Ahh...Resistance is futile....*grinnin* Very good points and advice, thank you all. Did a search on the L16 battery and was thrown out of my chair when seeing the first price of over $500. Continued searching brought some down to over the $330 mark. I can only imagine what the shipping on 120lbs would cost, just for one battery. I live in the Metroplex, N. Texas. It should be relatively easy to find these batteries. I'm off to go read BTPost's blog and Foogle PVWatt!!
A very interesting and informative blog, BT. But look what I found: Solar Power Your Home For Dummies Amazon.com: Solar Power Your Home For Dummies (9780470175699): Rik DeGunther: Books
Good first book, I'd imagine from what the Amazon reviews say. Haven't read it, so I can't say. Then, once you're familiar with the concepts, this is the book for the technical phase of install. Amazon.com: Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual (9780865715202): Solar Energy International: Books
There is a "Dummies" book for just about everything technical, these days. Usually enough to get you asking the right questions. Just make sure the places you ask the questions have the Institutional Knowledge to give Good Solid Engineering Practice answers. There are tons of outfits with Fancy Websites and Brochures, but that doesn't make them qualified to give good answers. Look for outfits that have been around for at least a decade, and have references from Customers that are more than 5 years old. These are the guys that grew their businesses while the industry was maturing, and have seen the product lines come and go, as they compete in the Biz. They will know what works and what is just Junk, and that is why they are still around.
I would add this Bruce, when buying solar equip/parts from a solar company, you might find it more to your favor in the long run to try and find a company that the owners and/or salesmen actually live on solar. My friends here that own one of the larger local co. live about 3 miles down and on the very solar that they sell. Gives them a much better outlook on what they are selling. Helps them also determine the good from the bad..
Listen to this man Bruce. He saved my thousands of dollars in wasted effort and heartache. I am now on a path that will get me into the ball park. I am actually going to build a bigger system then Nadjas. It was his advice that made me wait and save my money for the best things. For the cabin start with a very efficient refrigerator. It must have at least a 5 star rating and use under 400 kwh per year. Sunfrost makes a product (if you can afford it) that is 1/3 to 1/4th of that. Spend the money on off grid appliances and you wont need a huge array or battery bank. KF
You also have to understand this also ..We are not trying to make you buy this product or that brand name but we have learned over the years that it we had made our mistake and we are trying to get you down the path to off grid lifestyle with the least amount of mistake that you do .. You still are going to make MISTAKE"S that is the nature of the learning curve that we are on but make little mistake compared to omg type of mistake ..
As Kingfish bring's up buy the good appliance's that are rated for Enegry star rated that do so many watt's per year and remember this statement ..It alot easlyer cry once when buying a product's into the solar off grid lifestyle than having to replace them alot and spending hard earn money that you did not need to ..
I know enough to listen to the pros'. A/C it is w/ inverter! I do have to add on batteries though. You need to figure use to half charge of battery MAX. 60% is optimum. It gets really expensive but the schooling I recieved said that the moment you bring batteries down past 50%, you cut their useful life in half. Thoughts? I don't live offgrid. I would like to be able to throw the switch so would like the pros to chime in. Thanks in advance.
I would tell you this when it comes to batteries. NEVER let a 12 volt battery being used for solar get below 11.9 as every time you let that happen, it will shorten the life of the battery by leaps and bounds. I have my inverters set to shut off all power to my house/shop at 11.9 . I will soon have my kholer twin gennie set to kick on at 12.0 Best way to go in the long run.
