Bad days for Solar Production.

[timselectric]

I think the sand battery is well, total bs.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

If sand worked so well to hold heat, why did the desert cool off so fast when I was there?

Exposed to the atmosphere.
A lot lower temperature.
Wind.

 

[RV10flyer]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Exposed to the atmosphere.
A lot lower temperature.
Wind.

I think the sand battery is well, total bs.

This is part of my plan, using a buffer tank that not only supplies hot domestic water but also can be an electric dump load or run a air to water heat pump to input heat for later use. I'm hoping to reduce wood boiler firing to once a day, probably in evening.

If sand worked so well to hold heat, why did the desert cool off so fast when I was there?

Edit: forgot the buffer tank link

Moist air holds a tremendous amount of heat energy. The desert is usually void of this. If we prevent convection by enclosing and insulating “our desert” or sand battery then that stored energy can be used all night long.

 

[BigDoug]

Just ticks me off when its cloudy all day and then clears up right around 5 pm........grrr

Me today at 2:45pm when I was at the kitchen counter making some food and got blinded by the sun coming out from behind the clouds: OOOOF, I can't see. Hope this sun stays out for the next hour so I can at least get some charge today!

It did not. I think I got about 10 minutes of good sun today. Fortunately I am not off-grid, so I was still able to do all of the things I needed to without issue. But yeah - if my numbers are right, I got less charge today for the full day than I would typically get in less than an hour on a sunny day in the afternoon.

Over the next 14 days the forecast does not have a single day listed as "sunny". All Mostly cloudy, showers, SNOW showers... Should have moved somewhere else lol.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Back up to 100% today. Ready for three cloudy cooler days ahead. Not much sun, but still brought in 65kWh with 32kWpv. Mostly south facing at 45deg. One string SE, two strings SW, both arrays at 60deg for better winter production. Works great for supper, top off water heater and sometimes a little higher setpoints on the heat pumps to use that last hour of sun.

I got 16kw. Uhhgg?

 

[42OhmsPA]

I got 16kw. Uhhgg?

Keep bragging, that's ~15x what I made with ~9.25kw, I need more panels ?

 

[timselectric]

Moist air holds a tremendous amount of heat energy. The desert is usually void of this. If we prevent convection by enclosing and insulating “our desert” or sand battery then that stored energy can be used all night long.

No moisture in a sand battery. Too hot for that.
Sand is a good insulator. I bet that the desert sand is still warm below grade. And cooler during the day.
Sand takes a while to absorb and dissipate heat.

 

[RV10flyer]

No moisture in a sand battery. Too hot for that.
Sand is a good insulator. I bet that the desert sand is still warm below grade. And cooler during the day.
Sand takes a while to absorb and dissipate heat.

What I meant was, a dry parcel of air in the desert cools off and heats up faster than a moist one in our southeast United States.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Keep bragging, that's ~15x what I made with ~9.25kw, I need more panels ?
View attachment 181046

Hell I got a 30kw array. Should be getting close to 80kw.
Blah ?

 

[RV10flyer]

Hell I got a 30kw array. Should be getting close to 80kw.
Blah ?

19 mo old QCells, 5 month old REC’s and the SolArks really bring in the power.

 

[OffGridForGood]

November is behind me finally, my worst month.
Not that December is great, it's just better than November! The good news this year, has been the super mild weather - not even any snow yet hardly - and we had better sun than last November at least.
More surprisingly, no utility outages in Oct/Nov this year.
By mid -January I am back to a close-balance. Six more weeks.

 

[Zwy]

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Exposed to the atmosphere.
A lot lower temperature.
Wind.

Make a believer out of me when you build and operate yours.

Frost here goes down 5 to 6 feet in winter. Heat moves to cold. Will surely take some serious insulation or bury it deep with insulation. Any water around the "pack" will suck up any heat available.

 

[RV10flyer]

November is behind me finally, my worst month.
Not that December is great, it's just better than November! The good news this year, has been the super mild weather - not even any snow yet hardly - and we had better sun than last November at least.
More surprisingly, no utility outages in Oct/Nov this year.
By mid -January I am back to a close-balance. Six more weeks.

For me at 38° latitude, we are just getting into the short, cloudy, colder days where we have to watch our power consumption, hp thermostat set-points (67°F day, 64°F night), water heater timer settings (3-8 pm on), shorter showers, no porch/security lights left on, etc. The worry ends by Mar 1.

 

[OffGridForGood]

For me at 38° latitude, we are just getting into the short, cloudy, colder days where we have to watch our power consumption, hp thermostat set-points (67°F day, 64°F night), water heater timer settings (3-8 pm on), shorter showers, no porch/security lights left on, etc. The worry ends by Mar 1.

I just watch what I get from solar, and then top up during overnight low ToU rates. If I get 22kWh during the day - I charge up another 12-15kWh overnight. Just to keep the average incoming the same as what I know we will use in 24hours. Solar Assistant makes this easy with timed charging option.

 

[rhino]

December 21st

Technically it is Dec 22nd this year.

 

[LydMekk]

November was...challenging, even with many clear days. Never get more than 35-40% of the batteries charged - the solar hours each day are too short. Dark around 18:30 in the afternoon at this time of year.
Using much more on heating than compared to running full AC cooling in summer.
The maths ain't pretty

Forecast is rain again tomorrow.

My batteries are emptying at a different rate. Might need to clear up my cabling.
Looked at busbars etc. tonight ^^.

It's bad man...atleast December last year was better than November in 22. Hoping for the same this year ^^.

 

[redalertdt]

For my climate really enjoy a small pellet stove as an alternative to running a generator. Much easier to run than a wood stove, and has a separate intake/outake so it doesn't depressurize the house. Comfortable and reasonable IMO. Grew up doing the wood stove with chainsaw lumber, and love this as the "lazy way" to do the same, but just when it's cloudy.

 

[OffGridForGood]

Using much more on heating than compared to running full AC cooling in summer.

Heat pump?

 

[OffGridForGood]

For my climate really enjoy a small pellet stove as an alternative to running a generator. Much easier to run than a wood stove, and has a separate intake/outake so it doesn't depressurize the house. Comfortable and reasonable IMO. Grew up doing the wood stove with chainsaw lumber, and love this as the "lazy way" to do the same, but just when it's cloudy.

When you're off-grid, the more options you have the better, even if you don't use them all.
Example, my workshop (also my business) is next door to my home, and has to have heat, no matter what. To that end, it has three heating systems available.
If you plan your place to have a primary, seconday and third 'last resort' system, you will always be able to get by. I like firewood as a back up no-power needed option.

 

[timselectric]

Frost here goes down 5 to 6 feet in winter.

That would be tough to deal with. Definitely would require extra insulation, or depth.

 

[timselectric]

Technically it is Dec 22nd this year.

Not here.
Time zone dependent?

 

[LydMekk]

Heat pump?

Minisplits (minimum 2 running at all times with heating) and several panel ovens (electric aswell) plus heating in the bathrooms...it all adds up.

 

[Balrog006]

that

K

I got 16kw. Uhhgg?

2.5kW here ?

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I just watch what I get from solar, and then top up during overnight low ToU rates. If I get 22kWh during the day - I charge up another 12-15kWh overnight. Just to keep the average incoming the same as what I know we will use in 24hours.

I can do that also.
Just don’t wanna. Messes with my ROI and I’m to old for that shit..?

That’s why I expanded the array hoping to pull in enough for this winter but with these weather conditions it’s almost futile.

My summer productivity is going to be off the charts though .

 

[timselectric]

My system just automatically uses whatever grid is needed to keep the batteries from dropping below 48v.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Back up to 100% today. Ready for three cloudy cooler days ahead. Not much sun, but still brought in 65kWh with 32kWpv. Mostly south facing at 45deg. One string SE, two strings SW, both arrays at 60deg for better winter production. Works great for supper, top off water heater and sometimes a little higher setpoints on the heat pumps to use that last hour of sun.

Looks like you got the most favorable weather today out of all of us in this thread.