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.


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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.

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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




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Midnite Solar Classic and DM Solar 145 watt Panel Testing

Todays video is from our forum member B. Kelly and he is testing 2 DM Solar 145 watt panels today in 93-99 degree heat. They are wired in series to get 24 volts nominal and the battery bank is a simple DC27 marine 12 volt battery. Maximum watts that he caught while checking on it was 210 watts at 93 degrees at 10:25 am and 174-179 watts at 12:05 pm at 98-99 degrees. Not bad for a HOT day.

The charge controller is a Midnite Solar Classic 150 MPPT. The wiring is 15' of 10AWG PV wire to simulate a real wire run.

Keep in mind the controller was out in the heat also so output would be lowered as well as you not supposed to do this. The controller needs to be in doors and are tested at 25'C which is 77'F.. the controller internals were at 53'C (per the meter) which is way above the 40'C derating.




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The Tiger Claw 1500W. Finally...a reliable, reasonably priced pure sine wave power inverter

If you are tired of spending money on modified sine wave inverters that seemed like a good deal at the time, check out the Tiger Claw 1500w.

Finally, a reliable, reasonably priced pure sine wave inverter. The Tiger Claw 1500w from OSP products.

Make 1500 watts of continuous AC power available anywhere you go! Connect the Tiger Claw to your vehicle battery and you've got 110 volts available at common household type built in receptacles.

Some advantages of Pure Sine Wave inverters over modified sine wave inverters.....

a) Output voltage wave form is pure sine wave with very low harmonic distortion and clean power like utility supplied electricity.

b) Inductive loads like microwave ovens and motors run faster, quieter and cooler.

c) Reduces audible and electrical noise in fans, fluorescent lights, audio amplifiers, TV, Game consoles, Fax, and answering machines.

d) Prevents crashes in computers, weird print out, and glitches and noise in monitors.

e) Reliably powers the following devices that will normally not work with modified sine wave inverters:

* Laser printers, photocopiers, magneto-optical hard drives
* Certain laptop computers (you should check with your manufacturer)
* Some fluorescent lights with electronic ballasts
* Power tools employing "solid state" power or variable speed control
* Some battery chargers for cordless tools
* Some new furnaces and pellet stoves with microprocessor control
* Digital clocks with radios
* Sewing machines with speed/microprocessor control
* X-10 home automation system
* Medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators



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Mini Review of the DM Solar 145 Watt Panels

CZ, who is one of the members over at the HF Solar Forum, was kind enough to do this Mini Review of the wildly popular DM Solar 145 watt panel. Showing some Amps (ISC) and Volts (VOC) at the leads for simple panel testing purposes. These 145 watt panels sold out within a few days due to the fact that this was the best deal ever in DIY solar. Good news though, more panels will be in on or around June 25th. Just save this link and check back with us.



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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.


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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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Basic 12 Volt Battery Maintenance For Your Solar Set Up

Basic maintenance for your 12 volt battery. Using a deep cycle marine battery with your harbor freight solar panel set. Please post some comments and let him know what you think.



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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!




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