Last Season's Solar Harvest

[bdosborn]

Here's an interesting result for those of you interested in solar panels for your trailer. I have a meter that tracks the total PV harvest for our system and last year we had a total harvest of 785 amp-hrs. Our trailer is stored in the garage so we're generating power only when we're using the trailer. In Colorado where residential electricity costs about $0.10/kW-hr, our total PV harvest represents about $1 worth of energy. We have a 300W system on out trailer so at the current price of around $3/watt installed cost you would spend $900 to generate $1 worth of electricity.

So if I had to do it over would I install a PV system? In a heartbeat! An extension cord that reached out to where we camp would be awfully expensive. With our PV system we can camp as long or wherever we want without running out of juice or plugging in. A generator wouldn't be any cheaper and I can't stand the noise when we're camping. I guess I should start leaving the lights on in the garage so I can use the PV panels at home...

Bruce

[Treeview]

Why not setup your collector in your yard and sell the electricity back to the power company? I thought that there were supposed to be mandates in place to make the power companies buy the power back. Even at wholesale prices the cash would be nice. Plus, you're saving a little coal from being burnt.

Tom

[Martiangod]

Man the return is well worth the investment,
Camping...Priceless
being able to stay out longer...Priceless
Not worrying if the battery is flanked...Priceless
Being able to camp where no tear has gone before...Priceless
Lower blood preasure....Priceless
Lights...
Being self sufficient...Priceless

Looks like a win win in my books
Pretty cool seing the accounting of it though

Why not setup your collector in your yard and sell the electricity back to the power company? I thought that there were supposed to be mandates in place to make the power companies buy the power back. Even at wholesale prices the cash would be nice. Plus, you're saving a little coal from being burnt.

Tom

COal still gets burnt, even when they idle down the dino plants, they are still cooking with fire

[bdosborn]

Why not setup your collector in your yard and sell the electricity back to the power company?

I figure we camp from May through October. That leaves about 5 months I could set them in the backyard and they are months with the lowest amount of sunlight available. 300 watts would generate about $4/month worth of electricity. The inverter I would need to buy to connect to the grid would cost at least a grand so the payback would be about never. Plus I'm way too lazy to grab the panels off the trailer and lug them into the backyard. Point your browser here to PV watts If you ever want to know how much energy a PV array will collect. It works off the average available sunshine for your zipcode. The website is kind of hard to navigate through the first time but its easy to use once you find the calculator link. It only goes down to a 0.5 kW array size but you can extrapolate for a smaller array.

Bruce

[Shadow Catcher]

During the off season the solar panel comes off Compass Rose and sits on the garage plugged into a grid tie inverter. I am considering a hookup so that when the trailer is parked at home directing what ever is harvested to the grid tie,
We will acid test the system this summer as each of the stays in National Parks is off grid.

[Lgboro]

If its any comfort the fish I catch at the NC Outerbanks I'm sure run thousands a pound. If I ever attend a gathering where you are and if we cooked my fish with your solar generated power --- now that would be a meal priced for a king! I too will still have solar on my tear.

[Wolffarmer]

I don't use enough electricity to put a collector on mine. I can charge my battery and after a week of camping it is still charged. And I have external connectors I can hook to the vehicle and charge. I mostly use Coleman white gas lanterns and stoves. I am so happy to get away from civilization I live just fine without radio/TV and computers. Just give a book and light to read by. Sun, Coleman or the little florescent.

Randy

[bdosborn]

I know what you mean about doing without, I used to feel the same thing about campers/RVs in general. My attitude was that only a wimp would need anything more than what could be carried on your back. That all changed after I spent 3 rainy days in a one-man tent. I read the same book 3 times. Obviously, I'm a little more tolerant of different styles of camping now.

Bruce

[Wolffarmer]

Long ago and far away when I started backpacking one of the best tips I ever read about was to take reading material with you. A person can go nuts reading the food prep directions for 968th time that day. But be careful of what books you take when in company. My hiking partners threated to kill me once if I didn't stop giggling. I was reading some Patrick McManus books. He is a hoot. And as many of his stories take place at the University I attended and the areas around there I had actually done some of the same stunts he did. And I mean right down to the same rooms. That was a bit spooky as well as funny.

Randy

[Shadow Catcher]

Slow
The grid tie inverter I am using is not any where close to doing more than contributing a bit to reducing our electric bill, and frankly is not quite legal as it is not UL approved, but it is attached to a concrete block wall that in-case it does self destruct and burst into flames it will not hurt anything.

[DragonFire]

I have only my inside and hatch lights on the battery..but I'd still like to learn about solar..maybe then I could have a bit more going. There are a couple of 12 volt jacks inside that the previous owner added...could keep the phone charged for weather reports, star walk app, and emergencies...but that could also get charged in the tv. Thought of getting a 1 volt coffee pot too...gave one to my sister when we used to camp, then she never used it (gee..if it's with my other camping equipment, I may just get it back!!!)

I'm not sure if one of those flexible solar battery chargers is enough or what. It's not like I'm running a microwave and a Margarita machine on it!

I have a propane stove or 2, a white gas stove or 2, battery, propane and white gas lanterns. Charcoal for the DO, ice chest and 'fake fire' like Slow has.

But still..I like the idea of solar. I'm charging up a solar security light as I type. I use solar lights in the yard. I guess it's just the guilt free aspect of it. Maybe it's because I'm from Berkeley!

[Wolffarmer]

For cooking could do some in a solar oven. Then you would not be converting sunlight to electrons, storing them, then converting them to heat.

Randy

[bdosborn]

I'd go with one of these: eBay 40 watt panel

And then a Morningstar Sunguard Controller

That should keep up with the small loads you've described.

Bruce

[stumphugger]

Long ago and far away when I started backpacking one of the best tips I ever read about was to take reading material with you. A person can go nuts reading the food prep directions for 968th time that day. But be careful of what books you take when in company. My hiking partners threated to kill me once if I didn't stop giggling. I was reading some Patrick McManus books. He is a hoot. And as many of his stories take place at the University I attended and the areas around there I had actually done some of the same stunts he did. And I mean right down to the same rooms. That was a bit spooky as well as funny.

Randy

I believe there is a Pat McManus story about being stuck in a tent with his hunting companions. I love those stories!

Sorry, back to solar now.