Wow! What an great discussion! Nice documentation, Dan.
I have powered part-solar, part-generator, part grid-powered events for several years. It's problematic. Few have a clue how much power and energy they use. If they use to much it makes the electrician look real bad. I walk around on my rounds and check everything regularly. It's a big job. Some of what I learned that hasn't been mentioned (or much):
ALWAYS have a genny on hand to cover anything Murphy throws in. (...of Murphy's law) A failure at a public event is hard to recover from. Size it to cover everything PLUS battery charging. A dead battery is worthless to you AND degrades the bank for future use. When the music's loud no one will notice, (or turn it on over night for recharge).
Taking along a TED 5000 would be real helpful in figuring out what uses what. The TED is pretty versatile, and records the data, (but takes a little figuring, so use it before the event).
A clamp on ampmeter is an essential tool. (Remember, most clamp on ampmeters are AC only).
Watch the extension cords. They can easily be undersized and often in poor repair. In the past I've used big #10 SO cables to get power out to where it will be used to address this.
An IR temp gun or thermal camera can help keep quick tabs on what is getting hot, which can be especially nice during headliners.
Take the time to stand out front and educate about energy and renewables. Have fun with it! Have flyers that list resources for energy efficiency and energy conservation, as well as renewables. I'd love to have a meter with a big readout that says how much power is being used with a running total of energy. Project for the future...
Blessings, Kelly Kelly Larson NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer ISPQ Master Trainer CA C-10 # 868189 solarwre...@asis.com _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
