#How to calculate solar panel amps

[prep4tomoro]

Choosing and Maintaining a Power Outage Generator:

Multifuel (hybrid) Generators are capable of running on Gasoline, Kerosene, LPG/CNG/Bio-Gas fuels. Fossil fuel [only] generators will not be practical when fossil fuel resources become scarce. A generator (3000 watts or more) with AC (Inverter) outlets for critical electrical appliances can help during a power outage, especially during the summer to help keep refrigerators and freezers running for extended periods of time. SOLAR GENERATORS: Diversification is a trait of a true prepper who doesn't rely on a single type of resources. That's why even a hybrid [fuel] generator may not be the only power solution for a prepper. That's when a "Solar Generator" can be used to fill the gap. This type of generator runs appliances using only rechargeable [car size] batteries and an inverter to convert DC power to AC power for appliances. An electric source (usually solar panels) recharges the batteries but it can be recharges from an electrical outlet, wind turbine or water turbine. There are many commercial models on the market but can also be DIY with the correct knowledge. Use this link for further research on Solar Generators. It is recommended that the selected Solar Generator be able to daisy-chain to exterior batteries to extend the duration of the power (not, usually, the power output/wattage). In other words, additional connected batteries will increase how long power lasts (1 hour to 2 hours) but will not increase the wattage of the output (1200 (+/-) watts to 1500 (+/-) watts). Additionally, daisy-chaining exterior batteries will be cheaper than daisy-chaining multiple Solar Generators. Calculate the appropriate sized generator, necessary to run critical AC electrical applicances and medical equipment, by adding together your appliance wattage (amps X volts = watts) requirements. SAMPLE: Refrigerator = 800 watts (6.7 amps X 120 volts) Microwave = 700 watts (5.8 amps X 120 volts) ------------------------- TOTAL = 1500 Watts (a 2000 Watts generator) Additionally, understand that some appliances require a surge of power before they reach their continuous power usage. For example; a refrigerator needs to run on a surge of electric for its compressor before it reaches its designated temperature setting. It may require 800 watts of surge power until it reaches its designated temperature setting and then drop down to about 600 watts. So, for this particular appliance, a 1000 watt generator will power the refrigerator. It's alway best to acquire a generator that produces more power than you think you may need. Keep this in mind if using a power inverter as the same rule applies. The more devices plugged in to the generator, the less time it will run. Know its fuel/battery capacity and how long it will run on a full tank/charge. Keep enough fuel on hand to fill it several times (possibly for as long as a week). Keep in mind that a Solar Generator can be recharged by a fuel generator so both types can be used in an emergency to extend your power capability, and save fuel, during an outage. When the Solar Generator dies, start up the Fuel Generator to run appliances and recharge the Solar Generator. Then switch back to the Solar Generator to save your fuel supplies. Test run the generator at least every 6 months with at least one appliance (refrigerator, portable heater, etc.) attached as a power-outage simulation. Refer to our Post on Generators. Ground the Generator: Quick Guide to Grounding Portable Power Generators When the generator has completed its mission and it's unused until the next mission, turn off the generator's fuel switch, and run it until it dies (runs out of fuel in the line) to remove fuel from the fuel line to reduce the chance of generator fuel line clogging, freezing or damage. Then turn off the power switch. Use Fuel Stabilizer (STA-BIL, etc.) in the fuel storage container (gas can), appropriate to the type of fuel being used, to further reduce the chance of generator fuel line clogging or damage. It's best to use pure fuel (no Ethanol). Change generator oil at least once a year; more if used frequently. Reference Link Related Resources: Solar Powered Gadgets for Emergencies Portable Fuel Generator Noise Reduction Setting Up Off-Grid Cabin Power Coping With Fuel/Gas Shortages

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[jasmelon]

How To Prepare Your Household Or Business For The Solar Installation

As solar power demand increases, more homeowners and businesses take the initiative to switch to solar. Successful prepping of the property guarantees a flawless and hassle-free installation process. Continue reading to learn some tips to prepare your house before your first solar installation.

Evaluating Your Roof

The roof is the most important area for implementing the solar energy system. Hence, it becomes essential to examine its current condition and capability. Check the age, material and integrity of your roof. Asphalt, metal and tile roofs are suitable for solar rooftops. Angles and obstructions can be, sometimes, complicated and require custom mountings.

In addition to that, experts also encourage assessing your roof's direction and slope. South-facing roofs with a pitch angle between 15-40 degrees provide the best exposure to the sun. With advanced technology, we are still able to get considerable savings even with less-than-perfect conditions.

Upgrading Your Electrical System

Your solar energy company will take an evaluation and will suggest some improvements to make room for solar. Take into account your current electrical usage, panel size, and whether you have proper wiring and circuit breakers.

Many older homes may have panels with 100-amp breakers that cannot handle a solar array. Go for an upgrade which is having a 200-amp service. It provides enough room for your system and future needs. Your Solar Leasing Company in Pakistan or UAE can do a survey and help with any required wiring work.

Solar panels produce DC (direct current) electricity which is subsequently converted to AC (alternating current). This conversion powers your house or company. Talk to your installer about inverter variants and placement.

Improving Energy Efficiency

Before you install solar panels on your property, improving the overall efficiency of your property should be your priority. This, thereby, lessens the load on electric power and enables a smaller, more economical solar set-up.

Critical efficiency enhancements include sealing air leaks, upgrading lighting and appliances, improving insulation, and utilization of smart technologies. This further upgrade enables receiving additional rebates and incentives as well.

Clearing Potential Obstructions

Inspect your roof and property for any obstructions that could impact solar panel performance, such as:

● Shades from trees, buildings, or other structures protect us from hot sun rays.

● Smoke chimneys, exhausts, above-the-roof skylights or machinery on the roof.

Exploring Financing Options

Initially buying solar panels can be high, but further options for financing do exist. A solar lease company enables you to start a solar energy system with a low down payment. You would instead pay a monthly fixed rate for the generated electricity.

The outright purchase is another option, where tax credits, rebates, and other incentives balance off the initial expenditure. A majority of solar providers provide funding alternatives, for instance, no-interest loans and leases.

Research every option available and run a long-term savings calculator to be able to pick out the best option.

Conclusion

Before you start working with solar power, you need to pass inspections and receive permits from the local authorities. Your solar panel company should guide you through this process, which often includes. You need good preparation to be able to succeed in your solar project.

Appraisal of your roof condition, increasing efficiency, and investigating financing options is a good starting point. You can make the transition to renewable energy smooth. Contact a trusted solar provider to begin.

[solarlightness]

How to Know Solar Panel Watt Like a Pro: 7 Foolproof Ways to Decide Solar Panel Wattage.

how to know solar panel watt Want to reveal the wattage of your solar panels? It's easier than you suspect! Start by looking at the panel's specifications for the rated capacity in watts, usually tracked down on labels. If it's not recorded, don't worry! You can calculate it by increasing the volts and amps, revealing the solar panels power output. Read the full article here

[avalonrv325]

How to Size Your RV Solar System: A Step-by-step Guide for Calculating Your Energy Needs

Embarking on a journey of installing solar panels on your RV starts with a fundamental comprehension of RV solar systems. This entails a combination of solar panels, a battery bank & charge controller.  Oftentimes it also includes an inverter. These systems convert sunlight into electricity, store it, and convert it to a usable form for your RV's needs. The benefits are amazing, from cost savings to environmental conservation. Here are some points in detail:

The Importance of Sizing Your Solar System Correctly

Efficient sizing of your solar system is the key to energy sufficiency in your RV. It's a meticulous balancing act between cost-effectiveness and meeting your energy demands. Undersizing might lead to frequent power shortages, while oversizing could result in unwarranted upfront costs. Thus, understanding your energy needs is the first critical step in the process.

Calculating Your Daily Energy Consumption

Quantifying your daily energy consumption involves listing all your RV appliances and devices, and their individual power ratings (in watts). Next, estimate the number of hours each appliance is in use daily. By multiplying the power rating by the usage hours, you'll get the daily energy consumption in watt-hours (Wh). Sum up the energy consumption for all appliances to get the total daily energy consumption.  Divide this number by 12 & you now have the number of Amp Hours needed for a 24 hour period.  EXAMPLE:  936Wh / 12 = 78Amp Hours (Ah). 

Understanding Solar Panels and Their Power Output

Solar panels come in varying power outputs, typically expressed in watts. A solar panel's output is subject to several factors, including sunlight intensity and panel efficiency. Monocrystalline panels, for instance, boast higher efficiency than their polycrystalline counterparts. Therefore, by understanding the power output of different panels, you can make an informed choice when installing solar panels on your RV.

RV Solar Installers in the San Francisco Bay Area

Are you based in the SF Bay Area or nearby?  There are a few RV solar installers in the area who can help.  These shops can help with installation, maintenance, and offer advice tailored to your unique energy needs. They can help with installation and transition to solar energy.

How Many Solar Panels Do You Need?

Now that you've determined your daily energy consumption and you understand solar panel output, it's time to calculate how many panels you need.  Taking the 78Ah example you will want to add a little more power so there is some room for extra power.  100Ah gives a good cushion with a little bit more.  For this example one 100Ah Lithium battery could work.  For a Flooded Lead Acid (FLA) or Sealed Lead Acid (AGM) you will need twice the Amp Hours (Ah) stated.  EXAMPLE: 105Ah AGM x 2 = 210Ah.  Only 50% of FLA & AGM batteries should be used in order to get the most time & power out of them.   For our example 50% is 105Ah.

To determine how much solar is needed:  Lithium Ah x 2 =  Solar Wattage Needed.  AGM or FLA Total Ah x 1.5 = Solar Wattage Needed.  Cable, Fuse & Controller Size are very important for the system to perform optimally.

Considering Additional Equipment for Your RV Solar System

Aside from the solar panels, your RV solar system may need other crucial components. An inverter, for instance, converts the stored 12vDC power into 120vAC power usable by your RV 120vAC appliances such as the Microwave & wall outlets. A charge controller regulates the voltage and current coming from the solar panels going to the battery. And, of course, batteries store the converted solar energy. These components are vital for the efficient functioning of your RV solar system.

Maintaining Your RV Solar System for Optimum Efficiency

Finally, maintaining your solar system ensures peak efficiency and longevity. This includes regular cleaning of the panels, checking the FLA battery water level, and ensuring the system's wiring is in good condition. Regular maintenance checks by a reputable RV solar installer can also help keep your system running optimally.

Factoring in the Sunlight Availability

While calculating your solar needs, it's imperative to consider the amount of sunlight your panels will receive. This is largely dependent on your geographical location and the time of year. For instance, you'll get more sunlight hours in summer than in winter. Likewise, if you're a habitual traveler, consider the average sunlight hours of your typical destinations. This information will help you calculate how much energy your panels can generate per day, and if necessary, adjust the number of panels needed.

Managing Energy Consumption in Your RV

While it's essential to size your solar system correctly, it's equally important to manage your energy consumption wisely. You can do this by replacing high-consumption appliances with energy-efficient alternatives or using appliances during peak sunlight hours. Additionally, monitoring your energy usage can help identify areas where you can save energy.  This can be done using a Shunt Based Battery Monitor.  It can keep track of power being used, how full the batteries are, when power will run out & alert you when the battery bank is getting low.

Legal and Safety Considerations When Installing Solar Panels on Your RV

Before you commence the process of installing solar panels on your RV, it's crucial to understand the legal and safety implications. Some states have specific regulations about the installation and use of solar energy. Also, proper installation is necessary to prevent electrical hazards. This is where an RV Solar Expert Installer can be incredibly valuable, ensuring your installation meets all safety and legal standards.

Conclusion: The Benefits of a Well-Sized RV Solar System

A well-sized solar system for your RV means energy independence, cost savings, and a reduced carbon footprint. With the knowledge you've gained in this guide, you're now ready to embark on the journey of harnessing the sun's power for your RV. Enjoy the adventure!

By following this step-by-step guide, you'll not only be able to size and install your RV Solar system correctly, but you'll also be able to enjoy the countless benefits that come with it. From cost savings to being environmentally friendly, the advantages of harnessing solar energy are endless. Safe travels and enjoy the power of the sun!

[william-maxfield]

How to Choose the Best Battery Power Station for Your Home or Outdoor Adventures

When it comes to portable power, a battery power station is the ultimate solution. Whether you're camping, going on a road trip, or just need backup power for your home, a battery power station provides the convenience and reliability you need. However, with so many options available, choosing the right one can be challenging. In this article, we'll guide you through the process of selecting the best battery power station for your needs.

Understanding Your Power Needs

The first step in choosing a battery power station is to understand your power needs. You'll need to calculate how much power you need to run the devices you plan to use with the power station. To do this, you'll need to know the wattage of each device and the duration of use.

Calculating Wattage

Most devices have a label that indicates the wattage they consume. If your device doesn't have a label, you can usually find the wattage information in the manual or on the manufacturer's website. To calculate the total wattage of all the devices you plan to use with the power station, add up the wattage of each device.

Determining Duration of Use

After you've determined the total wattage of your devices, you'll need to figure out how long you plan to use them. For example, if you plan to use a device that consumes 50 watts for 4 hours, that's 200 watt-hours of power.

Choosing the Right Capacity

Once you know how much power you need, you'll need to select a battery power station with the appropriate capacity. Capacity is usually measured in watt-hours (Wh) or amp-hours (Ah). The higher the capacity, the more power the battery power station can provide.

Consider Your Environment

When choosing a battery power station, it's important to consider the environment in which you'll be using it. If you're going on a camping trip or hiking excursion, you'll want a power station that is lightweight and compact. On the other hand, if you're looking for backup power for your home, you'll want a larger, more powerful unit.

Look for Features

Most battery power stations come with a variety of features. These may include USB ports, AC outlets, LCD displays, and built-in solar panels. Consider the features you'll need to power your devices and select a unit that meets your requirements.

Choosing the Right Brand

When it comes to battery power stations, there are many brands to choose from. To ensure you're getting a reliable and high-quality product, it's important to choose a reputable brand. Look for brands that have a proven track record of providing reliable and long-lasting battery power stations. Additionally, check customer reviews and ratings to get an idea of how well the product has performed for others.

Don't Overpay

While quality is important, you don't want to overpay for a battery power station. Before making a purchase, compare prices and features of different brands to ensure you're getting the best value for your money.

Conclusion

Choosing the right battery power station can be a daunting task, but with a little research, you can select the best one for your needs. Remember to consider your power needs, choose the appropriate capacity, and select a reputable brand. With the right battery power station, you'll have the power you need for your next adventure or backup power outage.

Source: None

[sunsolarcompanyau]

How Solar Panels Is Installing

If you're looking to Solar Installation Brisbane on your home, the first step is getting a quote. The more quotes you get, the better chance you'll have of finding the best price. A good solar installation company will also offer a 10-year warranty on its work. It's also important to research the solar installation company's reputation before making your decision. A reputable company should be able to give you references and online reviews of its services.

A solar installation company will work with you to design a custom system that's right for your home. Most solar installation companies will recommend products, but you can choose your own product. Once the design is finalized, the solar installation company will start the permitting process. Once you obtain permits, the solar panels can be installed on your roof. Once the installation is completed, you'll be able to sell your excess power back to your utility company, using a program called net metering.

Before installation can begin, an engineer will evaluate the roof's structure and the electrical panel located in the basement. Because new solar panels need more current than old ones, the electrical box will need to be upgraded to accommodate the extra power. It's also important to note that a new installation will require an increased number of amps in the electrical panel.

The cost of solar installation will depend on the size and type of solar panels that you purchase. A smaller system can cost around $5,000, while a large system can cost $40,000 or more. In addition to the panels, you'll have to pay for labor and operational costs. Then, there are inverters, control circuitry, and other equipment that'll need to be purchased.

After installing the solar panels, you'll need to connect the inverter and the generation meter to the consumer unit. This will enable you to monitor your system's performance and the amount of electricity it generates. This way, you can make decisions about when to use the utilities and when to turn off the power completely.

Investing in solar energy is an excellent investment for your home and can lower your carbon footprint. Solar panels can also be combined with battery storage, but it's not necessary in every state. The benefits of solar panels are numerous, including the reduction of your energy bills and a greater sense of independence. The cost of solar installation depends on the state where you live. While the technology is becoming cheaper, the cost of installation and maintenance is still high.

Solar installers are also called PV installers, which stands for photovoltaic. They install solar panels on buildings and properties. These installers must be careful to follow all safety rules and regulations to avoid any accidents. They can work alone, or in teams on large projects. A solar installer will have to work outside and can be dangerous, so you'll need to have a solid foundation.

Before deciding to install solar panels on your home, you'll want to research the best solar panels, solar inverters, and solar string inverters on the market. This will help you make a better decision. You can even use an online calculator to get an estimate of how much you can save annually.

There are several benefits to solar power systems. The first one is that solar panels reduce the amount of electricity you spend each month. In addition to reducing your electricity bill, solar panels help reduce your carbon footprint. They're also better for the environment. If your home gets enough sunlight throughout the year, you can cut your bill significantly. The savings will vary depending on how much electricity you use, and how big your roof is.

Another important factor to consider is the size of the solar panels you will need. The size of the panels depends on the amount of energy you use each day. For homes with limited roof space, you should purchase monocrystalline panels. These are more efficient than their polycrystalline counterparts. Moreover, you should consider the exposure of the solar panels to sunlight, as this will affect the amount of energy they absorb. If you choose to install solar panels, be sure to take advantage of any tax incentives available.

There are three main types of solar panels. The first is the residential-scale system. It's the cheapest option and has the fastest payback. The second type is commercial-scale. These are typically much larger than the residential-scale ones. These systems usually have solar batteries. Hybrid solar systems are also available.

[preppernewstoday]

If tomorrow a three-day blackout hit your area, would you know how many solar panels and what generator you need to power up your fridge until power is restored? Today I hope to show you exactly what kind of solar setup you need to keep your food from spoiling during a blackout. I’ll also show you exactly what it would take to run this rather large fridge for a three-day blackout. (fridge in picture) The first step is to figure out how much electricity your fridge uses. The power your fridge uses is measured in watts. But to calculate the power consumption of any appliance, including a fridge, you have to multiply its wattage by the number of hours it is being used (operational hours). Related: 7 Terrifying Realities Of Long-Term Blackouts (That You’ve Probably Never Considered) They say a fridge needs to run 24/7, but that is not an accurate statement, because it cycles on and off. The U.S Department of Energy estimates that a fridge runs for about eight hours each day. The wattage is not usually displayed on an appliance, but what you need to calculate it is. The easiest way to do that is to look for a sticker inside your fridge that shows how many amps and volts your unit uses when running. The formula is Amps * Volts = Watts. In this case, we have 4 amps and 115 volts. So the fridge uses 4 * 115 = 460 watts per operational hour. There is one more thing to consider: When plugging in any appliance, it will use more power for a few seconds and then go back to its normal power usage rate. So whatever you are using to power the fridge needs to be able to deal with this surge. It is usually a 1.5x multiple of its running watts, so in this case, 460 * 1.5 = 690W. Your generator’s continuous output (and not the battery capacity) needs to be higher than 690 watts or your fridge won’t start. A generator always has two things listed: this continuous output in watts and battery capacity in watts-hours. Both are important. In the most simplistic view, a solar generator is basically a battery with some photovoltaic (PV) panels attached to collect the free energy provided by the sun’s rays. But why not connect your fridge directly to solar panels? The reason is that solar panels don’t produce energy at night and not even for most of the day. What you can expect, on average, is for solar panels to produce energy for about five hours each day, and you need to store that energy in a battery bank for your fridge to draw on whenever it needs it. Now the question you need to ask yourself is if your battery has a large enough capacity to run the fridge for the rest of the day when the solar panels are not charging it (19 hours a day) and if your solar panels can put enough power back into the battery so that it keeps a fridge (or whatever else you need) running for the entire blackout. ⇒ 3 Naive Mistakes You’re Making During A Blackout That Put You And Your Family At Risk Keep in mind that solar panels are not 100% efficient. That means they will never capture all the energy from the sun. A 65% efficiency is what you can expect, so a 500-watt solar panel will not give you back 500 watts but only 325 watts per hour. I made a simple table to illustrate this more clearly. In the first column, you have the hours. 10 p.m. is when the blackout started and you had to switch to solar to run the fridge. Column 2 is how much power your fridge uses every hour. Column 3 is the solar battery capacity you have available to run it; we’ll put that at 4000 WH to begin with. And columns 4, 5, and 6 are different types of solar panels that recharge that battery. Click on the image to view in full size Let’s see how each of these solar panels does in our three-day blackout scenario. First the 500-watt ones: The fridge has drained the battery down to 320 WH when the solar panels kick in and starts recharging. In five hours, they put back 1625 WH in the battery before the fridge starts discharging again. As you can see, at 9 p.m. the energy level turns negative.

That means your fridge stops working until the next solar charging hours. That is 13 hours without power, so your food will most likely spoil. ⇒ What To Do With All Your Frozen Food Once The Power Goes Out Next we have the 700-watt: The same story, only they last a bit longer. They give in by 5 a.m. on the third day. Still, with the panels only a few hours away from charging, in this scenario, your food would have probably stayed good, but they will spoil on day 3. The 1000-watt will keep the fridge going for the entire three days, and they never run the risk of not charging the battery. If you keep on with the calculations, you will find that they will power your fridge for approximately eight days, so will cover most blackouts. But the 1200-watt panels will last virtually forever as they put in more power in those five hours than the fridge uses all day and night. This means that this system will not only outlast any blackout but even an EMP. Now, if your battery was bigger, say 8000 WH capacity, you could go with smaller panels to outlast a three-day blackout for example. There is always a balance to be found, and hopefully, from now on, you’ll know exactly what kind of system you need to run your own fridge using solar energy during a blackout. By the way, if you want your solar generator to run more things, like a laptop, AC, or a heater, you can also calculate their power consumption and add them to this kind of spreadsheet. My calculations are pretty simple as I didn’t want to overcomplicate this article. But there are other things you need to consider, like the efficiency of your battery, how many times a day you open your fridge, how many defrost cycles your fridge needs over time, etc. Running your fridge during a blackout is just one of the things you need to survive in a world without electricity. But I would like to show you 75 more projects, including how to build your own backyard solar system, harvest and store water, secure your property against looters, build your mini root cellar, and many others inside No Grid Survival Projects. Click on the link to watch the video. ⇒ Secure Your Own Physical Copy of No Grid Survival Projects!

[econ23econlive]

Econ Live Project: Power in a Bus

Over the course of this quarter I have been working on a bus conversion; turning an old school bus into a tiny home. I started this because I am living at my parents home during the pandemic and do not know where I am going to end up living after graduation. The project has countless examples of economics. Even the decision to take on the conversion has some serious economics behind it.

That being said, the single item that has taken the most analysis so far has been the battery bank for the solar system. So I would like to use this project to present some of the research I did on batteries.

First is the decision to install solar at all: Here I find myself considering the supply and demand curves for power. My two real options are to buy power from CA or to use solar to produce my own (other options such as a generator do not fit my needs).

Buying power: This option has a very low fixed cost (the cost of a power hookup in my town is $10 / month) with the variable cost being 19.90 sense per kwh. This yields the supply curve of:

The downward slope of this supply curve is unusual (especially in this class) but not unheard of. It turns out that this represents a decreasing cost industry, which makes sense given that for me as an individual municipal power has a fixed cost of $10/ month and a variable cost of $0.19 per kWh of power meaning that power can be had less expensively the more I purchase. Similar supply curves exist in industries such as computer manufacturing [1].

Solar: Building a solar system into the bus has a higher upfront cost for the equipment, but no ongoing costs. One downside of this setup is that the system cannot generate and store more power than it is sized for, so there is a fixed upper limit of production. In economic terms, the supply is perfectly inelastic because once the system is built the power output cannot be changed.

The solar panels and chargers will cost around $1200, with an additional $900 per battery I install. The system and batteries have a 10 year guarantee, so I can expect to use the system for at least 10 years. This means I will divide by upfront cost over 10 years to find a monthly cost.

Each battery can store 100 amp hours, or 1.2 kWh, allowing me to consume that amount each day for each battery.

This means that a system with one battery will cost $2100 (1200 + 900) and allow me to use 1.2 Kwh of power per day, or 36 Kwh per month. If I divide the cost over 10 years it comes to $19.17 / month. This is around $0.53 per kWh.

Represented graphically this gives a supply curve of:

I created similar data plots for systems using 2 and 3 batteries as well which I will use below.

Next I needed to analyse my demand for power. Using a series of smart plugs I was able to calculate my power consumption. Next I ordered the items by convenience and therefore how much I cared about having them. Then, I placed monetary values on the various power usage. These are largely based upon the added inconvenience that not having each item would cause me:

From this I was able to construct my demand curve for power:

There are a number of steps taken to generate this plot. I dont want this post to be too detailed, but if you are interested please see the spreadsheet linked at the bottom for further details.

Here it is interesting to note that my demand for power is very inelastic up to about 100 kWh per month, after which it becomes far more elastic.

And here is everything combined!

This market is unusual because I am the only consumer and the producers cannot engage in price discrimination because one is actually a government regulated market (on a larger scale than I am considering here) and the other is just me and my own solar system.

Because of this, my consumer surplus is represented as the distance between the demand and supply curve. In my estimations it is clear that I will have a consumer surplus anywhere on the plot. This means that my willingness to pay is above the cost at all points which means I am getting a great deal however I decided to power my new home! But of course I want to maximise my surplus. For examining the plot, we can see that my surplus is maximised at around 75 kWh of power. From my spreadsheet I can see that this means I will be able to run a fridge, water pump and some computer and lights but not as much as I currently do.

There is one other factor to consider which is not represented in my graphs. That is the opportunity cost of using municipal power which is the ability to have my new home be mobile. As someone who likes traveling this is a big deal. Because of this, a solar system is worth the small reduction in consumer surplus to me.

Because of the above analysis I have purchased 2 Battle Born lithium batteries, leaving me with a great economic result:

Thanks for following my analysis! For anyone interested in the raw numbers, the spreadsheet can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14cyb9w07aggwegSQ6j5WQrQVFnVR_h2ah5bcQkH9oQA/edit?usp=sharing

[1] https://courses.byui.edu/econ_150/econ_150_old_site/Lesson_07.htm

By: Sam Hince (19295309)

Discussion Section: Wednesday 1:00 pm

[kryptaria]

On the subject of Good Omens characters who need more love...

May I introduce Sister Mary Loquacious / Mary Hodges?

In the TV adaptation, we saw her as two very different people: the flaky Satanic nun and the “I run a paintball combat initiative course for management, sorry to break up an intimate moment, gentlemen” businesswoman.

And while the nuances are there, you really need to know the book version to recognize just how awesome she is.

Under a cut, because this is long. Includes typed excerpts (to make it easy for screen readers) and references to Ordinary Numbers, because she was one of my inspirations for Q’s mindset in the fic.

If there was one thing that Mary Hodges, formerly Loquacious, was good at, it was attempting to obey orders. She liked orders. They made the world a simpler place. [...]

The Order, such as was left of it, had moved on after the fire. After all, their sole purpose in existing had been fulfilled. They went their separate ways.

She hadn’t gone. She’d rather liked the Manor and, she said, someone ought to stay and see it was properly repaired, because you couldn’t trust workmen these days unless you were on top of them the whole time, in a manner of speaking. This meant breaking her vows, but Mother Superior said this was all right, nothing to worry about, breaking vows was perfectly okay in a black sisterhood, and it would all be the same in a hundred years’ time or, rather, eleven years’ time [...]

Then something very strange had happened to her. Left alone in the rambling building, working from one of the few undamaged rooms, arguing with men with cigarette stubs behind their ears and plaster dust on their trousers and the kind of pocket calculator that comes up with a different answer if the sums involved are in used notes, she discovered something she never knew existed.

She’d discovered, under layers of silliness and eagerness to please, Mary Hodges.

Mary, you see, joined the Chattering Order because, well, she was from a family of Satanists. She wasn’t particularly evil. She just liked having new friends, the food was good, and she had a room of her own for her first time.

And being a Satanist barely factored into it. She was a nurse before anything else -- a career which, as it’s put in the book, involved wearing her watch upside-down and craving a cup of tea.

Her life was simple. She was doing good (or evil, whatever). And she didn’t have to make any decisions.

If you’ve read Ordinary Numbers, right about now, you should be thinking that Q and Sister Mary could easily be related -- or at least good friends. Because both of them learned, early on, that life is easier if no one thinks you’re smarter than you really are.

But we know better.

She found it quite easy to interpret builders’ estimates and do VAT calculations. She’d got some books from the library, and found finance to be both interesting and uncomplicated. She’d stopped reading the kind of women’s magazine that talks about romance and knitting and started reading the kind of women’s magazine that talks about orgasms, but apart from making a mental note to have one if the occasion presented itself she dismissed them as only romance and knitting in a new form. So she’d started reading the kind of magazine that talks about mergers.

Now let’s remember, the book was published in 1990. Yes, the book presents “romance and knitting” as dismissive and less important than business-related things, like mergers.

But she did make a mental note to have an orgasm, if the occasion presented itself, which counts for something.

After much thought, she’d bought a small home computer from an amused and condescending young dealer in Norton. After a crowded weekend, she took it back. Not, as he thought when she walked back into the shop, to have a plug put on it, but because it didn’t have a 387 co-processor. That bit he understood -- he was a dealer, after all, and could understand quite long words -- but after that the conversation rapidly went downhill from his point of view. Mary Hodges produced yet more magazines. Most of them had the term “PC somewhere in their title, and many of them had articles and reviews that she had circled carefully in red ink.

This may require a bit of translation. Back in the old days, you could buy a regular PC, or you could buy an amped-up version with a math co-processor that let you do heavy calculations. In today’s version, she got an e-machine from Walmart when what she really wanted was a multi-graphics-card rig for bitcion mining.

All this, remember, happened on her own, while she was overseeing the repairs from the fire and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life (or at least the next eleven years).

She read about New Women. She hadn’t ever realized that she’d been an Old Woman, but after some thought she decided that titles like that were all one with the romance and the knitting and the orgasms, and the really important thing was to be yourself, just as hard as you could. She’d always been inclined to dress in black and white. All she needed to do was raise the hemlines, raise the heels, and leave off the wimple.

This. This is the moment in which Mary Loquacious-turned-Hodges shines. Ignore the baked-in misogyny dismissing romance, knitting, and orgasms. Note that none of that was in the TV adaptation. (It could have been. There could have been a joke about her new clothes and appearance. But this, like so many other edgy-for-1990-but-inappropriate-now moments, was quietly left out, for the better.)

It was while leafing through a magazine one day that she learned that, around the country, there was an apparently insatiable demand for commodious buildings in spacious grounds who understood the needs of the business community. The following day she went out and ordered some stationery in the name of the Tadfield Manor Conference and Management Training Center, reasoning that by the time it had been printed, she’d know all that was necessary to know about running such places.

Talk about confidence! Talk about a role model! She went from following family tradition and giving her life to a higher (or lower) authority to running a massively successful business. And now that we know how Armageddon turned out, there’s every chance that she spends the next ten years opening multiple branches, offsets her taxes with green energy credits (all those natural woodlands, solar panels on the roofs, farm-to-table catering), and probably retires at 40, at which point she gets around to having one of those orgasms she read so much about.

Unless, of course, some fanfic writer looking for a new ship were to have another Satanic nun stay behind to help her? Say, a cute white nun with a mole?

[solarsystempower-blog1]

Solar Batteries Voltage 7 Usage

Off-Grid Solar Systems

Battery manufacturers should present specifications for the recommended cost fee. In regards to temperature, usually, a temperature sensor probe can be connected from the charge controller to the battery so the controller can modify charge rates accordingly. I use a 45 amp rated Morningstar charge controller with a temperature sensor and sun extender AGM batteries. A solar controller with a battery temp sensor and adjustable setpoints will ultimately pay for itself in battery life, especially if one expense in areas with wild temperature extremes. The AGM batteries you get will advocate anywhere from 14.2 to 14.7 volts as the absorption voltage limit.

Regularly exceeding this ABSV isn't good for an AGM, however temporary bursts right here and there are of little consequence. I've not seen any AGM recommending higher than 14.7absV in common everyday use. However, Lifeline AGM has a reconditioning procedure with related voltages to a flooded batteries equalisation cost, that's mid to excessive 15's. Several batteries don't get utterly dependent upon the dimensions of the inverter alone. However, it has some part to play there. Some cells or the size/ capacity of batteries can also be driven by the length of backup you need.

Our calculator is comparatively simple. Nevertheless, it's based on two days' worth of (repeated) data, giving it a slight edge over the sort of 'Groundhog's Day' kind calculator that you simply talked about. I even have ten batteries, and I want to connect them to a house solar system, every battery is 12V 100A. While it has been extensively criticised for being expensive or inefficient, solar power has now proved to be extraordinarily beneficial - not only for the surroundings but also for the private economy. If you'd prefer to speak on to a professional to search out out more about how solar energy works, contact our team of pleasant consultants for free, no-obligation advice. If a grid connects system is producing more power than the home consumes, the excess is fed into the facility grid.

My regulator particularly says not to disconnect the regulator from the batteries earlier than I disconnect the panels from the regulator. The equalisation is a period entrepreneurs love, and I guess it sounds impressive and conjures up confidence, however, exact equalisation voltages are in the mid to high 15v range.

Always verify for the difference and do not trust voltage readings taken in the middle of a circuit, or at just one end. The correct readings are made right on the battery terminals, especially at higher charge charges, or discharge rates. But when the efforts required to achieve a hundred% as typically as potential cost more than a substitute battery, the battery depleter needs to draw a line of what they are willing to do to get every possible cycle out of the battery. When setting up a system, it is highly desirable to have a charging source come as close as attainable to battery manufacturer specs. Those who already have batteries or charging sources ought to find one which meets the opposite, as close as possible.

Temperature compensation is necessary – voltage requirements for batteries are entirely different at different temperatures. To stop overcharging in the summertime and undercharging within the winter, use temperature compensation probes every time attainable, and if not available, adjust the charge controller's charge voltage setpoints appropriately. Whether you need a put in the system or only the elements for DIY installation, you can get a free off-grid PV system quote from our Solar Techs. Unless you've some older Sunpower model panels, there's no harm in disconnecting the panels. Older Sunpower panels require a floor on the positive facet to forestall polarisation of the silicon cells; however, this not often, if ever occurs on a ship.

Whether in an emergency or throughout some off-grid fun like camping or highway tripping, entry to at least some electrical energy is as close to a necessity as you can get without being a biological requirement. Keeping a cell phone, GPS, or radio, or flashlight alive can be the distinction between life and death - or the distinction between a fantastic backpacking journey and an endurance test.

[cosmicdatabase]

Mars is the next step for humanity – we must take it

Not the Red Planet but Utah, one of the more Mars-like areas on Earth. Ashley Dove-Jay, Author provided

Ashley Dove-Jay, University of Bristol

Elon Musk has built a US$12 billion company in an endeavour to pave the way to Mars for humanity. He insists that Mars is a “long-term insurance policy” for “the light of consciousness” in the face of climate change, extinction events, and our recklessness with technology.

On the other hand, astronaut Chris Hadfield is sceptical: “Humanity is not going extinct,” he told me. He added:

There’s no great compelling reason to go, apart from curiosity, and that’s not going to be enough to sustain the immense cost necessary with the technology that exists right now.

But I question our future, stuck here on Earth. Our environment is a highly balanced system and we are the destabilising element. Pursuing “green” initiatives is no long-term solution to the wall we’re hurtling towards, they’re speed bumps. If this is where humankind is destined to remain, then we shall find ourselves fighting over whatever is left of it.

Politically speaking, sending humans into space brings nations together – the International Space Station stood as the physical manifestation of the reunification of the USA and Russia and is now a platform for broader international co-operation.

Space exploration is also inspiring: during NASA’s Apollo programme to the Moon, the number of graduates in mathematics, engineering and the sciences in the US doubled. Igniting the imagination of that generation helped propel the US into the dominant position it’s held since the 1960s. What could a Mars programme do?

The Moon is not a stepping stone

Wouldn’t the Moon, so much nearer than Mars, be a better first step? Actually, no – it’s just too different. It’s better to test hardware and train people in analogs on Earth, such as the geologically similar high-altitude desert in Utah or the cold and dry Canadian Arctic desert. Why the European Space Agency has declared the Moon a stepping-stone to Mars is beyond me, as doing so increases the cost of a Mars programme hugely.

It takes about 50% more energy to put something on the surface of the Moon than it does on Mars. The Martian atmosphere can be used to slow down approaching spacecraft, instead of the need for extra fuel to slow the descent. It would also mean developing two different sets of landing techniques and hardware. There are reasons to go to the Moon, just not if your ultimate destination is Mars.

Even colonising the Moon is questionable: it simply hasn’t the resources to sustain an advanced colony. Mars has fertile soil, an abundance of water (as ice), a carbon-dioxide rich atmosphere and a 24-and-a-half hour day. The Moon’s soil is not fertile, water is as rare, it has no effective atmosphere, and a 708-hour day. It’s feasible to introduce biological life to Mars, but not the Moon.

T-shirts on Mars

With only a relatively small push, Mars could be returned to its former warm, wet, hospitable state. Raising the temperature at the south pole by a few degrees would see frozen CO2 in the soil begin to gasify. As a greenhouse gas, it would further raise the temperature, gasifying more CO2 in a self-sustained global-warming process.

Eventually, water frozen into the soil would liquefy, covering half of the planet. After about a century, Mars would settle down with an atmosphere about as dense as the lowland Himalayas and a climate suitable for T-shirts.

The terraforming of Mars, to a world not unlike ours. Daein Ballard, CC BY-SA

The technological hurdles

Hadfield warns that “we need to invent a lot of things” before going to Mars, and that “there’s no great advantage to being the early explorers who die”. Few would disagree with that, but what are the challenges a crewed mission to Mars faces?

Radiation: An astronaut would receive a lifetime allowable dose of radiation in a single 30-month round-trip, including 18 months on the surface. But this is only equivalent to increasing the lifetime cancer risk from about 20% to 23%. As the majority of this is received in transit between planets, with proper radiological protection on the ship, it would actually be (radiologically speaking) healthier for an astronaut to live on Mars with a radiation dose of 0.10 sieverts per year than to smoke on Earth at 0.16 sieverts per year.

There is no single practical solution to the radiation problem. One strategy I helped develop was to optimise the internal layout of the equipment and structures in the Mars habitat module to minimise exposure – placing existing bulk in all the right places. This reduced exposure by about 20%, without adding any mass. Even taking empty sandbags, packing them with Martian soil and putting them on the roof would be a simple and effective measure on Mars. Radiation is an issue to tackle, but it’s not a deal-breaker.

Power: “We need a compact energy source,” says Hadfield. “We cannot be relying on the tiny bit of solar power that happens to arrive at that location.”

While the solar energy reaching the surface of Mars is about half that on Earth, this isn’t a show-stopper. A quick back-of-the-envelope calculation shows that to power the equivalent of an average US household on Mars, even through dust storms, one would need an array of solar panels totalling six metres square – very achievable.

Mars receives between 500-700 Watts of solar energy per square meter in daylight. Mars One

Reduced gravity: The effects of microgravity on astronauts’ health have been studied for decades, and a range of techniques have been developed to mitigate the wasting effects on muscle and bone.

With Martian gravity around a third of that on Earth, it would take astronauts a couple of days to acclimatise, and perhaps a few months to fully adapt. NASA and ESA have been developing an under-suit that compresses the body to overcome the negative effects of a reduction in pressure and gravity.

Gravity Loading Countermeasure Skinsuit. NASA / ESA

However, biological adaption could be made easier if microgravity were avoided altogether. The spacecraft could be spun in-transit to generate an artificial gravity that slowly decayed, simulating a transition from Earth to Mars gravity (and vice versa) over the six-month journey.

Ultimately, until humans are actually living on other planets it’s unlikely we’ll solve or even recognise all the subtle long-term health problems associated with reduced gravity. And who’s to say what the advances in bio-engineering and technology will make the human body capable of when that time comes?

The social hurdles

Life on Mars: If there’s life on Mars, even if it’s microbial, should we be allowed to spread to the planet, potentially risking its extinction? I find this question strange – as Chris McKay put it: “We commit microbial genocide every time we wash our hands”. We engineer and farm the complex life around us as systematically and as cheaply as possible. Billions of people eat the carcasses of organisms that were thinking and breathing only days before. Why, all of a sudden, should Martian microbes be given such sanctity? It should certainly be studied, but it shouldn’t prevent our spreading.

Back contamination: Conversely, the question of whether some Martian plague might accidentally be introduced to Earth should be taken seriously – but not blown out of proportion. There’s only a remote chance that Martian life might be hazardous. The things that kill us do so because they’ve evolved in lock-step with us in a continual evolutionary arms race. Any Martian life will have evolved independently and is unlikely to be capable even of interacting with Earth life on a molecular level. As Robert Zubrin put it: “Trees don’t get colds and humans don’t get Dutch Elm Disease.”

Sunshine (2007) epitomises psychological difficulties and human fallibility in deep-space. Fox Searchlight Pictures

Psychology: Depending on relative orbits, sending a message between Earth and Mars can take between three and 22 minutes. This loss of real-time communication will leave astronauts feeling cut-off and alone. Hadfield says that it’s vital to keep up crew morale and motivation:

Once you get any distance away on any sort of voyage, the epic-ness disappears, the reality becomes the foreground, and the applause is long gone.

Cost: A crewed Mars programme would cost the equivalent of a few weeks of the US defence budget. The US plans on spending about ten times more on nuclear weapons than on space exploration over the coming decade. The UK government spends about as much on gastric band surgery through the NHS as it does on its space activities.

So while a Mars programme certainly has challenges to overcome, the technological gap between us and Mars is far smaller than it was for the Moon programme in the 1960s. And the prospects the Red Planet holds for humanity are far greater.

Ashley Dove-Jay, PhD researcher in Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Follow @cosmicdatabase

[powmr]

Choose the best inverter for home use

Disadvantages:- There is a time delay in switching from mains mode to UPS mode 2) Its performance degrades with input voltage distortion, directly connected to the load. As long as the voltage is below these values, it is easy to find a suitable MPPT controller. If there are special requirements, it is also easy to find solar charge controller manufacturers to order if these input voltages are higher than the rated value. Just released a sizing calculator to choose the right ampere controller. Check here.

Tubular batteries come in different container sizes and should be chosen based on the space in the home that can be used to store the batteries. The best inverter batteries can be further divided into short tubular batteries (ST/TJ) and tall tubular batteries (TT). A pure sine wave inverter is a smart device that provides you with data and insights about your backup power system in a very accessible way. Equipped with a 32-bit processor, it is also safe for sensitive devices. It's able to track outage trends and tell you the same. The basics of solar charge controllers.

Solar Charge Controller are primarily designed for two basic things in a solar power system: stopping power from the battery through the solar panel when there is no sunlight, and optimizing the solar panel's charging of the battery cycle. Select the average operating load from your total power requirements. That is, how much load is running on the inverter on average. It can vary from 50% of peak load to balanced peak load or total power requirements.

After measuring peak load and average operating load (watts), convert it to VA (available market configuration for all the best home inverters in the world). Short tubular cells are significantly smaller than tall tubular cells, but larger in height. This inverter battery is more convenient to store and carry. A pure sine wave inverter is the surest way to get a quality AC output to run most appliances with incredible performance. While these power inverters may seem expensive, for what they're worth, they're unbeatable.

By getting the right pure sine wave power inverter, you can get the most out of your equipment and help them last longer, in addition to saving a lot of the cost of electricity that the generator can charge you. What information do you need next about pure sine wave inverters? Let us know by leaving a comment below. How to choose a good solar charge controller. 4 factors to pay attention to when buying a solar charge controller.

Function: The function of the solar charge controller, we all know that the main function of the solar charge controller is charge and discharge regulation, but usually in addition to charge regulation, the charge controller also has additional functions depending on the manufacturer and manufacturer. design. Do you just pick one and want everyone to be the same? Well, if you did, then that's bad news for you, because while the battery looks about the same overall, there are a lot of differences between a reliable battery and a more affordable one.

PWM solar controllers are typically used in small 12V or 24V photovoltaic systems. MPPT type regulators can also be used with 12v, 24v systems, but some models can also handle 36v and 48v systems if needed. Use this tool to easily determine the proper amperage for your controller. In general, the price difference of small amps is not as large as that of large amps. The price difference between the MPPT controller and the PWM controller jumps after 30 amps.

MPPT charge controllers range in price from $70 to $1000 and are common in the market. In this case, it is always advantageous to add the best home inverter. An inverter is a device that can operate equipment without power, depending on the capacity of the inverter installed. However, when it comes to choosing the best inverter for home use, you may be confused.

We hope you've understood the difference between a UPS and an inverter and figured out which power system is best for your needs. This article describes the differences between UPS and inverter switching time and backup time requirements that you need to keep in mind when choosing a power backup solution for your home or office. Check out the powmr website for a comprehensive selection of power inverters and choose the one that suits you best! .