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Batteryless Wind Applications!
BIG NEWS! SMA, the very successful batteryless inverter manufacturer from Germany has successfully
converted it's charging algorithm to work with wind systems. This means wind systems no longer must have batteries! The main
technical problems have been solved for "batteryless inverters used in grid-tie applications." However, wind generators
must have special high voltage windings and the control system must be capable of providing a wind generator load when the
utility grid fails. The new SouthWest Windpower "Skystream" is a new and optimistic entrant into this simplified
wind system design, rated at 1.8 kiloWatts. SMA has also successfully completed its UL listed standard
status for the "WINDY BOY" inverter. This means that utility concerns for islanding are eliminated and assures
consumers, inspectors and utilities of the electrical safety of direct utility-tied wind systems. SMA has hit the world
market with great success in recent years with their "SUNNY BOY" batteryless grid-tied inverter....
Bergey Windpower has a batteryless 10 kiloWatt system with their own batteryless inverter!
Battery Bank Wind Applications
In the photo, a 24 or 48 Volt deep cycle lead/acid battery system supplies a constant source of power
-- whether you are running an independent system or 'along-side' the utility (feeding all OR designated circuits). The
system will automatically turn on -- nearly instantly -- at the beginning of a power outage if your home or business
is connected to the utiltity. While a battery system can be somewhat more expensive and require more maintenance, a
battery system nonetheless offers features not found in batteryless systems: You Always Have Power -- even in a power
outage -- as long as your loads do not exceed the production and storage capacity of the system; the system is Independent
Power Capable -- it is not dependent upon outside utility systems.
The DR Series modified sine wave inverter supplies the main source of power for hundreds of thousands
of homes and businesses world-wide, and can be used in solar only, wind only OR hybrid system applications. If used in
conjunction with utility company supplied power, the inverter can switch to battery supplied power so quickly
at the beginning of a power brown-out (poor power quality) or black-out that your computer won't even know there is a
problem. In this way, additional protection is afforded your electronic equipment, appliances and tools. The inverter
not only supplies modified sine-wave household AC power, it conditions the power by providing voltage regulation when the
utility fails to meet pre-set criteria. Typical loads are: TV's, microwave ovens, refrigerators, freezers, hand and bench
power tools, pumps, lighting, computers, fax machines, copiers, telephone equipment, and radios. (Note that strong
TV and radio signals work best with inverters. This may necessitate placing the unit away from the inverter or installing
an antenna.) There are certain smoke detectors that will not work with modified sine wave inverters so check to be sure you
can use battery powered smoke detectors when utilizing the lower cost modified sine wave inverter. For independent systems,
it is generally best to use a battery type smoke detector anyway, as there are periods when your inverter will be turned off.
There are also certain other items that will not run well, such as shaded pole motors (low cost bathroom fan types) and cheaper
battery chargers as used in the low end portable power tools. Large motors and pumps run well, in fact quite well on modified
sine wave inverters, as long as they are sized correctly. Remember that motors can consume 4 times the power when starting,
so oversize your inverter. Cell phone chargers work well.
This famous Xantrex/Trace Sine Wave inverter comes standard with the Grid-Tie system below (3rd system down
the list). It has is own built-in computerized brain and can detect and correct even minute power problems such as frequency
and voltage deviation. It can produce power that is cleaner than the utility. It is capable of back-feeding the grid when
battery power is adequate. Many thousands are installed world-wide in solar, wind and hybrid system applications.
The RV Products (now Blue Sky Energy) Maximum Power Point Tracking photovoltaic controller provides
from 25 to 30% more power (especially in cold weather -- some reports are even higher) than conventional pulse modulated
or non-modulated PV controllers. This means more power from your PV panels. The unit is available with a built-in
LCD panel option that gives you a constant readout for PV generated current, actual Battery charge current, and battery
bank voltage. It also has an optional temperature sensor to maximize charge for varied temperature conditions.
We have many types and many brands of photovoltaic panels. Pictured here are the UL approved Shell/Siemens
SR100 panels. We will select the panels that are the most suitable for your application and those that offer the best performance.
Shell now makes a 150 Watt panel; Sharp, Sanyo and others manufacture as large as 165 Watt panels.
Systems discussed on this page are solar and wind hybrid systems. They typically would include: 1) a wind
generator 2) a Maximum Power Point solar controller 3) an inverter to convert Direct Current battery voltage
to household Alternating Current 4) photovoltaic panels, and 5) a manual or automatic transfer switch. The transfer
switch allows you to switch your loads from battery/inverter power to utility grid or generator. These systems include typcial components
listed above. Systems can be "solar only" if preferred, without the wind generator. The first four systems
listed also include a Xantrex/Trace Power Panel which is a pre-wired system panel. This makes installation much easier.
Click the links below for other types of system options:
PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS (Batteryless vs Battery )
WIND TURBINES: BERGEY, SOUTHWEST WINDPOWER & SYNERGY
Pre-engineered SYSTEM SPECIALS! These systems feature
battery banks for independent and back-up power operation. Home and Cabin Systems Outline -- Details below (at bottom of page),
Other sizes available
Note: To make the most effective contribution to your overall energy bill, energy
conservation measures must be followed and heating sources must be other than electric.
Note: Prices subject to change without
notice, however, once we accept your order your price is firm.
The Sun Wind Power System 3.6 system
-- 600 Watts of Photovoltaics (system is expandable), a 900 Watt high output wind generator & 3.6 kW continuous output
inverter/battery charger, 7 kW peak power. 8 ea. deep cycle L-16 batteries and a high performance MPPT-PV controller are included:
Hybrid System Sale Price $12,545, +S&H. Sale Price for PV System
(without wind generator $8,529 +S&H or 600 additional Watts of PV
may be added in its place) For roof mount add $295 for required ground fault interrupter. Stand-alone,
utility coexisting and back-up power only. Does not feed power to the utility grid but saves you money by supplying power
to selected circuits. (Cabin or small energy efficient home) Some variants in pricing depending upon customer preference as
well as site and installation requirements.
SWPS 7.2, UPGRADE -- Hybrid System Sale Price $23,795 + S&H. 1200 Watts of Photovoltaics, Two
900 Watt wind generators and two stacked 3.6 kW inverters/battery chargers delivering 7.2 kW continuous power or
14 kW peak. 16 ea. deep cycle L-16 batteries and a high performance MPPT-PV controller are included. PV System Sale Price
(without wind generator $15,364 + S&H
or 1200 additional Watts of PV may be added in their place) For roof mount add $295 for required ground fault interrupter.
Stand-alone, utility coexisting and back-up power only. Does not feed power to the utility grid but saves you money by supplying
power to selected circuits (for energy efficient Cabin or home). Some price variants depending upon customer preference as
well as site and installation requirements.
GRID INTERTIE or STAND-ALONE SINE WAVE SYSTEM:
The SWPS 4 kW Sine
Wave system -- 600 Watts of Photovoltaics (system is expandable), 900 Watt
high output wind generator & 4 kW continuous output inverter/battery charger, 8 kW peak power, 8 each L-16 deep cycle
batteries: Hybrid System Sale Price $15,995, +S&H. Sale Price
for PV System (without wind generator $11,029 +S&H or 600 additional
Watts of PV may be added in its place). For roof mount add $295 for required ground fault interrupter. Stand-alone, utility-tie
and back-up capable. Will feed power to the utility grid and can also save you money by supplying power to selected
circuits, add $395 for Grid-Tie Interface. (For energy efficient cabin or home).
Systems can be permanently wired to your home's existing wiring and the AC components are
listed to Underwriters Laboratory specifications by UL or ETL. These are suitable for home power, back-up power, power
for cabins, camping lodges or for remote sites. We can also supply them in a pre-wired kit that plugs together if
you need a semi-portable system. Place the batteries in a well ventilated or outdoor area within 10 feet of the inverter.
A large ventilated plastic tool box with added insulation is ideal. Place the inverter power panel in a weather protected
area. Connect the batteries (batteries come with wiring, fuse and instructions). Connect together the already wired
PV panels and place them in the sun in your yard or on the roof. An additional circuit breaker equipped sub-panel
is needed where the system is wired to a residence utility connected system (unless it is being installed as an
independent system, then a main panel is all that is required). Source switching generator panels are also suitable.
Polyplastic 4 battery box: $349 ea.
For the above two systems, PV racks optional: $250 for 4 panel system, $325 for 6 panel system.
These can also be fabricated from aluminum or galvanized channel locally available.
All units come with assembly and installation instructions. Installation of systems is available for
local customers. The systems on this page are exemplary of the lowest price "quality" systems available.
Photo Below: These two 100 Watt PV panels. Small systems can be used to power solar well pumps,
or many other applications including charging cabin batteries for power systems during unoccupied and
occupied periods. Larger arrays can be used for continuous use with multiple loads. A 2,000 Watt inverter
connected to a moderate battery bank can run appliances, computers, printers, lights, radio, small TV and
the refrigerator etc. This small array can also be used for home power during an outage as long as an appropriately
sized battery bank is employed that can power the loads for the outage period. To maintain constant output for normal use
and combined household loads, a larger array would be needed. Loads to connect to the system from various rooms of
the house with our transfer switch panel. This is the same type of sub-panel used to transfer loads to a generator set. The
system is not large enough to run everything at the same time, however, with careful use and limiting loads to 2 kW,
it is possible to run everything in the house, on an "as needed" basis. A generator would be needed for
extended outage periods since the solar energy is limited by two panels. When there is an outage, even a small system can
be a LIFE SAVER! During a long outage, one can fire up a generator to charge the battery bank if we need
to do so. That way, running a generator is an option.... not a requirement -- except for long outages. MORE DETAILS ON THESE SYSTEMS AT BOTTOM OF PAGE:
See the WIND TURBINES page for 'Wind Only' systems SPECIALS!!
Naturally, system output/size is proportional to dollars spent. But that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune to get started
in solar energy!
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The 500 Watt continuous power modified sine wave inverter (top) is available for $495, complete
with built-in battery charger. This unit comes with an AC cord. Connect a deep cycle 12 volt battery to the cables provided,
plug your loads (lights, computer, TV, mini-refrigerator, etc.) into the inverter and the AC cord into your home AC outlet
, and you have a complete back-up power system for power outages. The amount of time back-up power is provided is dependent
upon the size and number of batteries you connect. Connect up a 60 to 100 Watt photovoltaic panel or several ($350 to $575
respectively) with a small PV controller ($30 to $75) and you have a complete solar power system. (Total load must not exceed
500 Watts, total load time must not exceed battery recommended load capacity and recharge capacity of the PV panels utilized).
As an example, if you connect a 100 Watt solar panel, in the Puget Sound area it will charge on the average of 3.5 to 3.8
hours per day (over a one year period, average). This is 350 Watt hours per day. This of course will vary depending upon whether
it is summer or winter.... 350 Watt hours of charge will deliver approximately 260 Watt hours of power since certain system
losses are inherent. Also, the sun's energy output is less in early mornings and at sunset. 260 Watt hours means you can run
a 20 Watt light fixture for 13 hours (20 X 13 = 260). Or, you can run a 20 Watt TV for the same period. You could also run
a large desk-top computer rated at 130 to 150 Watts for up to 2 hours... Add more solar panels and your capacity grows accordingly.
200 Watts of panels = 520 Watt hours of usable capacity. In areas with more sunshine hours available, this power output increases
accordingly.
The unit in the lower photo is available in 1500 Watt to 3600 Watts for each inverter. A power panel
equipped with two inverters provides double the power and also provides 240 Volts AC (hard wired to home or building wiring). For
back-up power or for non-hard wired solar PV/Wind systems, Individual inverters up to 2400 Watts can also be plugged directly
into your wall outlet, provided a small battery bank is used and the AC loads are plugged directly into an outlet that
Sun/Wind can wire onto the inverter for you. This simplifies system design -- requiring no modification of home wiring.
For medium and large battery banks it is necessary to wire this system into your home's main panel and add a small sub-panel.
Both pictured units have automatic built-in 3 stage battery chargers. We can build you a hefty back-up power system
requiring NO solar panels or we can build you a solar power back-up system with the DR Series inverter! These
units will handle up to 200% surge capacity for several minutes. When used as a back-up power source, the automatic transfer
switch will turn the inverter on so fast that your computer won't even know it. DR inverters start at $1029. The unit shown
is a dual DR Power Panel. It is available in several sizes and varied configurations, from 1,500 to 7,200 Watts.
We
have many inverters in sizes ranging from 140 Watts to 33 kilowatts available.
SYSTEMS AND SITE EVALUATION FORM
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Components, system prices and product availability are subject to change without notice. Once your
order is acknowledged and accepted the price is then firm.
All contents of this web site are copyrighted except where specific pages are exempted. Copying, reproducing,
reformatting or distribution by any means including photographic or electronic reproduction is prohibited, other
than as per the guidelines provided: One printed copy for non-commercial 'personal use only' or copies for 'educational
purposes' within a bonified educational institution is permitted. All other reproduction must be pre-approved in writing
by Sun/Wind Concepts or Tom W. Rentz.
Copyright March 8, 2005 by
Tom W. Rentz/SunWind Concepts
Camano Island, Washington, USA |
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