Archive for January, 2010
Power Rangers: Solar Streak Mystic Megazord
The Solar Streak Megazord includes five train cars with lights and sounds. Combine the cars to form a magnificent Megazord figure, or configure them separately to create a train. Requires 2 “AAA” batteries (not included). Figure measures 14″ tall.
What do I look for in a solar powered battery charger for a 12 volt RV battery? Size, Amp? or watts?
I have a camper with a 12 volt deep cycle battery to operate lights. I am confused as to solar battery chargers. What type do I need to keep my battery charged while in use? Do I need certain amount of amps or volts or size of solar panel? Any recommendations as to brand?
You can find what you are looking for from Northern Tool and Equipment.
There web site is Northern Tool.com
Solar Power Gadgets
http://go.tagjag.com/solio – http://twitter.com/chrispirillo – Aside from communicating with the opposite sex, what is a Geek’s greatest fear? I’d have to say it would be the fear of losing power! We are always worried about our batteries dying just when we need them most! Due to this, I spent a bit of my own money to buy a Solio Universal Solar Hybrid Charger. That’s right… it can charge from the Sun!! It also has a proprietary cable (ARGH!) that you can use, as well, in case you happen to live where the Sun never shines. http://chris.pirillo.com
Duration : 0:5:13
Casio WV300DA-7A Wave Ceptor Square Solar Power Casual Watch
Silver Wave Ceptor Watch with Digital Dial Code and Metal Band. Using Atomic Timekeeping technology to automatically adjust their time setting for maximum accuracy. Square face design in a Digital Timekeeping format. Includes Tough Solar Power and Power Save mode when the watch is not in use. Atomic Timekeeping. Receives time calibration radio signals which keep the displayed time accurate. Auto receive function (6 times per day). Manual receive function. Signal: WWVB, Frequency: 60kHz. Tough Solar Power. Water Resistant. EL Backlight with Afterglow. World Time. 29 time zones (48 cities), city code display, daylight saving on/off. 4 Daily Alarms and 1 Snooze Alarm. Countdown Timer. Measuring unit: 1/10 second. Countdown range: 1 minute to 60 minutes. 1/100 second stopwatch. Measuring capacity: 59′59.99. Measuring modes: Elapsed time, split time, 1st-2nd place times. Hourly Time Signal. Auto Calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099). 12/24 Hour Formats. Accuracy: +/-15 seconds per month (with no signal calibration). Storage Battery CTL1616. Power Saving Function. Battery Power Indicator. Approx. battery life: 8 months on full charge (without further exposure to light). Module 3023.
Mr. ‘A’ creates a cost effective ‘Solar Power’ battery for mobile phones and give this technique to the Mr. ‘B?
sells this final product to Mr. ‘C’ for supply in the market. Identify which of the following role is being performed by Mr. A, Mr. B and Mr. C in the above mentioned scenario.
1. Entrepreneur 2. Inventor 3. Intrapreneur 4. Vendor
5.Entrepreneurship 6. Seller 7. Manufacturer 8. Buyer
Ok, lets start with Mr C as this will……………………… Hey! I’m not doing your homework!!!
How to Install Solar Panels : Battery Banks for Solar Energy
The battery bank gets the needed voltage to individual inverters. Learn about the battery bank for solar power from a professional in this free energy conservation video.
Expert: Roger Bacon
Bio: Roger Bacon is the owner of RGB Home Repair and Renovation in Santa Barbara California. He has experience in all phases of home repair and renovations such as plumbing, heating and solar power.
Filmmaker: Diana Bacon
Duration : 0:1:57
Solar Power Technologies on Hold
Two solar power technologies exist, the passive and the active technology. The passive technology are the photocell panels or the photovoltaic film that receives sunlight and generates electricity more apt for a space station or a home. The active technology is a solar thermal that uses a dish to concentrate sunlight that produces steam, which in turn powers a turbine that generates electricity. Another active technology, which is not being promoted, hidden form public view, is using the Stirling Engine to move a power generator.
The passive technology is ready to go, and there are a few homes that have already installed the system. This system is totally clean, backed by the USDOE Solar American Initiative, it requires sufficient space on the roof to position the panels or film, and uses an inverter to turn direct current into alternate current homes can use. The Utility companies have also developed the Net Metering system to buy electricity on their terms, from homes that have generate a surplus of electricity. The new federal tax law “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008″ effective January 2009 provides a 30% tax credit of the cost of a solar system. Some States are also providing large incentives to install solar systems, although with the current economic crisis these paybacks can be curtailed or delayed. The rest of the payback has to come from real savings generated over time by the system from the Utility company. This passive solar system is expensive as of today, and payback is obtained in 8 years of savings. Photovoltaic film or photocell panels are low efficiency and voltage, and compare badly with the option of buying electricity from the utility company. Currently you require from 13 to 15 photocell panels to generate the 2.5 to 3.0 Kilowatt hours generating capacity.
Walmart has established a pilot plan to install photovoltaic panels in several of their stores. If the system produces a return, they will massively implement it in all their stores, since they have sufficient roof space currently not utilized.
The Solar-thermal system is not adequate for homes and mainly will be used for large Utility companies. However, the active system based on a Stirling engine to power a generator which could be applicable for homes, is not available for massive distribution. Although all of its components have been developed, no one has yet integrated the solar power generating kit, or a home appliance. This home system or appliance should be very low cost because it requires: a solar collector or dish which could cost around $200 USD, a stiriling engine with a cost of $350, the 3 KW per hour power generator with a cost of $350, and the battery bank which is the expensive ticket item and could run several thousand dollars, to store electricity if the system is a stand alone not tied to the power grid. If the home is currently supplied by a utility company, then the battery bank is not needed and the Net Metering system with the public utility company can be used. In addition to the sun collector dish the rest of the system can be packaged in two boxes. One which has the stiriling engine and power generator, and the other with the battery if you are a location not tied to the grid. It can also have a gas heater installation as a backup to when there is a lack of sunlight making this a very reliable alternative.
Apparently, there are companies in America, New Zealand, India, Sweden, and other countries trying to develop the stiriling engine . A few companies are receiving funding from investment funds to develop the stiriling engine for this home appliance. Infinia Corporation, a US company has a head start, because they are currently producing a big sterling engine to power up 10 homes at a time and installing many of them in a centralized solar farm in California. Other companies should not be discouraged because markets are so huge, there will be enough room for all suppliers. Just in United States alone there is a potential of 124 million homes that could use the solar power appliance, plus commercial and industrial sites.
Having the home powering appliance, can be the initial steps for returning to sustainable systems. Today, the sun is light and warmth, provided to us from God and Nature, free for all of us to use and enjoy. A home solar powered generator would provide clean energy, and allow equal footing to all nations rich and poor, to devote their funding into other worthwhile social services such as health and education. Rich nations which have electrical grids and power generation capacity would suddenly feel there would be no need to continue increasing Power generation capacities and hopefully they would discontinue all those plants that contaminate. Please see Poverty generation: http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/poverty-and-the-new-world-order-809385.html
Juan Trevino
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/solar-power-technologies-on-hold-673269.html
Solar Powered Metal Mission Lights – 2 pk, ON SALE
Malibus new Solar Powered Metal Mission Lights are charged by the sun all day, and then turn on automatically at night with a patented light sensing technology to instantly beautify any outdoor landscaping. The Solar Powered Metal Mission Lights requires no wiring, which makes installation simple. Additionally, solar products cost nothing in electricity and are easy to maintain. Features Pro-grade cast aluminum construction Ultra Bright white L.E.D. Clear / faceted Impact resistant globe Recharges by sunlight; no electricity costs Lasts up to 10 hours with full charge (typical life will depend on sunlight and time of year) Metal & Black finish AA rechargeable NiCad batteries included Dimensions: 5.25″W x 28″H
What are Amp-Hours in relation to Solar Power Batteries?
1.Say you have 12 volt 60 amp-hour battery, and you have an appliance that uses 1000 watts to run it. How do you calculate how long you can run the appliance with this battery?
2. If you connect two 60 amp-hour batteries do you have 120 amp-hours?
I’m new to solar energy and want to know what the technical terms mean.
You cannot convert watts to amps, since watts are power and amps are coulombs per second (like converting apples to miles). If you have at least least two of the following three: amps, volts and watts then the missing one can be calculated. Since watts are amps multiplied by volts, there is a simple relationship between them.
Converting Watts to Amps
The conversion of Watts to Amps is governed by the equation Amps = Watts/Volts
For example 12 watts/12 volts = 1 amp
Converting Amps to Watts
The conversion of Amps to Watts is governed by the equation Watts = Amps x Volts
For example 1 amp * 110 volts = 110 watts
Converting Watts to Volts
The conversion of Watts to Volts is governed by the equation Volts = Watts/Amps
For example 100 watts/10 amps = 10 volts
Converting Volts to Watts
The conversion of Volts to Watts is governed by the equation Watts = Amps x Volts
For example 1.5 amps * 12 volts = 18 watts
Converting Volts to Amps at fixed wattage
The conversion of Volts to Amps is governed by the equations Amps = Watts/Volts
For example 120 watts/110 volts = 1.09 amps
Converting Amps to Volts at fixed wattage
The conversion of Amps to Volts is governed by the equation Volts = Watts/Amps
For Example, 48 watts / 12 Amps = 4 Volts
Amps are how many electrons flow past a certain point per second. Volts is a measure of how much force that each electron is under. Think of water in a hose. A gallon a minute (think amps) just dribbles out if it is under low pressure (think voltage). But if you restrict the end of the hose, letting the pressure build up, the water can have more power (like watts), even though it is still only one gallon a minute. In fact the power can grow enormous as the pressure builds, to the point that a water knife can cut a sheet of glass. In the same manner as the voltage is increased a small amount of current can turn into a lot of watts.
In theory 2 60 amp hour batts would give 120 amp hours but in practise it is not the case. The wiring has resistance, and you would probably never get the batts to accept a complete charge etc.
Simple Solar Update – Inexpensive Lead-Acid Battery
I was able to purchase this “Lawn and Garden” Lead-Acid battery for less than $20 at Wal*Mart. So, I thought it would be worth experimenting with since its size and capacity will probably reduce the number of times I need to charge it (compared to the smaller gel cells I featured in my previous video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHbx_Qhc8mU). The battery is rated at 275 “Cold-cranking” amps, which isn’t of much value to me since I’m not starting a motor or anything. Although it doesn’t say, a quick internet search suggests this battery is rated at about 18 amp-hours – which puts it at about one third the cost of a comparable gel cell. Problem is, it’s probably not rated for much of a deep discharge since lawn equipment provides a continuous trickle charge. Nevertheless, I’ll keep experimenting with it to see if it’s cost-effective. I use an in-line “Watts Up” meter to monitor the voltage. So far, I’ve allowed it to drop below 12 volts (the QRP radio gear I power with it is very voltage tolerant). With a half day of full sunlight I’m able to bring it back up to well over 13 volts – which last many days of lower power communications on my amateur radio station.
In the video I also mention that I’m now using Anderson “Power-Pole” connectors to eliminate a lot of the clip leads I’ve been using. Actually, I’ve been using these connectors for over a year now but just got around to introducing them to my simple solar stuff. They’re great connectors and seem to be growing in popularity as a low voltage standard. Although not seen in this video, at times I have used a charge controller, or simple diode, to keep the batteries from discharging into the solar panel when it’s cloudy and I can’t be as attentive…
This video is in contrast to the one I made later during January of 2009. At that time it was a month after the winter solstice so the panel was pointing almost directly towards the horizon. For this particular video, recorded a month before the summer solstice, the panel is aligned almost straight upward to catch the fullest amount of solar radiation – in stark contrast to its winter orientation. Either way, the theme remains simple, and inexpensive – capturing the right amount of sunlight to charge a battery to power my amateur radio station and some other related equipment.
Here’s a link to my personal solar power page:
http://www.rogerwehdell.com/solar.html
And here’s a link to a page about my amateur radio station – the place I use most of the solar power I generate:
http://www.rogerwendell.com/qrp.html
05-25-2008
Duration : 0:1:30