Sol-Ark – a new line of invertersWe are now offering a new solar power inverter “Sol-Ark” and find this will suit a variety of uses for our grid-tie customers. For those who wish to add batteries at a later date, you can start your system out as straight-grid tie, then add batteries later as time or your budget permits. The time of use programmable feature also fits nicely with many utilities' practices and rates.
 If you are anticipating the use of solar as a UPS (uninterruptible power system), presently Sol-Ark has twenty different battery manufacturers that are easily adapted for this use.
If you're a customer wanting to have “whole house” back-up during a grid outage? The “smart load” management system answers the call by reducing the big load hogs during an outage and allowing lesser consumptive loads to continue. This is a new solution for our solar power consumers.
A Sol-Ark hybrid solar system, integrated with a standby generator along with your solar array and battery bank, can act as a whole house UPS. The engineers at Sol-Ark have addressed a lot of little problems that have plagued many inverter manufacturers for decades (one is -- integrating a generator AND grid-power). The Sol-Ark engineers have been able to address and tackle long-standing problems that every inverter manufacturer has been faced with in their products, and that is testament to how far the inverter industry has evolved. Sol-Ark, designed and engineered in Texas, veteran-owned and veterans hired as technicians and troubleshooters...makes it easier to offer a national brand that is good for all of us.
MSRP pricing for the 5KW model is $4800; for the 8KW model, $6300; and for the 12KW model, $6950, at this writing. And like everything nowadays, pricing is subject to change without notice. If you need specifications on one or more of these inverters, call us or send us an e-mail to info@oasismontana.com.
This new product, now available, is an improved technology when it comes to solar power systems. Ease of installation, reliable performance for our DIYer family? We think solar power will be easier and more reliable for our off-grid customers, DIYers as well as grid-tied consumers.... the new kid in town is “Sol-Ark”. Call us for more information, 406-777-4321. New Enphase product: The Enphase IQ8 (microinverters) have started production shipments in North America. The IQ8 claim to fame is that it is capable of forming a microgrid during a power outage, providing backup power even without a battery. How does that happen? The IQ8 can limit energy capture to just what the home is consuming, so in the event that the grid suffers a power failure, a proprietary, intelligent chip within the IQ8 will seamlessly switch between on or off grid. Call for more information or visit https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/12/27/enphase-energy-starts-shipping-iq8-microinverters-in-north-america/ |
SUPPLY CHAIN WOES:A little update about truck freight: Many of the power system goods we sell ship via truck freight. Capacity limitations, driver shortages, shifts in scheduling, severe weather, fluctuating fuel prices and other factors have cause shipping costs via truck freight to skyrocket in the past year, with no relief in sight. And we have seen more freight damage claims in the past nine months than in the previous twenty years! What’s a consumer to do? We have some tips to minimize shipping problems. First, keep your camera handy – and be prepared to thoroughly inspect your goods upon receipt. Take a picture of your pallet of goods upon arrival. If there is any damage or any problem with the exterior packaging, note it in writing on the bill of lading (shipping receipt). Most claims for damage must be made pronto!
Here's an article about why the price of gas and diesel is so high:
https://gizmodo.com/the-real-reason-gas-prices-are-so-high-right-now-1848088360?utm_source=TheOnion_Daily_RSS&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021-11-19 The price of diesel has gone up about $1.25 a gallon in the past year.
Increases in costs for polysilicon, glass, steel, aluminum, and copper affect the cost of nearly every component in solar, including modules, racking, inverters, and the full suite of balance-of-system components. Industry analysts say that it can take 3-9 months for end-users to see the impact of raw material cost increases in their price, and even longer for those costs to drop. This is our industry’s current dilemma.
While there are still some deals to be had, we suspect the supply of certain goods will continue to be tenuous. Fortunately, we have a diverse bunch of suppliers, so if one is out-of-stock, we can usually find someone else to fill the bill. If you are looking for a particular inverter, or solar module, let us know, and we’ll put the word out and see what’s available. However, many battery manufacturers have found their raw materials are simply not available. Popular models like Trojan, or Rolls/Surrette, are experiencing lead times of one year or more. The lithium (LFP) batteries continue to have shorter lead times, as well as some FLA industrial batteries. Give us a call and we’ll see what’s in the pipeline.  | Appliance UpdateAppliance suppliers have their share of back-orders too. We sell several types of non-electric gas products (gas refrigerators, freezers, stoves, cooktops; visit www.LPappliances.com for more information), and some of those goods are just starting to be available again after an absence of nearly a year! We also offer several Energy Star and DC refrigerators (www.eco-fridge.com), so if you are looking for something efficient for your remote home, or just trying to keep a lid on your utility bill, give us a call and we’ll see what’s available. And if you are thinking about some appliance need for this spring or summer, you’d better think about getting in line sooner than later. The supply issues are ongoing and frustrating! | 
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RENEWABLE ENERGY NEWS & MORE
Quotable Quotes- Against stupidity the very gods themselves contend in vain. -- Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759 – 1805)
- One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. – Oliver Wendell Holmes
- The longer I live, the more convinced am I that this planet is used by other planets as a lunatic asylum. – George Bernard Shaw
- Tune your television to any channel it doesn’t receive and about 1 percent of the dancing static you see is accounted for by an ancient remnant of the Big Bang. The next time you complain that there is nothing on, remember that you can always catch the birth of the universe. – Bill Bryson
- Nothing disturbs me more than the glorification of stupidity. – Carl Sagan
- Kids don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are. – Jim Henson
- Always maintain a kind of summer, even in the middle of winter. --Henry David Thoreau
- Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart. –Victor Hugo
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