Re: [RE-wrenches] Entertainment: A contrarian approach to off grid PV

[dan]

This is actually pretty clean compared to some DIY systems. We have a local broadcast engineer up here running an old 12v DR and 20 something L16. He has a tangled mat of various wires and cables on the walls and ceiling of his "Power Room" at least 3" thick (in the thin spots).  He recently hired us to install 1800W of PV on an out building (500' away), and planed on moving power at 12v between the two buildings on an old piece of broadcast coaxial cable at least 4" in diameter. Seems I insulted him when I suggested he rip it all out and start over..

Dan Brown
Foxfire Energy Corp.
Renewable Energy Systems
(802)-483-2564
www.Foxfire-Energy.com
NABCEP #092907-44

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Entertainment: A contrarian approach to off
grid PV
From: "William Miller" <will...@millersolar.com>
Date: Mon, December 16, 2013 1:02 am
To: <al...@positiveenergysolar.com>, "'RE-wrenches'"
<re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>

Allan:

 

Very interesting, but he lost me when he asked for Bud!

 

William

 

PS:  Also, don’t walk into the shed carrying a rake, you will fry yourself.

 

Wm

 

 

 

From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Allan Sindelar
Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2013 8:04 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Entertainment: A contrarian approach to off grid PV

 

Wrenches,
A "maybe customer" sent me this link to a Google video about his Grandpa's homegrown PV system. It takes a very different approach than the industry has gone. Apparently it works, although it lends itself far more to educated homebrew than to something a company would do for a customer. He told me his grandpa was an electrical engineer. It's a funky homemade video but entertaining. The first 45 seconds can be skipped as it's about beer preference.

24 golf cart batteries in a 12v system, with two diodes per string to prevent uneven charging and discharging;
What appears to be about 2700 watts of PV, plus two unknown wind gennies.

After first viewing the video I sent back this response:
I saw the video - very nice. Your gramps has created his own unique approach and has done a very good job. This is the way off grid PV was done twenty and more years ago, although few back then had the level of knowledge and sophistication he has. The industry has gone in very different directions; indeed, he couldn't do what he has done for someone else's home if he needed it to be inspected. Unless you object, I'd like to share the link to the video with other installers nationally; I'd be interested in their responses on seeing such a contrarian approach.

There was no objection to sharing in the reply, but please treat it with respect.
Enjoy!
https://plus.google.com/105317412194765993553/posts/c9hE6GpXKAi

Allan

--

Allan Sindelar
al...@positiveenergysolar.com
NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
Founder, Positive Energy, Inc.

A Certified B Corporation^TM
3209 Richards Lane
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
505 424-1112 office 780-2738 cell   
www.positiveenergysolar.com

 

---

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