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re: wind and sun resources
30 dec 1997
michael pelletier wrote:
>in article <688lcd$br@ufo.ee.vill.edu>, wrote:
>>david hatunen wrote:
>>
>>>...trying to use random and varied rooftops for solar generation would
>>>involve interconnections and interfaces that would cost more than the
>>>solar units themeselves.
>>
>>i disagree. it seems to me that a grid-tie-only interface needn't cost
>>much more than a lamp dimmer, say $10 for 500 watts, and it seems to me
>>that flat roofs would be easy--some sort of simple open a-frame structure
>>with a couple of sandbags to keep it from blowing off the roof, and an
>>outdoor extension cord that plugs into an indoor wall outlet.
what it "needs" to cost is not the issue, what it actually *does* cost is.
what' you're referring to so blithely as not needing to cost more than
a lamp dimmer is called an "inverter", and converts the dc voltage from
the solar panel into a close approximation of 120v alternating current
that is mostly compatible with the electric grid.
according to , inverters range from
250w at $300 us to over 8,000 watts at about $6,000 us. even the
cheapo 150w cigarette lighter inverter that you can order from harbor
freight to watch tv in your car, costs $50, and forget about using
that in a grid-intertie system. i've also seen panel-mounted inverters
that are sized to fit the $500, 120w panels they mount to, and those
are a good $400-$500.
and that's just the inverter -- you'd need a series of safety equipment
so that your voltage doesn't cook a lineman who's expecting power to
be flowing from upstream only, among other things.
bullshit.
nicholson l. pine system design and consulting
pine associates, ltd. (610) 489-0545
821 collegeville road fax: (610) 489-7057
collegeville, pa 19426 email: nick@ece.vill.eedeeyou
computer simulation and modeling. high performance, low cost, solar heating and
cogeneration system design. bsee, msee. senior member, ieee. registered us
patent agent. solar closet paper: http://leia.ursinus.edu/~physics/solar.html
web site: http://www.ece.vill.edu/~nick
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