[VAC] Re: Solar

["jim clark" <jec1938@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think you can think of solar as a way to charge batteries.... The first
step in the process is having enough battery and a big enough inverter to
make the desired AC for the length of time you want to have it available...
TV and Video player is a small requirement .... Electric irons, toasters ,
coffee pots is a larger inverter but a shorter length of time.... Hot water
heaters, (electric) airconditioners and electric furnaces/heaters are not
practical in a trailer or home ( by battery)

Once you figure out how much AC you need, you can get enough battery and
inverter to supply....

Now you need some way to charge the batteries to replace the amp hours you
used in the inverter and the 12 volt appliances.... Solar, generator, plug
in to park shore power... your choice....If you chose to have some solar but
not enough to replace the complete drain, you just have to get back to shore
power at some point , but not as quickly as you would have if you didn't
have any solar...

Solar is a nice way to go if you have a lot of money... or have the correct
attitude to control the use of power ( live within the capacity)... or to
just keep the battery topped off during the off season.... The 3Kw Eu Honda
(quiet model) is $1500.00 today and will run just about everything just not
all at the same time....The 1Kw is $650 (mayberry's.com) and will defiinetly
run all the entertainment ..and night or day....of course if you don't want
to run any genny at night... use an inverter and run the gen in the day time
to recharge the battery....All those choices...

Solar properly installed is usually pretty reliable....but when a panel
fails it's just as dead as a generator that won't start...and all those
batteries are a pain ...If an internal short develops in one of your golf
cart batteries, you will definetly know about it.......

I know there are parks where you can't run a generator and I put batteries
and inverter in the truck to take care of that situation, so far I have a
couple of grand invested in Heart interface,(Inverter/charger) Optima
batteries and miscellaneous that I have never used .... but o-boy am I ready
if they won't let me start the gen and I can't plug in... but for how
long??? I don't really know... dumb huh...

Have fun...

Jim