DIY Solar and Wind Power
We are dependent on oil from the middle east, yet we seem to do nothing here at home to try and lessen our dependence.
If someone mentions an alternative source, the answer always seems to be ” That will take to long to accomplish”.
Imagine where we would be if we had started producing wind, solar , and alternative fuel for our cars.
Getting Started
By Phil Livingston 
The bulk of our energy comes from coal, oil, and natural gas—exhaustible resources that create pollution when burned and contribute to global warming. Renewable energy (RE) is non-polluting energy that comes from inexhaustible resources, such as wind, sunshine, and falling water. Using more RE and less nonrenewable energy means less pollution produced. Plus, RE can provide personal and national energy security freeing you from a lifetime of utility bills and reducing the United States´ reliance on imported fuels.
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Conservation & Efficiency
Many people get entranced by RE technologies—solar-electric (photovoltaic; PV) modules, and micro hydro and wind turbines. But the first focus of anyone wanting to invest in RE should be conservation and efficiency.
Conservation involves changing your energy use behaviors from wasteful, inefficient habits (such as leaving on the lights when you leave a room) to energy-saving ones (turning off the lights every time you leave a room). This is a conscious choice—although you are using the same fixtures, you´re making an effort to minimize your energy consumption.
Efficiency, on the other hand, is reducing energy consumption—without changing your lifestyle—by using efficient appliances. As energy efficiency expert Amory Lovins once said, energy efficiency is a “technical fix.” Using the previous examples, the efficiency solution would be to swap out incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescents (CFs), which only use about a quarter of the energy.
Both conservation and efficiency work hand in hand. Apply the basic principles of conservation and efficiency to all of your energy choices, before looking at harnessing renewable energy. It makes very little sense to put PVs on your roof before you have CFs in your light fixtures.
Conservation and energy efficiency are low-hanging fruit, to be picked before moving forward with solar electricity or hot water systems. By reducing your energy demand, you will greatly reduce the cost of your RE systems when you´re ready to have them installed. Every dollar you spend on efficiency measures will save you roughly $3 to $5 on your renewable energy system costs.
Battery Care For PV Solar System
Hydrometers:
A hydrometer is a specific gravity tester. It tests the electrolyte in each cell, and the readings should
not vary more than .05 between cells. The reading will tell you the charge level of each cell. Do this
test once a month, and keep a chart of each cells readings, and you will be able to track the health of
your pack.
Prepare for Test:
You must first have the battery fully charged. The surface charge must be removed before testing. If the
battery has been sitting at least several hours (I prefer at least 12 hours) you may begin testing. To
remove surface charge the battery must experience a load of 20 amps (per battery) for 3 plus minutes.
After turning off the load you are ready to test the battery.
Prepare Hydrometer for Use:
Carefully remove rubber bulb and plug from glass tube and remove foam protector from around float. Wet
(distilled water) and reinsert float, plug and bulb. Extend rubber bulb to top of glass tube.
Instructions for Use:
Insert rubber tip into cell of battery. Hold instrument in vertical position. Squeeze bulb and draw
enough liquid to float hydromet freely, watching to see that top of float stem does not touch rubber
stopper at top of barrell. The mark on the hydrometer float which is inline with the surface of the
liquid indicates the uncorrected specific gravity. Add or subtract specific gravity points to to float
reading as indicated by the thermometer at the bottom. The result of the corrected float reading gives
the precise specific gravity and indicates the condition of the battery.
Specific Gravity Readings:
1.260 = 100% Charged
1.225 = 75% Charged
1.190 = 50% Charged
1.155 = 25% Charged
1.120 = Fully Discharged
Return liquid to same battery cell from which it is taken.
Cell variation:
Variations of more than .020 indicates a weak or bad battery.
Note: A proper test cannot be made unless each battery cell has sufficient electrolyte (water and acid)
to permit hydrometer float to rise freely .An accurate reading cannot be obtained immediately after water
has been added to cells or at below freezing temperatures. Water must be allowed to mix with the
electrolyte. A full charge cycle will accomplish this.
Cleaning:
Get a battery brush from your auto parts store. This has two ends, one for cleaning the posts, and the
other for cleaning the lugs. Remove your cables, and clean till shiny. If you have studs and rings,
instead of posts and lugs, use a wire brush. You can use a battery spray that comes out yellow, and turns
red in the presence of acid. Rinse after a few minutes, but make sure it does not get into the batteries.
Baking soda (2 Tbl. Spoons) and water (1 pint) can be used for cleaning as well.
Water Misers or Hydro Caps?
We prefer Water Misers over hydrocaps. Less maintenance, and they last longer. Pop the cap top open to
refill. Hydrocaps have to be removed during equalization. Hydrocaps remobine the hydrogen and oxygen,
almost eliminating water loss. Water Miser’s do not recombine, but they trap water and acid and return it
to the cell, and are about 60% effective. We sell Water Misers for $6 each. A 6 volt battery requires 3.
Watering the Batteries:
ONLY use distilled water, as minerals in tap, rain, or “purified” water will destroy the batteries. This
can be found at the grocery store in 1 gallon containers for about the same price as filtered water. Use
the bulb filler to fill the wells so that the plates are covered. Do not overfill, as water and acid will
overflow during charging, corroding terminals and wires, and increasing self discharge across the top of
the battery. There are more “automated” systems for wattering batteries, some with manual pumps, others
with electric. See http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=439
Charging:
If your solar and wind are not sufficient to keep the batteries charged, a generator and a 3 stage
charger will be needed to “top off” the batteries. Do not let the batteries sit for extended periods of
time in a discharged state, or they will sulfate, and have reduced capacity and die prematurely.
Extend the Life:
There are a few methods you can use to extend the life of your batteries. Crosstie – The free method is
to cross tie the batteries when you have multiple parallel battery strings. Normally in parallel strings,
the batteries on the end of each series string are cross tied , + to + on one end, – to – on the other.
We make sure each negative on a battery is connected to the negative on it’s coresponding twin in the
next string. This balances the pack, and prevents uneven charging and discharging among strings.
Battery Balancer – This is a special unit that monitors the voltage of each battery in a series string,
and balances the voltage among them. This prevents uneven charging and discharging within a series
string. This complements crosstying, by not requiring a balancer on both strings.
Desulphator – This unit periodically hits the batteries with a pulse to prevent sulphation of the plates,
and extends life and capacity. Crosstying distributes this affect across the pack, so only one unit is
necessary for the whole pack.
See http://www.green-trust
solar-and-wind.com
Welcome to Solar-and-Wind.Com. This is my first post, so I thought that I’d let you know a little something about this blog.
I plan on devoting time to all aspects of alternative energy.
solar power, wind generators, alternative fuel, bio-diesel and so on.
If you have something to add or have a question, just post a comment.
Alternative Energy