(no subject)

[sraun]

As of about 2:15pm CST today, I have a functional solar power and battery backup installation!

Just in time for 6-11" of snow.

Pictures available here (on Facebook).

Comments

[dreamshark]

That is really cool! Do you have any energy in your batteries? Doesn't the sun have to come out occasionally to make that work?

[quadong]

Interesting question. I'd guess that even when it's cloudy, they'd produce some power, but I don't have any clear idea of the efficiencies in the system. Like, I don't know what wavelengths of light are harvested more efficiently, or how that squares with what wavelengths clouds block. Or if below some light level you spend more electricity powering the system than you get back from it.

I bet the Internet can answer this one. Maybe I'll look.

[quadong]

Internet is unanimous that solar panels produce significant power even when it is cloudy.

[sraun]

Very little to speak of. They got a little bit of charge yesterday afternoon. I'll be trying to clean off some of the snow over lunch today so they can charge some more.

[litalex]

I'm green with envy. ;-)

Seriously, thank you for helping the environment. Now for the remaining 300 million+ Americans...

[netmouse]

That’s awesome!

People often ask me if I’m saving money in the long run with the cost of our solar power. I tell them, “I’m just trying to save Manhattan.”

[stickmaker]

Could be worse. I first read that as 6' 11" of snow. :-)

[jennlk]

Kewl.

We were this close to getting a full offset system installed, and then J discovered that the salescritter was saying things that weren't correct about the system as installed.

So we scaled back, and then he decided that he'd rather buy his own bits and install them himself (with help) for far less than we were quoted. That's for next spring, probably May.

Our snow has all melted, and now it's raining. 1.5" in the last 12 hours, and still dripping a bit.