With all the parts in stock, it was time to assemble the whole Solar Powered Rainwater Project. I cleaned out a space in the garden shed, and added plywood to the wall for attaching the various components. We would be mounting the inverter/charge controller, solar panel combiner/breakers, A/C transfer switch and related wiring.
Continue reading →
You may recall from an earlier post that the Solar Powered Rainwater Project requires substantial battery storage. In our original calculations, we decided we would need 15,796 watt/hours of storage to provide three days of autonomy (or days without sun).
Continue reading →
It’s been a while since I reported on the Solar Powered Rainwater Project. Since that early-April post, I’ve been gathering the rest of the parts, and we took our annual trip to the Red Power Roundup — this year at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. The biggest part of the delay was waiting for the inverter/charge controller. I wasn’t thrilled with the delivery delay on the device, but it turned out well in the end.
Continue reading →
The new 250-watt solar panels arrived very quickly. I was eager to install them, but they were just a bit larger than I could handle safely on the garden shed roof. Fortunately, I didn’t have too wait long, and my neighbor Jason was available a few days later.
Continue reading →
Major equipment purchase done, it’s time to think about the installation. The solar panels will be arriving in a day or two, and I plan to install them right away. Solar panels produce maximum power when the sun is perpendicular to … Continue reading →
Previously, we discussed the amount of power needed, and how that determines the size of the solar array. We also mentioned Days of Autonomy and how that informs battery storage. Now for Charge Controllers and Inverters — the brains that tie everything together. … Continue reading →
In a previous Project post, we determined our power needs – 1300 watt-hours per day to pump water. Now we can calculate the battery bank capacity, solar panel wattage, and inverter capacity needed for our installation. Let’s start with the panel … Continue reading →
If you’ve been following along, you’ve noticed several solar-powered projects here at Roy Creek Ranch. From a simple system to “top-up” the storage battery in the Teardrop trailer and upgrading it to make an off-grid camper, to powering my amateur radio … Continue reading →
After adding some solar power to our teardrop trailer, I realized how easy it would be to power part of my amateur radio station the same way. Solar panels and charge controllers had gotten relatively inexpensive, and with the addition … Continue reading →