Learn How to Install an Off-Grid Solar Energy System

Learn Sun Power: How to Set up Batteries, Inverter, Charge Controller, and Panels for a Complete Off-grid Solar Energy System

July 2009 DVD

Missoula, Montana (PRWEB) July 8, 2009 -- Learn Sun Power: How to Set up Batteries, Inverter, Charge Controller, and Panels for a Complete Off-grid Solar Energy System the DVD was released July 1, 2009 after two years in production. Although it covers an off-grid system it is just as helpful for someone who wants to be partially on grid but would rather set up the system themselves.

This is not an overview but rather programmed instruction. This DVD shows, step-by-step, how a 650-watt, off-grid, do-it-yourself solar-panel system was set up. The system partially replaced a 2-gallon-a-day gasoline-driven generator system and was estimated to pay for itself (based on the price of gas) in about 2-3 years.

Starting from the ground up, it explains the importance of grounding and explains how to ground the system as it is set up. Topics include: How to calculate overall energy needs and how to reconcile them with space concerns and affordability. Solar panel math is explained simply so that viewers can calculate their needs in terms of: batteries, inverters, panels and wiring. How to re-evaluate and reshape energy usage to fit what user can realistically afford is explained. How to set up typical inverters and charge controllers. Safety issues. How to connect wiring and wire size with links to wire size calculators on the website. How to set up a battery and inverter system first, and test them as a working unit before adding solar. What to consider when choosing solar panels. The difference between setting up panels and batteries in series or parallel. Using a combiner box to add additional panels later. Choosing a generator for backup or to equalize your batteries. How to test the specific gravity of batteries with or without a hydrometer. How to wire panels. Lightning grounding. As well as system layout, washing panels once they are setup, etc.

The focus here is an easy to understand explanation of how to set up and independent, self-sustaining energy system that can support most of the needs of a small off-grid home. Links to the data mentioned in the DVD that viewer will need can be found on the website.

Technical Details
Region 0 DVD will play on multi region DVD players anywhere
Takes you step by step through setting up your own solar energy system
Easy to follow examples
Understand solar power math
Learn to evaluate your actual energy needs

58 minutes
16:9 (Widescreen)
NTSC SD
July 2009 Release

DVDs are shipped within two business days first class mail. Average delivery is 3 to 5 days. DVDs are guaranteed!

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Note: We suggest you use only pure sine wave inverters. In fact only a pure sine wave inverter, the Xantrex Prosine 2 is featured in the DVD. Although you can use cheaper sine-wave-imitation inverters for many things, satellite internet, satellite television can fail with cheaper non-sine-wave systems.

You must use Deep Cycle Batteries. Car batteries will be ruined by a home solar system as they are not meant to be discharged and charged as often as a solar energy system requires. So Deep Cycle Batteries are a must. Only deep cycle batteries are used in the DVD.

Deep Cycle Batteries can be closed or open and though there are some closed system batteries with nice features (for example they require no maintenance), we recommend only open cell, acid batteries that you can maintain yourself. They are cheaper, and not completely ruined if something goes wrong.

Links

	Wire size vs distance to panels one way
1	This is a calcuator it will calculate for 12, 24 and 48 volts systems. Remember that a higher voltage system can always be used with the wire for the next lower voltage system, for instance a 36 volt system can use the wire that would work for a 24 volt system. http://www.alternate-energy.net/sol_wire_calc06.html
2	This calculator has a bit more info but is also more complicated. It calculates voltage drop for you. Put in the voltage of your VDC system and the one way distance to your panels in feet and then choose a wire size. if the wire you chose has a loss of less than 3% it's fine. http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm
3	This is a nice wire v distance table http://www.solarexpert.com/Photowiring.html
4	This site has a table rather than a calculator. If I had one 12 volt panel 60 feet from my charge controller producing a max of 8 amps this table suggests a #6 wire which would be good to 66 feet. http://www.windsun.com/Hardware/Wire_Table.htm
5	This chart gives you figures for a 2% loss so for the same single 12 volt panel at 60 feet at 8 amps it would suggest something bigger than #4 which recommends to 57 feet. http://www.affordable-solar.com/wire.charts.htm
6	Here is another 3% loss chart http://www.freesunpower.com/wires_cables.php
1	BatteryWire
1	This site has battery cable info just in case your local dealer doesn't carry it. http://www.windsun.com/Hardware/Wire.htm
	Solar Panel Mounting
1	This site has some nice graphics on mounting angles http://www.rpc.com.au/products/panels/pvmodules/pvmodules.html
	I recommend these user manuals for inverters, controllers, etc.
1	Xantrex manuals http://www.xantrex.com/support/docdisplayarchive.asp
2	Outback manuals http://www.outbackpower.com/resources/documents/
	Other Companies
	Solar Power Source Book lists loads of products for browsing http://www.realgoodssolar.com/solar/ecs/main/SolarLiving_landing.html
	http://www.sunsei.com/ makes some smaller system solar products.
1	Lists many solar product manufacturers http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byGeo/US/byP/batP/cCont/byB/mfg/byN/byName.shtml
2	Batteries for Solar
1	Deka makes many batteries they have some exclusively for solar but their deep cycle golf cart batteries are what we use. http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/default.aspx?
2	Trojan is another reliable deep cycle battery provider http://www.trojan-battery.com/
3	Rolls Royce doesn't only make very expensive cars they have a battery division called Surette. http://www.surrette.com/

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