Re: [RE-wrenches] Mouse pee in the SW

2013-08-16 Thread Bill Loesch
Dan, et al, Once the board has been cleaned sufficiently that the inverter is no longer operating intermittently and your hope has been realized, when would you apply a field conformal coating? Would you choose/recommend something better than Krylon clear spray? Bill Loesch Solar 1 - Saint

Re: [RE-wrenches] Mouse pee in the SW

2013-08-16 Thread James Jefferson Jarvis
On 8/16/2013 2:38 AM, Bill Loesch wrote: Dan, et al, Once the board has been cleaned sufficiently that the inverter is no longer operating intermittently and your hope has been realized, when would you apply a field conformal coating? Would you choose/recommend something better than Krylon

Re: [RE-wrenches] Mouse pee in the SW

2013-08-16 Thread Exeltech
Bill, My short answer is .. if things work after all this .. I wouldn't recommend doing anything to the circuit board after cleaning it. Instead, I'd take steps to keep the mice from ever getting into the inverter again. Long answer... Normally, circuit boards will have been coated with a

Re: [RE-wrenches] Mouse pee in the SW

2013-08-16 Thread RE Ellison
Thanks Dan, That was an interesting read I thoroughly plan to never have to do that anything that I or my customers own ! Bob ellison Bob Ellison On Aug 16, 2013, at 8:11 AM, Exeltech exelt...@yahoo.com wrote: Bill, My short answer is .. if things work after all this .. I wouldn't

Re: [RE-wrenches] Mouse pee in the SW

2013-08-16 Thread Exeltech
Hello Jay, For those of us not so adventurous, how well would electrical spray Cleaner work? Good question. I've never used contact/electrical cleaner for this type of task. My guess is, it might work .. but only marginally if at all. Cleaners are solvents intended to remove oxidation

[RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread William Miller
Friends: We have been receiving a flurry of requests for design of off-grid systems where the loads are enormous, relative to normal off-grid requirements. It is obvious that the size of PV and battery arrays to power these loads is beyond what is practical. We have dubbed these systems

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Ray Walters
Hi William; One thing to consider is that you want to cycle the batteries at least 20% DOD. If you look at the cycle charts for regular Lead acid batteries, the total KWH you can get from a battery for its lifetime is fairly equal from around 20% DOD to 80% DOD. (basically you can get twice

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread toddcory
off-grid systems where the loads are enormous, i realize this is not popular now in these days of solar is so cheap, but i will not work for people who wont conserve or be efficient. as we all know, pv contains lots of embedded energy and to my thinking... having it power waste is simply

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread William
Wrenches: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention: Todd, you can hold the lecture: I agree with you but the repetition is wasting energy. William On Aug 16, 2013, at 12:01 PM, toddc...@finestplanet.com wrote: off-grid systems where the loads are enormous, i realize this is not popular now in

Re: [RE-wrenches] Mouse pee in the SW

2013-08-16 Thread Exeltech
William, Sounds like the coating on the board wasn't of the best quality. It reacted with the alcohol (which good conformal coatings won't), but has since dried, and should be OK. (The better silicone-based conformal coatings react only with acetone, and then very slowly at that.) Visual

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread William Miller
Jay: There are four systems in question. In three the loads are year round and one is summer only AC loads. The year round loaded systems have loads day and night. One is a highway maintenence station with at least 4 residences. One is a family compound with two homes with electric ranges,

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Jason Szumlanski
Not to hijack the thread, but I'd like to add that the inverter rating required for enormous loads can also be beyond practical limits. We are getting a flood of grid-tie with PV and battery backup requests for whole house coverage. The reason for the consumer demand is obvious here in

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Jay Peltz
Hi William Thx helps a lot. I can only say how I do it. I'll give the client some options, including the change of appliances and usually the price difference makes the sale one way or the other. Funny reminds me of the old days, only with much smaller loads/$. Good luck Jay Sent from

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Eric . Bentsen
Hi William, In off grid applications, you want to have sufficient RE to keep up with load demand and only run the generator when RE cannot keep up. However, having too much RE is a waste because it will result in energy not harvested (if regulating), however, diversion controllers can allow

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread penobscotsolar
Honestly, William, in these type of cases I usually walk away from the job if the customer isn't willing to reduce where possible. There is no such thing as a completely fool proof off grid PV system. Like a good lawyer, the best way to have a stellar record is to know which cases to takejust

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Kevin Pegg
Hi William, I have done many systems in identical situations share your philosophy. Remote communities, work camps, highway maintenance compounds, etc... I have used two general philosophies on batteries for these systems. 1. Cheap batteries, ie L16's. Cycle them hard and realize they

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Ray Walters
I find its also about the money. If they're expecting a $20k system to perform like a $100k one, then yes, move on. I agree with Daryl that you keep a good record by picking your clients. On the other hand, I have some fairly wealthy customers that don't want to reduce their loads, and are

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Ray Walters
Hi Kevin; Which watering system did you find that worked? We've been through a bunch that were worse than no watering system at all. R.Ray Walters CTO, Solarray, Inc Nabcep Certified PV Installer, Licensed Master Electrician Solar Design Engineer 303 505-8760 On 8/16/2013 5:38 PM, Kevin

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread William Miller
Friends: I am a bit surprised at the responses I have gotten on this thread. I appreciate the technical advice and I don't mind the polite philosophical discussion like the one below. However, I received one reply, fortunately off-line, that was not very polite, to say the least. I have been

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Bob-O Schultze
Folks, I've heard lots of good advice on this subject and as an old off-grid system designer, energy conservation has long been a field I take seriously. Generating power that you wouldn't otherwise need because you refuse to use the power wisely is just... Stupid. Stupid financially and

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread toddcory
If the customer wants a mega system and is willing to pay for it, why is it our business to judge them? hi ray, is it judging them? or simply saying: i do this work because i believe in trying to make a more sustainable world... and i will not enable waste. i do not care what these

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread toddcory
so sorry list members, this was supposed to be off list. todd On Friday, August 16, 2013 8:51pm, toddc...@finestplanet.com said: If the customer wants a mega system and is willing to pay for it, why is it our business to judge them? hi ray, is it judging them? or simply saying:

[RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Marco Mangelsdorf
With all due respect, Ozzie Zehner—cited in the piece that Todd notes below—is at least a bit whacked. Read his entire diatribe of an error-filled book, which I have. Geez…..talk about making condemnatory judgments…most of Zehner’s book is pretty much a judgment filled rant. Since when do

Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Assist

2013-08-16 Thread Ray Walters
Its alright Todd. I'm actually about as hippie as you get. I started in PV in the Peace Corp in Africa in the 80s doing water pumping systems. I built a solar adobe with my own hands from my own mud. Raised my kids there. I built electric vehicles when I realized that our energy habit