(ebooks) diy - home power #095 - renewable solar wind energy

8/2/2019 (eBooks) DIY - Home Power #095 - Renewable Solar Wind Energy

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USAAlternative Solar Products -CaliforniaToll Free: 800.229.7652Phone: 909.308.2366E-mail: [email protected]: www.alternativesolar.com

Atlantic Solar Products, Inc. -MarylandToll Free: 800.807.2857Phone: 410.686.2500E-mail: mail@atlant icsolar.comInternet: www.atlanticsolar.com

Dankoff Solar Products -New MexicoToll Free: 888.396.6611Phone: 505.473.3800E-mail: [email protected]: ww w.dankoffsolar.com

Effective Solar Products - LouisianaToll Free: 888.824.0090Phone: 504.537.0090E-mail: esp@eff ect ivesolar.comInternet: w ww .effectivesolar.com

Hutton Communications - GeorgiaToll Free: 877.896.2806Phone: 770.963.1380Fax: 770.963.9335E-mail: [email protected]: w ww .huttonsolar.com

Intermountain Solar Technologies -UtahToll Free: 800.671.0169Phone: 801.501.9353E-mail: [email protected]:www.intermountainwholesale.com

Polar Wire - AlaskaPhone: 907.561.5955Fax: 907.561.4233E-mail: sales@polarw ire.comInternet: www.polarwire.com

Solar Depot, Inc. - CaliforniaToll Free: 707.766.7727Phone: 800.822.4041E-mail: [email protected]: w ww .solardepot.com

Why did we choose a BP Solar electric system?


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Southwest PV Systems - TexasToll Free: 800.899.7978Phone: 281.351.0031E-mail: sw pv@southw estpv.comInternet: www.southwestpv.com

Sun Amp Power Company - ArizonaToll Free: 800.677.6527Phone: 480.922.9782E-mail: [email protected]: ww w.sunamp.com

Talmage Solar Engineering, Inc. -Solar Market - MaineToll Free: 877.785.0088Phone: 207.985.0088E-mail: [email protected]: w ww .solarmarket.com

CANADAGeneration PV, Inc. - OntarioToll Free: 800.311.4286Phone: 905.831.6111E-mail: info@generat ionpv.comInternet: ww w.generationpv.com

Soltek Powersource Ltd. - AlbertaToll Free: 888.291.9039Phone: 403.291.9039E-mail: [email protected]: w ww .spsenergy.com

Soltek Powersource Ltd. -British ColumbiaToll Free: 800.667.6527Phone: 250.544.2115E-mail: [email protected]: w ww .spsenergy.com

Soltek Powersource Ltd - OntarToll Free: 888.300.3037Phone: 705.737.1555E-mail: [email protected]: w ww .spsenergy.com

Trans-Canada Energie - QuebecToll Free: 800.661.3330Phone: 450.348.2370E-mail: rozonbatt [email protected]: www.worldbatteries.com

By generating our own clean electricity,our family is reducing air pollution while

being energy independent. And were

doing it now so that our children can

inherit a better world.When we decided to buy a solar electric system, we spent a lot of time researching.

We finally selected BP Solar their system had the high quality modules and system

components that gave us the exactly what we wanted. But we also considered

something else: the companys experience. We wanted to do business with a name

brand in the solar industry one known for quality and reliability. And since BP Solar has

been around for thirty years, we felt comfortable that theyre going to continue to be

here. After all, what good is a long warranty if the company isnt around to honor it?

For more information, visit our website:

www.bpsolar.com


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12 energyeducationScott Ely

U.S. and Mexican students join together to learn about energy and

interconnectivity.

22 solar-electric grid-tieDaren Webster

A Southern California family covers all of the electricity needs of

their suburban home with solar power.

32 what the heck?Joe Schwartz

Amp-hour meter.

34 fridge efficiencyJohn Bertrand

A solar energy user in Hawaii increases the efficiency of his familysrefrigerator.

42 hot water how toChuck Marken & Ken Olson

How to install a closed loop antifreeze solar domestic hot water

systemPart 2.

54 solar historyJohn Perlin

The silicon photovoltaic cell is 50 years old!

HP95

contents

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tyofAT&TArchives.

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Regulars

8 From Us to You

Richard Perez

A new look for Home

Power.

94 Code Corner

John Wiles

Code calculations for an

off-grid PV system.

104 Independent

Power Providers

Don Loweburg

Following the fight

against exit fees.

108 Power Politics

Michael Welch

Not WarANWR,energy bill, & FERC

admits CA gouged.

112 Word Power

Ian Woofenden

Semiconductor

114 Home & Heart

Kathleen Jarschke-

Schultze

Life on the river.

122 Wizard SpeaksThe Wiz

REasoning.

132 Ozonal Notes

Richard Perez

Meet the Home Power

crewold & new.

80 HP Subscription

Form

81 HP Business

118 Renewable

Energy

Happenings

124 Letters to

Home Power

138 Q&A

142 Micro Ads

144 Advertisers

Index

60 pool heatingTom Lane

The basics of installing a solar pool heating systemPart 2.

70 veggie fuelGary Liess

A three-car family runs entirely on straight vegetable oil.

76 REviewAJ Rossman & Joe Schwartz

The Watts Up? Pro kilowatt-hour meter.

82 guerrilla efficiencyGEOffREy

A guerrilla action saves energy and prevents a potential fire at amountain lodge in Washington State.

86 fuel alternativesShari Prange

The pros and cons of different combustion fuelsvegetable oil,

biodiesel, natural gas, propane, and alcohol.

92 what the heck?Joe Schwartz

Charge controller.

On the Cover

Scott Ely, with teachers and

students from both Boulder,

Colorado and Laguna San Ignacio,

Mexico install PV panels on the

Mexican schools roof. Photo by

Chris Leonard.


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Home Powers

New Look Home Power's original design was incredibly long-

lived. Stan Krute and I created it back in the day. Theyear was 1986. The design was tailored to the fact thatthe magazine was printed on newsprint (like a

newspaper) on newspaper presseshardly the mostaccurate printing process.

These days, Home Power is printed on veryaccurate, high speed, printing presses. Were using modern electronicprepress techniquesdigital photography, PostScript art, and higherresolution type fonts made possible by digital direct-to-plate printingtechniques.

After seventeen years, we decided it was high time to make a substantialchange to the magazines appearance. We didnt make this change lightly.Our new look is the result of many months of work by the Home Power crew.Ben and Eric,Home Powers art department, were fearless moderators duringpassionate design collaboration that went on for hours, days, and months.

A magazines design is much like the user interface of a computerprogram, or a well organized kitchen. The reader, nerd, or cook becomesaccustomed to where things are and how they work. Home Power's newdesign maintains some of the successful interface styles of the originaldesigncontinuous articles uninterrupted by advertising, and large pagenumbers and headers. It also adds some new design elements, like moretechnical sidbars.

Of course, we want to look good too. The most important motive of ourredesign is to entice, convince, and teach more people to use renewableenergy. There has never been a time when the worldand its people needed RE more than right now.

Renewable energy can make us freefree to livewhere we want, even beyond the utility lines, freeto have a clean environment, free from monthlyelectricity bills, free from power outages, and freefrom energy-induced wars. We atHome Power areon a missionwe are going to change the waypeople make and use energy. We are going tochange this world one rooftop at a time. Readthis magazinejoin us!

Richard Perez for theHome Power crew

rom us to you

HP staffPublisher Richard Perez

Publisher &Business Manager Karen Perez

Chief ExecutiveOfficer & Technical

Editor Joe Schwartz

Advertising Manager Connie Said

Marketing Director Scott Russell

Customer Service& Circulation Marika Kempa

Shannon Ryan

Managing Editor Linda Pinkham

Senior Editor & WordPower Columnist Ian Woofenden

Senior ResearchEditor & Power

Politics Columnist Michael Welch

Art Director Benjamin Root

Graphic Designer &Article Submissions

Coordinator Eric Grisen

Chief InformationOfficer Rick Germany

Data AcquisitionSpecialist AJ Rossman

Solar ThermalEditor Ken Olson

Solar ThermalTechnical Reviewers Chuck Marken

Smitty Smith

TransportationEditors Shari Prange

Mike Brown

Home & HeartColumnist Kathleen

Jarschke-Schultz

Code CornerColumnist John Wiles

Independent PowerProviders Columnist Don Loweburg

HP accessHome Power, Inc.

PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520 USA

Phone: 800-707-6585 or 541-512-0201Fax: 541-512-0343

[email protected]@homepower.com

Subscriptions, Back Issues,

& Other Products: Marika & [email protected]

Advertising: Connie [email protected]

Marketing & Resale: Scott [email protected]

Editorial Submissions: Eric [email protected]

www.homepower.com

Think About It

Even after all these years, the Sun never says to the earth, You owe me.

Look what happenswith a love like that, it lights the whole sky.

Hafiz, the Great Sufi Master

Copyright 2003 Home Power, Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproducedwithout written permission. While Home Powermagazine strives for clarity and accuracy, we assume no responsibilityor liability for the use of this information.

Legal: Home Power (ISSN 1050-2416) is published bi-monthly for $22.50 per year at PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520.International surface subscription for US$30. Periodicals postage paid at Ashland, OR, and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER send address corrections to Home Power, PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520.

Paper and Ink Data: Cover paper is Aero Gloss, a 100#, 10% recycled (postconsumer-waste), elemental chlorine-freepaper, manufactured by Sappi Fine Paper. Interior paper is Ultra LWC Glossy, a 45#, 100% postconsumer-waste, totallychlorine-free paper, manufactured by Leipa, an environmentally responsible mill based in Schwedt, Germany. Printedusing low VOC vegetable-based inks. Printed by St. Croix Press, Inc., New Richmond, WI.


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Rpowr RP2000Reserve Power System

Rpowr 2500GTGrid-Tie System

543 N th t E St G t P O 97526 800 GO SOLAR tfitt

ETL listed products built by us to your specifications or components

to build your own system, shipped ready to assemble.

Were expecting your call.Dealer inquiries welcome.

RE professionals demand flexibility

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Rpowr Power Center PC8000(Battery Based, Grid-Tie Capable)

Rpowr Power Center PC4024(Battery Based, Grid-Tie Capable)


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IndependentAstroPower is the only major US-based PV manufacturer not controlled by a

large multi-national corporation involved in oil & gas or nuclear power.

CleanYou know solar energy reduces air pollution and global warming. But did you

know that AstroPower uses ten times less energy to manufacture solar cells?

We use silicon wafers recycled from the semiconductor industry.

FocusedThe most dedicated and capable people in the industry work for AstroPower,

dedicated to a single goalmaking solar energy more affordable while

maintaining the highest quality standards. They take pride in the company

because they own a part of it.

When selecting a PV supplier, consider not only the products,

but also the company behind the products.

Make your choice count, choose AstroPower.

Call 1-877-566-2797 for information.

www.astropower.com

Made in the USA

AP-30

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(ebooks) diy - home power #095 - renewable solar wind energy

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