Solar power and/or wind power anyone?

[Rrog]

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PV/DougEnphase/DougEnphase.htm

This guy bought panels, which is obviously an option and the cost of these are dropping as well. He's using a very low cost mount system. Cool, but I'm no welder. Now there's a company that has simple galvanized fittings that you can use with standard galv pipe. Like 2" or such. Lowers the cost for us non-welders.

 

[djwimbo]

I know a welder that's of like mind and interests.

 

[Rrog]

And so it spreads...

 

[slumdog80]

I am all in for helping/learning this when it comes together.

I think this is a viable skill to learn before the zombie apocalypse. You did say you know how to make AK's too, right?

 

[djwimbo]

... now that I'm thinkin about it, that 4.6kW panel, wouldn't cover the draw from his flowering room

lolz

his elec bill is redonkulous.

 

[djwimbo]

I am all in for helping/learning this when it comes together.

I think this is a viable skill to learn before the zombie apocalypse. You did say you know how to make AK's too, right?

Make? no.

Know how to assemble, yes.

knowledge is power, fists are temporary solutions.

 

[Rrog]

I don't know about AK's, I only read a story about classes where guys get together and assemble from kits. Point being there was an organized group of people assembling something. I'm suggesting that concept be used for solar panel making.

Djwimbo- The cool thing is you could add a row like that a year. I'm looking at three rows or more at some point.

 

[slumdog80]

I was joking on that part Rrog.

 

[abe supercro]

I'd make my ak out of marzipan so I could eat it if rations were low and things got rough.

 

[slumdog80]

I had to google marzipan but, edible AK's could win you a Nobel Peace Prize unfortunately. Or at least Time Man of the Year.

 

[st0wandgrow]

I was talking to a friend of mine today that has being doing some research in to this and has a pretty good idea. He's saying that the commercial solar cells break fairly frequently and there are now companies that sell these damaged cells for pennies on the dollar. I did a little googling and came across a few interesting articles. This could save some money if it's viable.

http://www.mnn.com/your-home/remodeling-design/stories/diy-solar-panels-with-damaged-solar-cells

 

[Rrog]

You can absolutely use broken cells. Even broken they produce the juice. Pretty neat. If you want quality (binned) cells, you have to buy them in volume, and the broken ones might (maybe) be harder to get your hands on.

6" x 6" cells are $1. You use 60 per panel. Broken cells and you're looking at maybe $10 worth of cells per panel? Big savings.

 

[st0wandgrow]

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xdamaged+solar+cells&_nkw=damaged+solar+cells&_sacat=0&_from=R40

 

[Rrog]

That's $20 a panel. 1/3 the cost!

 

[Rrog]

http://solar.hollaender.com/?page=groundmountsolar

If you want to collect a lotta $$ per month, as I am planning, then check out some of these ground panels in the above link. Even with panels you buy already made, the payback is still under 8 years. With 50 lifespan. No moving parts. I'll be going this route I think. Buying panels vs making panels might add 1 year to the payback. People would build the racks with pipe and the simple fittings above. Like this guy: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PV/DougEnphase/DougEnphase.htm



Here's his actual bill to construct. The panels are now $3000 LESS. That system would produce just under $1000 of juice a year, at $0.15 a kWh.

 

[djwimbo]

http://solar.hollaender.com/?page=groundmountsolar

If you want to collect a lotta $$ per month, as I am planning, then check out some of these ground panels in the above link. Even with panels you buy already made, the payback is still under 8 years. With 50 lifespan. No moving parts. I'll be going this route I think. Buying panels vs making panels might add 1 year to the payback. People would build the racks with pipe and the simple fittings above. Like this guy: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PV/DougEnphase/DougEnphase.htm

View attachment 2770448

Here's his actual bill to construct. The panels are now $3000 LESS. That system would produce just under $1000 of juice a year, at $0.15 a kWh.

So, can you take that $3K and put a shipping container under ground, under the "ground mount" aka cover for the bunker underground.

 

[Rrog]

There's all sortsa cools things you could do with $3k. We could have a kick ass party

 

[CashCrops]

Best bet is to save and move to Brazil like that prepper did (Forgot which episode) pretty much sunny year round and you could grow whatever you wanted!

I have looked into solar panels and wind. Solar panels, knowledgeable people seem to have a biased toward one type or the other whether it's [FONT=Open Sans, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Poly-crystalline[/FONT] silicon (multicrystalline, multi-silicon, ribbon) or [FONT=Open Sans, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Mono-crystalline silicon (mono-silicon or single silicon) found [/FONT]here[FONT=Open Sans, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] I leaned toward Mono as they seamed to be more efficient and in the end of it all that was my goal. Home depot actually carries a decent brand plus you can put them on a card and make payments if you don't have all the cash up front. You can also make your own large scale deep cycle battery, there's not a ton of info out there unless you like math! Found [/FONT]this[FONT=Open Sans, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] I have made a small size battery from thin steel plates which had low voltage but kept a charge.[/FONT]

 

[Rrog]

Hey CC! Nice to see you.

Mono crystal is cheaper per watt produced. More efficient, as you say.

 

[CashCrops]

You to Rrog, I decided to visit for a minute

I have plans to eventually move up north or out of the US all together and I want to run wind and solar. I have spent the last 5 years at least looking at the options. There are some good wind products, some I found in the UP on peoples property were vertical and they were spinning at warp speed. I wasn't able to talk to the owners but they look like they could produce some nice amperage.