Visit us on the web for product and project information!
For grid-tied power systems, www.grid-tie.com
Solar water pumping:  www.PVsolarpumps.com
Non-electric gas appliances, www.LPappliances.com
Efficient and DC appliances, www.eco-fridge.com
And our main page at www.oasismontana.com

GREETINGS FROM OUR SOLAR POWERED OFFICE!

This past winter was relatively mild in our western Montana valley; it was strange (but fine!) to have so many mornings without scraping the windshield or thawing frozen water buckets. But the snowpack is good up in the mountains, so we are hoping for a summer without too many forest fires.

In this issue of our newsletter, our main focus is the need for backup power systems. Power failures are becoming
more frequent and of greater duration, but running your necessary loads doesn't need to be terribly complex.
Some folks who have a grid-tie solar power system with no batteries realize that they are without electricity if the
utility goes down. But now there are battery-based options available to power essential loads in the face of
unreliable utility power.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

• Greetings from Our Solar Powered Office
• Backup Power Systems
• Gas Ranges, Refrigerators, and Freezers
• SunDanzer DC Refrigerator
• Energy Efficient Appliances
• Solar Module Pricing
• AC Solar Modules
• Who We Are / Ordering Information
• Power Outage Solutions
• Battery Capacity Meter
• Fuel Generator Backup
• Hot Water on Demand
• Chicken Feed
• Tax Credits for Solar Power Systems
• Renewable Energy News Bites
• Quotable Quotes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BACKUP BATTERY POWER SYSTEMS

Backup power doesn’t have to be complicated.  Here’s an example of an independent power system that will run your (efficient) refrigerator, computer or TV, and a few lights (all 115VAC loads). The basic components:

• 4—185W Solar Modules / Combiner Enclosure and Breakers / Surge Protection
• A-frame Roof or Ground Mount / Samlex 2Kw, 12V Sine Wave Inverter / AC Subpanel/Safety Fuses
• Charge Controller / Eight 6V, 250aH Batteries / Battery Monitor & Cables

This system totals out right around $4999 before freight, installation, wire runs, and miscellaneous electrical widgets. This system will provide approximately ~2200 watt-hours per day for four hours of full sunlight. You will get more in the summer (and less in the winter), depending on your location and amount of sun received. The batteries will provide three days of back-up power at the usage rate of ~2000 watt-hours per day.

If you think the loads you want to power would exceed 2000 watts (continuous draw), you can go with a larger inverter; we have found those manufactured by Magnum Energy to be very reliable, as well as offering 240VAC capacity.

Examples of different types of roof/ground mounts. Many people prefer pole mounts (far right), as they are easy to seasonally adjust for a better angle to catch the sun’s rays.
 

The batteries specified in the example systems, above, are flooded lead acid; they are still the best deal but will require maintenance, and they need to be in a vented battery enclosure. A plywood box with the top vented with a PVC pipe is quite adequate (vented to the outside of your garage, shop, or basement), but if you are unable to maintain your batteries you may need to consider absorbed glass mat (AGM) or gel-cell batteries. They are more costly and have a shorter cycle life but require little (virtually no) maintenance except for regular charging.

The correct charge controller for your system depends on the features you desire and the amperage coming off your solar array; if you plan to add to your system, it’s a good idea to get the size controller you need at the onset, saving you money in the long run.

The load sizing is critical in determining which inverter is best for your project. If it is undersized, it won’t handle the loads you want to run; and if it is oversized, you will pay more than is necessary. The Samlex are fine quality, low-cost, smaller inverters with excellent sine-wave AC power output, but they do not have a built-in battery charger as do Magnum and Outback. If you plan to integrate a fuel generator into your back-up system, you will either need a separate battery charger or an inverter with one that is built in.  We have more on back-up power; visit "Be Prepared for Your Next Power Outage" below.
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GAS RANGES, REFRIGERATORS, AND FREEZERS

No power is no problem with non-electric gas ranges, refrigerators, and freezers. Our Peerless Premier ranges are available in DC electronic ignition models, in sizes from 20 to 36 inches, or with AC igniters, in which the burners and oven can be lit with a match if the power goes out. All these appliances will operate on LP (propane) or natural gas; some need to be set up for your preference at the factory. For more information, specifications, pictures, fuel consumption, etc., visit http://www.lpappliances.com/.
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SUNDANZER DC REFRIGERATOR

Keep a lid on your electrical usage with efficient appliances.  Many conventional American homes are not designed for efficiency — but as electrical rates rise, people are learning the benefits of purchasing efficient appliances to keep a lid on their utility bills. You can view a variety of appliance data at http://www.energystar.gov and http://www.aceee.org/; these can be rather ponderous sites but there’s a lot of information there if you sift through the links. And our site on AC & DC appliances is http://www.eco-fridge.com/. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

SOLAR MODULE PRICING

Call for availability, freight costs, and quantities (# of modules) on pallets for the best deal. You can’t get less than a pallet quantity to get the pallet ‘deal.’ For larger modules, pallet quantity generally runs between 20 and 40 modules, and often there are significant additional charges for less (or more) than even pallet quantities. Some suppliers charge re-boxing fees, too.  (Sorry, but the Helios modules are no longer available.  The company has gone out of business as of September 2013.)
 

Other modules are available too—Samsung, Yingli, GES, Trina, Hanwha, Alps, Solartech, Sunwize, BP; prices are subject to change with little notice—often for the better. Call for your module pricing and availability. Container pricing available for better dollar-per-watt cost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHO WE ARE and ORDERING INFORMATION:  Chris Daum, owner and manager of Oasis Montana, has been in the renewable energy field for 24 years, and our system designers will help plan a system for your needs. Our staff offers experience, personalized service, tech support, quality components, and good pricing. We are happy to work with your installer, electrician, or contractor, and locally we can install your power system (or even fly to your site for installation). We provide detailed wiring diagrams with the systems we sell. TO PLACE AN ORDER:  Email or call us for your freight costs; if you have any questions about your system or product, please contact us. Email is easiest and fastest (but we know that you aren’t all online). We accept Visa/MasterCard (personal and business checks are fine). For our international customers, we accept bank transfers— email or call us for our banking information. Our summer hours (April through October) are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Mountain Time, Mon. – Thurs, 8 to 4 on Fridays. If we‘re on another line when you call, please leave us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can, but you may have to leave a message if we’re with a customer or on one of the other lines. Call 406-777-4321 or 4309 or email us at info@oasismontana.com.  For tech support on renewable energy systems, again, email us at info@oasismontana.com. We’d be very happy to help you with your power project — send an email or give us a call!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POWER OUTAGE SOLUTIONS

Are you ready for your next power outage? With the advent of superstorms such as Hurricane Sandy, floods, unpredictable tornadoes, or simply because of aging utility infrastructure, Americans are dealing more and more with undependable utility (grid) power. We at Oasis Montana have been designing backup power systems for whatever loads you need to run; we can make these systems seamless so you do not know the power’s even gone out, or, you can plug in your specific loads as needed at the time of a power outage. Recent power outages show people the tremendous value of backup systems, and there are many different solutions to utilize inverters for backup capability. Connecting backup loads can be very simple or complex. And, the amount of time provided for backup power depends on the loads you want to run and your battery capacity.
 

Likewise, grid power can pass the other direction when needed to power the loads in the backup subpanel. During a power outage, the battery inverter’s transfer switch isolates itself from the utility connection and provides AC power to the backup subpanel, drawing energy from the battery bank. The batteryless grid-tie inverter will shut down at the start of a blackout, but will turn back on (after a mandatory 5-minute waiting period) when AC power from the battery inverter is detected, supplying AC power to the backup subpanel. If enough power is available it will be used by the battery inverter to charge the batteries. Note that once the battery bank is fully charged and the loads are served, the batteryless grid-tie inverter will need to be throttled back, diverted, or shut down in order to prevent damage to the batteries, so you may need a diversion regulator (or ‘dump load’) on the battery bank.

An AC-coupled system offers a few advantages compared to the traditional DC-coupled system. The batteryless grid-tie inverter can use the higher voltage from the solar array, reducing the required wire size, and is generally more efficient than a battery-based inverter. Additionally, if a direct grid-tie system is already installed and battery backup is added later, it is often more convenient and cost-effective to leave the existing system in place. A disadvantage, though, is that AC-coupled systems are typically much more expensive and complex to design, and only certain inverters can be used in such systems. But, the battery-based inverter can, with this type of system, be added to an existing grid-tie system to provide necessary backup power in the event of a power outage, resulting in money savings on your utility bill when the grid is up, and to run whatever you need to when the power goes out.

At present the SMA Sunny Island is the only equipment specifically made to be AC-coupled (with SMA Sunny Boy grid-tie inverters) and is fully factory supported. With the exception of high-frequency inverters, such as Fronius IG Plus and SMA SunnyBoy HF, most batteryless grid-tie inverters could be made to work in an AC-coupled mode...but, most manufacturers cannot provide adequate tech support, and some warranties will become void if the inverter is AC coupled. OutBack Power and Magnum Energy make battery-based inverters that can be used in an AC-coupled configuration.

It is, of course, possible to have a battery backup system that is entirely separate from a solar grid-tied system (like our example system on page 1). In parts of the world with frequent short outages, many people just install a battery based inverter and battery bank without any PV whatsoever. Very similar to a UPS (uninterrupted power system), the battery is kept charged by the inverter from the utility AC power as long as the power is on, and during a power outage will supply power from the battery to AC loads. This type of system has no way of being recharged during an outage, (unless you have a fuel generator or add photovoltaic modules) so the amount of electricity provided cannot exceed your storage capacity. Of course, adding PV power to this sort of system makes it just like one of our basic remote power systems; simple since no grid-tie is necessary.

The common method of connecting backup loads is with a subpanel that serves specific circuits. The backup subpanel (could be a 6-breaker Square D box) is typically installed next to the main panel so that the circuit wiring can be easily transferred from the main panel to the subpanel. These circuits are then automatically powered through the backup system during a utility outage. Only complete circuits can be wired this way, not individual appliances. Appliances can occasionally be moved from other circuits onto a backed-up circuit or loads can be turned off of backed-up circuits if they are not needed during an outage. And, you may want to disconnect certain unnecessary large loads if they are on these circuits, to prolong your battery backup. If it helpful for the end user, unique styles or colors of receptacles can be installed on backed-up circuits. It is possible to have a backup system power an entire home or building if either the backup system is very large or the loads are efficient and unusually low. This is not often done because it requires a backup system large enough to power all loads in the house. Otherwise, the loads running when the outage occurs may overload the inverter (or drain your batteries quickly), defeating the backup system’s purpose.

For a grid-tied battery-based system, such as the one here in our office, the sizing of the solar array is much the same as for a non-battery grid-tie system. The limitations on the solar array are still: space for installation, maximum offset of utility power, and budget. Often a solar array sized for grid-tie will be more than large enough during a power outage. For AC-coupled systems, the battery-based inverter typically needs to be larger than the batteryless grid-tie inverter for best results, since it must be able to power your continuous loads.

The battery bank size is determined by the length of time and the size of the loads to be run during an outage. Backup systems can be made to supply power for minutes, hours, or days. If outages are brief or if a backup generator is planned, the battery bank only needs to be large enough to carry the loads for a few hours. Most often, a backup time of a half day or multiple days is desired. If there is not much sun, a generator can be run for a few hours per day to keep the battery bank charged. If the system is to be capable of running indefinitely, it should be sized like a true off-grid system.

As to batteries needed, the best bang for the buck is still the flooded lead acid cells, but these require regular maintenance and a battery box designed to safely outgas its fumes. If your storage needs are not too great we would likely recommend AGM (absorbed glass mat) batteries, which are non-spillable and require little maintenance. (Diagrams and part of article source: Brad Bassett of AEE Solar).

For more information call us (406-777-4309 or 4321), or you can also visit http://www.sma-america.com/en_US.html,  http://www.outbackpower.com/, or http://www.magnumenergy.com/ for information about these inverters.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

Solar power system owners reap the benefits of tax credits  There are still tax credits for these kinds of systems, (they’re not going to be ‘sequestered,’ thank goodness!), and your state or utility may also offer additional incentives. The ITC (Investment Tax Credit) allows power system owners to take a 30% federal tax credit of the qualifying costs of the solar electric system. Now, the ITC can only be taken in the tax year the system was placed in service; if you installed a system in 2012, you should use IRS Form 3648 to take the tax credit for 2012. The ITC is not refundable; if the 30% credit exceeds your federal tax liability, it can be applied to next year’s taxes. The ITC is for system owners — if you are leasing or financing your system, that system is not eligible for the ITC.

In most cases, any other state incentives or grants must be subtracted from the system’s cost before calculating the tax credit. It’s wise to speak to your accountant to determine if this applies to your specific situation. And if you have a commercial system, there may be additional federal tax benefits; some commercial solar owners can benefit from 50% 'bonus' depreciation, which allows for the deduction of 50% of the depreciable basis of a solar electric system in the first year of operation. This benefit is available for commercial solar electric systems placed in service in 2012 and 2013.

Many states also offer incentives which can reduce your tax liability — and all of these make solar power more affordable. You can find out what incentives are available for you at http://www.dsireusa.org/ (a state-by-state database that is updated regularly).

For solar water pumping systems, at this time, you can only get the ITC on the solar components, NOT on the pumping goods...
 

RENEWABLE ENERGY NEWS BITES:

Biofuels making the news. Turning ‘yuk’ into ‘ka-ching’ — and aviation fuel and bio-diesel. Read more at http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2012/12/04/the-beverly-landfillies-new-technologies-turning-yuk-to-ka-ching/

New Research Shows Climate Emissions from Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline Much Worse Than Reported: http://www.nrdc.org/media/2013/130117.asp.

Cyber attack on electrical grid almost certain: http://www.fiercehomelandsecurity.com/story/mit-cyber-attack-electric-grid-almost-certain/2011-12-05?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal.

This robot eats Sewage: http://phys.org/news/2012-11-ecobotiii-sewage-powered-robot.html.

Solar is Cheaper Than Coal in New Mexico: Although new solar plants can't yet compete on price with legacy coal plants, they are nearing the point where their economics look better than those for new coal plants. That's happening in New Mexico, where First Solar plans to sell solar electricity from its new 50-megawatt Macho Springs project to El Paso Electric Co. at 5.79 cents per kilowatt-hour. That's less than half the 12.8 cents per kWh that new coal plants typically charge. http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/24550.

Robert Newman’s History of Oil: A little long but good-humored and very interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sehmmzbi3UI.

Combating climate change makes economic sense: The Hewlett Foundation recently sponsored a study of the economic consequences of these policies over the past three decades. It tells an amazing story. California now uses half as much energy per capita as the nation as a whole, saving the average household $1,000 each year, with total savings now more than $56 billion. New York households have similarly benefited. Whereas per-capita electricity use across the nation has increased 50 percent in the last 30 years, in New York it has risen only 15 percent, due to the state's focus on energy conservation, saving billions of dollars. The bottom line here is that saving energy is not only good for the environment, it also saves people money. http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Combating-global-warming-makes-economic-sense-2503537.php.

Netherlands is combating rising oceans by building floating homes: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21180779.

Coal Plants Are Victims of Their Own Economics: Plans for more than 150 new coal-fired power plants have been canceled since the mid-2000s, existing plants have been closed, and in 2012, just one new coal-fired power plant went online in the United States. http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/02/coal-plants-are-victims-of-their.html?ref=hp. According to a detailed analysis of coal plant finances and economics by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, coal is losing its battle with other power sources mostly on its merits. Over the past 6 years coal's share of U.S. electrical generation has fallen from 50% to 38%. There are several reasons for coal’s decline. Over the past decade, construction costs have risen sharply. In addition, since the mid-2000s, the price of natural gas has plummeted. Coal is also struggling because many power plants that burn it are aging to the point that more parts break and they’re becoming expensive to maintain. Sixty percent of the nation’s coal plants are more than 40 years old, and the median age of coal plants retired in 2012 was 53 years.

Who's paying for fracking technologies? Taxpayers: www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120930/GJBUSINESS_01/709309976/-1/FOSBUSINESS.

Report Says Global Fossil Fuel Subsidies Dwarf Renewables Aid: The production and consumption of fossil fuels add costs to society in the form of detrimental impacts on resource availability, environment, and human health. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences estimates that fossil fuel subsidies cost the United States $120 billion in pollution and related health care costs annually. But these costs aren’t reflected in fossil fuel prices. http://www.worldwatch.org/fossil-fuel-and-renewable-energy-subsidies-rise-0.

Notes on ideal civilization (good comments too): http://2greenenergy.com/ideal-civilization/34307/#comments.

China, coal-fired power plants and ecological disaster: http://2greenenergy.com/china-coal-fired-power-plants/33953/#comments.

Whom do you trust - science or fossil fuel lobby? http://2greenenergy.com/scientists-warn-of-climate-disaster-but-are-they-to-be-trusted/33665/#more-33665.

Solar cheaper than nukes: http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/19/solar-power-cheaper-than-nuclear-in-cloudy-old-england/.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

QUOTABLE QUOTES: 

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” - - Mahatma Gandhi

"If we've learned any lessons during the past few decades, perhaps the most important is that the preservation of our environment is not a partisan challenge, it's common sense." - - Ronald Reagan

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” - - Henry Ford

“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” - - Mark Twain

“The only thing that could spoil a day was people. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.” - - Ernest Hemingway

"Now every field is clothed with grass, and every tree with leaves; the woods put forth their blossoms, and the year assumes its gay attire." -Virgil

“Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and you have done much to abolish misery from their future and crimes from society.” - - Benjamin Franklin

"As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind - every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder." - - John Glenn

"All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar." - - Helen Hayes

"If you've never been thrilled to the edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom." - - Audra Foveo

“I’ve been imitated so well I’ve heard people copy my mistakes.” - - Jimi Hendrix

“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” - - Henry Ford

"Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer." - - Geoffrey B. Charlesworth
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

Thank you for your interest in Oasis Montana.  For more information go to http://www.oasismontana.com/, send us an email at info@oasismontana.com, or call us at 406-777-4321or 4309.  And feel free to share this newsletter with your friends; knowledge is POWER!