Going Solar

Oct 102010

It was a beautiful weekend for October so I was able to get a lot done on the trailer this weekend. My main focus was getting as far as I could with my solar system.

I was able to get the wiring installed from the roof to basement near the batteries and mounted the solar controller. I also finished up the solar panel mounts and got them mounted on the roof. The solar panel were too heavy and bulky to lift on the roof myself so I called up B to help me lift them up on the roof.

I am now waiting on some fuses and cut off switches so I can complete the installation. The panels will provide 225 watts to recharge the batteries, that is about equal to a 10 amp battery charger. While that will not be able to supply all the power I will need in a day, it should allow me to only run the generator a couple of hours a day.

I purchased the panels and controller used last winter for $300. With everything else I had to buy (wiring, fuses, switches, connectors, hardware, etc.) I will have about $600 in the system.

I haven't taken any pictures yet as the wiring is a real mess as I wait for the rest of the equipment. Once I get everything completed I will take some pictures to show what I have done.