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Sun Exchange identifies schools, businesses and organisations that want to go solar. Our solar engineers work with local solar construction partners to carefully evaluate proposed solar projects and ensure they meet our core criteria:

* Economic and technical viability
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Tip: Sign Up and get notified about new solar project crowd sales coming soon. 

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Buying Solar Cells
Once solar projects have been accepted as viable and responsible, we run a crowd sale for the solar cells that will power the project. Any individual or organisation, anywhere in the world, can sign up to be a Sun Exchange member and buy solar cells, even starting with a single solar cell.

Your solar cells will:

* Generate clean energy
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* Earn income as you lease them to schools, businesses and other organisations
* Reduce your carbon footprint for years to come

  Tip: Buy solar cells in the local currency of the project using credit card, bank transfer, Sun Exchange  

   wallet or Bitcoin (BTC).

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Installing Solar Cells
Once a solar cell crowd sale sells out (they go quickly!), installation of the solar project begins. The appointed local construction partners install your solar cells, which typically takes four to six weeks, but can be longer for larger projects.

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Effortless Solar Income
Generate and sell clean energy. Schools, businesses and organisations pay you to use the clean electricity your solar cells produce. Your lease starts when your solar cells start generating electricity.

You’ll receive your monthly solar income, net of insurance and servicing fees, into your Sun Exchange wallet in your choice of the local currency of the project or Bitcoin (BTC).

Your Sun Exchange dashboard keeps you up to date on:

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Is Solar Rising From the Ashes Again?

Recently, the Solar Energy sector has popped up on our watch-list of potential sectors to pay attention to. Over the past few weeks, the Solar Energy sector has been under some pricing pressure and has retraced nearly 50% of the previous trend across the sector. We, the research team at Technical Traders Ltd. understand the Trade War and uncertainty resulting from geopolitical tensions can sometimes create opportunities in the markets for all traders/investors. We just have to be smart enough to find them end execute them efficiently.

Is Solar Energy the next big trend to hit in the Energy sector? What is the potential for these stocks to move 10%, 20% or even 30%+ higher? Let’s take a look.

This first chart, a Weekly chart of First Solar (FSLR) presents us with an interesting price setup. After a dramatic price decline in May and June of 2018, the price decline abruptly halted near $52.00. In fact, this downside move ended almost as if prices “legged down” to the last known true support level. Historically, looking all the way back to the lows of 2012, this downside move represents just a little over a 38.2% retracement from the highs and coincides almost perfectly with a 50% retracement from the lows in 2017. These two numbers interest us because they show us that $53.50~55.00 is very likely a strong support level that is currently being tested.

Simple Fibonacci expansion analysis tells us any upside potential could target $61.35 (+12.65%), 69.95 (+28.44%) & 76.20 (+39.99%). These levels don’t take into consideration the potential for new breakout highs above $82.50. If this were to happen, we could see a +50% or more price upside happen.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, what would cause the Solar sector to begin a price advance at this stage in the economy? Renewed interest in the new technology of new infrastructure/government contracts? Replacing older technology with newer, higher performance, technology? Renewed interest from personal and corporate clients? What could cause this move?

You may remember that we’ve been suggesting that capital, cash, is always attempting to find solid sources of growth and opportunity while avoiding risk and depreciation. We’ve been suggesting that the spare cash on the planet has been rushing into the US stock markets by the boatload to take advantage of the strong dollar and the strong US stock market values. Could it be time for that capital to shift away from the FANGs and other leaders and move back into opportunistic equities that are somewhat off the radar?

Earnings for these companies for Q3 are set to be announced near October 28, 2018. With FSLR, the Q3 earnings have typically been fairly strong. One could attempt to assume Q3 2018 sales value may surprise the markets again and this could be a good time to consider the Solar Sector as an opportunity.

Our next chart is a Weekly ETF chart of INVESCO SOLAR (TAN). This chart presents a similar picture as the previous chart – a relatively strong pullback from April~June of 2018. The price pullback ends near a 50% Fibonacci retracement level and coincides quite nicely with our Tesla Vibrational Price Arc. We’ve drawn an arrow on the chart that suggests where we believe prices could be headed as long at this $21.75 support level holds.

Again, it does not take a genius to understand that any price advance from the $22.70 level to above $26.00 (or higher) would represent an almost +15% move. Any move above $28.00 from current levels would represent a +23.34% move. There is room for profits if our analysis is correct.

Lastly, we want to highlight what might be the most interesting setup in the Solar sector so far – Canadian Solar Inc (CSIQ). This Monthly chart attempt to show our readers exactly what has been transpiring in the Solar Sector for the past 5+ years. After peaking in early 2014, Solar technology lost its sparkle with investors. Slowly, over time, prices waned and dropped while attempting to find support. Technically, we view that support as the lows established in 2016 (prior to and near the US Presidential elections).

After that point it time, it is pretty clear to see that some renewed interest in the Solar Sector began to take place. Slowly, price advanced from the low as volume stayed somewhat muted. New rotational highs were established while the most recent low is still testing the 2016 lows. This tells us that the price trend, at least until we see a new breakdown low, is attempting to move higher.

CSIQ is currently trading near $14.75 and has upside potential above $21.00 on a breakout move. We are not saying this is definitely going to happen, but we do believe the Solar sector is setting up for an upside move and we do believe the potential for a new rotational high price to be established is quite strong. This means, finding the proper entry point and understanding the downside risk of these trades is critical.

Once CSIQ breaks our Red downward price sloping line, we would assume the price channel has been broken and we would expect the price to begin to rise dramatically.

As a member of our subscription services, you will be alerted to these, and other triggers, as our research team identifies them for the best chances at future success.

Please take a minute to visit The Technical Traders to learn how we can help you find new opportunities in the markets and stay ahead of these trends. Our most recent trade in UDOW returned 12.6% for our members last week. Please take a few minutes to understand how a small, dedicated, team of researchers with 53+ years of experience can make a difference in your future.

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Thomas Edison’s Dream Smashed

By Adam J. Crawford, Analyst

The incandescent light bulb was invented in the very early 1800s, but at that time was a device too crude and impractical for mass adoption. Over the next 80 years, at least 20 inventors contributed to its improvement, until, in 1880, Thomas Edison developed and patented a bulb that would last a miraculous 1,200 hours. Edison’s product was the first to offer the levels of functionality, durability, and affordability necessary for widespread commercial appeal. That’s why he gets credit for inventing the light bulb, even though he was decades late to the party.


Some 130 years after Edison’s patent was approved, the incandescent light bulb has basically the same features… a filament inside a glass bulb with a screw base. And for all those years, it’s been doing yeoman-like work providing clean, quality lighting (compared to the candles and oil lanterns of the 19^th century), in millions of homes and offices. Today, however, the incandescent light bulb is on its way out… and a multibillion-dollar industry will be forever changed.

Done In by Inefficiency

The incandescent bulb, though very effective, is notoriously inefficient. To understand why, one need only understand how it produces light. The filament (or wire) inside a bulb is heated by an electric current until it becomes so hot it glows.

The problem: only about 10% of the energy used by an incandescent bulb is converted into light; the rest is dissipated as usually unwanted heat.

This is a problem, not just for the homes and businesses using these bulbs, but also upstream at the power plants that produce the required energy. In an era when producers are wondering how they’re going to keep up with the surging demand amidst rising fuel costs and concern about the environmental impact of energy production is running high, such inefficiencies are frowned on.

Governments, of course, have the ability to put muscle behind their frowns… and they’re doing just that. In 2013, it became illegal in the United States to manufacture or import 75 and 100 watt incandescent bulbs. 40 and 60 watt bulbs were added to the ban in January of this year. The U.S. isn’t the only government actively limiting the use of incandescent bulbs. The European Union, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and even China are among many that have phase out programs aimed at forcing users to convert to an alternative technology.

For household applications, that primarily means a switch to those twisty shaped compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), or the newest competition in town, light emitting diodes (LEDs).

A CFL’s spiral tube contains argon and mercury vapors, and they are far more efficient than the old Edison bulb. When an electrical current is passed through the vapors, invisible ultraviolet light is produced. The ultraviolet light is transformed into visible light when it strikes a fluorescent coating on the inside of the tube.. all at about one fourth the electrical cost for an equivalent amount of light from an incandescent lamp.

LEDs, in contrast, don’t use commonplace materials. Rather, they’re made from somewhat exotic semiconductor materials, like indium and gallium nitride. When an electrical current is passed through these semiconductors, energy is released in the form of particles called photons—the most basic units of light in physics, i.e., light’s equivalent of individual electrons. In the process, little is lost to heat and the materials take minimal wear, making for another very efficient light source, and one that lasts far longer than its competitors.

Comparing the Alternatives

Right now, LED bulbs are relatively expensive to produce. That’s because a bulb is not just a bulb when it comes to LEDs—it can’t be made brighter by just putting in a thicker filament or tube. Instead, each bulb is a complex web of up to dozens of small diodes, each roughly the size of a pinhead, wired together and to a ballast that regulates the electricity flowing through them.

When compared head to head with incandescent and CFL light bulbs, LEDs come out the clear winner in operating costs. But even with millions of these bulbs now shipping to Home Depot, they still fall down on initial cost:

60-WATT Equivalent	Incandescent	CFL	LED
Lumen	880	800	800
Life (hours)	1,000	8,000	25,000
Initial cost	$1.19	$5.00	$9.98
Yearly operating cost	$7.23	$1.81	$1.45

However, when you add up those advantages over that 25,000 hour lifetime, then the advantages start to become clear:

60-WATT Equivalent	Incandescent	CFL	LED
Yearly operating cost	$7.23	$1.81	$1.45
Years	23	23	23
23-year operating cost	$166.29	$41.63	$33.35
Initial cost	$1.19	$5.00	$10.00
Replacement cost	$28.56	$10.00	$0.00
Total cost	$196.04	$56.63	$43.35

As you can see, to produce roughly the same lumens (a measure of the amount of visible light emitted by a source), both CFLs and LEDs are hands-down more economical than incandescent bulbs.

Of course, in a residential scenario where a bulb is run for maybe three hours a day, it would take about 23 years to realize that big a savings. But put them in place in a commercial or industrial setting like the hundreds of lights running 24 hours a day in the local Walmart, and the savings add up quickly.

Still, why are we so bullish on the prospects for LEDs if they barely edge out their CFL competitors over tens of thousands of hours?

The first difference is environmental. CFLs have the inherent disadvantage of containing mercury, a toxic metal that poses health and environmental risks. Break one of these bulbs and you have a biohazard on your hands. There’s a real cost to recycling these bulbs and containing the mess from those that are just tossed in the trash heap. It’s a cost that will certainly be shifted back to consumers of the bulbs if environmental legislation continues on its same path.

Further still, over its life, an LED bulb is already 25% more economical than a CFL. When compared to an incandescent bulb, either is a huge cost winner. But when it comes down to dollars and cents, the LED wins today. The only reason not go that route is the big upfront cost difference, which when buying tens of thousands of bulbs at a time (as many commercial companies do) can be a hard pill to swallow.

However, the cost of LEDs has been falling fast in recent years and will continue to do so. In 2011, a 60 watt equivalent LED bulb retailed for about $40. In 2012, the price fell below $20. Today, it’s less than $10.

As volumes increase and competition among manufacturers and retailers intensifies, prices will continue to fall. Some industry analysts see a $5 LED on the near horizon. We wouldn’t bet against it.

The price could go even lower if manufacturers can successfully implement a cost-reduction break through. Specifically, LED devices are built on expensive aluminum oxide substrates. But manufacturers are working on ways to build on substrates made of silicon, which would substantially reduce defects and thus costs. As prices drop, and if environmental law hits mercury laced CFLs next, LED’s cost advantage will start to widen significantly.

Inflection Point

This all means that the LED’s time has arrived. According to IHS, a global market and economic research firm, unit shipments of LED lighting devices will grow at a compounded annual rate of 40% between now and 2020.

In 2011, the size of the global lighting market was about $96 billion, and LED devices accounted for about 12% of that amount. By 2020, McKinsey & Company projects, the size of the market will be $136 billion, of which 63% will be attributable to LEDs.

With the LED bulb, we have a trend that’s been in the making for several years… and it’s now ready to surge. How should an investor play it? Certainly not with a blindfold and a dartboard, or a whole sector buy like an ETF, because not all participants in this market will prosper.

Some will not be a pure enough play to benefit, or will be cannibalizing their own incandescent and CFL business… like GE and Phillips. Others will find themselves producing a commodity with ever thinning margins… like Cree. And others still already have much of the anticipated growth priced into their shares.
However, we scanned the field and found a company that is well positioned to benefit from the growth of the LED market while, at the same time, actually improving its margins.

We believe this company’s stock is undervalued. That’s why we’re recommending it in the next issue of BIG TECH

For access to this recommendation and many more, simply sign up for a risk free trial of BIG TECH. 

If you decide to keep your subscription, it will only cost a mere $99, nothing compared to the profits just this one investment should bring. But, if for any reason you’re unsatisfied, simply cancel to receive a prompt, courteous, and complete refund of the entire subscription price. You have 3 full months to make up your mind.

The article Thomas Edison’s Dream Smashed was originally published at Casey Research

Do you need blocking diodes when adding a wind turbine to your DIY solar system?

One of forum members, Ladyhawk, brought up a great discussion this week. And as always one members jumped right in and gave a priceless response. Where are you finding this anywhere else on the internet?

Ladyhawk ask....

If I add a wind turbine to my system, do I need to put blocking diodes on each one of my Harbor Freight solar panels? I had planned to hook my turbine up direct to a 12 volt element but have been told that it a bad idea due to stalling turbine, overheating wires, etc.

Member Hillbilly Gene responds....

Yes, you need at least two diodes if you add a Wind Turbine to your system.

A diode will “block” voltage if the voltage is more positive on the diode’s cathode side (bar side) than on its anode side (arrowhead side).

If the sun is out, and no wind blowing, you want the wind turbine diode to stop solar panel voltage from pushing current into the wind turbine.

If the wind is blowing at night you want the solar panel diodes to stop wind turbine voltage from pushing current into the solar panels.

The internal diode in the Harbor Freight charge controller stops battery voltage pushing current back into the solar panels if those panels have no diodes added, which is the way the Harbor Freight kit comes out of the box.

The solar panels can be shorted together at their outputs and two panel diodes removed to get to a two diode system, but doing so will then not stop the solar panels from pushing current into each other if one or more of the panels are shaded.  This Harbor Freight solar panel backfeeding was discussed here.

I would recommend using the four diodes, but for the best results I recommend a separate charge controller for the wind turbine.

Come and join us on the DIY Solar Energy Forum and ask that tough DIY solar system question. We have qualified members who are willing to help!


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The new electric bill is in.....and it don't look good for "Mr. Big Grid"

Sick of hearing "it takes $20,000 to do any solar on your home?" And what does a $20,000 grid tie system get you if the power goes out? Darkness. When the likes of Solar City or your local solar installer is selling you on a system that should be your first question....what happens when storms knock out our grid power. And while a small do it yourself system is no replacement for your commercial power it will keep your family from being plunged into darkness.

So if you did take up creating your own solar energy as a hobby or a project, could you afford it? Can you save money in the process? Well, check out our forum member Bill K.s recent electric bill [posted below], he is kind enough to post it monthly. Bill has a simple DIY solar system and recently added a small solar water heating unit. Here is the conversation.

Check out his bill and you be the judge. Then come over and become part of the friendliest most helpful Do it yourself solar energy community. But be forewarned don't click here if you don't need another hobby or addiction.






Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

Will Harbor Freight Solar Panels Back Feed Each Other?

From guest blogger Hillbilly Gene......

The Inquiry: Will HF Solar Panels Back Feed Each Other?

No one, to my knowledge, has ever conducted a test to see if three solar arrays, such as included in the Harbor Freight 45 Watt kit, will interact and back feed current from one panel to another. I know that the HF charge controller has “blocking” diodes to prevent a nominal 12 volts from the battery from potentially feeding current back to the solar panels at night.

Logic would suggest that if back feeding were not possible, then HF would not have included those diodes. If back fed current were possible with a nominal 12 volts, then why wouldn’t the 23.5 Voc of one panel back feed another panel being shaded, and not producing 23.5 Voc?

Are those blocking diodes in the HF CC there for another reason? Such as if someone inadvertently shorts the solar panel input wiring? Instant smoke and fire inside the HF CC would result without those diodes; not counting melted wire back to the location of the “short”. I know this scenario would only happen if the negative of the battery was also connected to the negative of the panels, but anything is possible. Anyone concerned with grounding issues might do this; such as grounding the negative of the solar panels and also grounding the negative of the battery at the same point. That wiring would set up that Murphy’s law scenario.
I decided to conduct a test to see for myself.

Test Instrumentation:

My instrumentation was fairly simple:

Two HF 98025 Multimeters:

One was used with the 10ADC function; the other was used as a regular voltmeter.

One Harbor Freight 45-Watt Solar Panel Kit. This kit has been installed and working beyond the six-month “seasoning” period; the time when the electrical output of the 3 panels are expected to be permanently reduced by 20% from their like-new output. This HF kit is assembled per the HF manual, pointed at the sun with no particular fussing as to exact angle.

Brown corrugated cardboard: large enough to cover just one HF panel.

Miscellaneous. This is a category for anything used, but not specifically mentioned, such as jumper wires with alligator clips. Muttering and cussing belongs here.

Testing Parameters:
First, all three panels were cleaned with “Windex”

Testing consisted of reading the combined voltage of all the parallel panels and reading the amps of one panel being shaded or not shaded.

Shading was a piece of corrugated cardboard that just fit over one panel. It was placed on top of that panel, with no provision to secure it. Light may have filtered into the panel around the cardboard edge, but I made sure that no sunlight was directly on the panel. The one-panel shading is labeled “drastic” shading because I doubt any panel would receive that much individual shade in any normal installation.

Volts and amps were recorded with the cardboard on or off the panel, and with the rocker switch of the HF CC on or off. Rocker switch “on” was the battery-charging voltage; Rocker switch “off” simulated Voc, or no charging.

This test was conducted on the 17 of December. That’s close enough to the winter solstice (21 December) to be at a time when incoming solar power is weakest, because the earth’s axis is tilted as far north as it will get annually. A Photon spit out by the sun takes 8.3 minutes to reach earth and slows down when it reaches the earth’s atmosphere. Since the earth is tilted away from the sun during the winter it has effectively more atmosphere to travel through, and loses energy.

The sun’s Photons just don’t have enough energy to knock too many electrons silly in the panel this time of year, but the dazed electrons that do get whacked make up the current flow from the panels to the charge controller.

Time was about 9:30 – 10:30 am. Latitude in northern hemisphere: draw a line between Kansas City and Indianapolis, and you’re close enough. I believe anywhere mid-country between Louisiana and the Canadian border would give approximately the same results. It was a clear, sunny, day. Ambient temperature was 32°F.
The circuit wiring used is shown in Fig. 1

Test Number 1:
With a HF 98025 Multimeter on the 10A scale (reading panel #1 amps), and a second HF 98025 Multimeter set to 200 VDC (reading the parallel 3-panel-array voltage at the charge controller).

Here is the Test #1 data I collected:


The yellow-highlighted results of Test 1-D indicated that the shaded panel #1 wasbeing back fed current from the other panels. Minus amps means the current is going in the opposite direction from Test 1-B. The Volts of all the panels also apparently dropped about 0.2 volts.

Reasons for Test Number 2:
I wanted to see exactly what that –0.02 amp reading (-20ma) in Test 1-D really was. The HF 98025 meter will read up to 9.99 amps on the normal 10-Amp scale with a precision of ± two rightmost digits, meaning that –0.02 reading could be –0.12 or it could be –0.00.
 
So I devised another test to determine that amps value given in Test 1-D more precisely.

Test Number Two:

Start of theory:
First, the theory guiding this test: I know that E = I x R. So if I make R = 1 ohm, then E = I x one. Any voltage that is read across a one-ohm resistor can be interpreted as current, because the formula now reduces to E = I. It’ll be a cheap Hillbilly Ammeter Substitute.

A 1-watt resistor was chosen because W = I (squared) x R. Since Panel #1 has a rating of 1-amp, my equation now becomes W = (1-amp) x (1-amp) x (1-ohm) = 1 Watt, which will easily handle solar panel #1 current.

And then I assembled the circuit as shown in Fig. 2.

 
Using the HF #1 Voltmeter setting as an Ammeter setting:

The HF #1 Multimeter was set to either the 200m DCV or the 2000m DCV range as needed. Normally the 200m range displays up to 0.20 volts, and the 2000m range displays up to 2.00 volts. Because of my setup, I can now read and instantly interpret the meter either as a 200-milliamp (0.200 amp) range or as a 2000-milliamp range (2.000 amp, actually 1.999 amp) respectively (m = 1/1000), rather than voltage. The HF meter on these ranges has an accuracy of ± one rightmost digit, which is much better than the 10A DC range accuracy of ± tworightmost digits.

The polarity of the HF #1 meter was selected to read positive current from the panel to the charge controller. Any resistance in a working circuit will have a voltage drop, and that voltage drop will have a polarity to oppose the source voltage. The source voltage in this case is the voltage from solar panel #1. If the voltage across that resistor switches polarity it means current is going intothe solar panel.

End of sermon theory.

The testing parameters duplicated Test Number 1 parameters.
Test Number 1 is repeated here for easy reading and comparing with Test Number 2

Results of Test 2:
 
Comparisons of both tests:

Focusing on the yellow highlighted numbers:
Test 1-D indicated panel back feeding of -20ma intopanel #1 by panels 2 and 3, but the exact amount was either inconclusive or suspect. CC not charging, panel #1 drastically shaded, Voc = 23.1
“OL” in Test 2-B stands for overload, or more than that meter setting of 200mv could read
Test 2-C indicated back feeding of –2.2ma intopanel #1. CC charging, panel #1 drastically shaded. Note that Test 1-C under the same conditions did not indicate any back feeding, because the 10-A ammeter setting in 1-C can’t read 0.002 amps, although the polarity was –000.
Test 2-D confirms Test 1-D that back feeding isoccurring and the amount is –21.4ma.
That cheap Hillbilly Ammeter Substitute mentioned in the Test Number Two Theorysection worked as planned by verifying panel #1 back feeding of over –20ma. See test 1-D vs. test 2-D.

Conclusion:
My conclusion is: The HF Solar Panels WILL back feed, given the right conditions. Murphy’s law rules here, and diodes are cheap. I will therefore wire my permanent kit in the following manner:

If I have to use a combiner box I will install the diodes and fuses in that box. If I don’t need a combiner box I will place the diodes and fuses somewhere convenient near the charge controller.

I want to redo this testing about June 21, when the solar energy is at it’s maximum. My thoughts are that there will be more amps back feeding because there will be more current available from the uncovered panels at that time of year. The sun’s Photons has more muscle.

As usual, I will be grateful for anyone pointing out any trashing of theory or for any sins of omission. I try to include everything, even if it means being long winded.

Hillbilly Gene

P.S. For those that don’t know, Murphy’s lawstates: “If anything can go wrong, it will”.
Some will say Murphy was an optimist.

Please join us over on the Do it yourself solar energy forum and check out all of Hillbilly Genes articles.

Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

Forum Member Big Moe on the Harbor Freight Company Blog

Everybody here at Do it yourself solar energy [a division of New World Solar] are so happy for one of our forum members Big Moe. He is being featured on the Harbor Freight company blog. Why you ask? Because Big Moe has the largest array of Harbor Freight solar panels in the world. Big Moe [aka Michael Jordan] is also one of the leading educators in the DIY solar energy field. No matter how big his system gets he also takes pride in taking time to answer the most basic question and helping someone get started making their own solar energy.

Here's the article on the Harbor Freight blog.......

Great Caesar's ghost-- what IS that?!

It all started when Michael Jordan a.k.a. "Big Moe" decided to power his barn. He'd been using it as a workshop for his cars and other projects, and he wanted to get juice over there without having it tied to the grid. The barn did, in fact, have its own meter, but Big Moe opted to keep it turned off. Instead, he started clipping Harbor Freight coupons and bought 45 Watt Solar Panel Kits. After a year, he had purchased 45 kits-- that's 135 solar panels!

"I could have purchased larger panels from other sources, but I felt that the affordability and flexibility of buying from HF was better for my budget."

Big Moe then created an on-roof rack system and installed all of the solar panels to it. Once the system was built and all the bugs were worked out of the inverters and battery banks, he found he had a lot more power than he needed in the barn. But, he made sure none of it went to waste.

"At that point I decided to also power my house. I now power my home and my barn from the HF panels. To be fair, I do not power the home 100%. I still run all of the 220v appliances from the grid, but all other aspects are run from my solar arrays."

How Big Moe Did It

• The solar system consists of two arrays with a total of 135 HF 15w panels (75 panels on array #1, 60 panels on array #2).
• 2 @ 80 amp solar charge controllers
• 12 @ 2v batteries in a single battery bank that holds 2220 AH of power.
• 1 @ 5000w pure sine inverter for the barn.
• 2 @ 3000w pure sine inverters for the house.
• 1 @ Chicago Electric 400W Continuous Power Inverter for an outside security light
• The panels are wired in series/parallel in sets of 3. This allows for a 43v input at load and 62v open circuit voltage. The controllers drop the voltage and up the amperage for the 12v battery bank.
• 2/0 welding cable for wiring and the battery bank is connected to each other using copper bus bars.
• 2 @ wind generators to help diversify for wind and solar. They are a 600w and a 800w wind & solar unit.
• The wind generators are connected to one wind and solar charge controller.
• The power to the home is fed through service wire to a breaker box that is located in the home, but is separate from the standard breaker box.

He can feed any circuit in the home with either grid power or his own alternative power. So if the battery bank is running lower he is able to selectively change circuits from alternative to grid power.
Been thinking about adding a power source to your property, campsite or other location? Consider Harbor Freight's solar panel kits, individual 15 Watt Solar Panels and other Chicago Electric solar power equipment for your project!

You can visit Big Moe's page on the DIY Solar Energy Forum for more information, or if you have questions.


Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

Do you understand the difference? Pure sine wave vs. modified sine wave power inverters

Most inverters convert 12 volt DC power into 120 volt AC power, similar to the power supplied from your home electrical outlets. Pure sine power inverters deliver AC power that is identical to your home (grid/commercial) electrical power in true sine wave form.

Compared to the traditional inverters, which output in modified sine wave, AC power in pure sine wave is more similar to commercial power. The electronic appliances run cleaner, cooler, and quieter when running on pure sine power. As a result, pure sine inverters save energy costs and extend the life of appliances.

The pure sine inverter also reduces electronic interference, making it a better alternative for operating sensitive audio/video equipment and medical devices. Appliances with dimmers, speed controls, and certain battery chargers may require pure sine power to operate.

Pure sine inverters are especially designed to increase the efficiency and running time of electronic appliances and motors. Most pure sine wave inverters operate at less than 3–5% of Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) on average and 90% efficiency across the line.

Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

Converting a Table Lamp to 12 Volt using Harbor Freight Kit CFL Lights

From guest blogger Jeremiah Simpkins......

After the power outage on the east coast due to the severe storms that swept through over the weekend before the 4th of July, it was nice to have the Harbor Freight 45 watt kit and a deep cycle battery to charge my phone, use my laptop and television (conservatively), run a fan and one of the Harbor Freight 12 volt CFLs.

Of course, the included wiring for the bulbs isn't exactly aesthetic nor usable for general lighting in a home. So, I decided to pick up a used lamp from our local Goodwill.

As you can see, I cut the AC plug off and attached battery clamps to each wire (correctly after figuring out where the positive and negative connections were in the bulb socket with a multimeter). My first choice was to get a 12 volt plug from Radio Shack, yet my local store didn't carry them for some reason. So instead I picked up a set of battery clamps and used them instead.

Needless to say, it works, I have the lamp directly connected to my battery and make use of it every evening. Plus it works better than the sockets included with the kit.



Check out all of Jeremiahs solar projects on the DIY Solar Energy Forum




Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

Let's Put Your Starter Solar System Together

The most common first step in learning to create your own solar energy is buying one of the widely distributed "solar panels kits". And that's great, nothing has done more for helping the newcomer get started then to walk into a Harbor Freight store or Costco and buy a ready to set up kit.

But like any sport or hobby a large percentage of these kits get put into the closet to gather dust. And the remaining percentage that do get put to good use get replaced or updated almost immediately.

Our goal here is to walk you through picking out individual parts that will help you avoid not only having to update your system right away but to generate 3 times the power right from the start avoiding the realization that you bought what amounts to a "trickle charger".

Most of the more common kits, the Harbor Freight 45 Watt Kit and the Sunforce 60 Watt Kit are what is known as "amourphous panels". While amorphous panels are less expensive to produce one of the biggest draw backs to using them is that they require much more real estate per watt. A standard 50 watt crystalline panel requires only as much space as is needed for 1 of the 3 or 4 panels from these kits. And while crystalline panels use to be out of the dollar range of most DIY energy makers that has changed dramatically.

Let's start with the solar panel

The panel we would suggest for our "starter system" is not exactly a crystalline panel but a Polycrystalline panel. The Epcom 50 watt panel is approxomately 32" X 22", has a tough metal frame and sells for only $99.00. The 125 watt version of this same panel sells for $199.00 and a little quick math tells you that spending a little bit more money when making your first purchase is going to pay off quickly. The 50 watt panel puts out 2.78 amps and the 125 version puts out a respectable 7.3 amps. So ask yourself "how many panels am I REALLY going to add to this little system of mine". Knowing this and being honest with yourself about what that answer is will help you make a sound decision on your charge controller.

The Charge Controller

The charge controller of these common kits come in either 4 amps for the Harbor Freight Kit 45 watt kit or 7 amps for the Sunforce 60 watt kit. You can make the jump to 10 amps for the reasonable price of $35.00 with the Sunforce 60031 Charge Controller. But you need to be honest with yourself, will you save money in the long run by stepping up and making your first purchase the Sunforce 60032 with 30 amp capabilities and LED digital voltage and battery condition read out.

Next is the Power Inverter

Last but not least is the power inverter that will convert your DC volt power to usable 110 volt to be used with common household appliances etc. The inverter is the most misunderstood and replaced item in any system. Beginners will most often buy the least expensive inverter to get started only to find out that it won't power what they intended to use it for. Be honest with yourself, do the math. How much power does it take to run that computer or shop light hat you want to run on your new solar system. Better then doing the math, purchase a "Kill A Watt Meter". It's a simple device that you plug into the wall and plug your appliance into to read the power useage of your item on it's LED screen.

The least expensive inverters are what is called "modified Sine Wave" and are almost non usable for electric motors, TV's, microwaves or computers. I have always had some inexpensive high wattage modified sine wave inverters in our arsenal, they have their place. But most likely you will want to use your new system for a computer or TV so it's best to step up and get a reliable, quality "Pure Sine Wave" inverter right from the start. In the 300 watt and under category we suggest the Samlex PST 30S that sells for around $128.00.

In the 1000 watt category you can get into the Xantrex ProWatt SW1000 for approximately $279.00 and you won't regret it. This Xantrex has features usually associated with much more expensive units. Remote capabilities, dual GFCI outlets, USB charging ports and more.

Let's put it all together.....

One of the few remaining items you will need is an assortment of wiring. Stranded copper wiring is a valuable commodity to the home energy producer. Start scrounging around and buying up all you can when you can get deals. Stranded only since solid wire has almost no place in the DC world in our opinion. And focus on 10 gauge and thicker. The most expensive wire you'll need will be for connecting your batteries to the inverter. You want to design your system to keep the inverter as close as possible to the batteries. Welding leads from dis guarded, out dated Lincoln welders have always been prime targets for this application. Or committing a set of heavy jumper cables to the cause can work as well. Don't make a move on your wiring though without referring to this chart. The number 1 mistake made by the first timer is under sized wiring.

So let's get it put together. If you need any help at all visit our forum that is 800+ members strong and they will answer any questions you have and have posted pictures and diagrams of their own systems there as well. Ask any question you want, our members love helping someone get started.


Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

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.

Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

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.



Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

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

Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

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


Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

Are You Protecting Your Do It Yourself Solar Project?

Not enough is said about the need to invest in fuses for your DIY solar project. It's simple and cheap, all aboard!




Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

Where Do You Start? With The Sunforce 60 Watt Solar Charging Kit

The Sunforce 60 Watt Solar Charging Kit gives you several more reasons to love the sun. It provides the power you need, while helping you save money and protect the environment. This kit is ideal for cabins, recreational vehicles, remote power, back up power, and 12 volt battery charging. It comes with everything you need to start producing up to 60 Watts, 4 Amps of clean, free power in all weather conditions.

Sunforce kits are easy to set up and operate.

Convenient Power That Helps You Save Money and Protect the Environment
The Sunforce 60 Watt Solar Charging Kit lets you harness the power of the sun, the most powerful and plentiful source of energy available to us. This inexhaustible supply of power is freely available wherever the sun shines, and gives users the freedom to power their homes, RVs, boats, batteries, and electronic equipment far from civilization or right in town. Solar power can help cut your energy bills by reducing your dependence on the main electrical grid, and can also provide back-up power during outages. Unlike nuclear and fossil fuels, solar power systems are clean and pollution free, and they require very little maintenance to operate.

Sunforce Solar Panels are effective in areas of both high and lower sun exposure, making them ideal for use in the United States. View Larger

Everything You Need to Power Up
The Sunforce 60 Watt Solar Charging Kit has everything you need to start generating power. It includes four - 15 Watt amorphous solar panels with durable mounting frames, a 200 Watt modified sine wave power inverter, a 7 Amp solar charge controller, and a wiring kit with accessories for easy installation.

With built in blocking diode technology, this solar charging kit is designed to protect against battery discharge at night. You can also use this kit to maintain the charge on any 12 Volt battery for clean, silent operation of various electronics, such as deer feeders and landscaping pumps. The included charge controller features a built in ultra bright blue LED charging indicator, and is a great choice for automobiles, recreational vehicles, tractors, all terrain vehicles, boats, electric fences, telemetry and more.

About Amorphous Solar Power
Amorphous solar panels are created by spraying silicon on to glass in very thin layers, and are commonly known as thin film solar panels. This process allows them to be better at generating electricity in all lighting conditions, including cloudy or shady environments. Sunforce amorphous solar panels are weatherproof and suitable for outdoor use. They have a maximum operating temperature range of -40 to 176-degrees Fahrenheit, require virtually no maintenance, and are also effective on cloudy days. They can even withstand impacts from one inch hailstones at 50 miles per hour.

Solar panels convert sunlight into an electric current, they do not store power. Sunforce Solar Charging Kits are primarily used to recharge 12 Volt batteries (not included), which store and provide usable power. The included 200 Watt power inverter allows you to use traditional 110 Volt appliances with this system. The included Sunforce 7 Amp Solar Charge Controller must be installed to prevent any connected batteries from overcharging. Once fully charged, it is normal for the charge controller LED to turn off and on as the battery voltage fluctuates from the discharge/recharge cycle.

Product Dimensions
Shipping Box: 41" x 13 1/4" x 16 1/4", 62.4 lbs
Individual Panel: 42.5" x 1.5" x 16", 11 lbs

Just Click Here to Order Your Own Sunforce 60 Watt Solar Charging Kit

Setting up Reliant Generator Switch to Set up Off Grid System Room by Room

Al shows us how he installed the Reliant Generator Switch and power transfer panel for the 12 volt battery bank and Harbor Freight solar panels is now installed and just waiting for a connection to the inverter before going into production. The shed is also getting wired properly and after that is done we're running conduit and power to the new barn in the back.

Al decided to hire a journeyman electrician to help me so he could finish all the projects before summer. His brother does carpentry so he'll come to help finish panel up the barn and wall up and insulate the shed room plus build a door for it. Then the remaining Harbor Freight solar panels are going up to supplement the existing ones and finally the two wind turbines will go up.




Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

Is it True.....Can You Sell Solar Power Into Your Grid and Make Money

A recent New York Times article blasted solar energy systems as making “no economic sense.”[1] The truth: solar photovoltaic systems aren’t cheap but they do payback. Sales of solar photovoltaic systems have been rising up to 50% annually in some states and it’s not just environmental do-gooders who are investing in the renewable energy. For many homeowners, solar energy is about dollars and cents.

Solar systems incur significant upfront costs but both federal and state governments offer incentives. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 included two ways to receive a tax credit for solar energy from the federal government. You can qualify for 30% of the system cost (up to $2,000) for either solar water heating or for solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity.

At the state level are more incentives. Over half of the states in the nation offer solar energy rebates offset the cost of solar power systems, New Jersey rebates cover more than 50% of retail costs. An additional income tax incentive is offered in 17 states. Add it all up and some homeowners are installing PV systems for a third of the retail price.....Read the entire article.



Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!

How to Install Solar Panels on Your Roof Quickly and Cheaply

Todays video is from Econewpower and they show us an easy way to install solar panels on your roof quickly and cheaply. They began the installation of 2KW solar panels made up of 20 DuPont 100 watt solar panels. I'm using common hardware found in your local hardware store such as.....

1- Pressure treated 2x4x8 feet
2 -Pressure treated 2x12x8 fee
3 - 1/4 inch by 4 inch and 4.5 inch lag bolts
4 - 1/4 inch by 1-1/4 inch washers
5 - 2 inch corner braces
6 - 2-1/4 inch outdoor screws



Everything You Need to Produce Your Own Solar Energy.....Check Out New World Solar Power!