Hello from Augusta, Ga.

[linux]

I'be become interested lately in all-electric vehicles, aka BEV's and Tesla in particular. I drove one and am hooked, just need the price to come down a bit.

But that got me thinking of charging stations and home charging through the grid and that got me thinking of maybe an off-grid solar panel setup and that got me thinking that I should repair the big solar lamps that my wife likes... Anyway, I'm a retired EE (Univ of Washington, Seattle), did circuit design for about 7 years before I want into management but still miss the circuits. I'm also, slowly, building a DIY tube guitar amp.

What amazed me about Tesla and others is that they are completely powered by AA-sized batteries, thousands of them (slightly bigger than AA I believe) and using electric motors are amazingly powerful/fast.

So after doing some research on PV roofs I learn that Georgia is one of the states where the utilities are allowed to discourage PV roofs tied to the grid via fees, rules about instantaneous power pricing, buy-back prices, etc etc, and then they also try to blame legislation that they undoubtedly influence. Plus I have a string of 120' pine trees to the south of me that I don't really want to cut down.

Well, anyway, I thought I'd start by buying a small panel, a battery, maybe design an inverter and have some fun.

Good to be here; glad there is a community that caters to the rookie DIY folks...

 

[Mex Rider]

I'be become interested lately in all-electric vehicles, aka BEV's and Tesla in particular. I drove one and am hooked, just need the price to come down a bit.

But that got me thinking of charging stations and home charging through the grid and that got me thinking of maybe an off-grid solar panel setup and that got me thinking that I should repair the big solar lamps that my wife likes... Anyway, I'm a retired EE (Univ of Washington, Seattle), did circuit design for about 7 years before I want into management but still miss the circuits. I'm also, slowly, building a DIY tube guitar amp.

What amazed me about Tesla and others is that they are completely powered by AA-sized batteries, thousands of them (slightly bigger than AA I believe) and using electric motors are amazingly powerful/fast.

So after doing some research on PV roofs I learn that Georgia is one of the states where the utilities are allowed to discourage PV roofs tied to the grid via fees, rules about instantaneous power pricing, buy-back prices, etc etc, and then they also try to blame legislation that they undoubtedly influence. Plus I have a string of 120' pine trees to the south of me that I don't really want to cut down.

Well, anyway, I thought I'd start by buying a small panel, a battery, maybe design an inverter and have some fun.

Good to be here; glad there is a community that caters to the rookie DIY folks...

Welcome....lots of friendly expert advice here. You are probably qualified to be giving some of it

 

[linux]

Welcome....lots of friendly expert advice here. You are probably qualified to be giving some of it

Thanks. Like most things, electronics knowledge has a shelf date but I do still remember ohm's law That actually gets you a long way along with kirchoff's law. If you know the basics, the rest is easier to comprehend...

 

[Mex Rider]

Iuse ohm a lot in my meditations Will have to look up this new guru Kirchoff...unfamiliar with him. Serously though, my knowledge is basic and hands on, twenty years living on boats and you know how well salt water and things electrical go together....oh the stories I could share, lol!

 

[linux]

Yeah, water, especially salt water don't mix well with electricity. Kirchoff's law is simple; all currents entering a point must equal currents leaving a point. Pretty obvious when you think about it, right?

 

[Mex Rider]

yep