Solar Panels

Started by Hoofer, June 16, 2017, 04:45:47 PM

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Hoofer

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/solar/specsheet/n325330-spec-sheet.pdf

Tell me what you think of these, and if there is some thing better.   I am considering adding a solar well pump, and running the water through a condenser for Air Conditioning.
All animals are created equal; Some just take longer to cook.   Survival is keeping an eye on those around you...

Solar

Yep, Panasonic makes a quality monocrystal cell and I've never heard anyone ever complain about the panels once.
Though price may be an issue, they tend to be a bit pricey.
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Hoofer

Quote from: Solar on June 16, 2017, 05:39:30 PM
Yep, Panasonic makes a quality monocrystal cell and I've never heard anyone ever complain about the panels once.
Though price may be an issue, they tend to be a bit pricey.

about a Buck a Watt.   That's pretty tempting.

I want to add a solar powered submersible pump to my well, when the sun is shining and it's hot, it'll feed my water-cooled AC... and dump into a duck pond.
All animals are created equal; Some just take longer to cook.   Survival is keeping an eye on those around you...

Solar

#3
Quote from: Hoofer on June 18, 2017, 05:35:50 PM
about a Buck a Watt.   That's pretty tempting.

I want to add a solar powered submersible pump to my well, when the sun is shining and it's hot, it'll feed my water-cooled AC... and dump into a duck pond.
Solar pumps are one of those weird applications you can get away with the shittiest panel on the market.
I'd buy a cheap amorphous cell, not that solid black or brown spray on crap, but actual individual cells, each one has the appearance of a sugar crystal experiment in elementary, where the shop teacher sliced wafers off the main crystal.
You'll save half the money, so you can double the amount of panels, split four leaning somewhat East, the other four kind West catching all day sun, saves you money on a tracker that only lasts 10 years.
Depending on the pump, like the Lorentz, a pump I've had great luck with, will require twice, to as many as eight or more times the panels depending on head lift, but I guarantee you'll get more than enough water.

I think you can find several Lorentz youtube videos, impressive pump.

If you have a really shallow well, I'd suggest a really cheap way to pump, a solar pool transfer pump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPNMSKeyk7M

If you go with the worm screw/helical rotor deep well pump, be sure and keep the controller as cool as possible, they don't like the heat, shortens their life by years.
This pump will last for decades without service if you have good water.

http://www.pvsolarpumps.com/lorentz-pumps.html
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Solar,  very familiar with Lorenz, we replaced a pair of pool pumps in an apartment complex with them, back in the mid-1980s.
Lightning strike ... unmistakable smell when I walked into the pump room.  the chlorine smell was replaced with burnt smell.

Lots of plastic parts, but.... actually worked better than the cast iron & bronze unit we pulled out.

My well is about 120' deep, with a 60-70' water column, 6" diameter well casing, we're "getting by" with a 1/2hp pump.
When we had a 3/4hp pump we could fill stock tanks and take a shower at the same time.
Also have an 86 gallon pressure tank (I'd like to add a second one, isolate them with a check valve - so the animals can draw down the first tank when the power goes out, and we still have enough time to fill a pitcher or two with water, flush a toiler.

One positive, in the midst of a several month drought, we didn't run dry, even while we were running 2 farm style sprinklers (they would do a 150' circle with ease).   We had the only green pasture for miles....!   The year before we had a month of drought, so I trenched in a couple of hydrants - they did the trick.

OK - I'd like to put in 2 pumps, the main pump at the bottom of the well, say 120' and a secondary solar powered pump at 90-100'.   I am concerned about pumping the well dry with 2 pumps.  Secondary pump would pump water through the AC condenser (water cooled, instead of air cooled), and preheat domestic hot water.  As a backup system, we'd switch from an electric to gas water heater.

The only time the secondary pump would get use, summer, when Air Conditioning is practically a *must* in the south.

I like your idea of stationary panels, I have plenty of Schokey diodes I can use for blocking when a panel isn't producing.

Another option - since I already have a 48vdc battery bank, that gives me 2 options, DC pumps, or inverter powered off the battery bank(s).  It could also serve as a backup power source.  Nice to have options.
All animals are created equal; Some just take longer to cook.   Survival is keeping an eye on those around you...

Solar

Quote from: Hoofer on June 19, 2017, 04:51:43 PM
Solar,  very familiar with Lorenz, we replaced a pair of pool pumps in an apartment complex with them, back in the mid-1980s.
Lightning strike ... unmistakable smell when I walked into the pump room.  the chlorine smell was replaced with burnt smell.

Lots of plastic parts, but.... actually worked better than the cast iron & bronze unit we pulled out.

My well is about 120' deep, with a 60-70' water column, 6" diameter well casing, we're "getting by" with a 1/2hp pump.
When we had a 3/4hp pump we could fill stock tanks and take a shower at the same time.
Also have an 86 gallon pressure tank (I'd like to add a second one, isolate them with a check valve - so the animals can draw down the first tank when the power goes out, and we still have enough time to fill a pitcher or two with water, flush a toiler.

One positive, in the midst of a several month drought, we didn't run dry, even while we were running 2 farm style sprinklers (they would do a 150' circle with ease).   We had the only green pasture for miles....!   The year before we had a month of drought, so I trenched in a couple of hydrants - they did the trick.

OK - I'd like to put in 2 pumps, the main pump at the bottom of the well, say 120' and a secondary solar powered pump at 90-100'.   I am concerned about pumping the well dry with 2 pumps.  Secondary pump would pump water through the AC condenser (water cooled, instead of air cooled), and preheat domestic hot water.  As a backup system, we'd switch from an electric to gas water heater.

The only time the secondary pump would get use, summer, when Air Conditioning is practically a *must* in the south.

I like your idea of stationary panels, I have plenty of Schokey diodes I can use for blocking when a panel isn't producing.

Another option - since I already have a 48vdc battery bank, that gives me 2 options, DC pumps, or inverter powered off the battery bank(s).  It could also serve as a backup power source.  Nice to have options.
Been awhile since I dealt with them, but the last I remember, the pump runs between 76 VAC, to 136 VAC, the controller is an AC inverter, three phase on some.
I'd suggest a separate 5000-gallon holding tank for just the solar pump and use that water for your cooling, and let it return to the tank or even well or stock pond, and hook up a 12 Vdc house pump for power backup.
I have a Grundfos, on demand pump for the house and a 12 Vdc pressure pump 3.5 GPM) inline in the event my inverter ever takes a crap.
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Quote from: Solar on June 19, 2017, 05:43:00 PM
Been awhile since I dealt with them, but the last I remember, the pump runs between 76 VAC, to 136 VAC, the controller is an AC inverter, three phase on some.
I'd suggest a separate 5000-gallon holding tank for just the solar pump and use that water for your cooling, and let it return to the tank or even well or stock pond, and hook up a 12 Vdc house pump for power backup.
I have a Grundfos, on demand pump for the house and a 12 Vdc pressure pump 3.5 GPM) inline in the event my inverter ever takes a crap.

I'm going to start another thread, if that's ok, this is quite a subject.


All animals are created equal; Some just take longer to cook.   Survival is keeping an eye on those around you...