Bob Fiske's posts

Luis;
  I don't know if PR has any incentives for Solar, but you might be able to find out on the DSIRE (Database for State Incentives for Renewable Energy) site at Dept of Energy.

  Regardless, I would have to say I strongly encourage people to have at least a little bit of their own Electrical Generating Capacity.  A few hundred bucks could get you a 40watt Panel, a Sunguard 4.5 Charge Controller (very important part of the package), a deepcycle batt and an inverter (with Low-voltage Disconnect, so you don't kill the battery by over-discharging it)   I am personally very concerned about the stability of our power supplies at this point, both motor fuels and electric generation.  If there is any kind of 'global power hiccup', there are such slim margins these days that the costs of energy and of Alt Energy equipment might go through the roof.  The great thing about Solar Electric is that you can add them together, so just buy a few, and add to the stack when you can.  (matching the same Model Panel is ideal, but not absolutely necessary)  Batteries and Inverter are often best to buy with an eye for how much you 'ultimately' want, since  batts should be the same age and usage history, and upgrading inverter capacity (more Watts) means a whole new inverter.

Hope this gives some things to think about.

Bob in Portland, Maine

(currently with one 40w Shell and two Kyocera 130w panels from Alt-E store)

ps;  HAWT "Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine"
     VAWT "Vertical Axis Wind Turbine"

Bob

Hey Chris;

  This is a regular debate.  There seems to be a general consensus in the wind-power community that says VAWT's are enough LESS powerful per Swept Area that it's preferable to just get a Horizontal.   I've got the parts mostly collected to make a vertical, and really want to see for myself.  I think there are some advantages that could offset the 'efficiency-deficiency', such as

1) simpler to construct (one bearing set, no detailed shaping),

2)takes wind from all directions, so doesn't have to reorient to new sources, missing the power in more turbulent situations (albeit turbulence is a yield-cost from the get-go)

3)less torque on tower structure (HAWT's turning into a new source gyroscopically crank on the Tower)

4) 'supposedly' can be set up to gain advantage of draft coming UP the sides of a roof, if in Rooftop mode..(generally advised against, at least with HAWTS, due to vibration on House frame, and maddening Noises inside)

5) Rotation speed is slower, so less noise, less danger to birds (?!), less wear on edges, less to break down.

Check out www.windside.com for a cool look at a commercial model from Finland, I think.

Bob Fiske

Hey Josh;
  Windpower sites all over the web.  Keep searching with different keywords.

www.otherpower.com has a lot of avenues to follow. Parts and Plans for DIY, free tutorials, etc.

When you say make it into a Generator, you mean that it was made for mechanical work, pumping or such?

I don't know how the scavenging is where you are, but some folks (who don't want to build their own alternator from magnets and wire) have suggested using the DC permanent magnet motors from such sources as Powered Treadmills, which output something like 90volts at speed, so getting 20-40v from them for battery charging doesn't require high speeds like a car alternator would.

You have access to tools and materials, etc?
What's the wind like there?

feel free to email at jetpig[((a))]eartthlinkDOTnet
(I don't check in here that often..
Bob

Nathan;
 Check out www.otherpower.com for some useful FAQ's and tips.  They also point to Hugh Piggot's books and his operation way up in the Scottish boonies!

 I have a couple motors I have stocked up for my future wind experimentations, both of which should be OK generators.  One is from an Electric Treadmill.  It's a 96volt low-rpm motor, which means that spinning it up to a mere 25-30volts is not that demanding, and you can probably carve up some Pine or PVC blades to make that puppy hum!  That puppy could also bite your head off or jump on a little kid, so as James suggested, do this project with a lot of respect for the power and potentials you are working around.  But beyond that, I won't say don't build your own, just be responsible and at least a bit meticulous.. we don't want windpower and alt energy to be digging any graves and getting a bad rep!  ('Eyesore' seems to be doing enough harm on its own!)  My other motor is a 36volt DC PM from a 'Big Kid's Toy' Electric Motocross bike that someone threw out last year on bulk trash day..  Heavy and Powerful!

  Look at www.windside.com for a thought on vertical axis mills.  The horiz crowd is often dismissive of verticals, but I'll bet there's a lot of unexplored terrain in there.
 
  Finally, do a lot of google searches.  There are tons of plans out there, and stories of things that worked and didn't, so you don't have to reinvent the entire wheel..

Best of luck!

Bob Fiske - Portland Maine

Rich and Teri;
  Sorry if it doesn't answer your direct question, but I wanted to suggest improving the wall insulation in addition to whatever heat-sources you are adding.  If by block you mean cinder-block, there is a lot of mass there that will allow direct heat conduction, and a Layer of Rigid, Foil-faced foam, ideally as an outside layer to the building would go far in hanging onto whatever warmth you've got.  It can be given siding outside the Insulation, of course, though trimming for doors and windows can take some creativity.

  Don't know what your Solar Inputs are like out there, but you might design the racking to allow for additional panels, as you can afford them.

Bob Fiske
Portland, Maine

Joann;
  I'm just going to reiterate what others are saying, but moreso.

1) Thermal Mass for storage.  Water has a great energy density, as others have said.  Also popular is a 'Trombe Wall', if your FLOOR can handle it.  If the floor or the North Wall areas could be given a thick layer of Bricks, Adobe, Concrete, Sand... or if you could make brickstacks/towers that doubled as shelving, they would hold some heat in them.  Ideally, the collecting mass needs to be getting the sun directly.  The transfer from ambient air temps will be less.

2) Good air-cycling vents and fans would let the rest of the house serve this storage purpose as well. (To some extent, you are 'storing' the heat in fuel NOT burned during the day, that would later be spent keeping the Solar room warmed at night)  Having vent access the top and bottom of the sunroom would be very helpful at extracting the majority of the accumulated heat.

3)  Definitely cover the glass.  There are Quilt/curtain materials that roll out like shades and cover from the inside.  They can be on rails that keep the air from 'Thermo-siphoning' through and around the glass and back into the space.  With internal insulating, it is important to prevent the glazing from overheating once the sun rises, though.  We've had Panes crack in the heat, when Foam panels were fitted inside windows at night, though they WERE faced with black paper, so the gap became a solar oven fast in the morning.

  Another insulator you might consider is creating lightweight Foam Insulation 'Shutters' on the outside.  It would take some careful thought to Deploy and Retract them without too much fussing, but could have signifigant Heat saving potential for that room.  I like the foil-lined 'PolyIsoCyanurate' foam boards for constructing insulation projects, though it could be an insulated 'Quilt' of Tarp or Awning Fabric over layers of what-you-will..  if you will.

By the way,  I HIGHLY recommend putting insulated curtains on all your windows, and make them easy to open/close, so they actually get used.  Windows throw away a TON of your precious heat! Even the good, insulated ones.

Bob Fiske
Portland, Maine

ps Bryson;
  Sorry, I didn't get to this link from where I could see that it is specifically a Sellers area.  It was just on the 'Recent Posts' list and I thought it was on a general discussion forum.

Bob Fiske

Hi Bryson;
  Sounds like a good system.  I've been very impressed by how 'usable' the light from a couple white LED's can be.  I've built myself and my wife various flashlights, and when getting around in the dark, even one LED bounced off the ceiling is plenty for navigation.  Works well enough for reading in a tent, too.. Got through the Lord of the Rings on mostly white LED light, (Gandalf white, not Sarumon white)

  I have built some under-counter lights with strings of LEDs from the SuperBrightLED website, and to rebalance the color, I have run two strips (12leds, 12 inches long, 12vdc) of yellows alongside two strips of whites, and I get a very nice 'Warm White' color balance.  Haven't read the current draw from them yet, but I plan to PWM them, as you did.  I haven't played with the Luxeons, yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Best of luck with your spares.  (My setup prob. cost about the same, so I'm not trying to undercut your offer..  we'll be seeing a lot of LED's in our homes soon!)

Bob Fiske
Maine

Jason;
  You might have a look at www.windside.com , a mfr of Savonius VAWT's in Finland, 'developed in 1979 by Mr. Risto Joutsiniemi.'

I can't vouch for their claims, but there is something enticing to me about verticals, too.  For one, I live in a small city, and won't be able to loft a tower, and the designs for verticals will respond instantly to more blustery conditions with gusts in multiple directions. (Down on a lower rooftop, for instance) Horizontals lose precious time turning into the new source. Verticals also claim to be quieter, allowing for some to be attached to residences, unlike many 'Propeller-types'..

It also appears that you might be able to build and loft a Vertical more cheaply, so you just have a few more of them, and gain some stability by not having all eggs in one basket.. in theory.

Good Luck!
Bob Fiske

From their site...

"Why The Windside Wind Turbines are the best on the market?

Quite simply Windside Wind Turbines work when others don’t ! In the gentlest of summer breezes and in violent winter storms. When others fail due to frost, ice, snow or high winds Windside Wind Turbines continue to produce. Windside Wind Turbines will produce at least 50 % more electricity in a year than traditional propeller models. Many things make the Windside Wind Turbines extraordinary and their total life cost make them the best value for money. "

Don;
  There are a couple sources for pretty simple homebuilts that you can add to your south walls.  When set up properly, they are like adding window-acreage during the daytime, but without the losses windows can cost you at night.

  The following link is one I'm building, and have the parts to build a few more, but I'm still running on trust, as it's safely in the basement, awaiting the glass and fan..  Very detailed instructions, but pretty cheap materials, and not too hard to make your own variations on, as desired.  (PDF file)  -  The guy is Bill Kreamer, in Belfast, Maine
 http://www.green-trust.org/2000/solar/Homebuilt%20Collector%20Instructions.pdf

You can also see versions in a search of RE articles at Mother Earth News.. (Mostly from the 70's, very simple, with personal testimonials included)

Good Luck!
Bob Fiske

I'd expect this has come up before, but is there some info available on how much extra sunlight you can pump onto any of the standard PV types without suffering excessive degradation, or going past the panel's peak output?

I am in situations where I'd generally only be looking to 'wall in' the panel with angled side mirrors, boosting the input to maybe 2, 2.5 suns, but is this counterproductive to the lifespan of the panel, or within it's tolerances.

(I have a range of Mono and Poly crystalline panels, if any answers are type-specific.)

I am in Maine, and would be happy enough if my additional 'concentrators' were bringing my one "Maine" sun up to one "Arizona" sun, and might configure accordingly.

  I do understand the complications of tracking, so this question really just hangs on the tolerances of the Silicon panels themselves.. which does, incidentally, also beg the question of how much attaching a 'coolant' setup to the rear of the PV would improve the outputs in case of sending a 'couple suns' onto the PV's face.

Thanks!
Bob Fiske

Victor;
  Unless it's different when using a generator source, aren't your solar charge controllers  (Outback MX 60's ??) able to take at least a 60v input?  (or 150voc from the PVs)

  Wouldn't you be able to go directly through them?
Those who know these controllers would probably have already suggested this, but I might be missing something.

Bob Fiske