that I purchased thru HD. It's a 12x16 (with a small loft). It just bare walls inside and has 2 small windows and a air vent up top. Since it's away from the house I'm wondering if it might be worth it to set up a solar panel on the roof and use it to run my CW, DC and maybe a portable heater/AC when needed. I'm sure I'll need it to keep things cools during the summer cause Texas summers are hot ( 100's now). I'm just trying to see the options on whether to have someone run wiring out there which I figure will probably cost about $1500 -vs- setting up a Solar panel (maybe 120watt or more?) and connect a DC/AC converter so I can run my CW, lights. I don't really know much about Solar Panels so I'm asking the team here to see if maybe some members do have them and can maybe offer some advice. Thanks.........

[SteveEJ]

Another option would be a generator that is outside the building. A good generator would drive DC, Air Conditioner, lights and CW. I would put a UPS between the generator and the CW to protect it and in case you ran out of gas. It would probably be cheaper than Solar and could be used in the main house to drive refig, etc. in case of a power failure. The whole deal for 700 bucks or less!

[spalted]

I don't know much about solar, but I myself would size my panels so I could power dust collection as well.

As a side note I think the very first off the grid carving tools were calls chisels or gouges...... or something like that.;)

[pkunk]

A solar panel it's self is only used for charging a large enough bank of batteries to power a large enough inverter to power the 120v appliances (heater & CW). Not the most efficient or least expensive way to do what you want. Add up the watt/hours needed to run what you want to do, find the deep cycle golf cart batteries that will provide that power (at 50% depletion), get a true sine wave inverter ($$$), and place the panels where they will get full sun. A rough estimate from me would be in the neighborhood of $9-11,000 for a minimal installation.

[Digitalwoodshop]

A solar panel it's self is only used for charging a large enough bank of batteries to power a large enough inverter to power the 120v appliances (heater & CW). Not the most efficient or least expensive way to do what you want. Add up the watt/hours needed to run what you want to do, find the deep cycle golf cart batteries that will provide that power (at 50% depletion), get a true sine wave inverter ($$$), and place the panels where they will get full sun. A rough estimate from me would be in the neighborhood of $9-11,000 for a minimal installation.

I was thinking along the same line.... I believe in the end, the House Wire is the way to go....

I have a power pole between me and the house. I ran a 200 amp service to my shop. My monthly bill is about $25.00 to $35.00 per month. Would getting your own electrical service be something that might work for you?

A Business Deduction for me.... The Generator is a option but I bet less than a service....

If you bury the wires remember to bury Phone and Cable TV lines too.

AL

[c6craig]

Another option would be a generator that is outside the building. A good generator would drive DC, Air Conditioner, lights and CW. I would put a UPS between the generator and the CW to protect it and in case you ran out of gas. It would probably be cheaper than Solar and could be used in the main house to drive refig, etc. in case of a power failure. The whole deal for 700 bucks or less!

Depends on your location too. A generator is a nice option since you can use it at your house in case of power failure. But for me it would be worth the extra money not to have to store gasoline and keep filling the machine. Plus the noise would make it a non option for me because my wife would kill me if the neighbors didn't get to me first :)

Also there is the long term cost. What does a generator use in gas? A gallon a day? (I am guessing, I have no clue) So in one year you would spend around $1000 in gas to keep it running (365 days x $3 a gallon). So maybe $1500 isn't so bad for a power line.

Craig

[jaroot]

Well having gone through this for a houseboat in California I'd have to say that the $1500 to run power is probably the cheapest way to go. Just to run a few lights and a couple of TVs and some fans. We have about 20 sq ft of solar panels that feed 6 deep cycle batteries and then there is the inverter. Solar panels I believe run about $200-$300 a piece (we scrounged ours), batteries about $100 each, inverter if I remember correctly ran about $2500. This system will not run an AC unit for very long and as for heating, we use propane.

[CarverJerry]

Dollar for dollar JerryB you would be better off running the wires from the house, once it's there there is no up keep.

CJ

[jaroot]

Well having gone through this for a houseboat in California I'd have to say that the $1500 to run power is probably the cheapest way to go. Just to run a few lights and a couple of TVs and some fans. We have about 20 sq ft of solar panels that feed 6 deep cycle batteries and then there is the inverter. Solar panels I believe run about $200-$300 a piece (we scrounged ours), batteries about $100 each, inverter if I remember correctly ran about $2500. This system will not run an AC unit for very long and as for heating, we use propane.

But there is something to be said for getting "off" the grid.

[Deolman]

If you do a search, you can find web sites that will help you size a system. I think in the long run you may find it cheaper to use local power. As far as a generator, when I run mine in a power outage for the house, I get about an hour and a half per gallon.

[TIMCOSBY]

depending on how far you are from the house you could run the cables yourself and call the electrician in to hook them up. should save you a bunch.

[www.go3d.us]

If it is not too far from the house, I just use one of the extension power cord. Like this one http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/P11532418.jpg :)

[chebytrk]

I use an extension cord now, but occasionally if I'm running my CW, DC and run my compressor I blow the circuit and all kinds of things come out of my mouth when that happens! : ) That's why I wondered if maybe I changed out the circuit breaker to maybe a 50, would do any good. I was advised against that.

[William Blankenship]

Just looking for some advice on a few things......

I have a storage barn/shed that I purchased thru HD. It's a 12x16 (with a small loft). It just bare walls inside and has 2 small windows and a air vent up top. Since it's away from the house I'm wondering if it might be worth it to set up a solar panel on the roof and use it to run my CW, DC and maybe a portable heater/AC when needed. I'm sure I'll need it to keep things cools during the summer cause Texas summers are hot ( 100's now). I'm just trying to see the options on whether to have someone run wiring out there which I figure will probably cost about $1500 -vs- setting up a Solar panel (maybe 120watt or more?) and connect a DC/AC converter so I can run my CW, lights. I don't really know much about Solar Panels so I'm asking the team here to see if maybe some members do have them and can maybe offer some advice. Thanks.........

Take a look at this site. http://www.freesunpower.com/

I'm building the system outlined below. I can build the panels myself. Yep, go ahead and laugh! Of course, panels I build myself will not have a URL listing and can't be tied into the power grid. Power Co. rules not mine. With the help of a buddy that has a solar power station running part of his home (also home build -- laughing ends here, mine did!!), we decided that I would need the system below to run my shop initially. I'm not sure if this would run the CW for some of those 11 hour carves. This system would, however, take allot off the power requirements to run my shop. I could run my small refrigerator/freezer, fans, power tools, charge battery powered devices, play my stereo and even run a computer with 19" display used to design patterns.

6 - 80 Watt Solar Panels $600.00 (He made his own).
Trace 60 amp Charge Controller $168.00 X 2
Trace 2500 Watt True Sine Wave Inverter $495.00
14 - 105 AmpHour Batteries $1800.00


Bill...

[TIMCOSBY]

no laughing here. been thinking of doing the same thing. electricity is only going to get higher and higher. you can get the individual solar cells of ebay for about $1 per watt. then you need some plywood and glass. from what i have read it looks like anyone could do it nothing about it is very complicated.

[William Blankenship]

I'm going to use 1" C-channel aluminum barstock surounding the white acrylic or other material backing sheet, then EVA, PV cells, then EVA again to seal them from moisture, and tempered glass. All this and a little silicon cauk will do the trick. This panel design would offer the best proof against the weather and also give many years service with very little maintenance. As far as cells go, I'm sticking with monocrystalline.

[www.go3d.us]

harborfrieght.com has a 45 watt panel with complete kit (regulator) $160 with coupon $250 without and all you need is a inverter 1500 watt $120 or 2000 watt $160, a 12v battery (probably car battery) and you are all set.

[jaroot]

harborfrieght.com has a 45 watt panel with complete kit (regulator) $160 with coupon $250 without and all you need is a inverter 1500 watt $120 or 2000 watt $160, a 12v battery (probably car battery) and you are all set.

Yeah.... car batteries don't work very well and it will take more than one to operate anything for very long. But that is a pretty good deal!

[TIMCOSBY]

45 watts aint gunna run much. maybe the two flour. lights that come with it. the 2000 watt inverter may not even be able to run the cw its something about how they rate them or something.

[Jeff_Birt]

Solar power is tricky business. It all sounds great but there are lots of little gotchas. I had the oppertunity to advise our univeristies 2005 Solar House team and later on was involved in setting up three of our solar houses as student residences on campus. Along the way I was able to get a good insigt into the strengths and weaknesses of the technology. We were one of the first (if not the first) to grid tie a solar house after it became a state law in Missouri that local utilities had to allow it.

To start with you have to consider how much solar insolation (amount of solar power) is available in a given area. At the equator there is about 1000W per square meter (peak), here in Missouri it is closer to 700W. This is the peak power available when the sun is at its brightest and your panels are at the optimum angle to the sun. The average silicone solar cell is about 14% efficient, and then you have to factor in the inefficiencies of the charge controllers, batteries, and inverters, etc.

There are some nifty programs available from NREL (National Renewable Energy Lab) that will let you model your homes energy needs, type of construction, location, and it will even factor in the average weather patterns (based on the last many years of data for a given area) and give you an idea of how much power you'll likely generate and how well you will do at meeting your energy needs.

I won't even go into the amount of work it takes to maintain a solar electric system. If your not up for monthly testing of each battery, repairing lightning and hail damage, etc then it is not a technology for you. I suspect at some point in time these systems will more more friendly to the average consumer but it is not there yet. For most folks they will do good to break even comparing the installation cost and maintenance of the system compared to any saving from power they would have bought from their utility company.

Solar hot water is more promising. Heating water with the sun can be 90% efficient (or more) and can have a much better payback period. It is still a bit tricky as you have to be sure to design things so that you can handle all the heat generated in the summer and not freeze the system up in the winter.