# how many panels



## TexasArtist (May 4, 2003)

How many panels and what size would I need to charge 29 batteries. I've been looking at a house that has their well on solar panels but the house the have the batteries set up but they don't have th epanels yet. They charge them with a diesel genny. I have no idea why. What should I look at when I go to look at this house?
Also are these wind gennies any good
http://www.pacwind.net/


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## no1cowboy (May 2, 2004)

One panel will slowly charge them, What you need to ask your self is how fast do you want to be able to charge them, what are your power needs? the more panels you have the quicker you can recharge your batteries so you need to know how much power your going to use on average and get as many panels that will be needed to replenish the power used.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

What is the voltage that the system is wired for?
Whats the amp hour rating and voltage of each battery?


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

It isn't a question of "how many panels", the question is how much power per day on an annual basis do you need? And what is your site like, how good is the solar exposure, and just where are you located? Your questions are sort of like saying you need a car, and you ask what car you should get, and how will it perform--when we don't know what you will use it for, where and how it will be operated, etc.

And EVERY vertical axis wind generator I have ever seen was not practical--they still need to be 100 feet or more up in the air to get access to good strong steady wind. In my opinion, companies like "Pacwind" are scammers, selling an impractical product to folks that don't know enough about that kind of product to make good decisions--they even fooled Jay Leno.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Pacwind has one thing going for it . . .a very slick and glitzy web site.

They seem to have vaporware for product.

ed bagley will tout anything . . .as long as he is properly compensated ($$$$)

Foolish place to drop your bucks..............


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i just checked out that pacwind site. i have no idea of what or why this is a bad idea, but i did see one element i liked. i like how the stator (i guess that is correct) seems to be mounted on the pole. this would eliminate the tangled cable we have had discussions on in the past. that leads me to wonder how much of a loss would occur if one used a gear to change the rotory motion from horizontal to vertical on a more standard type of wind gen?


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

The large Jacobs units use this idea, and the gearbox means it needs annual oil changes and a bit more maintenance than a direct drive horizontal unit. I don't know of any other reputable companies doing that, but Jacobs is a quality unit.
http://www.windturbine.net/


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## krondor2 (May 28, 2007)

ok, why are vertical axis wind generators bad? would like to know.


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

Vertical axis wind generators, like all other types, need to be up in the steady, non-terbulent air, above trees, buildings, etc. This means 60 to 120 feet up, or more, and most vertical axis machines aren't designed to be put on towers or other means of getting them up in the air. Also, many of the designs have some kind of mechanism that changes the pitch of the blades as they travel around in a circle, adding to the complexity. Even the few designs that actually worked, weren't practical because they is no practical economic method of getting them up in the wind. If someone tells you that isn't necessary, that it is plenty windy near the ground, they haven't paid enough attention to what the wind actually is doing to be believable.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

TexasArtist said:


> How many panels and what size would I need to charge 29 batteries. [/url]


The answer is power in and power out. How much power do you need to charge the batteries. 29 batteries mean nothing, what type, age, size, capacity, charge rate. How long does it take/day to charge with the generator.

One your have your load then you need to march that with your generating capacity, How much sunlight do you average each day. Then you can figure out the panel capacity needed.


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## krondor2 (May 28, 2007)

thanks WisJim. looking at the pictures on pacwind, i see their wind gen. mounted on the side of buildings.


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