Energy Conservation, The First Step Towards Solar

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  • michelle
    Junior Member
    • Feb 2011
    • 1
    #31
    Brand New!

    Hi,
    I'm just jumping on the Go Green bandwagon and am most interested in harnessing the power of the sun.
    This thread is very interesting. As a child my dad would always tell us to turn off the light and now as a parent myself I can sure appreciate what his deal was
    As a parent sometimes doing the laundry late at night is unavoidable but having to do it to avoid rate hikes is just wrong.
    A lot to think about.

      Comment

      • russ
        Solar Fanatic
        • Jul 2009
        • 10360
        #32
        Hi Michelle - Welcome to Solar Panel Talk!

        Russ
        [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

          Comment

          • Mike90250
            Moderator
            • May 2009
            • 16020
            #33
            Originally posted by bart
            These are all great ideas to do to make your home more energy efficient. We normally don't even think of some of these. The changing of your light bulbs is a big savings. I've changed mine to the energy saving lights about 5 years now.
            Busted
            Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
            || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
            || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

            solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
            gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

              Comment

              • stanly
                Member
                • Apr 2011
                • 48
                #34
                Is this calculator help on calculate the Battery charging time and device supplying duration?

                http://solarcalculator.yuniz.com/

                  Comment

                  • Mike90250
                    Moderator
                    • May 2009
                    • 16020
                    #35
                    Originally posted by stanly
                    Is this calculator help on calculate the Battery charging time and device supplying duration?

                    http://solarcalculator.yuniz.com/
                    cool. it sort of works, but I didn't double check their calculations.
                    Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                      Comment

                      • stanly
                        Member
                        • Apr 2011
                        • 48
                        #36
                        Yup, as far as I know.

                          Comment

                          • junker 2009
                            Junior Member
                            • Jul 2011
                            • 7
                            #37
                            Conserve conserve conserve

                            Remember the average 2000 sq. Ft.house in the us uses 30 kw a day following the advice given in this thread could save 5-7 kw =to a savings in pv of 12 to 15 thousand grid connected almost double that in a stand alone system

                              Comment

                              • russ
                                Solar Fanatic
                                • Jul 2009
                                • 10360
                                #38
                                Originally posted by junker 2009
                                Remember the average 2000 sq. Ft.house in the us uses 30 kw a day following the advice given in this thread could save 5-7 kw =to a savings in pv of 12 to 15 thousand grid connected almost double that in a stand alone system
                                Correct - the best investment in PV power is conservation - always!
                                [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

                                  Comment

                                  • Ema
                                    Junior Member
                                    • Jul 2011
                                    • 3
                                    #39
                                    Energy saving ideas:

                                    If you do run your dishwaher (dishwashers use less water than washing by hand if you use running water, vs water in a bucket style. IF you always wash a full load) but turn off the dry cycle and dry your dishes by hand.

                                    Switch to LED lighting

                                    Set your thermostat higher when running AC (about 82-85 ˚F) and use fans to move the air, you feel as cool if not cooler and save energy because fans do not draw as much power as AC. Or, use evaporative cooling in areas where it is possible.

                                    Put a main switch on our AV equipment (aka media center) and turn it all off so it does not idle in "stand by" mode.

                                    Use front loading washers. They remove more water from your laundry in the spin cycle so if you use a dryer your clothes dry in less time, or just hang your laundry outside (here in NM it dries before you are done hanging a load)

                                      Comment

                                      • noeladdison
                                        Junior Member
                                        • Jul 2011
                                        • 14
                                        #40
                                        Energy conservation is important, especially today because it is not just beneficial for yourself (financially) but it will also contribute a lot for the whole world. Energy conservation is not just about saving the money you spend for electricity. Every single conservation act contributes a lot to the preservation of the environment.
                                        Last edited by russ; 08-03-2011, 10:17 AM. Reason: removed link

                                          Comment

                                          • Prabha
                                            Junior Member
                                            • Aug 2011
                                            • 1
                                            #41
                                            Solar Power

                                            Heating & cooling your home is expensive. The SolarBeam Concentrator can be used with your existing heating setup (i.e., hot-water, forced air, in-floor) which means that you don
                                            Last edited by russ; 08-30-2011, 01:38 PM. Reason: removed link
                                            [URL="http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/"]Solar Power[/URL]

                                              Comment

                                              • russ
                                                Solar Fanatic
                                                • Jul 2009
                                                • 10360
                                                #42
                                                [QUOTE=Prabha;30578]Heating & cooling your home is expensive. The SolarBeam Concentrator can be used with your existing heating setup (i.e., hot-water, forced air, in-floor) which means that you don
                                                [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

                                                  Comment

                                                  • johnkimball@sunelec.com
                                                    Junior Member
                                                    • Sep 2011
                                                    • 7
                                                    #43
                                                    Energy Star Refrigerators

                                                    We have thousnds of people who walk into our stores to buy PV and don't even think about energy conservation since we can't do much about Air Conditioners I usually talk about refrigerators first, you need inventory, price and specs first so I usually refer them to Sears then tell them to pick out the smallest size the wife will accept, make sure the unit is an energy star and then compare the tags. The Kenmore brand has always been a leader in energy efficiency and Sears is all over the place even in Haiti, they pick up the old ones, deliver the new ones and install and they are there for the warranty and repairs. Most importantly the wife feels comfortable, usually, in Sears, than shopping out of AEE, DC Power or other suppliers AE catalogs.

                                                    They have good prices for AC refrigerator units and you can buy alot of other items while in the store. DC and propane refrigerators all have their place just a comment. Please don't kill me for it. I think Sears is an American company too.

                                                    John

                                                      Comment

                                                      • satguyjim
                                                        Junior Member
                                                        • Sep 2011
                                                        • 9
                                                        #44
                                                        One thing that I think is important in figuring our where you are wasting energy is to use a whole house watt meter such as a TED (from The Energy Detective), I personally have used the TED1000 and TED5000C but other manufacturers are out there and they really help in finding out where you are wasting energy. They also show you in real-time if something was left on by accident. Getting your house under control is the first step in finding out what uses what and where you are wasting electricity. AFTER you get your waste reduced, THEN you can think solar.

                                                        Other things that I have used to reduce my consumption is to ventilate the attic with solar-powered gable fans, one sucking in and one blowing out, it dramatically reduces the need for central air when the house feels comfortable. I also use a charming spinner to reduce the amount of moisture in my laundry, think of it as a salad spinner for clothes, it spins at 3200 rpm, when they come out they are practically dry and take very little time to dry on the line(or in the basement)


                                                        Jim

                                                          Comment

                                                          • tamz
                                                            Junior Member
                                                            • Sep 2011
                                                            • 11
                                                            #45
                                                            The color of your roof plays a big factor. If you are living in a warm/tropical country, Paint it with a reflective paint (white paint will do) to reflect most of the sun rays. This should reduce your house or attic temperature. Will significantly reduce your cooling cost.

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