Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small, auto-start gas generator?

2012-11-28 Thread Drake
Its been a decade plus since we had a similar issue. I don't know what is on the market now. We changed a small Honda (3.5 kW) over to propane with a kit from U.S. Carburetion, I believe. The unit had a remote start. On another job around that time I took a remote start apart and hooked the

Re: [RE-wrenches] Info On 2 V batteries Please

2012-11-28 Thread Allan Sindelar
Right-O on the IBE website. Good batteries but little guidance and support. But they're not IBEs. "Enersys" on the top suggests that they are HUPs; we installed a set of these yesterday, and it also had Enersys on the caps. Also top quality, and by far a

Re: [RE-wrenches] Info On 2 V batteries Please

2012-11-28 Thread Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar Power Systems
Peter, To your first question: fully recharging any lead acid battery as soon as possible will give you longer cycle life. Waiting to charge and/or deep discharges lead to shorter life. If you have the proper 3-stage charger, leave it on the battery until you needed to use the forklift. 100%

[RE-wrenches] Connecting Two Grid-Battery Backup Inverters to 120/208

2012-11-28 Thread Christopher Warfel
We were asked to replace two failed Trace SW4048 inverters with two Outback GT3048 inverters. Upon start up the slave inverter would not connect. We did not realize that the building service is 208, 3 phase. The bypass is 120/240 which the SW4048s could connect to without a problem. Outback

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small, auto-start gas generator?

2012-11-28 Thread David Katz
Dan The array puts out about 15% when it is raining. You might do better to put in an array that is 8 times as big as you need so you will have enough power during bad weather. It would cost you $5k and never need fuel. David Katz Sent from my HTC smartphone on the Now Network from Sprint!

Re: [RE-wrenches] Connecting Two Grid-Battery Backup Inverters to 120/208

2012-11-28 Thread William Miller
Chris: I am surprised that the SW inverters connected to this service. They may not have been synced properly. Was there a ribbon cable between the two inverters? Maybe this is why they failed... Are there 240 VAC loads in the system? If not, you can configure the inverters in parallel

Re: [RE-wrenches] Very small, auto-start gas generator?

2012-11-28 Thread Dan Fink
Point well taken David -- but the system has to be portable by jeep+small trailer, small boat, floatplane, or helicopter sling load. DAN FINK On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 11:41 AM, David Katz dk...@aeesolar.com wrote: Dan The array puts out about 15% when it is raining. You might do better to

Re: [RE-wrenches] Info On 2 V batteries Please

2012-11-28 Thread Parrish, Peter
There are twenty-four of them in one big steel box. Flooded cells. - Peter -Original Message- From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Jay Peltz Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 4:48 PM To: RE-wrenches Subject: Re:

Re: [RE-wrenches] Info On 2 V batteries Please

2012-11-28 Thread Parrish, Peter
I didn't want to originally load you guys down with minutiae, but we have been having problems keeping the battery bank fully charged. We would put it on the charger and after a while it settled down to about 17A, which is about 3.1-3.3% of the rated capacity. The total series voltage was 57.9

Re: [RE-wrenches] Info On 2 V batteries Please

2012-11-28 Thread Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar Power Systems
Peter, I use a variable 20 amp, 1-30 volt power supply with CC or CV for such situations. You can learn a lot by charging individual cells. Plus you can raise the voltage up much higher (2.8VPC) without harm as long as you monitor temperature. Above 125°, stop charging or reduce voltage. If

Re: [RE-wrenches] Connecting Two Grid-Battery Backup Inverters to 120/208

2012-11-28 Thread penobscotsolar
Chris, We had a problem similar to this in the Bahamas, only with a Radian instead of an FX series inverter. We used an Acme transformer, 3 ph 208 on one side, single phase 120/240 on the other end. It was about $1200 for the transformer. Acme is in Tennessee I believe and we worked with one of

Re: [RE-wrenches] Connecting Two Grid-Battery Backup Inverters to 120/208

2012-11-28 Thread Chris Mason
Use a 208 - 240/120 transformer. Use 3 x sunny islands On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 2:06 PM, Christopher Warfel cwar...@entech-engineering.com wrote: We were asked to replace two failed Trace SW4048 inverters with two Outback GT3048 inverters. Upon start up the slave inverter would not connect.

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Pool Heating

2012-11-28 Thread jay peltz
Hi Jason As a non voting member. :-) I support the idea. Jay Peltz power Sent from my iPad On Nov 28, 2012, at 5:32 PM, Jason Szumlanski ja...@fafcosolar.com wrote: I was wondering how many people on the list do solar pool heating and if it would be appropriate to post occasional topics

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Pool Heating

2012-11-28 Thread Solar Energy Solutions
We install all kinds of solar thermal systems and LOVE dem solar pool heaters.    Thanks for asking! Andrew Koyaanisqatsi President Solar Energy Solutions, Inc. Since 1987, Moving Portland and Beyond to an Environmentally Sustainable Future. 503-238-4502

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Pool Heating

2012-11-28 Thread Carl Adams
Jason, We do a few systems each year, and I think it would add to the discussions, probably not enough traffic to support it's own list. Carl SunRock Solar On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 8:32 PM, Jason Szumlanski ja...@fafcosolar.comwrote: I was wondering how many people on the list do solar pool

Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Pool Heating

2012-11-28 Thread Michael Welch
Hi gang. Please comment on this topic directly to me, rather than the list. If you have any questions or comments about changing or adding to what is appropriate for the list, it is best to send them directly to me rather than the list. This helps keep the posts on-topic that do go out to the

[RE-wrenches] EGC vs GEC, separately derived system

2012-11-28 Thread mac Lewis
Hello wrenches, What constitutes a separately derived system? Would you consider a breaker tied enphase system a separately-derived system? Suddenly, inspectors in our AHJ are considering all PV systems separately derived systems and thus requiring applying GEC sizing (as opposed to EGC sizing)

[RE-wrenches] Connecting Two Grid-Battery Backup Inverters to 120/208

2012-11-28 Thread William Korthof
You could use a 120:120volt, with both the first and second inverters using the same phase, but the xfmr secondary used to supply 120 volts out of phase from the primary for the slave. Voila, auto-transformer 120:240 split phase power. Downsides are the heavy loading all on one phase and

Re: [RE-wrenches] Connecting Two Grid-Battery Backup Inverters to 120/208

2012-11-28 Thread Philip
We had exactly this scenario at Dankoff Solar, to back up all the computer loads in the business. The building was 120/208, and the two SW inverters would sync to their respective phases, 120 degrees apart. The fun part was watching them on a scope when you shut off grid power -- they would