New solar to sugarhouse

[maple flats]

This morning I finally turned on the solar power to my sugarhouse. I actually tried the last 2 days but with limited sun and ice/snow on the panels prevented enough power generation to start up. I had to get a longer handle on a broom to clean the array. Usually just a little sun and snow slides off, but this time it started as freezing rain which prevented the snow from sliding and I could only reach the lower 3/4 of the array using the broom I used with the panels I used last year. Those panels are now headed to my house and my new, larger array is working.
Last year I only had 300 watts, a low efficiency charge controller, a cheap inverter and 4x6V batteries. Even with that I could run my lights and high pressure blower for 5 hrs in daylight before having to start the genny.
Now I have 740 watts (to start), a high efficiency MPPT charge controller, 8x6V batteries and the top of the line inverter. I sized the controller and the inverter for lots of grow room, I can grow up to 5000 watt array by just adding more panels and upsizing 2 -20' wires. The inverter will give me up to 6000 watts but I will not use that much until I get my eventual battery bank. This one is too small, but I can draw plenty enough to run the sugarhouse well into the night before needing to run the genny. My old set up was 300 watts x ~60% controller efficiency X ~65% inverter efficiency X 95% transformer efficiency (yes, I needed a trans to make 120V. The new set up is 740 watts x 97% efficiency controller x 96% inverter efficiency and no transformer needed. I also get better efficiency into the controller. Last year I had to go 24V in for a 24V battery bank, this new one is nominal 96V in for a 48v bank. The higher voltage means less line loss for the 240' from the array to the sugarhouse. I used to lose about 5% but now I should lose under 2%. Now I can't wait to use it while boiling. Is it spring yet?

[Revi]

Wow! That's quite a system. We have a small system for backup at my house, but I would love to have something like that at the sugarhouse. If CMP ever cuts us off, we'll do it.

Do you invert from 96 volts to 110?

[western mainer]

Nice that you have solar. CMP here wanted close to $25,000.00 to run power to us so we are of the grid and I wouldn't have it any other way. We ran power to the sugar house. Glad to see you have done the same. I see it as a win win.
Brian

[maple flats]

Revi, my power will go thru an inverter and connect to my entrance panel. It will give me up to 6000 watts in either 120 or 240V. The 96 volts into the sugarhouse is converted to 48 volts nominal at the charge controller and that chrges a 48V battery bank. Then the battery bank feeds the inverter which gives me 2 legs of 120 volt for 240, the same as you would have with the grid. Right now I only have the controller charging the bank. The next time weather keeps me out of the sugar bush I will run the battery disconnect , and feed to the inverter. Then I need to pull the generator feed from the entrance panel and connect it to the inverter. Then I feed the entrance panel from the inverter. Power can come entirely from the panels/batteries, or will match the wave form of the generator and both will feed the panel. When this happens the inverter also charges the battery bank. I could hook up an automatic generator start but I don't think I will, since I will always be right there while using the power to moniter the batteries and can start the gen manually if needed.
Western Mainer, this would be a win, win except the battery cost. I will never break even, because at best these batteries will last up to 7 yrs and that is if I never discharge faster than a 20 hr rate and never run the bateries below 50% state of charge. My small bank will be lucky to get 4-5 years.
My plans for someday in the future also include making a gasifier fired generator conversion. With that I will be able to use my gas generator and fuel it with wood. Building a gasifier is relatively easy. They can be rather crude with simple welding skills. Then to charge my batteries I can just burn some wood chips, made from slab from my sawmill. During WW2 the Germans and norwegeans made gasifiers to fuel cars and trucks because gas was in very short supply.

[western mainer]

Yes batteries are expensive, We are looking in to getting a fork lift battery from GB battery. these can last 15-20 years. Good luck.
Brian

[maple flats]

What is GB? brain f&*t!

[western mainer]

Go here http://gbbattery.com/ We have about 740 amp hours at 20 Hour rating and would like to go to around 1600 AH @20H.
Brian

[highlandcattle]

Nice to see others have gone off grid! We are on a private road about 1,200 feet back. Power would have been about $10,000.00 back in 1996 when we got the property. Used generators until 2003, then jumped in with solar and wind. 2 Southwest Air 400's microturbines on the barn(yes, I know a big no,no) but they sure are spinning now! 6 120 solar panels and 12 Trojan T-105 batteries. Trace components DR 3624 watt inverter, runs all our power needs for house and barn. An emergency mini set up in my sunroom, Ron has a portable setup for his saphouse, another windturbine ready for there too. We do an open house each year through the National Solar Home Tour/ Green Buildings. We're the only alternative energy/CNG (Certified Naturally Grown) maple producers in this county as far as we know. We spaced this over the years and it's cost around $8,000.00. Flat screen tvs. home office. Designed our own open concept solar home with our own sustainably logged wood. Milled on site. Log sided pole building on floating Alaskan slab. Everyone should start thinking of at least an emergency system of some sort. Harbor Frieght and Northern Hydraulics, along with countless on-line sites for sources. No power bills here! Oh, yeah, our hot water is from our living room woodstove. Winter, I cook on the kitchen woodstove. Wide pine boards for floors and walls inside, very plain and simple and functional. We are older and had NO prior knowledge of any of this, just researched and read a couple of books, then met other people and we all trade ideas.