Micro Grid Tie Units Feedback

[infringer]

Great info to know... Always run micro grid tie near max output sounds good.

My efforts are simply to eliminate the need for batteries and save power on electric.

I have an MK DEKA already for my panel I built last year but I guess I'd rather get 2/3's of the wattage and not have to worry about batteries at all.

So these units may be a god send for me in the mean time I will investigate further I now have 150watts of solar but within the next few months I plan on building more panels approx 450watts worth of panels underestimating slightly due to defects that may be present... I will continue to add to my solar production as time goes on I will add 500 - 1000 watts each year is my estimate.

I just wanna start pumping some juice into my house save even 5bux a month on my electric bill would be nice. All my lights are CFL lights I have smart surge strips and some on digital timers motion lights in the hall to keep them from being left on I have been spending and spending to save on my bill doing the small things I will continue to do so.

I have some other projects that I will be doing as well... Have a WindBlue rotor I am having trouble getting to spin freely  but that is a whole post of a differnt topic.

I am looking for cost effective energy production and I will not stop at no for an answer.

[nueview]

Infringer

You may be interested in this site it is local here in alaska and it is something our group here is into so we started putting it together with some of what we have found and some of what we want to do it is mostly practical stuff on generators and the like if interested check it out or register all the help is good for the site right now.
we have two off the grid houses and one runs for under $90 a month fuel cost that was for december the windmill and extra solar should bring that down allot when it is done. the other we are just framing up it is for my daughter and looking at how to get past some of the major hurdles such as heating batteries and inverters this is mainly a cash flow problem so putting money where it has the biggest bang is very important this is a bit difficult to nail down as each situation is different.
hope you will enjoy looking them over,
Martin


http://green-sustainable-living.com/

http://sustainablekenai.org/ 

[CompuTutor]

I have found the analogy of using water to represent electricity
has helped in the past when talking with folks other than us here.

It demystifies it and allows the common man to visualize,
and apply common sense and logic
to things never understandable before.

But maybe it might help this time.

Picture a garden hose with continuously varying amounts
of water coming out, sometimes none for long periods.

Common sense would be to get a bucket or tank.

In a perfect world of even and constant wind and sun
we could build our wind and solar systems to directly convert
from source energy to grid backfeed to save constant money.

But we all know that is never going to happen...

So remember, large deep cycle marine batteries
are very inexpensive at wally world, etc.

A couple of low-loss schottky diodes
with minimal forward voltage drop loss
and you have a hands off system.

Add a voltage regulator if you make more
than you have room to store or use live time.

Out the back door to check the water level
in those expendable batteries occasionally.

Otherwise a hands off system.

The grid tie will always shut off for low batt.

It's the old:
Cut bait / Keep fishing
paradox...

I can't myself envision any kind of collection system
like wind, solar, water without a "Bucket" to hold it.

OK, make and store hydrogen in tanks
for a fuel cell to turn it back into electricity
is for the rich kids...

(Can you say "Used Forklift Battery" ?)

But batteries are inexpensive, reliable, and everywhere.
And they give you the most return on the "Harvest".

[infringer]

nueview, I used to live north of fairbanks for 2 years...

Was an interesting lifestyle but something I can never grow accustomed to...

I very much disliked the darkness in the winter it is depressing jobs are very far and few between.

AK I always urge people not to live there I try as hard as I can to convince anyone even thinking about it otherwise. I tell them to go visit it in winter. In the two years I lived there there was one nice summer next year lots of rain misquitos sucked big time ... But I must admit I did have a lot of fun at times and it was as isolated from civilized culture as you can get. There are tons of cults out that way that band together it is full of different cults very dangerous I believe to mental health. But as with extreme goods there are extreme bads...

CompuTutor you raise a valid point but, micro grid tie units dont normally put out till 15v there are some that will drain off the battery and yes I could run them in a series I am sure I just am looking to cut my electric bill without crimping my lifestyle which is why I run automated electric savers they work without you knowing they are working.

I have grand ideas and thought of grand ideas before they were invented the wind tree was a thought a long time ago that I had and just now someone thought of it I have a few ideas rolling right now one of which I believe to be a million dollar idea shame I could not get funding for it somehow to develop it.

I guess in case of crisis situation it would be nice to have the energy storage anyways but all the extra mess is not fesible for my living quarters as it is I have one battery already and a good battery is not cheap I've used car batteries and such before not nearly as good as deka almost not even worth my money.

Thank you folks for the links much appreciated! And the feedback is great as well.

[CompuTutor]

Ouch...Alaska...Brrrrr.

That is a whole new set of rules.

And yes, car batteries don't have plates
that will survive repetitive deep discharge.

The marine ones are a fair bit better,
but Alaska cold is not an option for them.

A vented battery box inside in a back
washing machine room is your only option.

Want to invent something ?

What do you have a lot of ?

COLD, LOL

I know I'm at risk of stating the obvious there,
but temperature differential is usefull.

While we down here (Texas) are burying pipe
to harvest the static ground temperature (heat),
our dump our excess heat (AC) with heat pumps.

Find a way to make electricity from temperature differential.

You'll find threads here and elsewhere
about turning heat into usable force.

Some are silicon peltier P/N junction ideas,
some work on low boiling point liquids and gasses
to turn a shaft with a vapour and/or liquid motor
or just use evaporation principles for air conditioning.

OK, the later is of no use to you...

But look at that concept in exactly the opposite view.

You have nothing but cold to use.

You also have some form of heat too.

Some for your living environment of course.

But I have to ask this next to dream bigger.

Is your water from a well,
if so how deep is it?

If the well is reasonably deep,
and a jet style recirculatory pump.

Run the recirculated water through a heat exchanger,
and have another long loop outside doing the same to a second heat exchanger.

Use two ultra low power usage circulation pumps
like they use for zone heating installations.

You won't get fresh water from the
deep well jet pump system with
that reduced flow rate of course.

But you will get water that is
considerably warmer than outside.

The second loop should be moving fast enough
to keep from freezing, or add appropriate chemicals.

Now you have two directly opposing plates to work with,
with a substantial potential difference in temperature.

Make that do work somehow.