$7 Panel Update
Why not cover a carport with $7 solar panels?
Aftermath
We take a look at post-hurricane emergency power after Hurricane Sally.
Torque
I recently had to burrow into the entrails of my new 21 year old truck’s…
I Don’t Know What It Is, But I LIKE It!
Every now and then you need to tidy up a bit. I’m bad about that…
Don’t Be a Post Hurricane Statistic
It makes me mad to see that people die after the storm. You buy a…
Fun Fact
This was in the morning newsletter from the American Solar Energy Society. “A household rooftop…
Still Looking…and Finding
When adding an upgrade to your solar power system, consider what other components may need…
Take A Look Around.
Don't be afraid to look around and borrow ideas from the other guy's system!
Put an End to Snap, Crackle and Pop
Have you connected a battery, a charge controller or an inverter and had rapidly charging…
Deconstructing a Solar Power System
A widow has asked me to dismantle her 4 year old 10kw PV system. It…
Look West Update
I have been observing the performance differences of my west wall array and my conventional…
What’s with these $7 Solar Panels?
Have you seen the $7 solar modules on the Sun Electronics web site? They are…
Scoundrels and Scalawags
There are good deals. There are bad deals. There are scoundrels who will try to…
Look to the West
The rule is that solar panels have to face the south. Some of us break…
What’s a Combiner Box and What Do I Want to Look For in Mine?
It is a weather-tight box that combines the outputs of a number of solar panels…
What Do Cemeteries and Solar Arrays Have in Common?
A Cultural Resources Management (CRM) firm recently had a question about an old water-powered mill…
Thar She Blows!
Fuses offer cheap circuit protection, but there are some precautions you may need to take.…
That Time of the Month
You know, the time when you do your preventive maintenance. Unless you have sealed AGM,…
Zero Export Grid Tie
They keep changing the rules on grid tie. Avoid dual meters, special fees and changing…
What’s a DIN Rail?
And why would I want one? No, DIN does not equate to a cacophony. It…
It’s Raining
And Tropical Storm Cristobal is on the way. It looks to be heading to Louisiana,…
Danger, 10,000 Volts!
Ok, you know I like to talk about safety, often based on experience, so here…
My Latest Power Bill Came
In it was a handout touting the cooperative’s dedication to service to its members. The…
It’s Always Something!
Last week, during my morning coffee and internet infusion, I read of a very large…
Size Matters
Reassessing capacity. I read online solar news journals every morning while the coffee soaks in.…
Basic Skills
Let’s build some cables I told you the other day I had reached the limits…
Why Can’t I Tell Sea Stories?
John tells of the glories of swimming with the fish in Miami’s bays. Then he…
I Finally Overdid It
What happens when you outgrow your solar power system? Plan ahead for upgrades.
Innovations
They are now making solar modules with power output in excess of 500 watts! Wow,…
Chasing Phantoms
I chased one and it wasn’t what I thought it would be. A big part…
Time to Change the Battery
Sooner or later, you gotta do it, whether it is the clock, the smoke detector…
Spares
Spare, extra or redundant, call it what you like, chances are you are going to…
New Projects at the Solar Shed
I wrote the material below quite a while back and it somehow fell through the…
Feeling “Isolated”?
We have some new buzzwords in our vocabulary and a new normal. Self-isolating and social…
Plan For More. We Always Want More
The homes of my grandparents were special places when I was a kid. Bro and…
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn…There’s Another One at My Place
Did you ever read, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn?” I can’t remember if I ever…
A Hot Time Tonight, Hotter This Afternoon.
It has been in the 80s here for a week. When the nights were still…
Way Down Upon the Suwanee River
My brother and I drove across Florida from Pensacola to Lake City on business. It…
Tie Me Solar Down, Mon
I don’t watch much TV, beyond the network evening news. I was in the kitchen…
Why Me?
Kris Kristofferson had a big hit with a song on that theme. Instead of moaning…
Will Has A Question, Part 4
You might thought I have forgotten poor ol’ Will. No, I have been busy and…
New Products to Watch
Going through this morning’s online solar newsletters, I saw some new products that are on…
One Bad Apple…or Battery
You know the old saying about one bad apple causing the whole basket full of…
Solar Rescue update
Stan called and he was happy. His old 12v system, pictured above, is really getting…
Solar Rescue Mission
Stan-the-Hermit Needs Help I knew there was trouble as soon as I saw the Caller-ID.…
Will Has a Question, Part 3 1/2
Here is an interesting battery for Will. Yes, it HAS been a while since the…
Save Money on Electricity…Buy the Power Company
If you have your own solar power system, you literally own the power company. Heck,…
Will Has A Question, Part 3
Will needs a big solar power system for his big house. We figure he has…
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
I’d have done this a little differently. Take a good look at the photo. These…
Buy Plenty of Wire
And connectors, and terminals and adapters and... Just a quick tip coming from experience. I…