Are MPPT Charge Controllers Really Worth the Cost?

From guest blogger Dale Marshall......

I would say that MPPT charge controllers are really worth the cost. The overall gain of harvesting more power with MPPT will make up for extra panels you would have to buy to make up for the losses. So far my gain has been around an average of 40%. I would have have had to spend twice the money to make up for those losses in extra harvesting power.

Once you get past the 250 watt mark MPPT is your best friend when it comes to power harvesting. I will give you an example. I have been doing some testing.

I used just 1 of my 125 watt panels. I used a regular PWM controller full sun, I was lucky to pull 4.3 amps. Voltage of course stayed at battery level. Max power at top charge charge was 14.4 volt at 4.27 amps. Rounded off math say 61.5 Watts, half of the panels rated output.

Now with MPPT I have a Solid 18 volts even coming in at 6.1 amps. MPPT Boost amps because it tracks voltage at VMP. But because of the way MPPT works I am getting a 14.4 volt charge at 7.5 amps at 109 watts. That's a gain of 3+ amps going into your battery bank. And it would take another 125 watt panel to make up for those losses. This is where MPPT shines like a star.

I hope this helps, take the time and weigh the cost. I do use a MPPT charge controller it is a Rouge MPT-3024. But there is other models out there. You just have to be careful on which ones to buy.

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Making a Cheap 12 Volt Timer

From guest Blogger Denise McCracken........

I have two 50 watt solar panels up, in the DC part of my system. I was thinking about putting in a timer to control the outdoor lights, but I did something much simpler. I built a box with a diode and a relay. The diode is between the solar panel power feed and the battery.

Power on the solar side will close the relay. The battery is connected to the lights through a 10 amp circuit breaker, and through the NC contacts of the relay. So, whenever the sun goes down, the lights come on. When it comes back up, relay closes, lights go out, and the batteries charge.

So far, I've gotten by without a charge controller, just the panels and this little switch box that I made.

The schematic is almost trivial, but here it is...



The circuit breaker for the lighting goes into the "to lights" wire, to protect the box and its wiring. You can find one here:



I like aircraft breakers because you can pull them to disable a circuit, if necessary. Here is the one I used.



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Ever Wonder How People are Putting All This DIY Solar Stuff Together?

Ever wonder how people are putting it all together? Here is one of the best descriptions and group of pictures and diagrams we have ever seen. It comes from one of the forum members, Raymond Dias, over on the Harbor Freight 45 Watt Solar Kit Community Forum. Lot's of great members over there willing to help you take control of your energy independence. 

Here is the diagram

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Efficient LED Lighting for CHEAP

This is a really easy hack. You can convert your house lighting over to LED and save a ton of money on electricity.

1. Purchase a string of Super Bright White LED Christmas Lights. Leave lights in rolled bundle. After christmas sales are a great time to save money on these.
2. Purchase a lamp socket to AC two prong adapter. (Looks like below. At most hardware stores for around $2.50.)
3. Remove old light bulb from light fixture.
4. Screw in Lamp Socket to AC two prong adapter.
5. Plug in Christmas lights into the Lamp Socket to AC two prong adapter.
6. Use electrical tape to secure light string to fixture.
7. Replace lamp shade or fixture dome.

And there you have it! Your light fixture is now super efficient! If you time your purchases right you can implement this solution for under $10 bucks per fixture. The low energy drain from these lights would make a great fit for Solar Photovoltaic applications.

Posted courtesy of  Brentsters Blog

Swedish Man Arrested for Building a Nuclear Reactor in His Kitchen

Now this is a Do It Yourself Energy Project.....

Apparently a Swedish man has been reprimanded for attempting to build a homemade nuclear reactor. 31 year old Richard Handl foiled his own plans to construct a homemade nuclear reactor when he called the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority in July to ask if he was even allowed to build it. His seemingly harmless attempt to inquire as to the legalities of his research led to Swedish authorities storming Handl’s home in the small coastal town of Angelholm.

"We realized he probably had radioactive material at his home which you are not allowed to have without a permit, which was why the authorities decided to inspect his home," said Swedish Radiation Safety Authority research director Leif Moberj.

The extensive inspection of Handl’s home uncovered radioactive material, including small amounts of Americium-241, an isotope commonly found in home smoke detectors. It is illegal to remove Americium-241 from smoke detectors as it can be very harmful if inhaled or swallowed. However, tests revealed that the amounts found in Handl’s home were not enough to warrant any danger to neighbors. The agency has yet to reveal what other types of radioactive materials were found.

Handl was quoted in the Helsingborgs Dagblad newspaper saying that he owns his own Geiger counter and had noticed no problems with radiation while conducting his experiments. His plan for a homemade reactor was never completed, although he reportedly had purchased most of what was needed to build one. All of his equipment has been confiscated by Swedish authorities. Handle told the newspaper that in the future he plans to keep his work strictly theoretical to avoid such investigations.

Moberj added that the incident was “extremely unusual. I haven’t heard of any similar things ever,” he said.

While Richard Handl’s plan to build his own small scale nuclear reactor was foiled, I must applaud his candor. The garage scientists of the world are the unsung heroes of the energy arena. Tinkering in their workshops to develop exotic new ways to generate energy is exactly the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that will transform the energy sector and help truly achieve energy independence. While well funded universities and billion dollar companies certainly pump out some amazing energy breakthroughs, homebound researchers aren’t limited by grant guidelines or third party funding specifications, and are truly free to explore the boundaries of science. Kudos to all you garage scientists out there, but in your quest for the next big energy breakthrough, just be sure you’re not risking your health or the health of others with, say, illegal radioactive materials.

By. John Shimkus

Source: Oil Price.Com


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