My solar A/C is failing me a bit

[IGBT]

Damn forest fire somewhere in the area has blanketed the sky with a yellow haze here in eastern Washington.

It is still 97 degrees but now the solar panels are only putting out 550 watts instead of 900.

A/C uses 650 watts.

Result:  Hot RV or depleted batteries.

We are having to run the EU2000i way more than I intended, but I did not calculate in forest fires when thinking about solar A/C.    Seems unfair that it is 97 still.   I guess infrared makes it through the smoke.

How in the world can the firefighters wear that gear and fight the fires in this temp???   Cross that off as a possible job...I would not make it.

 

[rvpopeye]

Looks like get another panel or move>>>>
Of course as soon as you do that it will clear up !

 

[Queen]

How in the world can the firefighters wear that gear and fight the fires in this temp???   Cross that off as a possible job...I would not make it.

It is beyond miserable at times, other times you just have a heat stroke and call it done.

 

[IGBT]

Looks like get another panel or move>>>>
Of course as soon as you do that it will clear up !

I thinking about it!  Would take at least two days from Amazon but I am not sure Amazon prime would free ship 270 watt panels (I would need two panels 270 watt 36V open circuit to wire into my existing four panels).

Right now am burning about a gallon of ethanol free gas a day in the EU2000i, which is around $3.70 a gallon.  Not cheap long term huh?   A few months of that and you would pay for a panel.

 

[rvpopeye]

Things that make you go "Hmmmmmmmm"

 

[sushidog]

Wow, gas is expensive there. Regular here is only $1.99/gal and even ethanol free (boat gas) is only $2.49/gal.

Still, I'm sure your situation is only temporary. Good thing you have that little Honda as a back-up.

If it were me, I'd just ride it out, cause as soon as you order another couple panels you know what will happen.

Chip

 

[John61CT]

Running A/C for more than a few hours a day cannot be "solar A/C" in most mobile setups.

Best you can hope for IMO is reducing genny usage a bit, and having some choice about the timing of your run hours.

Of course moving to where the weather suits your setup helps.

 

[tx2sturgis]

If you have a Home Depot near you, they are pretty fast at getting the panels to the store when you order off the website. And its a pretty easy process to pay online and pick them up at the online order counter in the store.

I saw that they have 2, 265 watt panels for about $730, of course you will have to pay local taxes. I'm sure there are better prices, but they are pretty quick.

Mine 2 100 watt panels came in after only about 4 days, even though the shipping estimate when I ordered them was going to be 12 days.

On another note:

Years ago I was involved in CERT and some of our 'deployments' involved wildfires in and around this area during the severe droughts we were having.

I'm not a firefighter, but I got to work closely with them in the rehab station and those men and women were VERY dedicated...sometimes to the point of being stubborn...they did NOT want to appear weak so they would have to be ORDERED to go to rehab, peel off the fire-suit, take a break, and drink some fluids.

Firefighters run INTO a burning building or forest when everyone else is running out.

Half crazy, but we sure as heck need them and appreciate them.

 

[akrvbob]

You want to pay less than $1 a watt for big panels. Here is a Kyocera 265 watt for $167:

https://www.solar-electric.com/kyocera-ku265-6mca-265-watt-multicrystal-solar-panel.html

Right now they have free shipping for orders over $500.

You can't buy a better panel than Kyocera

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

 . . . It is still 97 degrees but now the solar panels are only putting out 550 watts instead of 900.

A/C uses 650 watts.

Result:  Hot RV or depleted batteries . . .

I wouldn't say your solar is failing, you have choices that fixed housing does not:

  You can stay where you are and suppliment your solar with a generator,
    >or<
  move to where the sun is shining,
    >or<
  move to where it is cooler.

An advantage of mobile living 

 -- Spiff

 

[IGBT]

You want to pay less than $1 a watt for big panels. Here is a Kyocera 265 watt for $167:

https://www.solar-electric.com/kyocera-ku265-6mca-265-watt-multicrystal-solar-panel.html

Right now they have free shipping for orders over $500.

You can't buy a better panel than Kyocera

Hot diggitty, that would work!  Thanks for the link.   I bought my Midnite Classic 150 from them but have never bought a panel from them.

I guess I would need to order three panels to meet the free shipping, which is probably cheaper than two panels + shipping.


I don't want to move right now.  We are on our property we bought and doing some work to get ready for winter.

August is forecast to remain hot.   400 watts more for 8 hours out of 530 watts of additional panels would essentially reduce the generator usage to near zero (3.2kilowatts is about 3 hours run time on the EU2000i)

So $3.70 x 30 = $111 in fuel just for the month of August.

 

[BradKW]

What are you initial projects on the property going to be?

 

[IGBT]

What are you initial projects on the property going to be?

Probably build a snow shed so we can park during part of the winter if we choose to do a winter here.  I do like winter activities.

Other than that I have really been enjoying walking outside and only hearing birds and crickets, maybe seeing a few deer and turkey (and a moose one morning...rare!).  Nobody making me pack up and move location every 14 days and yet taxes are $29 a year.

Obviously this heat is not ideal but other than that I do love this area of Washington state.  September and October should be really nice though.

 

[jimindenver]

I would say go for the panels if you can afford them and the roof space. The power will always come in handy even in the good times. It is a lot easier than trying to augment the fancy, high dollar inverter generators people bring up here to high elevation only to find out they don't have enough poop to party in the clouds.

 

[tripper]

I bought my big panels from a local home solar installer. I just asked them if they could sell me a few panels.