diy solar

diy solar

Recent content by DCPower

  1. DCPower

    Solar powered hydronic heated floor

    I’ve designed several solar hydronic systems - old school direct solar heat collector systems - which work well when the structure is suitably insulated and there’s enough thermal mass to store the heat energy overnight. Overcast days aren’t as big a problem with thermal collection as they are...
  2. DCPower

    Replacement for Fronius IG 4000

    I installed several IG4000’s about 15 years ago. I found they had no tolerance for heat - they’d fail within a year or two if they are mounted in an enclosed space that’s not fully ventilated (garage, etc).
  3. DCPower

    1890 CMC Francis Turbine Power Table

    this is my 10” runner … after 15 years of 24/7 use
  4. DCPower

    1890 CMC Francis Turbine Power Table

    CMC and Rodney Hunt built remarkable micro to small hydro turbines - in the days prior to grid power, there was a huge demand for little turbines to provide electricity, mechanical milling, compressed air and pumping … my friend Ron Macleod lives in Rodney Hunt’s house, a sawmill in the 1870’s...
  5. DCPower

    1890 CMC Francis Turbine Power Table

    Scanned from an original Christiana Machine catalog from the 1890’s. Flow is in cubic feet per minute, divide by 60 for CFS. 1 CFS = 450 gpm.
  6. DCPower

    AC coupled recommendation?

    Installing enough battery to go full tilt boogie through days of overcast and no grid energy is never cost effective. Off grid systems design starts with load evaluation. Then battery. Last, the PV battery charger. It’s a shame so many people were sold Enphase AC module solar - even enphase has...
  7. DCPower

    For a 15KW microinverter grid-tie system, is battery backup even possible

    All of the “solutions” I’ve seen to add solar array charged battery back up capability to enphase grid tied AC module arrays have been - pardon my French - creative clusterfcks. Even enphase’s own recent attempt.
  8. DCPower

    The Real Reason LA port is backed up

    Sadly, the laws of physics and chemistry preclude the magical thinking that battery powered heavy trucking is a substitute for diesel powered heavy trucking. Battery mass too great and energy density too low … Elon hasn’t built a solution to these problems and never will.
  9. DCPower

    Adding solar hot water. DHW only or hydronic heating as well?

    You’re right, tankless heaters aren’t appropriate for use with pre warmed input water. Never suggested they be used. And yes, stainless steel dairy tanks - the rectangular 500 or 1000 gallon types - insulated on all sides with 6” SIP are typically used around here for overnight storage /...
  10. DCPower

    Adding solar hot water. DHW only or hydronic heating as well?

    Solar DHW is about 20% of home energy cost, and in the system you have, quite feasible to implement, but a standard dual coil tank is useless for solar since both heat exchanger coils are generally far too small for effective heat transfer. (Boiler coils are typically 8’ of copper tubing, since...
  11. DCPower

    Wind controller for hydro?

    The best way to maintain a water turbine and generator at its optimal speed is by maintaining a constant load on it, through the use of a diversion load controller. The type used depends on the voltage, power etc. involved. There are just too many variables involved to go through here … but...
  12. DCPower

    Wind controller for hydro?

    A vehicle alternator has a normal range of operation. Most alternators need to spin at about 2,400 rpm at idle, have their maximum output above 6,000 rpm. They’re really not suited for hydro power application due to this. Seriously. Hydro power is determined as a product of vertical drop...
  13. DCPower

    Need Help with Off Grid Power System

    Boonies, I do occasional consulting work on these types of projects, though generally locally - I’m involved in a similar ground-up development now, in fact. I’d be happy to discuss your situation with you, but let’s take it offline here - my email is - bill at dcpowerandlight dot com - drop...
  14. DCPower

    24hr power

    To get 1500 Watts at 45’ of head you’ll need 400 GPM. Just shy of 1CFS. (450 GPM). 45x400/12..= 1500 W
  15. DCPower

    24hr power

    Ok, a quick formula to estimate hydro power with a Typical 60% total water to wire efficiency factor -,which is really typical - is head in feet times flow in GPM divided by 12 = power in watts. Head in feet x Flow in GPM / 12 = power in Watts I truly hope you have more than 12 GPM. That’s a...
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