Last year the total cost we paid to Unitil was 39 cents for Kw usage...yes that's right 39 cents, and that was only because our system went on line June 18, 2010..this year we had an entire year to accumulate credits and even run a brooder for the new 8 additions to our family...8 chickens!!!! We have not paid one cent for Kw usage these past 12 months!!!!
This year we are riding for free!!!!!
Perfect sized system!!!! Success!!!!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Friday, October 7, 2011
Pow..Bang...Poof.
We've been offline since a lightning storm hit our Solrenview Data Monitor in August :( Our panels are still cranking up credits on our Unitil Net Meter but our data is no longer live. The nice folks at Solectria will be sending us out another one as soon as they are in stock. Can't wait to get the live info back!!!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Winter Race for Credits
Our net meter was installed in July of 2010 so we only started accruing credits from the day Unitil started to "keep score". It's been a tight race with our credits and low solar insolation months of November, December and January but we are now in a neck and neck battle and it looks like we might pull through on the winning end.
Here is how we are doing:
August 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
September 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
October 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
November 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
December 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
January 2011 5KW charge ( 39 cents)
We've had some major snow storms here starting in January of 2011 (7 to be exact) but it looks like we'll be banking some credits as the solar insolation is getting better. On January 31, 2011 we had our first 14 KW production day from the big array so things are looking up...as of that day our meter was even..stay tuned for a report in February..we hope to be building credits with better solar insolation ahead.
Here is how we are doing:
August 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
September 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
October 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
November 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
December 2010 No KW charges from Unitil
January 2011 5KW charge ( 39 cents)
We've had some major snow storms here starting in January of 2011 (7 to be exact) but it looks like we'll be banking some credits as the solar insolation is getting better. On January 31, 2011 we had our first 14 KW production day from the big array so things are looking up...as of that day our meter was even..stay tuned for a report in February..we hope to be building credits with better solar insolation ahead.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Under the 1%
Am I reading this wrong? It appears NH, along with other states will be able to limit the amount of alternative energy production that is eligible for net metering in the near future. Take a look at the link below. Under Program Overview/Aggregate Capacity Limit; 1% of utility's peak demand is noted. If I'm reading this correctly, it means we are in under the wire but others who decide to net meter a few years down the road may not be as lucky...wow!!!!!
Click Here
I'm certain it will not stall out the alternative energy train that's steaming down the tracks..there will be other ways to take advantage of all the alternatives but it reinforces my belief that NOW is the time to take advantage of all the federal and state incentives and the benefit of net metering for grid tied systems.
The feel good factor on this system is what I did not fully calculate into the project. I knew it was the right thing to do, it's something my husband and I believe in and have wanted since the 70's but I had no idea it would feel this good to be on track now for a Net-Zero home.
Today is another huge day for us, we are not going without our air conditioning, our daily showers, use of the dishwasher, daily load of clothes washing, TV etc and we another we bank MORE credits with our utility!!!!! Wow this system just blows me away!!!!! Our Net Meter was fully operational on Tuesday at 1:30 and we are just logging in the credits on a daily basis!!!! I'll be tied real time soon and will be able to link the numbers we produce live to this blog.
Thanks to Fred Kelley and his "live wires", Rich Doucette and his team for being soooo smart, creative, and adaptable and Brian Pellerin for having such a great business model, a company that listens to their customers!!!!! I love the independence, the "Freedom" that's part of Freedom Renewable Energy.
Click Here
I'm certain it will not stall out the alternative energy train that's steaming down the tracks..there will be other ways to take advantage of all the alternatives but it reinforces my belief that NOW is the time to take advantage of all the federal and state incentives and the benefit of net metering for grid tied systems.
The feel good factor on this system is what I did not fully calculate into the project. I knew it was the right thing to do, it's something my husband and I believe in and have wanted since the 70's but I had no idea it would feel this good to be on track now for a Net-Zero home.
Today is another huge day for us, we are not going without our air conditioning, our daily showers, use of the dishwasher, daily load of clothes washing, TV etc and we another we bank MORE credits with our utility!!!!! Wow this system just blows me away!!!!! Our Net Meter was fully operational on Tuesday at 1:30 and we are just logging in the credits on a daily basis!!!! I'll be tied real time soon and will be able to link the numbers we produce live to this blog.
Thanks to Fred Kelley and his "live wires", Rich Doucette and his team for being soooo smart, creative, and adaptable and Brian Pellerin for having such a great business model, a company that listens to their customers!!!!! I love the independence, the "Freedom" that's part of Freedom Renewable Energy.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Another Day; Ho Hum...Even MORET LITINU Credits!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just another day, we are not working but the sun is!!!!!!!
It's day four since the Net Meter was installed by Unitil. It's about 3pm in the afternoon and the cumulative KW hours that Unitil now owes us are 20!!!! Yup, you read that right...20!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They system is so cool!!!!!
Independence via Freedom!!!!! Thanks Freedom Renewable Energy!!!!!!!!!!!
It's day four since the Net Meter was installed by Unitil. It's about 3pm in the afternoon and the cumulative KW hours that Unitil now owes us are 20!!!! Yup, you read that right...20!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They system is so cool!!!!!
Independence via Freedom!!!!! Thanks Freedom Renewable Energy!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Solar Forestation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On Tuesday a little after 1:30 pm we finished up the process with Unitil when our old meter was replaced with a Net Meter. Our old meter was spinning backwards during the day since our beautiful array was installed on June 13th and has been pumping electricity back to Unitil for about the past month but as far as Unitil was concerned it didn't count until we jumped through a few more hoops and had our Net Meter installed. They were able to get about 300Kw from our system and rode free but yesterday with the Net Meter installed they fully recognize each Kw we produce. Fast forward to Friday, today, and it's been exactly three days since we became "official"...we now have a credit of 11 Kw...pretty cool since we only had one very sunny day, the other days were a mostly cloudy and today which has been partial sun!!!!!!
We'll be having additional trees trimmed soon which will give us additional morning sun, very important during the months of December, January and February when the sunlight hours are fewer and the sun is lower.
We'll have more accurate and real time numbers when our Solren View is installed!!!!! Stay tuned.
This system has surpassed our wildest dreams!!!!!
We'll be having additional trees trimmed soon which will give us additional morning sun, very important during the months of December, January and February when the sunlight hours are fewer and the sun is lower.
We'll have more accurate and real time numbers when our Solren View is installed!!!!! Stay tuned.
This system has surpassed our wildest dreams!!!!!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
DC Appliance Success!!!!!!!!!!!!
We're havin' a heat wave, and it's testing out our new DC appliances!!!
So far so good!!!!
The Sundanzer 5.8 CU Foot Fridge, and 5.8 Freezer are cooling and freezing our food nicely.
The heat wave is the ultimate test for these new major appliances that run off the battery bank. As the ambient temps rise in the house, the fridge and freezer have to work harder. At midnight the Flexmax 60 resets logs and ends it's logging for the day. By 6am during the height of our heatwave we drain about 15 amp hours from the bank, (from midnight) as the freezer and fridge keep cooling our food as we sleep. We have NOT installed our air conditioner in the house since the temps have not exceeded 80 degrees downstairs, however today may be the day we'll be installing them, we do like our comfort, we are not militant about conserving every Kw.
Here are some stats on what we've used so far and what it's powered, again, the more heat in the house the more drain on the amp hours to power the appliances. In addition to running the freezer and fridge we've been charging our three laptops, charging the Scooba, Roomba, and cell phones off the Samlix inverter and also recharging the portable Xantrax.
July 6 99 amp hours 1.3Kw
July 5 72 amp hours .9 Kw
July 4 74 amp hours 1.0Kw
July 3 63 amp hours .8 Kw
July 2 53 amp hours .7 Kw
July 1 55 amp hours .7 Kw
June 30 60 amp hours .8 Kw
June 29 61 amp hours .8 Kw
June 28 49 amp hours .6 Kw
As you can see as the temps rise the appliances will require more juice to keep things cool, no different than an ac freezer or fridge, the good thing is the sun is free and we are not using fossil fuels to power these major appliances. Within about an hour or so of full sun our battery bank is recharged. We have not dipped below a 96% charge so we are doing great!!!!!!! Rich Doucette, from Freedom Renewable Energy, our SDE, (Solar Designer Extraordinaire) initially suggested we double our battery bank and he was right..it was a good move and when he talks we listen. In case of no sun for a few days we should be just fine!!!!!
The parallel connectors should arrive on Thurs so I'm hoping to have the fourth panel connected back up by either Friday or Saturday at the latest. With the addition of two more panels to our off grid array it pegged out the FlexMaxx Controller which can handle a max of 145 Volts. After hooking up all the wires and trying to fire up that bad boy I walked away without joy...luckily Rich was nearby and knew within minutes what was going on!!!!!!! So after some thinking we came up with the plan to run three panels as a temporary fix and those three panels (175 Sharp 24 V) have been doing a fine job of keeping our battery bank charged!!!!
When the parallel connectors arrive my plan is to wire two panels together in series to form two 48 V panels then wire the those in parallel...that will keep our maximum open circuit voltage to about 120 Volts.
So far so good!!!!
The Sundanzer 5.8 CU Foot Fridge, and 5.8 Freezer are cooling and freezing our food nicely.
The heat wave is the ultimate test for these new major appliances that run off the battery bank. As the ambient temps rise in the house, the fridge and freezer have to work harder. At midnight the Flexmax 60 resets logs and ends it's logging for the day. By 6am during the height of our heatwave we drain about 15 amp hours from the bank, (from midnight) as the freezer and fridge keep cooling our food as we sleep. We have NOT installed our air conditioner in the house since the temps have not exceeded 80 degrees downstairs, however today may be the day we'll be installing them, we do like our comfort, we are not militant about conserving every Kw.
Here are some stats on what we've used so far and what it's powered, again, the more heat in the house the more drain on the amp hours to power the appliances. In addition to running the freezer and fridge we've been charging our three laptops, charging the Scooba, Roomba, and cell phones off the Samlix inverter and also recharging the portable Xantrax.
July 6 99 amp hours 1.3Kw
July 5 72 amp hours .9 Kw
July 4 74 amp hours 1.0Kw
July 3 63 amp hours .8 Kw
July 2 53 amp hours .7 Kw
July 1 55 amp hours .7 Kw
June 30 60 amp hours .8 Kw
June 29 61 amp hours .8 Kw
June 28 49 amp hours .6 Kw
As you can see as the temps rise the appliances will require more juice to keep things cool, no different than an ac freezer or fridge, the good thing is the sun is free and we are not using fossil fuels to power these major appliances. Within about an hour or so of full sun our battery bank is recharged. We have not dipped below a 96% charge so we are doing great!!!!!!! Rich Doucette, from Freedom Renewable Energy, our SDE, (Solar Designer Extraordinaire) initially suggested we double our battery bank and he was right..it was a good move and when he talks we listen. In case of no sun for a few days we should be just fine!!!!!
The parallel connectors should arrive on Thurs so I'm hoping to have the fourth panel connected back up by either Friday or Saturday at the latest. With the addition of two more panels to our off grid array it pegged out the FlexMaxx Controller which can handle a max of 145 Volts. After hooking up all the wires and trying to fire up that bad boy I walked away without joy...luckily Rich was nearby and knew within minutes what was going on!!!!!!! So after some thinking we came up with the plan to run three panels as a temporary fix and those three panels (175 Sharp 24 V) have been doing a fine job of keeping our battery bank charged!!!!
When the parallel connectors arrive my plan is to wire two panels together in series to form two 48 V panels then wire the those in parallel...that will keep our maximum open circuit voltage to about 120 Volts.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
DC = Doucette Creed; Built to Last Decades
 |
| The Outback Mate remotely monitors battery bank health. This photo was taken at 6:00 am. The freezer and fridge ran all night and only required 8 amp hours from the battery bank. During the day the small off grid array will recharge the small loss. |
 |
| Up close and inside the well insulated Sundanzer 5.8 Cu Foot Fridge...wow this baby is built like a brick house!!!!!! |
I now have transitioned from the DC 1.8 Cu Foot Fridge (Sundanzer) that ran temporarily on the Xantrax 1500 to a breaker that runs a 5.8 Cu Foot Sundanzer Fridge on our DC load center. We are now running off of three 24 Volt 175 Sharp panels run in series. I also plugged in a 5.8 Cu Foot Sundanzer Freezer yesterday that's running off the small off grid array also....YIPPIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm monitoring battery stats on the Outback Mate, (a remote monitor) that runs from the Outback Controller and shunts in the DC Load center that monitor battery status with both loads, (Fridge and Freezer). So far so good...it's wild...it's summer and the fridge and freezer should require more amp hours due to the warmer ambient temps in the house. Yesterday with some cloud cover we kept up a 100% battery charge and used only 8 amp hours at night to run both appliances!!! How cool is that??? WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Over 100 Kw and Only Days Old
We've got the volts
We've got the amps
We've got the watts
Yeah...we got em'
(Sing to the tune of "We've Got the Beat", by the Go Go's)
Yup'
Our array hit a major milestone yesterday when the meter registered 100Kw. As the day progressed we ended up with 107.3 Kw. Our "baby" was grid tied late in the day on June 13th, in a slight drizzle. She will only get stronger and more powerful as we clear up a few branches that shade part of the array during mid morning. We are SO pleased with the success of this system, so far we are producing all the electricity the household requires...wow...this is wild!!!!
Thanks Freedom Renewable Energy.
http://www.freedomrenewable.com/
Ashley Hin, the energetic marketing/graphic artist from Freedom stopped by to take some photos and to chat...she represents hope for our planet as part of the younger generation who is working towards a cleaner world....she was able to capture our meter registering 100!!!!
We've got the amps
We've got the watts
Yeah...we got em'
(Sing to the tune of "We've Got the Beat", by the Go Go's)
Yup'
Our array hit a major milestone yesterday when the meter registered 100Kw. As the day progressed we ended up with 107.3 Kw. Our "baby" was grid tied late in the day on June 13th, in a slight drizzle. She will only get stronger and more powerful as we clear up a few branches that shade part of the array during mid morning. We are SO pleased with the success of this system, so far we are producing all the electricity the household requires...wow...this is wild!!!!
Thanks Freedom Renewable Energy.
http://www.freedomrenewable.com/
Ashley Hin, the energetic marketing/graphic artist from Freedom stopped by to take some photos and to chat...she represents hope for our planet as part of the younger generation who is working towards a cleaner world....she was able to capture our meter registering 100!!!!
Friday, June 18, 2010
LITINU; that's Unitil on Solar Panels
Our meter is spinning backwards!!!!!!!!! We are having a LITINU day here as our meter is in reverse thanks to our solar array!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How cool is that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No noise, no polution, no fossil fuel!!!!! As another day goes by and more sad headlines cross the internet, about 16 coal miners killed in South America, Chevron's, Red Butte Creek oil spill, and of course the heartbreaking BP spill....it makes me so happy to see that beautiful array basking in the sun...thanks Freedom Renewable Energy for making my dream come true!!!!
Carol Robidoux stopped by today and spent over two hours chatting with me and took a lot of photos. I'm normally a recluse but I'm glad she's doing this story, it's a great way to get people thinking and realizing THIS is the time to act. Between state rebates and tax credits, the state of our dwindling resources and daily environmental disasters it's time!!!!!
It's fun to see Unitil go backwards but it makes me even happier that we are doing everything we can to make a smaller dent in the world's eco system.
How cool is that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No noise, no polution, no fossil fuel!!!!! As another day goes by and more sad headlines cross the internet, about 16 coal miners killed in South America, Chevron's, Red Butte Creek oil spill, and of course the heartbreaking BP spill....it makes me so happy to see that beautiful array basking in the sun...thanks Freedom Renewable Energy for making my dream come true!!!!
Carol Robidoux stopped by today and spent over two hours chatting with me and took a lot of photos. I'm normally a recluse but I'm glad she's doing this story, it's a great way to get people thinking and realizing THIS is the time to act. Between state rebates and tax credits, the state of our dwindling resources and daily environmental disasters it's time!!!!!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
They are Real and they are Spectacular and they are APPROVED!!!!!
Yippie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rich Doucette, Project Manager from Freedom Renewable Energy, and SDE, (solar designer extraordinaire) met with our town building inspector early this afternoon and I'm THRILLED to say he signed off and APPROVED our inspection!!!!!! YIPPIE!!!!! Rich spent close to an hour with him answering questions and giving him the tour...we are the first solar tree in town!!!!! All I can say is we picked the RIGHT group to install this 3K grid tie!!!!! There is no doubt in my mind that this solar installation will be THE gold standard here. We've had the creme de la creme involved with this installation!!!!! I'm the happiest woman on the planet!!!!!!!!!!
Today was another cloudy day but we produced over half of our daily typical electrical use...wow...stay tuned...I'll be monitoring our daily stats with software soon!!!!!!!!!
Wow..this is cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rich Doucette, Project Manager from Freedom Renewable Energy, and SDE, (solar designer extraordinaire) met with our town building inspector early this afternoon and I'm THRILLED to say he signed off and APPROVED our inspection!!!!!! YIPPIE!!!!! Rich spent close to an hour with him answering questions and giving him the tour...we are the first solar tree in town!!!!! All I can say is we picked the RIGHT group to install this 3K grid tie!!!!! There is no doubt in my mind that this solar installation will be THE gold standard here. We've had the creme de la creme involved with this installation!!!!! I'm the happiest woman on the planet!!!!!!!!!!
Today was another cloudy day but we produced over half of our daily typical electrical use...wow...stay tuned...I'll be monitoring our daily stats with software soon!!!!!!!!!
Wow..this is cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
There IS a Santa Claus!!!!!!!!!!!
Brian Pellerin, Freedom Renewable Energy, not only a prinicpal in the business but a man with vision and heart, his life dramatically changed after a close call on 9/11.
The rain didn't stop work here. Below is a short video of the "Evergreen Solar Tree" in progress.
Click Here
There really is a Santa Claus and the workshop, Freedom Renewable Energy, exisits at 55 Crystal Drive in Derry, NH. Santa's sleigh, the Freedom truck arrived yesterday with all Santa's helpers and today we produced our first 1.9 Kw..in dismal cloud cover and drizzle!!!! PRETTY COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I say PRETTY COOL??????? I mean..wow man...PRETTY COOL!!!!!!! We'll be doing even better when the system is adjusted for the proper tilt, (right now it's sitting like a table since they need to do a bit of additional work) but we are LIVE...we are producing under dismal weather and it will be cranking with full sun...I just can't wait!!!!
The entire journey is so much fun!!!!PHOTOS From the Top:
DC load center, FlexMax Solar Controller, Inverter for the Off Grid 700W system...designed by that incredible Rich Doucette...the guy is simply amazing!!!!!!!
Matt in da' hole, Matt is under the wonderful guidance of Fred...more on Fred a few photos down.
Matt pulling wires out from the 14 panel solar array to the AC panel that will interface with Unitil's power and will make our meter spin backwards.
Fred, who is probably the MOST incredible person to oversee the electrical side of things...to say he's an "electrician" is a total understatement...he TEACHES electricians...in New England, he's a consultant to boards in towns, he a surfer dude, he's a Vietnam Vet who was air lifted out during the Tet Offensive...he's cool...the guy just rocks!!!! Fred takes a look at the inverter and meter setup on the diamond galvanized steel sheet Rich custom cut and attached on the pipe mount...he's of COURSE my favorite designer....the guy with incredible brains and go power. I think if there were more Rich's in the world we could solve all the world problems!!!!
Fred closeup.
Santa and all the helpers!!!!!! From the left, Brian, John, Rich, Fred and Matt.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
We are LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| Left to right; Brian, John, Rich, Fred and Matt, all part of the Freedom Renewable Energy crew from Derry NH who took us live today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks you guys are the best!!!!!!!! |
Lots, LOTS going on here today!!! Our house is a hub of activity centered on mounting our 14 210 Evergreen solar panels, it's close to a 3Kw system....this is a dream come true for me. I've wanted solar panels since the oil embargo in 1973...and now thanks to the INCREDIBLE crew at Freedom Renewable Energy, Derry, NH we are LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yup we are live!!!!!!!!!! I'll post LOTS more photos tomorrow that commemorate our exciting and historic moment with more detail...it's 7pm and I'll sort through all the great photos we took today.
I can't imagine a better company doing the work on our alternative energy farm. Their heart and mind are in the right place, they use local materials and suppliers whenever they can and they have innovators at their helm.
Our solar panels are from a company in Marlboro, Massachusetts. Evergreen Solar uses the smallest carbon footprint of any solar panel manufactured. Brian, a principal in Freedom Renewable Energy explained the process of using silicon in the panels. Typically silicon is sliced thinly, Evergreen uses a technology in which there is NO waste of silicon. Their manufacturing process uses a 30% smaller carbon footprint than their competitors.
Our inverter is manufactured by a company in Lawrence, Massachusetts , Solectria Renewables. They are located in an old mill building along a canal in Lawrence that was converted into commercial space back around 1990..the ultimate in recycling of buildings....how appropriate.
Most of the business relationships they have are with local suppliers, part of Brian's approach to running his business...I love it!!!! After both my husband and I were "downsized" out of jobs it has been my personal mission to try to make choices that support local business.
Here are some closeup shots of the Solar Tree Mount, incredible engineering!!!!
The DC load center has been "Doucette-isized".....I was overwhelmed with joy when I first set eyes on it!!!!! WOW!!!! It's safe, secure and accessable!!!!! VERY COOL Design!!!! The photo below is of Mike who helped with circuit design and planning. Rich Doucette is the mastermind behind this functional center that will run our 700W off grid center. The DC wires will come in from our PV array to the solar controller then to the battery bank and inverter.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Harvesting is Another Step Closer
Yippie Yi Yippie Yo
Yippie Yi Yippie Yo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jason from Freedom Renewable Energy out of Derry, NH arrived to deliver our solar panels late yesterday afternoon.
Click Here
I wanted to grab a pillow and a blanket and cuddle up with them for the night I was so excited!!!!! They are simply gorgeous..the Evergreen 205's are from a company based in Massachusetts.
Today the DC Load Center, with component parts including the FlexNet, Inverter, and FlexMax Solar controller will arrive "Doucette-sized" (I'm sure I'll be wow'ed by the professionalism of the set up with logistically placed components and shiny solder joints designed by Rich Doucette, the designing genius from Freedom) Our load center will now be placed in a more accessible location and connections to the inverter and battery bank will be much secure, streamlined, and more efficient.
Yippie Yi Yippie Yo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jason from Freedom Renewable Energy out of Derry, NH arrived to deliver our solar panels late yesterday afternoon.
Click Here
I wanted to grab a pillow and a blanket and cuddle up with them for the night I was so excited!!!!! They are simply gorgeous..the Evergreen 205's are from a company based in Massachusetts.
Today the DC Load Center, with component parts including the FlexNet, Inverter, and FlexMax Solar controller will arrive "Doucette-sized" (I'm sure I'll be wow'ed by the professionalism of the set up with logistically placed components and shiny solder joints designed by Rich Doucette, the designing genius from Freedom) Our load center will now be placed in a more accessible location and connections to the inverter and battery bank will be much secure, streamlined, and more efficient.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Breaking News!!!!!!!!!!!
We interrupt this program to give you a breaking news flash....flim footage and news soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Solar Powered Field Day Station On June 26th
Field Day is the largest on-air event in amateur radio. It's held once a year on the fourth weekend of June. The date this year is on June 26th and it starts at 2pm. It's an exercise in emergency communication skills.
http://www.arrl.org/field-day
I will be operating using my solar panels and battery bank. I'm not sure if anyone has ever participated in the event in New England using 100% solar powered batteries. I'm hoping for a nice sunny day on Saturday and I'll figure out how many watts I can run at night during the contest so I don't run down the battery bank. I'll be monitering the battery bank health with the shunt and Flex Net. My Elecraft K3 drains about 17-22 amps at 100W when I'm "running" (calling CQ test). I can always crank down the power to lower power if I have to....I'll just be a few db lower.
http://www.arrl.org/field-day
I will be operating using my solar panels and battery bank. I'm not sure if anyone has ever participated in the event in New England using 100% solar powered batteries. I'm hoping for a nice sunny day on Saturday and I'll figure out how many watts I can run at night during the contest so I don't run down the battery bank. I'll be monitering the battery bank health with the shunt and Flex Net. My Elecraft K3 drains about 17-22 amps at 100W when I'm "running" (calling CQ test). I can always crank down the power to lower power if I have to....I'll just be a few db lower.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
"June Cleaver" and the 1.8 Cu Ft. Fridge
My dad came down for the weekend , and we had guests, I had to entertain, after all I'm "June Cleaver", and that's just what you do on your own birthday, you cook for the clan. It's not easy with our "temporary" Sundanzer DC 1.8 cubic foot fridge, (but at least I have SOMETHING) I am accustomed to doing major prep work on food especially with company but I wasn't able to do that without the room that a bigger fridge provides. My family is spoiled I make just about everything from scratch here. The fridge, a Sundanzer 1.8 Cu. Ft, is running off the Xantrax 1500, another great idea from Rich Doucette, (Solar Designer Extraordinaire) from Freedom Renewable Energy.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Derry-NH/Freedom-Renewable-Energy/144637162085
(I was using ice before he suggested I use all the great things I had hanging around.) I soldered lugs on the ends of the positive and negative wires and put a 15 amp fuse in line on the positive lead. It take very very little energy to run this pup...I'm shocked. I let it go all night and when I check the battery status on the Xantrax in the morning it's STILL on the highest green light. By the morning I plug in the charger and it only takes a couple minutes to top off the Xantrax!!!!! Holy cow...great insulation on the fridge!!! Let me back up a few steps and tell you why I don't have a "real" fridge.
A couple weeks ago our beautiful 16.8 Energy Star Whirlpool Fridge died...it's a little less than two years old. Mike, our neighbor from Mike's Appliance diagnosed it as DOA and had me check the warranty..of course as Murphy would have it, the warranty was good only for a year. It had a major problem and would have not been worth the money to have it fixed...what a bummer. Our intention was to replace our fridge WHEN it died with a DC Fridge we could run off our solar battery bank...we just were not prepared to have to replace it so soon. We don't expect to be without our off grid system for too much longer so we are trying to do our best to live out of a 1.8 Sundanzer DC Fridge. Once we have the solar controller wired back up and the battery bank charging once again we'll convert the mini fridge to a freezer (you can do that with Sundanzers) and we'll hook up the 5.8 cu. ft.Sundanzer freezer as a fridge...I'm hoping it won't be too much longer. I have the temperature conversion kits and it's a fairly simple changeover.
I do have to admit there has been a very positive side to running such a tiny fridge...no food waste. It's so small I have to plan out every little bit we eat because there is so little room for leftovers. I have the smallest containers of basic condiments I could find at the grocery store, and the smallest size oj, eggs, tubs of butter and miso. Luckily I'm able to pick some lettuce from my garden but I have black calamata olives, roasted red peppers and a green pepper that is crammed in there. We can only fit two bottles of beer and two diet cokes at a time so we replace them as soon as we take one out.
Mark called today to say they'd be swinging by to pick up the DC load center so they could wire it at the shop. It's my lifeline. During the bad thunderstorms this weekend and our tornado watch I told my husband that if we lost power I could always run wire into the load center box, solar controller and to the battery. It seems every time the wind blows or there is a thunderstorm there is a high probability we'll lose power here, since our battery bank has been disconnected a couple months ago we've lost power a couple of times. After talking to Mike I realize it's a really good idea...they'll set it up at the shop and make short connectors where I had cold solder joints and they'll test it out and the set up here will go quickly and smoothly.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Derry-NH/Freedom-Renewable-Energy/144637162085
(I was using ice before he suggested I use all the great things I had hanging around.) I soldered lugs on the ends of the positive and negative wires and put a 15 amp fuse in line on the positive lead. It take very very little energy to run this pup...I'm shocked. I let it go all night and when I check the battery status on the Xantrax in the morning it's STILL on the highest green light. By the morning I plug in the charger and it only takes a couple minutes to top off the Xantrax!!!!! Holy cow...great insulation on the fridge!!! Let me back up a few steps and tell you why I don't have a "real" fridge.
A couple weeks ago our beautiful 16.8 Energy Star Whirlpool Fridge died...it's a little less than two years old. Mike, our neighbor from Mike's Appliance diagnosed it as DOA and had me check the warranty..of course as Murphy would have it, the warranty was good only for a year. It had a major problem and would have not been worth the money to have it fixed...what a bummer. Our intention was to replace our fridge WHEN it died with a DC Fridge we could run off our solar battery bank...we just were not prepared to have to replace it so soon. We don't expect to be without our off grid system for too much longer so we are trying to do our best to live out of a 1.8 Sundanzer DC Fridge. Once we have the solar controller wired back up and the battery bank charging once again we'll convert the mini fridge to a freezer (you can do that with Sundanzers) and we'll hook up the 5.8 cu. ft.Sundanzer freezer as a fridge...I'm hoping it won't be too much longer. I have the temperature conversion kits and it's a fairly simple changeover.
I do have to admit there has been a very positive side to running such a tiny fridge...no food waste. It's so small I have to plan out every little bit we eat because there is so little room for leftovers. I have the smallest containers of basic condiments I could find at the grocery store, and the smallest size oj, eggs, tubs of butter and miso. Luckily I'm able to pick some lettuce from my garden but I have black calamata olives, roasted red peppers and a green pepper that is crammed in there. We can only fit two bottles of beer and two diet cokes at a time so we replace them as soon as we take one out.
Mark called today to say they'd be swinging by to pick up the DC load center so they could wire it at the shop. It's my lifeline. During the bad thunderstorms this weekend and our tornado watch I told my husband that if we lost power I could always run wire into the load center box, solar controller and to the battery. It seems every time the wind blows or there is a thunderstorm there is a high probability we'll lose power here, since our battery bank has been disconnected a couple months ago we've lost power a couple of times. After talking to Mike I realize it's a really good idea...they'll set it up at the shop and make short connectors where I had cold solder joints and they'll test it out and the set up here will go quickly and smoothly.
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| My lifeline...the DC load Center Box. Top Photo is with the cover off, three shunts will measure three different loads. The middle photo show the FlexNet, the brains/electronics for the battery bank health, wind amps, inverter and dc appliance loads. Bottom photo is the cover with breakers. |
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tower Trial and Green Light from Unitil
And today was a big day here!!!!!! Unitil gave us the "green" light to proceed with the first installation step!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the first of a few steps before we are interconnected to the grid with net-metering.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Excitement is Mounting!!!!!!
Mike and Jason from Freedom Renewable Energy arrived this afternoon to install the low profile solar ground mount....YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The 700 watt array will charge a 840 amp hour battery bank that will run a small dc freezer (1.8 cu ft) and a dc fridge, (5.8 cu ft) with some possible extras from time to time like a couple lights when the power goes out or running the internet cable modem and charging up the laptops. Check this out...wow....."vive la difference" with an accent on the e!!!!! From my wobbly 2 x 4 "housewife frame" that the building inspector cringed at last year, to a Rich Doucette designed, substantial, concrete , solar pad. The low profile ground mount is held onto the pad with bolts!!!! It's part of Rich's view that things should last decades, yup' that's plural no typo...and this will!!!!! With manpower from Mike and Jason it went together quick and easy!!!!
Functional and beautiful...that in a nutshell describes this array that will power the off grid part of our energy farm. This phase one of three....my first dream come true powered by the creative minds and work from Freedom Renewable Energy!!!
Functional and beautiful...that in a nutshell describes this array that will power the off grid part of our energy farm. This phase one of three....my first dream come true powered by the creative minds and work from Freedom Renewable Energy!!!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Soil on Memorial Day Weekend
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