# Lovin the solar!!!



## YoungOne (Aug 22, 2006)

Just thought I'd say YEA in a public place, the wife is getting tired of hearing it. The panels were finished in early febuary and as usual with project the first 10 days was a bust with clouds, rain, and snow. Since then it has been on and off but I havn't run the generator in almost 3 weeks and did my last equalize with just solar. Prior to that I didn't even know that the batteries realy did boil, had to call the solar shop and make sure I wasn't about to blow up my system. 

I still have 4 panels in a stationary position because of a busted mount and lose light on them by 3pm but the system still works great.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Great! Where's the pictures?


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

Are you entirely off grid? How will you handle the full summer heat without a/c in Arizona?


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## YoungOne (Aug 22, 2006)

Pictures???? I quess I should put up some pics. Of course that involved taking them. LOL, I'll see what I can do.

Yes I am entirely off grid!!!AMEN!!! A/C is a convenience and I am limiting those. On the up side I am living in Northern AZ and the Highs are normaly high 90's. Living in the desert the nights still drop to high 60's so by leaving the windows cracked at night and shut in the day the warmest the house gets is about 80. We learned all this last summer.


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## YoungOne (Aug 22, 2006)

OK, got wife to take phone pic, sent to me, emailed back at myself uploaded, blah blah blah, ain't technology grand.

Anyways these are the two pole mounts have set up. Both are mounted on 4" pipe with home-made sattelite dish trackers. The one in the front needs a new motor but works by hand (ie. the pole leaning against the ladder) and the second has a busted mount so it is strapped and stationary till I fix it.


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## mondakkid (Oct 17, 2006)

Hi Youngone....I found your post interesting and likewise your pictures. I am not sure where in Northern Az you are at....but I am I also getting ready to build. I have my few acres now, hope to start builing this fall. I got a few lots near Dolan Springs and two city lots in Chloride. It would be interesting to get a group going in that part of Az and be able to learn from each other. Do you know of any workshops/expo's where solar, wind, and other alt. energy is on display for the public to learn about in Az this year? 
Wish you luck on your project.


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## YoungOne (Aug 22, 2006)

In the summer/fall Apache/Navaho counties do an alternative energy show. I've heard it's pretty cool. For some great ideas and articles go to www.redrok.com


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## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

The area over buy Dolan Springs and Chloride are a lot dryer and much lower, maybe 4000-4500 feet lower, and therefore much warmer. I think it was about ten years ago, maybe a little less, Dolan Springs got piped water to the lots. Before that everyone hauled water in 200 or so gallon tanks. If you have water, small spring and fall gardens could do OK. It can be difficult country to live in.

I think there is a solar fair in Fenix every year, but probably aimed towards low desert city and suburban dwellers.

Your new location is night and day difference compared to where you are now.


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## YoungOne (Aug 22, 2006)

When I googled Dolan Springs I saw where your lookin and ouch. As far as alternative energy you'll get plenty of sun but the Sacramento Valley water situation has been well documented (google Sacamento Valley Water). There isn't much water available and what there is people will fight over, literaly. If you got a lot with water provided take advantage of it and bury a LARGE tank (just my opinion).

Plenty of sun. PLENTY of sun! 
I'm on the other side of the state around St. Johns


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

'It'll never Work' 

BooBoo

Seriously thats very nice! Rock on YoungOne! :bow::bow:

Tell us the system specs......


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## YoungOne (Aug 22, 2006)

8 Mitsubishi 125W Panels tied in two 48V arays
8 Trojan L16 6V Batteries tied in 24V
Outback MX60 MPPT Charge Controller
Outback VFX2534 3500W Inverter/Charger

Love it!


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

YoungOne said:


> 8 Mitsubishi 125W Panels tied in two 48V arays
> 8 Trojan L16 6V Batteries tied in 24V
> Outback MX60 MPPT Charge Controller
> Outback VFX2534 3500W Inverter/Charger
> ...


Beautiful System!
:bow: :bow: :bow:


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## gimpy (Sep 18, 2007)

Have you done a cost analysis over the life of the panels? When we built 10 years ago solar was more expensive over the ten year plan, but they've become more durable and more efficient since then. It was also right before Y2K then and prices of self sufficiency things had tripled


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## YoungOne (Aug 22, 2006)

although we did a cost eficiency sheet it wouldn't have mattered to us. To get power drug out to us was quoted at 87K!!!


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

Just talking to BIL tonight about his solar,he says he still thinks its a super bargain.Had it 10 years now and its working as good as ever.


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## WisJim (Jan 14, 2004)

Some of ours (old Arco M51s) are around 25 years old, no problems, look like they could last another 25 years. They had a 10 year warranty, I think. The newer ones have a 20 or 25 year warranty, and I am told that the companies warranty them for half the life that they expect from them. Our oldest ones paid for themselves right away, as we were off grid and they were purchased to power a 12 volt Sunfrost refrigerator which replaced a propane Servel, so the solar system replaced a propane system, quick payback even at the prices of PVs (high) and LP (low) back then.

Of course, we don't know if they will have a usable life like our 1940s vintage Jacobs wind generator!


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## mondakkid (Oct 17, 2006)

Hi Exporer.....In this part of Az water is everything. You mentioned Fenix as energy expo site...I googled Fenix and nothing came up. Is this a county, town or city in Az? 
The town of Chloride has a water system and I will have water at my two lots in town. I plan on saving all the rain water that I can and will have as much storage space that I can afford for rain water and greywater. I will be going down for a few weeks the first part of April and am looking forward to start the building process. It sure is a lot different there than in NW North Dakota and E Montana.


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## YoungOne (Aug 22, 2006)

Fenix is a misspell (probly intentional, unless you live there, chances are you don't like it)
Phoenix, AZ 
4th or 5th largest city in America and smack dab in the middle of one of the hottest states. Also our capital. The Phoenix "metro" area is non-stop city from Tonapah (W) to Gold Canyon (E) Anthem (N) The south line is a little distorted since it stops cold at the reservation border but starts right back up on the other side.


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## mondakkid (Oct 17, 2006)

Hi YoungOne....Thanks for the info on the site that you gave. I found it very interesting. Sure is a lot of stuff there. I will keep looking on the site and others for info about Expo's, shows, workshops, etc. for people that are interested in green building, alt. energy like solar, etc., that are in the Southwest. mondakkid


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## mondakkid (Oct 17, 2006)

Hi YoungOne...Thanks for the correction....I can not imagine anyone living in the Phoenix area..soo many people. Water...Water....where will all the water come from for all these people. I look at all the waste....it seems all the houses in that area have swimming pools. 
I will check and see if I can find anything on Green Building and/or Energy Expo in the Phoenix area for this spring, might have to wait until fall. Good to hear from you..mondakkid


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## YoungOne (Aug 22, 2006)

Phoenix (metro) is in a unique position with water. We have plenty. Or so we are told. The valley's water supply is largly from an aluvial Aquifer that fiolls the entire valley. OF COURSE we are using it up faster than it is being replaced but ALMOST ALL general citizens know nothing of this. During the summer water demands cannot be met by Wells alone and water from the CAP (Central Arizona Project) Canal is used. Harquahala Valley (about 1/2 hour past Tonapah heading west) is HUGE farming area mostly owned or rented by Dole at this point but tons of produce come out of there. Recent actions have had farmers selling the rights to the groundwater (as stored water) and pulling water off the canals, many abandon the pumps altogether. What I am leading up to is the fact that if the CAP went down for an extended period during the summer, IMO, people would start evacuating the cities pretty quick. The CAP gets water from Parker Damn (Lake Havasu) by electric pumps. 

Canal runs about 2K cfs / 899K gpm / 1.5 Million Acre feet per year
It truly is a man made river at 336 miles in length


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

One way you can help cool your house is to plant vines on the sunny sides of the house. We did that one summer and our house stayed 10 degrees cooler inside even with the canner running most of the day.

We used morning glories and scarlet climbing beans so it was nice to look at too.


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## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

YoungOne said:


> Fenix is a misspell (probly intentional, unless you live there, chances are you don't like it)
> Phoenix, AZ
> 4th or 5th largest city in America and smack dab in the middle of one of the hottest states. Also our capital. The Phoenix "metro" area is non-stop city from Tonapah (W) to Gold Canyon (E) Anthem (N) The south line is a little distorted since it stops cold at the reservation border but starts right back up on the other side.


Sorry Mondak, YO is correct. Fenix is what I use when writing to my family. Since my little stroke about ten days ago I don't see to well and missed these posts. What I was referring to is a home expo held in Fenix (Phoenix) every summer at the Convention Center. Solar has become a big part of this expo.


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## mondakkid (Oct 17, 2006)

Hi Explorer....No problem...I should of caught it anyway. That southwest country is very interesting. A lot of history there. You do take care of your self..and take each day as you can. Just keep a positive attitude. I need to watch my spelling also...sure do miss spellcheck when I write letters. mondak


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## greg273 (Aug 5, 2003)

CJ said:


> Are you entirely off grid? How will you handle the full summer heat without a/c in Arizona?


 Evaporative cooling would work great in such an area! If you have access to enough water...


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## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

mondakkid said:


> Hi Explorer....No problem...I should of caught it anyway. That southwest country is very interesting. A lot of history there. You do take care of your self..and take each day as you can. Just keep a positive attitude. I need to watch my spelling also...sure do miss spellcheck when I write letters. mondak


Thanks for the kind thoughts. I do hope you like the climate. I moved south about 50 years ago from the Knife River area where it flows into the Missouri.


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