Post by jsb2000 on Sept 9, 2018 16:06:22 GMT
When I talk about my solar powered home office to people, one question invariably comes up: What about when there's no sun?
My response: Even when there's no sun, my solar panels are still making power during the day. Not a lot, mind you. But enough.
Prime example: Right now, it's completely overcast. The remnants of Gordon are giving us a good soaking. Yet my solar panels are still bringing in around 20 Watts of power. And the power draw of my lights, Internet switches, routers, etc. right now? Around 25 Watts. And that's only because I'm recharging some AA batteries right now.
So...my net usage from my deep cycle batteries right now is a whopping 5 Watts.
While we talk a lot on these forums about batteries and charging profiles and controllers, one thing that isn't mentioned a lot is this: The need to be conscious of your power usage and to conserve power whenever possible. When those AA batteries are done charging, they'll come out of the charger and the charger will be turned off, reducing my net power draw to around ZERO. When I leave the room, I'll turn off the lights, conserving even more power.
The voltage on my battery bank right now is 12.8VDC. Knowing that a week without full sun was on the way, I made sure to be extra frugal the week prior when the sun WAS blazing down on my panels. Consequently, my bank is fully charged right now. Later next week, we'll probably have to deal with Florence in one way or another. We may lose utility power just when the sump pump is needed the most!
But thanks to my Renogy solar panels/controller, a properly sized deep cycle battery bank, and some prudent planning in my power usage, I'm ready.
My response: Even when there's no sun, my solar panels are still making power during the day. Not a lot, mind you. But enough.
Prime example: Right now, it's completely overcast. The remnants of Gordon are giving us a good soaking. Yet my solar panels are still bringing in around 20 Watts of power. And the power draw of my lights, Internet switches, routers, etc. right now? Around 25 Watts. And that's only because I'm recharging some AA batteries right now.
So...my net usage from my deep cycle batteries right now is a whopping 5 Watts.
While we talk a lot on these forums about batteries and charging profiles and controllers, one thing that isn't mentioned a lot is this: The need to be conscious of your power usage and to conserve power whenever possible. When those AA batteries are done charging, they'll come out of the charger and the charger will be turned off, reducing my net power draw to around ZERO. When I leave the room, I'll turn off the lights, conserving even more power.
The voltage on my battery bank right now is 12.8VDC. Knowing that a week without full sun was on the way, I made sure to be extra frugal the week prior when the sun WAS blazing down on my panels. Consequently, my bank is fully charged right now. Later next week, we'll probably have to deal with Florence in one way or another. We may lose utility power just when the sump pump is needed the most!
But thanks to my Renogy solar panels/controller, a properly sized deep cycle battery bank, and some prudent planning in my power usage, I'm ready.
