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 Post subject: New guy needs your suggestions (wind, solar+battery bank)
PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 7:06 pm GMT EthGMT 
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Fish Eggs
Fish Eggs

Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:34 pm GMT EthGMT
Posts: 3
Location: San Antonio, Texas USA
Hi,, this is my first time posting, I'm pretty new to this solar and wind, I will make it short, 1st, My Battery bank is 2964 Amp-Hour,12 volt system, I got 245 watt PV (3X15 watt panels = 45 watt) from Harbor freight plus 2X100 watt homemade panels made from old windows and broken cells from ebay, and a homemade wind turbine made from 2 back to back Ametek 38 volt motors, on a 34 feet homemade tilt tower, our wind here in San Antonio, Texas is about 7 MPH in a normal day turbine will generate about 6 -12 volts (amp is yet unknown)My battery bank is connected to 3000 watt inverter, that I have 1 computer + fax machine (100 watts ) which is on 10 hours a day, and a small TV, 40 watt, is on about 4 hours a day.
My wind turbine is connected direct to battery bank, PV’s are connected with a Xantrex C60 charge controller to the bank. I have diodes in positive lines of PV’s and wind turbine.
Now my problem, Looks like it that I don’t have enough charging power for everyday use. What am I doing wrong?
These last couple of days I'm charging the battery bank with 50 amp battery charger, to keep them all charged.
All suggestions are welcome
I got pictures too if would help
Thanks in advance


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 Post subject: Re: New guy needs your suggestions (wind, solar+battery bank)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:41 pm GMT EthGMT 
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Guppy
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:24 am GMT EthGMT
Posts: 284
Location: Los Angeles
You are charging with about 1000W for the day
Sources
Solar derate hours
245 0.8 196 6 1176


you are consuming about 2000 watts for the day
Loads
TV
40 4 160

PC/Fax
100 10 1000

inverter
100 10 1000


Right, you are not generating enough. You have not taken into consideration the reduced efficiencies of PV not in a laboratory (like the EPA mileage est.), or the losses of your inverter. There are other losses, like battery charging losses, charge controller losses, wire losses, and the likelihood that your homebuilt PV is not actually putting out 100W per panel.
When you get an amp meter, and can get real measurements from all your PV and wind, I think this is where you will find the shortage

_________________
"Since the dawn of time it has been mankind's dream to blot out the sun"
Montgomery Burns


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 Post subject: Re: New guy needs your suggestions (wind, solar+battery bank)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:54 pm GMT EthGMT 
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Fish Eggs
Fish Eggs

Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:34 pm GMT EthGMT
Posts: 3
Location: San Antonio, Texas USA
Mike thanks your are right about not generating enough.
I was thinking to get a windblue DC 540 from winbluepower.com and put it up instead of the ametek turbine, do you think that will help?
btw since I don't have enough charge I'm using a 6 amp charger to keep my battery bank alive.


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 Post subject: Re: New guy needs your suggestions (wind, solar+battery bank)
PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:22 pm GMT EstGMT 
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Guppy
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:24 am GMT EthGMT
Posts: 284
Location: Los Angeles
savingourplanet wrote:
My Battery bank is 2964 Amp-Hour,12 volt system,


Another problem is your battery bank, it's pretty big. For that large of a bank, you need to have (according to the "rule of thumb" ) about 5% Capacity, for your charger, placing your charger at about 150 Amps. While that may seem high, it's needed during the Equalize Cycle, to provide enough current to properly "stir" or "bubble" mix your battery electrolyte.

There is also the chance you mis-stated your battery capacity, as "2964 Amp-Hour" is an awfully LARGE battery bank. Do your batteries have a "20 hr" capacity rating ? Do you have brand / model #/website for them ?

I also suspect you could use a sketch/ explanation about wiring all those batteries together, in a manner that will not damage them serially, and shorten the life of your battery bank.

Here's a great writeup on how to properly wire your battery bank (diagonally)
http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html
it explains why, and has several diagrams too.

Good luck.

_________________
"Since the dawn of time it has been mankind's dream to blot out the sun"
Montgomery Burns


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 Post subject: Re: New guy needs your suggestions (wind, solar+battery bank)
PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:48 pm GMT EstGMT 
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Fish Eggs
Fish Eggs

Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:34 pm GMT EthGMT
Posts: 3
Location: San Antonio, Texas USA
here is my battery bank, I have 20 batteries of 114AH each
http://www.interstatebatteries.com/cs_eStore/Products/RT/PID-31-ECL(Commercial).aspx?dsNavigation=Ntk~SearchGroup|31/-ecl|3|,Ny~True,Ntpc~Disabled,Aro~48,Ns~Capacity|101|0|
and 3 batties of 228 AH each
http://www.interstatebatteries.com/cs_eStore/Products/RT/PID-31-ECL(Commercial).aspx?dsNavigation=Ntk~SearchGroup|31/-ecl|3|,Ny~True,Ntpc~Disabled,Aro~48,Ns~Capacity|101|0|
all connected in parallel
Image


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