45 Watt Solar array - found a deal

[pearbear]

Returning for my third burn this year and stepping up (ever so slightly) solar panel system. We've typically used all solar string lights in camp at night, but we wanted to beef up the lighting and also have the ability to recharge portables.

A good deal ($159 versus $249 regular) on a 45 watt solar panel kit (roughly 3' x 3') that includes a charge controller, mounting frame, and a pair of 12v LED utility lights. http://www.harborfreight.com/45-watt-so ... 90599.html

I'm posting to my playa friends because the deal is screwy on their website, but I called them and was able to get the full discount. ie. searches show the sale price, but not when you buy.

Call in your order 1-800-423-2567. Insist that when you try to buy the item online the price jumps to regular price. I didn't have any trouble, they were happy to sell the kit at the sale price. You'll also need to factor in your sales tax and 13.99 shipping.

If you're like me and wanting to go solar on the playa but can't afford a big system, this is a great start--at least I hope so. You'll need a deep cycle battery. You'll also need an inverter if you plan to run anything at 120v, but know that inverters are only 80% efficient, meaning you'll need more power-in to equal less power-out to your 120v items.

See you all soon!!!

[i]pear bear[/i]

[kman]

I purchased one myself just last week. Supposed to arrive some time this week.

Some things to note:

1) The $160 sale price is online ONLY. Walk into the store, and they're "on sale" (for real, check the flyers!) for $250. Ugh. Fortunately, shipping is amazingly cheap, as you noted (even considering the box is freaking huge), so online is still a much better deal. Retarded, but there you go. I didn't have any issues at all ordering mine for the sale price last week.

2) It comes with a charge controller, but I've read quite a few less-than-kind reports about it's quality. I'm torn between crossing my fingers that it lasts a mere week on the playa, and investing in a better one as a just in case backup (decent low end ones can be had for $25-30, although that won't give a lot of headroom for future panel additions). I'll definitely use the one it comes with at first, though, since it has a few nice features, and it's all rigged up to power the 12v lights it comes with and such, too. Very nice.

3) The frame isn't very good, but is definitely better than nothing. Upgrades can be put off until next year, unless time and opportunity come together before the end of August.

4) The 45w kit is actually 3 completely separate 15w panels that they've wired together. If you wanted, you could split things off or rearrange as desired. Something to consider. The panels themselves seem to garner some pretty decent reviews, on the net. The charge controller is the main weak link in this package.

5) Costco has what appear to be pretty nice deep cycle marine batteries (115 amp hour) for $68.99 (+$9 "core fee"). Not bad!

Cheaper (and perhaps better) kits can be assembled yourself if you know what you're doing, but for the beginner, this is a pretty nice all-in-one package to get you going without any special know-how.

[pearbear]

Great advice about the Costco battery! I'm in the market. I'm weary of any piece of equipment that I rely-on but only have one-of out on the playa, so good note about the controller. I guess I'll be researching a cheap controller backup for this next. Shine on!

[oneeyeddick]

My Harbor Freight ad has it for $149.00, with the coupon of course.

BTW, one of thier policies is that if they sell it for cheaper than you bought it in a certain time frame(30 days?), you get the difference back.

Register yourself online, and you will get some fine reading material on a weekly basis.

[FIGJAM]

45watt panel. Are those ratings based on output for an entire day, or constant?

[kman]

45watt panel. Are those ratings based on output for an entire day, or constant?

Not constant, necessarily, but max. Only in perfect sunny conditions (and with a clean panel) do you get full output. But yes, the output is constant, given good conditions. 45w of power over the course of a full day would be absurd and pointless. (let alone the smaller panels, like a 5w panel)

The good news is the harbor freight panels may even be slightly under-rated in terms of output, judging by some of the feedback I've read (both on the HF site and some solar forums I've perused).

[pearbear]

@figjam

For the time of year in black rock desert I calculated the recharge rate of my battery based on 'perfect conditions' and assuming these panels meet their rating. Using one of these arrays (45-watts output) would recharge your battery at approximately 16.5 Amphours per day. This means if I need to use less than that on an average day or I will not be able to fully recharge. however I'm buying a large deep cycle battery 105+Ah and as long as I stay above 50% full by the end of the week, I'm golden.

All in all, we're talking very little power here really. LED lights and low usage of anything else. I will not be powering a sound system from this... well, not every day.

[FIGJAM]

Ive got two 92ah AGM and one 55ah gell. My lights and cooler wont use much power, but my trike with electric assist and a load was 15.5amps according to my amp meter. I think that means I can go 3 hours to 50% battery on the trike, no peddleing, more if I do. So Ill have to recharge every couple of days. This is all new to me so please tell me if Im wrong.

[Just_Joe]

A little more info to add to the mix....

I bought one of the harbor freight kits this Spring. They have an outlet here in Carson City which makes it sooo easy to buy their stuff. The controller failed after a couple days. They replaced it and the replacement has worked fine. One nice thing abut the controller is that it's got a bunch of outputs of various voltages- even a USB output. In full sun, the 3 panels provide 2.4 amps of juice. 8? hours x 2.4 amps = ~20 amps.

Then I went to ebay and for about $300, bought a single 110 watt panel and separate (better) controller. The 110 watt panel does 6.4 amps.
8 x 6.4 = ~51 amps.

The three 15 watt HF panels are appox the same surface area as the 110 watter. The difference is that the HF stuff is "thin film" and the ebay panel is a more efficient "polycrystalline" panel. Most commercial/resi panels are poly. The other type of panel is monocrystalline which I believe is even more efficient, but output is reduced to almost nothing if the panel encounters any shade at all.

The 110 watt panel is mounted on the roof of my RV and provided ample juice for 5 days of dry camping at a local music fest last weekend.

The HF kit is sitting in my garage, as part of my "I'll give/loan you all of this stuff, and transport gear from Reno for you and help you build shit in exchange for an early entry" package.

I was looking at the battery charge output from my honda eu100i genny the other day and saw that it provides 8 amps- not a heck of a lot more than the sun is giving me now (and a lot quieter)

[Captain Goddammit]

No one uses the battery charge terminals on a Honda genny! You just plug a real battery charger into the 120VAC output.

Harbor Freight is a great place to buy some decent things at a good price - but you have to be very careful because they sell a lot of absolute shit, too.

[Just_Joe]

No one uses the battery charge terminals on a Honda genny!

I'll buy that. I sure haven't used the 12 volt connection- I plug my battery charger in, just like Chuck Norris does. I just went out to my garage and see see that my charger is 10 amps.

$175 for 2.4 amps of harbor freight goodness
$300 for 6.4 amps from ebay solar special
$800 for 10 amps from honda generator/separate battery charger The honda definitely has some downside- (moving parts, noise, fuel), but it *does* allow me to make coffee in the morning and heat up my wax for afternoon Brazilian sessions.

Oh, to the others posters, I was just reading about Amp hours of batteries. In deep cycle, the amps are supposed to be divided by 20 hours. So a 100Ah battery can supply 5 amps for 20 hours. From what I can tell, drawing more than 5 amps reduces total hours. ie. a 10 amp draw will last LESS than the 10 hours you would expect.

[xhoosier]

but based on the price I think I may be better buying ice each day?

[oneeyeddick]

No one uses the battery charge terminals on a Honda genny!

I use it all the time on my RV, there is a regular charger under my hood also, but that one is more amps=not needed.
I think you just don't like the little clips ?

[Clar-i-ty]

My Harbor Freight ad has it for $149.00, with the coupon of course.

BTW, one of thier policies is that if they sell it for cheaper than you bought it in a certain time frame(30 days?), you get the difference back.

Register yourself online, and you will get some fine reading material on a weekly basis.

Love Harbor Freight! Definitely my Playa Prep HQ. That and the Elks Club Annual Bazaar. Oh the finds I've gotten there!

[gyre]

Oh, to the others posters, I was just reading about Amp hours of batteries. In deep cycle, the amps are supposed to be divided by 20 hours. So a 100Ah battery can supply 5 amps for 20 hours. From what I can tell, drawing more than 5 amps reduces total hours. ie. a 10 amp draw will last LESS than the 10 hours you would expect.

Batteries are rated with a graph and a curve.
Drawing more usually shortens total amp hours.

[oscillator]

Deep cycle batteries are usually rated @ C/20 (current discharged over 20 hours), so don't count on a 100aH battery providing 100 amps in a single hour. Charge rates are usually C/8 or C/10.

I've found that the playa heat impacts battery performance to some extent, but don't have any numbers to back up that claim - YMMV.

Also, get a voltmeter and monitor the voltage - you don't want to discharge the battery fully (10VDC), that will shorten its lifespan, or outright kill the unit if it is small aH.

Here is a good info resource: http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm

I've used those HF panels in the playa on a 12VDC 55aH Optima Blue top - figure about +0.3 VDC charge in 2 hours time under direct sun.

FWIW, don't know if size/space is a consideration for you, but the HF panels are 12.40" x 36.42" each = 36"x36".

You can buy a more efficient Kyocera 50w with a 25"x25" footprint, approx 1/3 less footprint, but they are US$100 more.

\osc

[gyre]

Is your blue optima a deep cycle or cranking?


Typically lead batteries are more active in heat and perform more effectively, but usually self discharge faster too.

There are charts for this too.

[kman]

Is your blue optima a deep cycle or cranking?


Typically lead batteries are more active in heat and perform more effectively, but usually self discharge faster too.

There are charts for this too.

The blue top optimas are [usually] AGM deep cycle (there's one relatively rare exception). Great batteries, I just wish they were more affordable. Costco carries them, but they're pricey even there.

The yellow tops are deep cycle, too. http://www.optimabatteries.com/home.php

[gyre]

Blue is the marine version.
Both types are made in blue.

Strangely, often cheaper than the other versions.