GREAT NEWS, DECREASE IN SOLAR PANEL PRICES

I am happy to announce, that I was just able to revise the prices of solar pv modules at Solar-Catalog.com/pv_modules.html.

These are some of the lowest prices I have been able to offer. This year has been a great year for all of us who are using solar and want to expand our solar energy systems. I have been living with solar energy since since the mid 1970's and we had been promised that PV modules would someday be going down. And we waited and waited, but this year is the real thing.

So last night I finished changing all the solar panel prices on my website and they are all now posted. As noted earlier, last month I was able to reduce a number of other items on my solar site as well. Because I live with solar, I am well aware just how costly our solar investments can be.

When I took over this business in 2003 I have made every attempt to keep my prices as low as possible so that more people would be encouraged to get involved in producing their own energy needs. Now as our country keeps becoming more and more dependent on electrical energy, our major utilities and becoming more interested in having us residential consumers produce electric and sell it back to them. This is especially true in heavy industrial areas where utilities are close to being tapped out and need more electric during the day than they do at night.

So if you are thinking about setting up your own solar energy system, now is a really good time to get involved. There are a number of tax advantages both on a local and national level. Do the research and you will be surprised at what is out there.

And solar panel prices are now at a really great price as well.

Terry R. Wolff

UP-DATING SOLAR CATALOG WEBSITE

FOR THE PAST MONTH I have been working on my Solar-Catalog.com website. But a few days ago I have decided to head into Taos and hang out at Caffee Tazza and catch up on my correspondences and one of these is to touch base with you the followers or readers of this blog.

On the site, I have given it a fresh new look. I changed the format of the page style, added several new products and lowered prices where I could.

Now for some Solar Trivia, at least as it has been handed down to me...

Remember Trace, they were those folks up there in Washington state that several years ago started buying up some of their competitors and expanding their inverter product line. Then about a year later along came Xantrex, a Canadian company who swept down and gobbled up Trace. This caused some of Traces engineering department to jump ship, thus forming a successful company just in Traces back yard. That company is OutBack. This lead to other off shoots such as MidNite Solar and Magnum. Well just a few years later and Xantrex as well as Square-D have been acquired by Schneider, a French company who has now thrown their hat into the growing solar industry. There you have it, today's solar trivia.

Here in Carson as in Taos we have been waiting with bated breath for the rains to come but unfortunately they have just been teasing us. Yes we woke up this morning with our soil being slightly damp but that is not enough to help our plants out. I know that my friends and family up in the northwest would love to ship some of their rain down our way but....

I can't remember if I mentioned that last week-end Lady and I caught a bull frog down at the Rio Grande which I introduced to one of our ponds. Which pond really doesn't seem to matter as they they hop back and forth between ponds during the evenings. Also caught a toad the other night. Took it inside so it could meet Linda and than returned to where I found it.

Lets see, what else is new and exciting? ......nothing I guess. Lets see, I am still working on my inside doors and completed the headboard for our bed and today I remudded the bedroom window sill where Pogo damaged it from pouncing out of the overhead storage area.

Lastly, this isn't exciting but fellow carver and sculptor

Well, I have got to leave now so I can address my woodcarving readers.

So until next time, may the Sun light you way, both day and night.

Terry R. Wolff

I'M BACK

I say that because during the winter months I am usually too busy or preoccupied to work on my blogs. But today I decided to go into Taos and hang out at Caffee Tazza and catch up on my correspondences and one of these is to touch base with you the followers or readers of this blog.

For the better part of the June, I have been working on the Solar-Catalog.com website. I have been able to lower some prices and will continue doing so throughout July. Some of the companies I deal with have a multilevel pricing system and I have recently moved into a better pricing level with them. As such, I have been passing these savings on in the web catalog.

On the site, I removed the search function as it was not working very well and I was told that "it is frustrating to use". So, that takes care of that. Next I made the pages have a cleaner look and eliminated the large blue category bar across the upper partition of the pages.

I have added a number of new products such as pv module optimizers which hit the market last year. This year several addition companies have joined this new trend so that has to say something about the technology. I have not tested any of these products as all my solar arrays are in full sun.

Also the price of solar modules (pv panels) have come down in price I am happy to announce that I am seeing more companies making their modules here in the US.

Our pre-assembled systems complete with solar modules have also come down in price also and this is largely due in part to the decrease in pv panel prices.

Now for some Solar Trivia...

Remember Trace, they were those folks up there in Washington state that several years ago started buying up some of their competitors and expanding their inverter product line. Then about a year later along came Xantrex, a Canadian company who swept down and gobbled up Trace. This caused some of Traces engineering department to jump ship, thus forming a successful company just in Traces back yard. That company is OutBack. This lead to other off shoots such as MidNite Solar and Magnum. Well just a few years later and Xantrex as well as Square-D have been acquired by Schneider, a French company who has now thrown their hat into the growing solar industry. There you have it, today's solar trivia.

Well, I have got to leave now so I can address my woodcarving readers.

So until next time, may the Sun light you way, both day and night.

Terry R. Wolff

THOSE CUTE LITTLE SOLAR STORAGE BATTERIES

There are various types of storage batteries on the market today which are used for solar applications. The most common are the lead acid batteries and sealed lead acid batteries. As technology advances toward producing electric vehicles we will be seeing the prices of lithium batteries becoming more accessible to the average user. But until then, most of us will still be mainly using the lead acid batteries. And it is these lead acid batteries I want to address in this post.

Batteries are the backbone to any Off-Grid or Grid-Interactive Solar Installation. They give the life to our alternative electric systems. Batteries like these also get our vehicles started, they are called Cranking Batteries. Cranking Batteries are rated by cranking amps where as Solar Storage Batteries are rated by their amp hour capacity. So whats the difference, an amp is an amp, no?

No, a cranking amp is what your battery can muster up for a rather short period of time. In other words when you crank over your engine it usually happens within a minute, if your vehicle is older it may take several attempts to get it started. And if your vehicle really wants to be difficult you may have to keep cranking it for a longer period of time and as you do, you will notice the battery get weaker and weaker. This is because you are using up its cranking amps. Cranking Batteries are meant to get the vehicle started and then it goes into charge mode while everything in your vehicle or boat runs off the charging alternator.

A Solar Storage Battery stores the amps produced by your generating system (solar modules, wind turbines, micro-hydro turbines, or a fossil fuel generator) up to the amount the battery is rated for. So now you can use those amps to create electric long after the generating source has shut down.

For the most part, you will put a major part of your solar budget into the purchasing if batteries. Because you will want the most amp hours you can afford, your batteries will be either 6 volts or less. This is because the more amp hours your battery puts out, the more lead it will contain, thus making them very heavy. All Lead Acid Batteries are made up of two volt cells such as the two volt battery shown above. A six volt battery is made up of three of two volt cells. When these cells are put together in a neat plastic container, they are referred to as a battery. So when you get into batteries with a thousand or so amp hours, just one cell could weigh a couple of hundred pounds and if you have a forty eight volt system you really want to deal with only batteries that are packaged as one cell.

Okay, enough about types of batteries, this story is more about the importance of battery maintenance.

Why is maintenance important? First of all you have a small fortune invested in batteries so you want to protect that investment. So the most important thing you can do is to think safety when being around your batteries. Keep all flames and sparks out of your battery room!

Always, always, always wear goggles, rubber gloves, an old long sleeve shirt and slacks (this will save alot of ruined clothing) that are just for working with your batteries.

1. Keep your batteries out of your house
2. Provide a separate space for them or put them in a Battery Enclosure.
3. Where ever you put your batteries make sure that they are well ventilated.
   

Here are some of my recommendations and you should get into a habit of doing this at least once a month...

1. Again keep all lit lames away from your batteries!!! I'll give you two incidents I am aware of why this is extremely important before I close this blog.
   
2. Make sure that all your battery terminals are tightened down. Check this every time you do a battery inspection. Loose terminals can produce sparking which can lead to fires and worst.
   
3. The next most important thing you can do is to keep your battery terminals clean. This can be done with carefully using a mild solution of water mixed with a small amount of baking soda (DO NOT ALLOW ANY OF THE BAKING SODA SOLUTION TO GET INSIDE THE BATTERY!!! If you do, you can kiss your battery good-bye.) and scrubing with a copper wire brush. Once the battery is cleaned use a product like Quik-Kote to coat all your battery terminals. This is an acid neutralizing product which will protect the terminals from getting corroded.
   
4. Alway check to make sure your battery liquid levels full (use only distilled water). Low battery water levels help cause sulfation to build up on the batteries lead plates which reduces your batteries ability to hold as many amp hours as it could. There are Battery Desulfator which can help keep your battery's lead plates clean. There is also these little Water Misers, a product which a number of my customers seem to be happy with, which helps retard the rate at which your battery evaporates its liquids.
5. It is important to monitor your battery's acid specific gravity levels as well. This is done with a hydrometer which is placed in the battery's cell opening. The hydrometer has a bulb which you genitally squeeze once its tip is in the acid. Do this about three times and then take your reading. If your readings are in the red, you are reaching the point where your battery's usefulness is about over. I have seen where using a Battery Desulfator has prolonged having to replace the batteries.
6. A key to longer battery life is that when initially installing or when you replace your batteries, always buy your Batteries at one time. In other words don't buy some of them now and then say a year later buy some more. This is a good way to decrease the amp hour levels of the newer batteries.
   

Actually if you want to get more life out of your cranking batteries follow the above first four check points with them as well.

Lastly I want to share with you the importance of why fire and lead acid batteries do not mix. Recently, well in the last few months anyway the woman that works at our local grocery store had a scare. It seems that her husband walked into the dark room where their battery banks were and being that it was dark, he lite his cigarette lighter. And boom!!! The wife who was doing the dishes heard the explosion and ran to his aid. Fortunately the batteries were at the far end of the large room and that she had the good sense to pour water all over him. I say fortunately because if the batteries were near him he would be dead and if she had not poured the water on him, he would be permanently scared and blind. Not a good thing for an author and artist or for anyone for that matter. So be safe.

The second incidence I am aware of happened off Marina del Rey in California. I had been jogging on a coastal path just after sunset, the sky was getting dark when off shore there came a tremendous explosion. I turned just in time to see a ball of flame rising a good 100 feet into the air followed by a column of fire. A yacht anchored off shore had blown up. The next day I learned that the batteries had a loose connection and when the late owner attempted to start the engines, the batteries exploded. There were no survivors.

I would just like to mention one other fact for all you boat owners, and that is the boat also was carrying propane which helped make the explosion so massive. Propane is heavier then air so if there is a leak it therefore seeks the lowest point on the boat. And that is usually the engine room. So if you are going to carry propane I would suggest keeping it on deck near one of the side gunnals so that should it leak it drops toward the sea and not the engine room.

So my friends, be safe and check your batteries health at least once a month.

Terry R. Wolff

SEASON'S GREETINGS

Well with the holiday season here and with all the things that had to be done leading up to them, this blog seems to have been placed on the back burner. As this is regrettable, I have not been sitting idle for I ve been diligently working on up - my solar website at
Solar-Catalog.com.

Now that this is done, I have up-loaded it to the Web and am requesting you to please browse through it and send me your comments regarding how convenient or inconvenient it may be, and it you notice any areas which are not working correctly. Finally I would like to know what sort of information you feel needs to be addressed.

I am requesting this because I have put many hours into this site and I want it to supply the type of information and products that are important to those who are in need of Solar Energy Information. So any help would be greatly appreciated not only by myself but to those who use the Catalog as a resource.

Again I would like to remind you that if you have any subjects which you would like answered on this blog, please address them to
Info@SolarTaos.com

I trust that you are all having a good holiday season. No matter how you celebrate or don't celebrate this time of year, be safe and be happy. I wish you all a wonderful and rewarding 2010 and may your God be with you. And don't forget to light up you life with solar!!!

Terry R. Wolff

SOLARMAGIC POWER OPTIMIZERS

We just got a lead on this new product by National Semiconductor. These power optimizers allow you to get the maximum performance out of your PV solar strings.

Today’s photovoltaic arrays are defined as strings of series-connected PV panels, which are then paralleled together and converted to AC power through an inverter. The key challenge of these arrays is how a small amount of real-world mismatch with just a few of the PV panels can cut the power output of the entire array in half. This mismatch can come in the form of shading (e.g. trees, chimneys, overhead power lines, bird droppings, handrails, etc.), panel-to-panel mismatch, different panel orientations and tilts, or different string lengths.

As a result of these mismatches, system integrators are often forced to compromise their installation by various methods, such as reducing the size of the array to avoid shade, accepting a lower energy output per square meter, or adding extra panels in a different part of the array, all of which cost money, efficiency, and/or aesthetics for the system owner.

To maximize the energy output of each solar PV panel in the array, National Semiconductor has developed SolarMagic technology, which enables each solar panel to produce the maximum energy regardless of whether other panels in the array are under-performing due to mismatch. SolarMagic technology monitors and maximizes the energy harvest of each individual PV panel through advanced algorithms combined with leading-edge mixed-signal technology, thereby recouping up to 57% of the lost energy due to mismatches.

The SolarMagic power optimizer is designed to be installed quickly and easily within the traditional architecture of a solar array. Each power optimizer comes with a universal mounting bracket for easy attachment to a racking system. The output wires of each solar panel are simply series-connected to a power optimizer (positive wire to positive wire, negative to negative), with the power optimizer output wires correspondingly connecting into the next solar panel’s power optimizer.

The blocking diode is designed to block reverse current flow by allowing current to flow in one direction and disconnect the circuit if current attempts to flow in the opposite direction. Due to the interaction, strings with SolarMagic power optimizers installed – also referred to as assisted strings – will have varying voltage levels during energy production hours.

A single blocking diode must be installed in each assisted string to protect the SolarMagic power optimizers from damage.

All SolarMagic power optimizers come with a limited 20-year warranty, thereby ensuring the reliability of the panel-mounted electronics matches the panels themselves.

See Spec Sheet

You can order these items on-line by going to my solar site at my
Solar-Catalog.com/pv_opt.html or go to Solar-Catalog.com and view all the Solar, Wind, and Hydro energy products I have available.

My 2010 on-line catalog is now available for your viewing. This year I have added more products as well as product and design information. Ordering on-line makes it easy for you to order what you need 24/7.

Until next time, I hope that this has been helpful. Starting in 2010 I will attempt to feature an energy product once a week and do an informational article every month. At least that is my intent. I will also attempt to be more regular on my Woodcarving Blog as well. With that said, lets hope that I am not promising too much. If I am, I will let you know and reschedule my plans.

Terry R. Wolff

OFF-GRID COMPONENTS

Setting up an off-the-grid solar system (this means having electric without having access to a power utility or if you do have access, they would be used as an emergency backup much like having a backup generator) usually seems more complicated than it needs to be. I know this by the number of people that call me that are either completely in the dark or darn near to it. So I am writing this to try to put some clarity to this subject.

When you set up an off grid energy system you become your own energy utility company. This means that your system will be as efficient as the components you use. It also means that you are also the maintenance department as well as the systems monitoring department. I only mention this to make you aware of some of your responsibilities and not to scare you. I have been living off the grid for nearly thirty years, most of that full time (meaning that there were a few times when I had access to shore power) and have never experienced any major issues. Back in the 80's I had to have a relay replaced in my inverter and more recently I needed to replace a temperature sensor in one of my inverters (I have redundant inverters so I have one as a backup). The main issue with an off-grid system is the batteries. As a rule of thumb, the more costly the batteries, the less trouble you should have (if you can afford it, industrial batteries are the way to go).

Now that you know what your responsibilities will be, I would like to mention that I personally prefer living independent of the grid. Here in northern New Mexico those living on the grid are subject to occasion brown outs, black outs, power surges, and low voltage. None of this has ever effected me the whole time which I have lived here. While those here who do live with the grid have experienced these inconveniences which have cost them loss of expensive electronics I might add.

So what is needed to have an independent energy system? You need to have an energy generating system, this could be Solar, Wind, Hydro, or a Fuel Powered Generator. The first three cost nothing to run once they are setup. Lets look at each of these four options.

• Solar Energy – Is readily available when the sun is shining. The Solar Modules change the Suns energy into DC Electric which is stored in Batteries until the Electric is needed.

• Wind Energy – Relies on Wind Turbines to provide you the energy. Just like the Solar Modules, most of these residential and small commercial unites make DC Electric which is stored in Batteries also. Since Wind Turbines are mechanical, they could be subject to mechanical issues

• Micro Hydro Electric – These are great if you have access to enough steady running water. Again they produce DC Electric which is stored in Batteries as well. Likewise, Hydro Turbines are mechanical devises and may be subject to mechanical issues.

• Generators, Fuel Based – These are available in either AC, DC, or both. Since generators have combustible engines, making the electric as needed they will be running whenever you need electric unless you are using it to charge a battery bank. Generators run on gasoline, diesel, natural gas, or propane. Using a generator is the most expensive way to generate electric. While generators have been the standard in remote areas throughout the world, they are rapidly being replaced by Solar and Wind which require less operating costs, maintenance and down time. Most of the Generators I sell today are purchased for System Back-up, most of our Sine-Wave Inverters are capable of starting a generator when the Voltage levels of the Batteries become too low.

For sake of discussion I will be talking about setting up a Solar and/or Wind Systems. Hydro Systems use similar components but also needs a few additional such as a Load Controller and a Load Diverter. Both Solar and Wind can be setup independent or used in conjunction with each other as well.

Below is a list of the components which make up an Off-Grid Electric System. I am listing these items in the order in which they appear in the system. These systems can have an input of 12VDC, 24VDC, or 48VDC depending on your individual requirements. I started with a 12VDC System because back then, that is all that was available. Today the 24VDC and 48VDC Systems are more common place as they require thinner wires and the Solar Modules and Wind Turbines can be further away from the Solar Building. I now have a 48VDC System because of our Solar Well Pump but I would recommend a 24VDC System your system with the exception of mobile and cabins where all the Loads are going to be DC. 48VDC Systems require four 6VDC Batteries for every Battery on a 12VDC System. If you are doing a Battery Based Grid-Tie System that you will have to use a 48VDC input.

1. Electric Generation – This would be a Solar Module (also referred to as a Solar Panel or PV Panel) or Solar Array (two or more Solar Modules) and/or a Wind Turbine or Turbines. These will produce DC Electric which needs to be stored in a bank of Batteries for current or future use. Other than pumps all AC and DC loads require Batteries and they provide a more stable voltage level.

2. Mounting System – Both Solar Modules and Wind Turbines need to have a way of mounting them. For Solar Modules there are a number of Mounting Systems available from Pole Mounts, Ground Racks, Trackers, Roof Mounts, and RV Mounts. Wind Turbines are mounted on Wind Towers, Roof Mounts, and Marine Mounts.

3. Combiner Box – These are Breaker or Fuse Boxes which mount to the Mounting System. The purpose of these is to isolate each Solar Module and to allow you to only have to run two wires back to your Solar Room/Shed.

4. Solar Building – This is where you keep all your Components, Disconnects, and the Battery Bank to protect them from the elements. Whatever you choose to use, this is entirely up to you and I am only mentioning this to bring it to your attention. Just make sure that you allow enough room to move around and that there is a minimum of three feet in front of the Inverter and Disconnects.

5. DC Disconnects – These are Breakers which are used to isolate various components from each other. Some times there are more than one Breaker Box but today there are DC Disconnects that are designed for Solar Systems. These Disconnects include space to do all your DC Wiring and Breakers to isolate the...
   A. PV Panels from the Charge Controller
   B. Charge Controller from the Batteries
   C. Ground Fault Breaker
   D. Inverter(s) from the Batteries
   E. DC Loads from the Inverter(s)
   F. Lightning Arrestors
   a. At the Combiner Box or base of the Wind Tower
   b. In the DC Disconnect
   c. In the AC Disconnect
   G. Grounding

6. Charge Controller(s) – Every Battery Based Solar System requires a Battery Charge Controller. The Controller protects the Batteries from becoming over charged and distributes the charging Amps in three Phases - Bulk, Float, and Equalize. Controllers range in Amp output from as small as a couple Amps to 80 Amps. If mixing different size Solar Panels or if the Amperage is more than 80 Amps than additional Charge Controllers would be required. There are two types of Controllers, PMW and MPPT. They will be further discussed in another posting. Some Wind Turbines come with built-in Controllers.

7. Inverter(s) – These convert DC Electric to AC Electric. Not all Systems have AC loads and if they don't, then an Inverter would not be required. When it comes to Inverters, there is a wide range of them, ranging from small cigarette lighter models and up from there. Here we will be referring to the most common which are used in homes. These are Modified Sine Wave or Sine Wave Inverters. Some Inverters include built in chargers and can be set to accept Utility Power or start a Generator if the Voltage in the Battery Bank fall below a predetermined Voltage.

8. Solar Storage Batteries – These are Deep Cycle Batteries needed to store the electric which is produced by the PV Panels or Wind Turbines. Due to weight and cost issues most people will choose using a commercial grade Battery which come packaged in six Volt units. All Batteries consist of 2VDC Cells which are packaged together to form larger Voltage Batteries ie. 6VDC, 12VDC. The 6VDC L-16 Batteries are the most common as the only weigh about 130 pounds each. Industrial Batteries can weigh up to 1,000 pounds per Cell and multiply that by 6 and you have one heavy Battery, so these are not a convenient as the commercial Batteries. The Batteries are wired together to create your required Voltage so if you are doing 24VDC with an L-16 you will need to wire four of them together to create one Battery. To increase the Amp Hours (AH) you need to do this in increments of four Batteries per Bank. For example, I have a 48VDC System presently with sixteen L-16 Batteries. This is 2 Battery Banks of 350 AH each which gives me a total of 700 AH.

9. AC Disconnect – This includes all the Breakers that are required for disconnecting the Inverter, Loads, and By-Pass if you are going to be connected to the Grid or a Generator. The AC Disconnect is where you will do all your AC Wiring.

This completes my list of the main components which you will need to get yourself started to being self sufficient from Utility Electric. What I find interesting that during the past several years there has been a big push in the industry toward Grid-Tie and yet I find that there are a good number of people that just want to be off the grid even though they may be in a position to sell electric back to their Utility. So we have been selling Off-Grid Systems along with Grid-Tie Systems to the same customer. Whatever your needs are feel free to contact me and see whats available.

The above image is similar to my OutBack System except that I have two Charge Controllers on my System. From left to right I will explain what we have here. The box on the left is the AC Disconnect Box, just to its left is the Communications HUB, to its right are the two OutBack VFX Inverters, to its right is the DC Disconnect Box, and finally to the far right from top to bottom is the MATE Systems Control Unit, and the MX60 MPPT Charge Controller. The reason for the redundant Inverters is so that there is a back-up should one of the Inverters have to be taken out of service, to provide additional charging Amps during back-up charging from the Generator, and finally it shares the Load when the demand on the master Inverter reaches three-quarters capacity. These two Inverters are set up so one is the Master and works all the time and the second is a Slave Unit which is called into action only when required. OutBack Systems are the flagship of our product line but we offer components from all the major manufactures.

I hope that this answers your questions and has been helpful to you.

Terry R. Wolff