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electrical:solar:gentle_intro

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electrical:solar:gentle_intro [2022/04/12 21:18]
frater_secessus [Why daily?] 		electrical:solar:gentle_intro [2022/04/12 21:39]
frater_secessus [Limitations of solar]
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 Solar is not a magic bullet;  it is a compromise like anything else.  **Solar has very high startup costs for the amount of power you get out of it.** It could cost several thousand dollars to get the same amount of reliable power one might might get from [[electrical:shore_power|a residential (or campsite) outlet]] with a $20 extension cord. Over time, though, the power is "free". Solar is not a magic bullet;  it is a compromise like anything else.  **Solar has very high startup costs for the amount of power you get out of it.** It could cost several thousand dollars to get the same amount of reliable power one might might get from [[electrical:shore_power|a residential (or campsite) outlet]] with a $20 extension cord. Over time, though, the power is "free".
  
-Getting //some// power from solar is easy.  Getting //reliable// power from solar alone is challenging (and expensive) because solar harvest is greatly affected by [[electrical:solar:output|real-world conditions]]:  latitude, season, shade, temperature, battery voltage, etc.  A crude rule of thumb might be meaningful solar harvest is possible only when the sun is throwing well-defined shadows on the ground. +Getting //some// power from solar is easy.  Getting //reliable// power from solar alone is challenging (and expensive) because solar harvest is greatly affected by [[electrical:solar:output|real-world conditions]]:  latitude, season, shade, temperature, even battery voltage.  It's bit harsh but you need to hear it early on:  //you won't be getting 100w out of a 100w panel//, and //you won't be getting it for 8 hours a day//.   
 + 
 + 
 +A crude rule of thumb might be meaningful solar harvest is possible only when the sun is throwing well-defined shadows on the ground. 
  
 ===== How solar power works ===== ===== How solar power works =====
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 ==== Why daily? ==== ==== Why daily? ====
  
-Power requirements are calculated **daily** because solar power feeds the batteries((and [[electrical:12v:loads|loads]])) only in daylight.  Then at night the 'dweller pulls power back out of the batteries. This is natural rhythm of a solar-powered system. +Power requirements are calculated **daily** because the solar feeds the batteries((and [[electrical:12v:loads|loads]])) only in daylight.  Then at night the system pulls power back out of the batteries. This is natural rhythm of a solar-powered system. 
  
-So a **minimal solar configuration** will +A **minimal solar configuration** will 
  
   * meet your daytime needs    * meet your daytime needs 
electrical/solar/gentle_intro.txt · Last modified: 2023/11/07 11:19 by frater_secessus

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