DIY Green Solar Energy

This is a tour with details of an off-grid solar power installation I worked on a few years ago. I go over a system diagram, show the system itself, and then talk about the safety features including breakers/fuses, lightning arrestors, and bonding equipment to ground. This system includes 2100watts of solar panels, a 10kW diesel generator, two Outback FM-80 charge controllers, two Outback inverters, an Outback Mate, a Xantrex TMA-500 battery status monitor, and 6 4volt, 1104amphour Surrette/Rolls lead acid deep cycle batteries. Thanks to Ottawa Solar Power (ottawasolarpower.com) for allowing me to use this installation in this off-grid solar power video. For more on solar power, see rimstar.org – rimstar.org

University of Texas at Austin’s Manor Parking Garage is now solar powered. Three different types of solar panels provide shade to rooftop parking as well as valuable research data for University students and professors.

Using sustainable energy to improve people’s everyday lives is at the heart of our mission, and we are proud to work with Patrick Dempsey to draw attention to the difference that solar energy can make in this world. To learn more, please visit trinasolar.com/15minutes

greenpowerscience.com The starting temperature was 80f (27 C) and a full boil was obtained in 90 seconds (+-10 seconds). The dish is a 10 feet (3 Meters) diameter with a large acrylic mirror for the center. Focal length is 5 feet (1.5 Meters) from the base. The mesh panels are covered with Part A and B material from our website and also regular .118 acrylic mirror sheets. The focal point is 1″ diameter from the acrylic mirror and 4″-8″ diameter from the satellite dish. The vacuum tube holds 20 ounces and it was full.

Determining the efficiency of Sun and Power Jack Grid Tie Inverters at input power levels under 100 watts. Also shown is the method to measure and calculate efficiency for your solar PV system. In my prior video, efficiency at high wattage was measured.

Some FOOL thinks cleaning solar panels actually matters!! LOL !!

Well, I think I’ve finally finished my home solar project. After doing a lot of reading, I believe I have an otherwise decent and safe system. I tried to design it around the NEC’s Article 690 as much as “practical”. I’ve added additional components, and changed a few things around. It’s been an enjoyable and worthwhile learning experience. I read “free” books on design, operation & maintenance, and safety, along with referencing the National Electrical Code in relation to PV systems. After playing with my new Grid Tie inverter, I’m convinced that it’s a good addition to any system that produces 500+ Watts of power. My system is not the best and my way is not the only way to implement a home system, but I hope my ideas helps someone along the way. For those that wish to truly learn about Stand-Alone PV system design etc, the following are excellent free books I downloaded and used: 1.) Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems – (by Sandia National Labs) 2.) Maintenance And Operation of Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems (Sandia) 3.) Working Safely with Photovoltaic Systems (Sandia National Labs) 4.) Photovoltaic Power Systems And the 2005 NEC: Suggested Practices Simply google the titles and download the pdf’s, and your good to go. Good Fortune, and have fun. Latest Diagram: dc112.4shared.com

greenpowerscience.com This is a good option for anyone wanting to experiment with DIY solar panels but do not want to use hot solder. This works good if you have a good clean connection and you are willing to sacrifice about 5% of the solar cells over all watt output. You can actually make smaller panels this way increasing the wattage per square meter and saving on glass dimensions. This option works perfectly for joining together broken cells and making artistic designs with solar scraps that really produce power. This option is also perfect for solar model builders as this makes the panel one semi-rigid piece.

greenpowerscience.com These are the 124 watt rollable solar panels tied in parallel to produce 230 watts of grid supplemented power. The panels are rated at 124 watts but the inverter uses a bit of power. This inverter is rated at 600 watts. www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

How to install cheap, inexpensive solar panels on your RV, PV DIY installation