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First place I would go to is solar installers. They sometimes have used stuff they replaced under warranty. The panels still work, just not up to spec.
Just start stealing those cheap solar lights from peoples yards,if you get enough of them wired together it would be bound to generate some amount of juice.
Solar panels can vary widely with usage.
Do you want to put this on your bike?
Are you looking to convert your whole house to solar?
If you are looking for outdoor use i would reccomend thin film solar panels. They have made leaps and bounds in the last few years and are a great option.
For any need i might start here:
http://store.altenergystore.com/Solar-Panels/c541/
check out the flexible/rollable panels
I want the panels for the RV. I really don't want to burn gas just to have electricity. But i'm seeing if there is a short term cost efficient way too.
Thanks for the links! I'll be reading for a while!
for short-term OR long-term electricity,
another option is a diesel generator converted to waste-vegetable oil (wvo). this is the famous french-fry oil method of taking fastfood rest's oil, filtering extensively, then burning it in a converted deisel.
if you cant get the filtering system in-place, either on-board or not, you can buy pre-filtered oil from places.
I'm wondering if they sell "idling-control" kits for RV's and whatnot.
When I was driving the truck, the Freightliners and Volvo's that were usually issued to me had "Optimal-Idle".
This worked by keeping the engine running until battery power was sufficient/cab-temperature was comfy, then shut down.
The engine would fire back up when battery power began to run low/cab temperature got too hot or cold.
harbor frieight has kits'
http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=solar+panels&Submit=Go
Make Magazine has an article in the current issue on making panels,
also has this link,
http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol12/?pg=175&search=solar+panels&u1=texterity&cookies=1
There's also this link on making some,
http://www.siliconsolar.com/Build-Your-Own-Solar-Panel-Kits-p-16188.html
Going with a diesel generator and biodiesel is a nice option and probably cheaper.
But the panels will pay for themselves quickly, and the equipment needed to filter veg-oil is not cheap.
But before you get into all this you have to get a ballpark figure of how many amp hours you use per day so that you can figure out what kind of setup will work best for you.
They have ready made kits that you can buy online. They start at about 500 bucks. Not sure how much you were looking to spend, but this seems to be the best route.
Let me know if you need help. I used to do 12V work on boats so I can lend you a hand.
kyber -
But the panels will pay for themselves quickly, and the equipment needed to filter veg-oil is not cheap.
Me -
The filter is not cheap? Mr. Biodiesel Man just uses a metal colander. This certainly can't be that expensive?
BTW, there's biodiesel co-ops all around the LA area. This co-op is for people that don't want to make the crap, they just want to use it. If there isn't one in SM, there's one in Torrance. The cost per gallon is about the same as regular diesel. It's not 100% biodiesel, it's like 99% biodiesel. They do that so that they can qualify for subsides. That's our government for you!
WHO SAID THEY WERE LYING? MAN THE TOTAL PROCESS, TAKES SEVERAL DAYS TO FILTER PROPERLY, THEY DO, AND I HAVE SEEN THE PROCESS PERFORMED, OVER THERE BY THE "PARTY HOUSE" THAT FUNDERSTORM PERFORMED AT. ALSO THERE ARE SOME STEPS LEFT OUT FOR BOTH MEDIA, AND COPYRIGHT ISSUES, COME ON USER1, WAKE UP!
THE TOTAL PROCESS DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF THE OIL AND IT CAN TAKE A DAY OR LESS TO PREPARE THE BIODIESEL. I KNOW A GIRL THAT BURNS IT AFTER JUST FILTERING IT! SHE STARTS THE CAR ON REG DIESEL THEN SWITCHES OVER. THESE GUYS ARE MIXING DIFFERENT QUALITIES OF OIL TOGETHER, EXTRA STEPS. NOT SURE WHAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO WITH, "ALSO THERE ARE SOME STEPS LEFT OUT FOR BOTH MEDIA, AND COPYRIGHT ISSUES." EDDIE TRY JOINING A USER GROUP ON BIODIESEL AND SEE WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. COME ON EDDIE, WAKE UP!
AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IT'S ACCURATE IN PART 1 0F 2.
Would you be kind enough to turn your caps lock off. It makes it very difficult to read what you are writing and in the Internet world, writing in capital letters means you are 'screaming'. I'm sure you aren't meaning to scream when you write on these boards. Hell, i don't think i've ever seen you scream at any of the rides we've been on together.
whats unique about the RV-biodiesel situation is the fact that you may use the wvo for your engine fuel AND your generator fuel. richie's engine is not diesel, so kyber's argument for accounting for the filtering equip is a good one. if the engine and generator both run on the oil, its a valid argument to purchase the filtering equip and rock out.
http://bus.getdave.com/
this is an inspirational project that uses on-board filtering for the wvo diesel engine. he overlooked using it for a generator though.
USER 1 - what biodiesel user-groups are you into/ recommend?
EDDIE - DO YOU PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, TO THE CRANK MOB, OF THE UNITED STATES OF F.U.N.? COME TO SEE FUNDERSTORM THIS SATURDAY!
Wouldn't it just make more sense to install the solar array and just let it do all the work for you?
No need to hit the pumps.
I think richie was looking for a system that generated electricity in the passive sense (solar). Rather than having to turn over the engine. No matter what it may be burning.
Bio-diesel is still feasible, I was just trying to stay on topic since richie said solar. I assumed that meant he was looking for a solar solution and not something else.
I love the idea that Richie's RV has such a big area to accommodate lots of solar panels on his roof. You'd think that that should offset the need for at least the non-engine needs of the RV.
Blame it on SKIDMARCUS, he's the one that said the B word!
It would be interesting to see where the brake point is between the two. I'm sure someone in the RV world has done the math. Speaking of which, I thought this was a bike forum?
Depending on the amount of juice he uses per day, there is a good chance that he won't have to use the engine power to charge his batteries once the solar panels are in. It really depends on the size of the array and how much power he uses in an average day.
Man i don't get this amp hour thing. This site says this:
"The formula for computing amp hours is the number of hours multiplied by the number of amps used per hour. For example, one light uses 1.5 amps x 6 hours = 9.0 amps per hour, and your television uses 1.4 amps x 3 hours = 4.2 amps per hour."
So, if a light uses 1.5 amps (how did they figure THIS out??) and i use it for 6 hours, then it comes out to 9.0 amps per hour?? PER HOUR? or is this how many amp hours i need to be able to handle? This is confusing but i feel like their word usage is to blame. Does it make sense to anyone else?
I really want to do solar so i don't have to burn anything. Less money and time spent on things (i think) I'm going to be replacing all the interior lights with LEDs, which should rock out with their cocks out.
MY CAPS LOCK IS OFF NOW, THANKS GUYZ, FOR THE ADVICE, SEE YOU GUYZ AT THE "FUNDERSTORM SHIT. YA, HELL YA, I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT NOW I CAN EFFECTIVELY READ MY WRITING, OR SHOULD I SAY "TYPING"????
missing. Amp-hours is most commonly a calculation of capacity and usage in the 12 volt DC battery world. In the 110 Volt AC world, they speak of Watt-Hours, AND I oversimplify, because you will see solar panels rated in Watts.... how to simplify: A 10 Amp-hour 12 volt battery can supply 10 Amps for 1 hour, 5 Amps for 2 hours, 20 Amps for 1/2 hour. Watts = Amps times Volts so that 10 Amp-hour capacity is 10 Amp-hours times 12 Volts = 120 Watt-hours capacity.
Batteries work for low Watt-hour applications, in the 100s of Watt Hours. Stuff like 12 volt lighting, cigarette lighter plug inverters, some camera batt rechargers, etc. Solar can recharge batteries but there is math to do to see if it is enough.
Heavy loads (air conditioning, refirgerator) need an engine to put out the 1000s of Watts. Getting 2000 Watts would take 10 solar panels at $900 each and they probably won't fit.
Gak, this is messy stuff. The good news is cameras, computers, LEDs use very low Wattage so perhaps an inverter off your battery can run your low power stuff...
Hey OverTheHill! Thanks for sharing all your electronics knowledge, Richie will find it quite useful. You should come to the box for a free haircut, anytime after 7p, any day this week except Tuesday or Thursday.
laihg;oiwaheg.....I posted something back at the begining of this thread, but it never showed up, I'm canceling my MR subscription.
A few years ago my friend converted a city bus to biodiesel and had done some research into supplemental solar power for the rest of the rig. His findings were similar to Borfo's, steal the solar panels from the emergency phone poles alongside the freeway. (you know, the yellow boxes)
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Ridazz Roulette!
Solar panels can vary widely with usage.
Depending on the amount of juice he uses per day, there is a good chance that he won't have to use the engine power to charge his batteries once the solar panels are in. It really depends on the size of the array and how much power he uses in an average day.
There's a bunch of solar panels on S. Fair Oaks Ave. for speed meters that are never on.