We're Solar!

We did it!  Mike from Green Earth Energy brought in an awesome crew, and the job was done by noon today, a full day before I expected everything to be complete.  They were top-notch; very knowledgeable, friendly, efficient, clean, and just a good crew all around.

Gloria and I spent the afternoon turning things on and off, and plugging things in, to see the numbers on the charge controller go up and down. In this picture, you can see that we're pulling in about 2.3kW from our 2.8kW panels, or almost full power.

I learned today that our batteries have three modes of charge- bulk (super charging), absorptive (charging, but not too much, because they're close to full), and float (just maintenance charging). It'll be fun to watch the charger to really learn how the batteries respond based on their voltage and the strength of the sun.

We ran a couple of loads of laundry today, dryer included, and discovered that sunny days can really charge our batteries back up quickly.  (We also rediscovered that a standard household dryer uses ten times as much juice as almost any other gadget we have in Camp.  The inverter jumped from about 0.46 kW with the washer running to 6.5 kW with the dryer running.)  The inverter can handle just about any load we can throw at it; our water pump, dishwasher, and dryer didn't even make it blink.  Typically, we just have a couple of lights on or a computer charging, so we usually draw less than 500 Watts of power unless we're actively doing something that requires electricity.

I've also added a few more photos of the installation to our Flikr photostream. I'm looking forward to seeing how the system performs over time, and whether we decide to add another line of batteries, or some more panels, in the future.  I'll keep you posted!

Water, Sun, and Fire

This weekend is full of excitement.

I got our second check valve installed downstream of the water pump yesterday, and the water held fine last night.  What a relief!  A plan is in the works for a new pumphouse; once we can get that completed, I'll take the first check valve out and see what the problem is.  (As it stands, the check valve is behind the pump and very difficult to access.)

The solar installation team is in Camp for the weekend.  They built the battery box and installed the inverter yesterday, and (if all goes well) they'll install the panels and wiring today.  Hopefully yesterday's sun returns soon!  We were a little worried about the peak of the dining room roof shading the panels (which will be over the kitchen) in the afternoon, but when we looked at it yesterday, the peak doesn't get in the way until at least 5:00.  At 5:00 around here, the sun isn't strong enough to provide meaningful power anyway, so we're in the clear.

We also have our usual crew of handy men coming in today to start a few little projects in the cabins and a good family friend in with his bushwhacker and chainsaw to help do a little post-winter maintenance.  All in all, we have a crew of about ten guys in this weekend helping us gear up for 2011, so what better time to do another small but meaningful project- enjoying a nice bonfire to finally get rid of the rest of the debris from rebuilding the lodge?  I know a lot of our guests will enjoy not seeing that this year.

In my final news this morning, I saw a nice-sized black bear on my way to town yesterday afternoon.  Unfortunately, he was barreling across the road, so I wasn't able to get a picture. I did get a picture of the sunset, though.

This-n-that, and our first guests of the season!

It's official- the 2011 season has begun.  As our first guests of the summer, we welcomed back some great folks who have stayed with us a couple of times.  It's almost hard to believe that this will be our third year up here after taking over from my dad, but in a way, it's almost hard to believe that it's only our third year, as well.  As always, there's nowhere else on this earth I'd rather be, even when things are hectic (and gray) like they are now.

We got our generator re-installed and our water pumping, but we've got an issue with (what I think is) our check valve that should keep the water from flowing back into the well.  It's just not doing its job, so I'm having Gloria bring in a second one tomorrow, which I'll install between the pump and the well.  (The current check valve sits between the pump and the water tower, all the way in the back of the very small pump house, and it's pretty hard to get to.)  With any luck, that will solve our problem, and we'll once again be able to hold water in the tank overnight.

Otherwise, our water system seems to have weathered the winter fine.  I've fixed a couple of small leaks here and there but haven't seen any big problems.  Once I get a little time this weekend, I'm going to trade out four of the last five water heaters in the cabins for tankless versions- that'll be pretty exciting.  (Sometimes I'm reminded just how much of a geek I really am.)

My final piece of news is that the solar installation begins tomorrow and will last through Monday- that'll also be pretty exciting!  Here are our batteries awaiting their new home.  (These things are substantial.  Depending on whose literature you look at, each one weighs just about as much as I do.)

Solar Update

Our solar project has officially begun.  Sixteen batteries were delivered today, and the drawings for panel placement, wiring, the battery box and inverter, and all the rest of it were prepared.  Much to my dad's chagrin, the panels will go on the main roof of the lodge since it has the best exposure and structural support.  The 12 SOLON Black panels will take up the majority of the roof over the kitchen.  (At 235W each, the panels will supply just over 2.8kW of energy to the battery bank; kind of like a 2.8kW generator running for 4-8 hours each day.)

We were initially worried that the peak of the dining room roof would shade the panels too much in the afternoon, but a closer inspection indicates that only one of the panels will be partially shaded by the peak for about an hour before the sun sets behind the ridge anyway.  Perfect!

The installation is scheduled to begin next Friday and last four days or so; in a little over a week, we'll be solar-powered!  (I will, of course, post pictures during the installation.)

Generator Update (6 Days to Go!)

After a couple days of research, I think we've narrowed the list of potential new generators down to three contenders: the Kohler 14RES, Briggs and Stratton 15kW, and Cummins Onan RS13A.  They're all pretty comparable in terms of energy output, noise level, and price, so we've enlisted the help of Green Earth Energy (who is also installing our solar power system) to help us come to a decision.  GEE has installed quite a few LP generators as part of solar power systems over the years, so I'm confident they'll be able to point us in the right direction.

For my part, I'm still leaning toward the Kohler; the 14RES was recently re-worked and now comes with a non-corrosive housing as well as a limited warranty for off-grid situations (which was not the case with their older models).

I've been asked why we're looking at such a big generator now that we have the solar and battery system in the works.  The answer lies in how we intend to use it.  Since large electric devices (specifically the washer and dryer) will drain the batteries pretty quickly, we plan to get all of our washing, etc, out of the way while we're letting the generator top off the batteries.  Even though we'll only run the generator sporadically, it'll have a pretty large load on it each time we do: 8-12kW based on some quick calculations.  At the very least, we don't want to get a generator smaller than 8kW since that's what the inverter is sized to handle.  For most brands, the next step up from 8 is the 12-15 range.

Six more days until we're back in the real world!

Power Woes

The day after we got the good news about the solar power system, we got some frustrating news about the generator.  It seems that the parts to service the generator just aren't available.  To have them made will run us just shy of $5,000, before the labor to then service the generator with the new parts.

That put a damper on my day.

Woods folks are never wont to be bummed out for long, though, and we always have a backup plan floating in our minds somewhere.  I've started looking into the possibility of purchasing one of the newer generators on the market, which would run us approximately the same price as the parts for the old generator.  Since we're installing the solar/battery system and will no longer need the generator for 6-8 hours a day, this is the perfect time to switch to a generator that runs cleaner and more quietly and also produces cleaner power.

I'm looking into the Kohler line of generators, but if anyone out there knows of another, please tell me.  We only have a few days to make a big, big decision.  The current diesel generator produces 13.5kW of power; Kohler's line runs anywhere from 8.5kW up to 30kW.  They're sold as backup generators, meaning they switch on if the power goes out, but I've also seen them listed on several solar power sites as good off-grid options.  My big question will be whether we can turn it on and off without using the automatic switch, since we use less power than a typical residence and neither need nor want it supplied continuously every time the power goes out.

The other question will be the warranty and longevity of the system.  The reviews are good; Kohler is apparently easy to work with, but they also only cover the systems in a backup situation, not off-grid.  Their 12kW generator costs approximately $3,500; if it lasts for 10 years, it's more than paid for itself, just based on the price of parts for the Lister engine we currently use.

There are other benefits to purchasing a new generator, as well.  They're very quiet; the Kohler 12RES is rated at 65dB at 7m, or just louder than a vacuum cleaner.  Can you imagine??  The Kohler also runs on propane, rather than diesel.  Propane burns cleaner and doesn't have the same long-term storage issues that diesel does, and it would make us a one-fuel camp.

Beyond that, though, I'm not an electrical engineer, and it takes me a while to run through all of the calculations regarding voltage, amperage, charging, and instantaneous power that flood the generator discussions on the solar forums I've found online.  My guess is that any modern generator will provide as good, if not better, charging power than the old Lister, so it really comes back down to longevity.

What a day.

Solar Power Update

We received our first grant installment from Efficiency Maine yesterday!  Hooray!  We'll receive two more payments after this: one at 80% completion and the other upon final inspection.

The system components have been ordered, and we're planning for an initial site visit during the first week or two of May to make final decisions regarding placement, mounting, etc.  As long as everything arrives from the manufacturer in good order, we'll begin the installation a few days after that.  The installation should only take a couple of days, so it looks like we're on track to begin producing power before our first guests arrive...  As long as the weather cooperates.  (I heard that Northern Maine got some more snow yesterday.  We'll just have to wait and see how badly the weather affects our plans, if it does at all.)

Solar Project and Other Updates

With three weeks to go before we head back into the woods, the solar project is officially off the ground.  Efficiency Maine is processing our paperwork, and we hope to receive the first grant payment within the next few weeks.  We sent our deposit to Green Earth Energy to get the components ordered, and I purchased our new SunFrost refrigerator yesterday.  I'm not sure how long the solar components will take to ship, but we don't expect to receive the fridge until mid-May at least.  (They're individually manufactured in California, from what I understand, and typically take about 6 weeks to ship.)

If all goes as planned, we'll be able to install everything before our first guests arrive this spring.  That will give us time to troubleshoot anything that goes wrong, and it'll also let us start to figure out the system's quirks.  (I know full well that there will be some.)

In other news, our first t-shirt design is in production and should arrive in Maine this week:

These will be red ink on red and heather gray short sleeved shirts and natural long sleeve shirts.  I have two other designs in the works as well, but we're holding off on those for another couple of weeks to see how this one turns out first.  (This is the first shirt I've designed since my freshman year of high school when I was in a marine science summer program down at UNH and the Isles of Shoals...)  Once they arrive, I'll get some pictures; I've only seen mockups myself, so it'll be a surprise for everyone!

Solar Power, Part III

We're just about to get the components ordered for the solar power system, and I've had a lot of questions about what we're getting, how big it is, etc.  Here's the scoop:

We'll have 12 panels, which weigh in at 230 Watts each, for a 2.8kW system.  Each panel is a little over 3'x5', so our entire system will be somewhere around 12'x15' in area.  Since we have no grid to tie to, the panels will feed a bank of 16 batteries that we'll store down in the back room.  We'll also be able to charge the batteries from the generator on those not-so-sunny days.

Cost-wise, the project is pretty much split between three major items: the panels (roughly $9,000), the inverter (roughly $4,500) and the batteries (roughly $5,500).  Everything else is a minor cost in comparison to those three.  The project certainly won't pay itself back in the first couple of years, but it'll save us money in the long run, especially as diesel prices continue to climb.  The other thing it will save, though, is the generator noise; I think I'm more excited about that than anything.

On a side note, I may be away from the blog for a couple of days; I'm attending the Environment Virginia conference down at VMI for the better part of this week, and I don't know what the internet situation is at the B&B where we're staying.

Getting the Solar Project Started

Looks like it's about time to really start focusing on the solar power system for Red River.  We received the 48-page contract today, which we have to sign in triplicate and send back to the Efficiency Maine folks.  After that, we'll receive the first grant installment, and we can get the project rolling!

Seems like I've said this a lot over the past two and a half years, but wow- this really is happening.

Solar Power, Part I

We use a 13.5 kW diesel generator for our electricity needs at Camp.  It's loud, fairly dirty, and sometimes inconvenient, but it gets the job done.  I've always wanted, however, to reduce our dependence on it (without resorting to washing the sheets against a rock in the pond or making 10 loaves of bread dough by hand).

Last summer, we applied for two grants, one from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the other from Efficiency Maine, to install a solar power and battery system. We didn't get the USDA grant ($5,000), but we did win an Efficiency Maine grant to the tune of $15,000, and we're currently designing the system that we'll install in May.

We're working with Green Earth Energy up in Fort Kent to do the design and installation.  The system will consist of 12 solar photovoltaic panels (the standard blue ones), a good-size inverter/charger, and 16 batteries that we'll keep down in the back room in the lodge.  When Camp is operating full-tilt (which means doing lots of laundry, pumping lots of water, etc), we'll still need to run the generator for an hour, maybe two, per day.  When we're not at full capacity, we expect to go a few days without needing the generator.  That's all based on calculations, some engineering judgment, and some flat-out guesses, though, so we'll see how it all ends up working. 

Once we get closer to putting in the order for the components, I'll post more about the project.  When May rolls around and we start installing everything, I'll definitely post more about the project.

Until then, here's a picture of our fancy new generator: