Has anyone seen or checked out the solar panels at Costco they're made by Coleman just curious they're small enough to charge up Walkie Talkies and pack up in case Shtf.
My very first panel (same package as Coleman but branded "ICP") crapped out after a mere 23 years. (corrosion is the probable cause and it's rated as an indoor panel that did see limited outdoor use and rain) I'm pretty upset over it's early retirement. NOT!!! I'm watching for a sale to replace it and get one or two extra's.
That said, if you are looking for real solar power at far better prices please PM me for better sources (cost per watt) on larger panels. I make no commission on any sale.
Than= I’d rather be rich than poor.
Then= I first became hungry then I ate.
There = She is there now.
Their = They have their things.
They're = They're going to the mall.
To = They came to the house.
Too = That's too bad.
Just out of curiosity, I got 4200 watts (20 x 210W Evergreen ES-A panels), plus Sunny Boy 4000 inverter, roof mountings plus installation for $NZ 27,500 including GST (tax) in mid 2011. How does that compare with installations elsewhere? ($NZ 27,500 is $CAN 23,400, $US 23,000 or $AUS 23,000, in round numbers as of today's exchange rates.)
You have to mix and match but some good prices here:
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-home-outdoor-other-Solar-Panel-microFIT-DIY-kit-Charge-Controller-Solar-Pump-W0QQAdIdZ417761056QQfeaturedAdZtrue
Just out of curiosity, I got 4200 watts (20 x 210W Evergreen ES-A panels), plus Sunny Boy 4000 inverter, roof mountings plus installation for $NZ 27,500 including GST (tax) in mid 2011. How does that compare with installations elsewhere? ($NZ 27,500 is $CAN 23,400, $US 23,000 or $AUS 23,000, in round numbers as of today's exchange rates.)
I could get the panels for a bit under $8,500, probably near $1,000 for a good MPPT charge controller, a quality 4kw pure sine wave 110/220V inverter for about $3,000. I don't even want to guestimate the roof mounts because they can vary so much and I do my own installation except for the AC side.
If you look at your invoice this might give you some comparison.
Than= I’d rather be rich than poor.
Then= I first became hungry then I ate.
There = She is there now.
Their = They have their things.
They're = They're going to the mall.
To = They came to the house.
Too = That's too bad.
I could get the panels for a bit under $8,500, probably near $1,000 for a good MPPT charge controller, a quality 4kw pure sine wave 110/220V inverter for about $3,000. I don't even want to guestimate the roof mounts because they can vary so much and I do my own installation except for the AC side.
If you look at your invoice this might give you some comparison.
Thanks for that. Seems everything in NZ is more expensive... must be the delivery charges! The panels I have are US made - no lead, which is why I chose them. That and the fact that cheapo Chinese rubbish doesn't last five minutes, and I expect 25 years of uninterrupted power from this system!
While I try to avoid Chinese components for the same reasons, their flooding the market with cheap (not inexpensive but CHEAP) panels did bring the price down on quality panels a couple of years ago. Solar is one of those things where you hope you get what you paid for but if you 'go cheap' you probably won't even get your moneys worth. If you check "Otherpower" or 'Fieldlines" message boards I'm pretty sure there are some Aussies on there that you could contact to get a better idea of current pricing.
There are also a few brilliant Aussies that are playing around with wind power if that interests you.
Good luck and keep on harvesting that sunshine!
Than= I’d rather be rich than poor.
Then= I first became hungry then I ate.
There = She is there now.
Their = They have their things.
They're = They're going to the mall.
To = They came to the house.
Too = That's too bad.
While I try to avoid Chinese components for the same reasons, their flooding the market with cheap (not inexpensive but CHEAP) panels did bring the price down on quality panels a couple of years ago. Solar is one of those things where you hope you get what you paid for but if you 'go cheap' you probably won't even get your moneys worth. If you check "Otherpower" or 'Fieldlines" message boards I'm pretty sure there are some Aussies on there that you could contact to get a better idea of current pricing.
There are also a few brilliant Aussies that are playing around with wind power if that interests you.
Good luck and keep on harvesting that sunshine!
I already have a Skystream 3.7 metre turbine. That will crank out up to 3kW. http://www.windenergy.com/products/skystream/skystream-3.7
The idea was that if it was a sunny, bright wind-free day, the PV panels would take up the load. If it's a dark and overcast, windy day then the wind turbine would be topping up the batteries. (Or a windy night.)
If it's a dark, dreary, overcast, windless day then I have the 7kW backup diesel generator. We're coming to the end of the summer now, and during the summertime that generator has only kicked in once a fortnight, for the 'Full' charge on the batteries. I've used around 20 litres of diesel in the last three months, so pleased about that. I expect the diesel usage to increase as the season changes. One interesting thing - the PV panels produced so much power that I was able to dump 2kW via an element into the Marshall boiler throughout the day. This would have the effect of increasing the 1600 litres of water by 10 degrees C in a day. Waste not, want not! That cut down the amount of firewood needed to heat the water. I also have a solar heater on the roof, of course, which also does a good job of heating the water. I didn't need to light the fire for about two months, this summer.
What do you all think of Solar generators? how well do they work? and do they actually charge stuff? I would like to get one that would charge an electric heater incase electric and gas goes out in winter.Also great for camping. (don't have a wood fireplace and it costs your first born to get one installed) Have one you would recommend?
I demand pictures!
This sounds like a great deal of very cool ingenuity and application of effort.
Please share as most of what you two are talking about is in Latin 😀
I’m going to start with the kit from Canadian Tire for $399.99 when it goes on sale in a couple weeks for $349.99.
It is meant for RV’s but is a good place to start. Peavey Mart has 6 volt batteries that go on sale for $149.99 so I’ll get four. Then as I can afford it each month I will make additions and upgrades until I have a full home system, then the original kit can go on an RV or cabin. I realistically think it will take a year for this and I am looking at other energy systems as well, but you have to start somewhere.
Hmmm, maybe I should rethink the quiet part...
I demand pictures!
This sounds like a great deal of very cool ingenuity and application of effort.
Please share as most of what you two are talking about is in Latin 😀
Which two? What is it that you are interested in, exactly?
I'd love to see the heat sink, I'm not sure what a marshal boiler is but it sounds interesting...
All of this dark magic is simply so far beyond my comfort level that it will cost a fortune if we decide to go this route because we would have to rely on professionals to install everything... 🙁
I keep telling myself that as long as I can dig latrines, I will be useful to my group...
Dang, latrine digging is passe', you need to update your crap technology - humanure is the only way to go! Google it.
I'd love to see the heat sink, I'm not sure what a marshal boiler is but it sounds interesting...
All of this dark magic is simply so far beyond my comfort level that it will cost a fortune if we decide to go this route because we would have to rely on professionals to install everything... 🙁
I keep telling myself that as long as I can dig latrines, I will be useful to my group...
Sorry about the wait - been sorting out fences all day. Knackered!
Well, let me say up front that I've put over $100K into an off-grid power system. That's 2 inverters, battery bank, wind turbine, solar panels (PV) and backup generator. So I produce my own electricity and store it. I am not connected to the electricity grid, and don't 'sell' them power. The reason for that is that we're rural, and the electricity vultures wanted $35,000 to connect the house to the power poles at the front gate, less than 100 metres away.... My second word was 'off'.
On top of that cost, I also have infrastructure in place to harvest rainwater, into 2 x 25,000 litre tanks, and pressurise the house to mains pressure with a large electric pump, running off house current. I just changed the filter on that today- that's a 10" long 1 micron filter - and I change the filter every 2 months. I stock enough spare filters for 2 years. During our recent drought my tanks dropped to 25% full. That was with us making absolutely no effort to save water. We carried on as normal. (It was a test of the system to make sure I had enough storage.)
Hot water heating is done in a Marshall boiler - that's a big cylinder with a firebox in the bottom. You can burn wood, coal, or have it set up for oil or diesel. I have a couple of acres of trees, and harvest those for firewood, or buy in firewood if I run short or can't be naffed chainsawing for days! 😆 All wet waste goes into a septic system, on site.
http://www.marshallheaters.co.nz/products.html - my boiler is similar to the first one on this page. They can be made to any size, and mine holds 1600 litres (422.68 US gallons).The reason it's so big is that it also feeds hot water into our underfloor heating pipes. There's around 1000 litres in the pipes in the floor, on top of the 1600 litres in the tank, and there's a few hundred litres in the rooftop solar heating panels, which also heat the water. Apart from the firebox, burning wood, you can add a 'dump' from the power system, which allows me to dump 2 kW into the hot water cylinder by an inbuilt element, and so you can see that there are three different ways to heat the water: solar heating, electric element and wood fire.
If this seems excessive, it probably is 😛 but the goal was and is self-sufficiency, and Mrs DUP likes her baths!! 😆
Hope this helps!