This is a modest 12VDC cabin power system with a 1500W inverter to produce 120VAC power for run conventional loads . Some AC loads we will be function on this system are : laptop reckoner , compact fluorescent light ( CFL ) , wireless , and a sleep apnea simple machine . We can use the 12VDC wall electric receptacle for powering cell phone chargers and other small appliances that would plug away into a standard railroad car cigarette lighter adapter . In the future , we would wish to install a 12VDC cap fan to increase airflow and well go around heat from the loft bedroom .
The system is contrive for mostly summertime weekend use where we range the batteries down to 50 % during our stay and allow the solar module to charge the batteries while we are aside . If the batteries should get run down during our stay , we have the backup generator to power our cabin while the solar modules are given a chance to charge the battery back to full .
In the time to come we plan to tote up a 55A external battery charger ( 1500W load ) that will run on the author ( 2000W capacity ) to charge the batteries . The generator has an 8A build - in battery charger , but this is too modest for charging our battery bank and is designed for trickle charge car barrage fire . You typically need your battery charger to be rated at 10 % of your battery bank mental ability as a minimum ( 44A for us ) and up to double that as a upper limit .
Our battery are housed in a tradition , sealed electric battery corner to prevent hydrogen off - gassing to our nursing home and the box is vented to the out-of-doors to leave the gas to escape . This is an essential safety feature for any battery - establish system that used flooded lead - Zen batteries .
Maintenance on our power system is minimal.
The solar mental faculty need to be clear of debris and will be washed off with body of water whenever necessary . If needed , we can use simple household dish soap to take away more hard obstructions . You should never use harsh cleansers on solar module . It is very authoritative the solar modules are clear and free of blending because each one lock with two chain of solar cells . If one cellular telephone is compensate , then we turn a loss almost 50 % of the commit capacity from the module . If a hard shadow from a branch falls across the end of the mental faculty , that can take out the entire mental faculty even though only a low share of it is covered . Our solar modules are mounted in a shade - free arena , so this will not be a job for us . However , in the casing where blending can not be deflect ( like a sailing boat ) , you should use Amorphous eccentric modules rather of Crystalline mental faculty . Amorphous modules are large per Watt and cost more per Watt than crystalline modules , but they cover toilsome shadows much well . With an uncrystallized module , if 5 % of the mental faculty is covered by junk or shade , then you will lose about 5 % of your shoot down mental ability ; much better than 50 - 100 % of lost power with a crystal clear faculty depending where the shading fall .
The electric battery will postulate to have the electrolyte / water level checked from time to time . About once per month if you are using the cabin on a continuous foundation or at least twice a season ( once in the Spring and once in the Fall ) for occasional weekend use . Use a gravimeter to take a version of the specific soberness of the electrolyte / acid for each cell ( 3 in each battery ) and register these readings . All of the reading should be tight to one another . The battery will require to be topped up with distilled water only ( or de - mineralized water ) . You should never expend spring , well , or tap water because the minerals in the water will contaminate the battery electrolyte and cut the barrage lifetime . Once the batteries have been topped up , we will apply the generator to bring the shelling up to full charge and take hydrometer readings again . At full armorial bearing , the batteries should all read at about 1.265 atomic number 106 . This will be lower for batteries that are not at full charge or for stamp battery that are getting older . That is all the maintenance we can do on our bombardment with our system .
If we had a shelling charger with an Equalization care cycle per second ( ours does not have this feature ) and the specific sombreness at full charge is below 1.265 , then we can execute an equalisation electric charge to seek to fetch this up higher . An equalisation charge is an intentional overcharge that will churn the superman in the batteries and sway some sulphate off the plates inside the bombardment . This can revitalize your battery and increase their life . The 6V golf game - cart batteries in our system will have a 5 - 6 class life with proper maintenance and used on a uninterrupted basis . Since we will mostly just be using them on weekend in the summertime , we could get 8 - 10 years out of these batteries .
Equipment List :
