Hi

The solar inverter cost £100 and the 18w panels cost £50 each.

The inverter can only handle 150 or so watts, but I'm not having the
panels all be facing the same direction, so rather them having them
producing power all at the same time, their output is spread over
the day, the inverter will handle as much as it can, if the panels
produce too much, the inverter will just let the voltage rise,
limiting the current - you won't damage it if you put too much solar
power in to it by mistake. The panels were chosen because of their
good 'over cast' power output. The panels are from ebay -see item
no. 9739968643, I bought £1,200 worth of panels to get them at £50
each, and the seller delivered them to me in his car, he is a
proper 'solar man' from the industry, not someone just having a go
at selling solar panels. I got 24 panels, of which 4 are to go on a
narrowboat. I have also got four Uni-solar panels coming -See ebay
item no. 9735259020, this means I'm going to need another inverter.
I'm going to investigate the cost of the Mastervolt 600 watt unit.

I don't know the projected payback time as I don't yet know how much
power the system is going to produce. I also cannot predict the wild
increases in electric power cost that is going to have to take place
in the wake of fuel shortages. This is not about money, it's about
securing my own energy supply for an uncertain future.

Clive :-))




--- In Beyond_cheap_fuel@..., "Mark" <sg@c...> wrote:
>
> Clive
>
> How much does something like this cost? How much were the solar
> panels. Have you worked out how long you need to run this set-up
for
> it to pay for itself?
>
> Mark Atkin
> Gloucestershire, UK
>
> --- In Beyond_cheap_fuel@..., "clive1471"
> <cliveburke@b...> wrote:
> >
> >
> > The Solidin 120.
> >
> > It a 'wall cube' meaning its built in to a plug, about the size
of
> a
> > plug in timer, the panels wire straight to terminals on the
front
> of
> > it. I use a plug in power consumption monitor (available from
> > www.navitron.org.uk) to measure power production. Panels are due
> > this morning - more news anon.
> >
> > Clive :-)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In Beyond_cheap_fuel@..., Dave Brown
> > <dgbrown@n...> wrote:
> > >
> > > Clive,
> > >
> > > Which model inverter is it that you bought?
> > >
> > > You're off on a path that I'd like to head down some day. At
the
> > > moment it's initial cost and lack of payback that is keeping
me
> > > away. But there's hope. That is, there's hope if the news
> > reports
> > > of thinner, more flexible, and less expensive solar panels are
on
> > the horizon.
> > >
> > > Dave Brown
> > > Green Bay, WI USA
> > >
> > > At 03:55 PM 6/10/2006, you wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >I have bought a Mastervolt grid tie inverter from the
Mastervolt
> > UK
> > > >dealer (via their website),
> > >
> >
>