Changed to solar and...... Wow!

[Ringo]

Interesting Ringo.
My solar man, from whom I bought does what you do - runs the planta in the morning and at dinner time - what he considers the peak hours.

I have only the planta for charging but that's not part of the equation.
The dilemma is 'when' to augment - during usage or after?

I think I'll change my habits and augment during usage.


No question that your new panels will significantly reduce your augmentation needs.

Thanks for helping.

Good morning!

I see that you are up early. Do you have meters to check your battery level? Does your gen. have and auto start or timer to start it? What time did you start the gen?

My new twice a day charging seems to be working ok. The gen. didn't come on. We DID use 21kwh of Edenorte yesterday but as long as I stay under the magic 700kwh I'm happy. The PM charging for 1.5 hours, no pool pumps, uses three times the amount then my AM one does. It really pi$$es me off but nothing I can do about it right now.

Time to load up horses and go for a nice long ride.

 

[william webster]

I have no fancy system like that... external battery reading.

I ran the generator thru to 7pm last night ( 2 hrs ) and may try it again today/this morning.
We have a visitor, so more household activity than usual.

Have good ride.

 

[Ringo]

I have no fancy system like that... external battery reading.

I ran the generator thru to 7pm last night ( 2 hrs ) and may try it again today/this morning.
We have a visitor, so more household activity than usual.

Have good ride.

Hey ww. Don't you have the Outback Flexmax controller? That has a Volts reading that will give you and indication of your battery charge level but is usually half a volt higher then the real battery voltage during the solar charging process.

Good ride thank. Just about 5 hours in the saddle up in the mountains. Horses and ME really tired and sore. lol

 

[Ringo]

I've used my gen. a few times but have noticed that the 200 amp breaker has been tripping. Nothing like burning fuel and NOT getting the bang for the buck. I noticed some 10 years ago that the side panel where the breaker is has lots of "extra" holes and thought that for a NEW unit ... rather odd. But it worked so didn't do anything. I had enough on my plate for years with construction and ... U name it.

So I opened up the gen. to take a look and sure enough a Mickey Mouse installation was seen from the inside but I'm going to check with you guys since I'm soooo confused at times. And yes.... I've been Googleing alllllll day. (I might even pick up a phone and call someone in the U.S.???)

A 3 pole breaker installed but only 2 wires in and out?
Only 2 lines are shown on the digital board with a 3rd with NO reading OR indicators for a reading.
I only see 2 main cables everywhere else. To the auto transfer and main house breaker.
Are we not only two phase?

Am I right that I only need a 2 pole/200 amp breaker to replace the now faulty one? U.S. $94. vs $300 plus.

Got to check the gen now since batts very low and want to do a little charge on me rather Edenorte.

 

[william webster]

Hey ww. Don't you have the Outback Flexmax controller? That has a Volts reading that will give you and indication of your battery charge level but is usually half a volt higher then the real battery voltage during the solar charging process.

Good ride thank. Just about 5 hours in the saddle up in the mountains. Horses and ME really tired and sore. lol

YEs, I guess I do but am quite clueless about it.

Y'day, no charge needed... today, 2.5hrs

I drove to STI today for the esposa's dental appt.....that Moca hill..... whew!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ringo]

YEs, I guess I do but am quite clueless about it.

Y'day, no charge needed... today, 2.5hrs

I drove to STI today for the esposa's dental appt.....that Moca hill..... whew!!!!!!!!!

I DON'T THINK THAT YOU ARE CLULESS.

Look at your readings on the Outback and those should give you a clue. lol

I hope that the dental work ...worked out.

 

[wuarhat]

I've used my gen. a few times but have noticed that the 200 amp breaker has been tripping. Nothing like burning fuel and NOT getting the bang for the buck. I noticed some 10 years ago that the side panel where the breaker is has lots of "extra" holes and thought that for a NEW unit ... rather odd. But it worked so didn't do anything. I had enough on my plate for years with construction and ... U name it.

So I opened up the gen. to take a look and sure enough a Mickey Mouse installation was seen from the inside but I'm going to check with you guys since I'm soooo confused at times. And yes.... I've been Googleing alllllll day. (I might even pick up a phone and call someone in the U.S.???)

A 3 pole breaker installed but only 2 wires in and out?
Only 2 lines are shown on the digital board with a 3rd with NO reading OR indicators for a reading.
I only see 2 main cables everywhere else. To the auto transfer and main house breaker.
Are we not only two phase?

Am I right that I only need a 2 pole/200 amp breaker to replace the now faulty one? U.S. $94. vs $300 plus.

Got to check the gen now since batts very low and want to do a little charge on me rather Edenorte.

Are you talking about the main breaker on the generator? 200 Amps sounds kind of high. That would be for a 48KW generator. Unless your lighting up a ballpark it's about four times what you'd need for a household with maximum draw. Two poles should be enough, unless you want to open up the neutral also. I'm not sure there's any reason to do that though.

 

[Heath]

Get out the ruler; i need a pre-emptive slap on the knuckles for what i'm about to do, post without reading the whole thread. (Stumbled on thread tonight and thoroughly relished the first 130 posts)
Add these up:
I just booked three nights at Windeguy's place on a whim (seen on activecabarete)
I once tended the food plot at a hotel where the owner experienced something mysteriously like Ringo's dance with E.
I live twenty minutes from Deka's plant in PA.
My best friend is an engineer there.
In a former life i introduced him to Latin America; he's now married to... a Dominican. Happy Halloween!
Looking forward to meeting you soon, Windeguy, and more of you eventually!

 

[Ringo]

Are you talking about the main breaker on the generator? 200 Amps sounds kind of high. That would be for a 48KW generator. Unless your lighting up a ballpark it's about four times what you'd need for a household with maximum draw. Two poles should be enough, unless you want to open up the neutral also. I'm not sure there's any reason to do that though.

It's a 50Kw generator and the 200 amp breaker is correct. (rather large place with a dozen AC units... that we seldom use anymore. But we have drawn over 80% from her at times in the past.) Why someone took the original two pole out and a new unit and replaced it with a three pole is what stumped me. In doing so they did a rather bad looking installation, though it worked.

I've ordered a two pole that should be here in a week or so.

 

[wuarhat]

It's a 50Kw generator and the 200 amp breaker is correct. (rather large place with a dozen AC units... that we seldom use anymore. But we have drawn over 80% from her at times in the past.) Why someone took the original two pole out and a new unit and replaced it with a three pole is what stumped me. In doing so they did a rather bad looking installation, though it worked.

I've ordered a two pole that should be here in a week or so.

Wow! If you're getting away with 2.5KW in panels most of the time, I wonder if it might be more efficient to use a smaller generator, maybe 3KW - 5KW, for charging, and save the 50KW for emergencies when you have to run the whole show on generator. Forgive me in advance if you've already given this idea consideration. I've read the whole thread as it has developed, but it is getting rather large to review every time I post.

 

[reilleyp]

You think this is easy?

Solar panels with size and details. Frames. Mounting. Installing. Shipping. Importing. Paperwork. Taxes. Delivery. Herricane proof. Salt resistant. Adjustable frames. Volts, Amps, Watt's. Guarentees and warrinties. Wiring. Compatible with what I have. Support. Quality of all the above. And the ALL important.............. WHAT DOES IT COST?

I guess that I get sooooo tired of the last note that it really anoyes me. Everything is important and needs to be factured in for several reasons and each individual SHOULD be able to do that on their own. (Boy... is that an optimistic thought.)

So I've changed from a few posts ago for different reasons but I'll post what I've ordered and the costs.

(Why don't people like to state the money stuff.) That's part of life and is real. I KNOW that someone else has a better deal BUT they did not tell me. HAY.... I've got things to do and need to keep moving forward and getting things done. YOU got a better ?DEAL?... then why didn't YOU speak up?) I think that people don't want someone else saying that ?THEY? got a better deal then good for them but IF you don't share then it ain't no deal for anyone else.

Copy/paste did not work as I hoped but then again, those that are really interested can figure it out.

D-240QCJ > 240 Watt 29 Volt Solar Panel $305.00 4.00 $1,220.00
UniRac 310168C > SolarMount 168 Inch Rail > Clear $60.95 2.00 $121.90
UniRac 307115M > SolarMount 18" - 30" Adjustable Tilt Leg Kit $27.80 3.00 $83.40
Unirac 304000C > SolarMount Serrated L-Foot, Clear $2.95 6.00 $17.70
UniRac 302006C > SolarMount End Clamp Size F, Clear $1.69 6.00 $10.14
UniRac 302006C > SolarMount End Clamp Size F, Clear $1.69 4.00 $6.76
UniRac 308001S > SolarMount Grounding Clip 1 (UGC-1) > Single Unit $1.66 5.00 $8.30
Wiley Electronics WEEBL-6.7 > Grounding Lug $9.98 2.00 $19.96

Grand Total $1,673.16 (I told U copy/paste was not working... this is the final price in the U.S.)
Shipping and $185.00 Ship To Business Freight Delivery
Handling
Total Price $1,488.16
Discount 0.00%
Subtotal $1,488.16

Product List Price Sales Pric

This was the best deal for the panels and frames that I wanted and the shipping was WAY down. I gave the quote above for the Miami to D.R. door to door shipping.

The person that we worked with was very good and WORKED to help us. PM me for details on who to contact.

The last couple of weeks have... I've been using some diesel. Not much sun. That's life.

Ringo,
Is your shipper able to bring this in without the ITBIS tax? By law it is supposed to come in tax free, but doing that is difficult. I finally gave up and paid the tax. If they are able to bring it in tax free, can you tell me the shippers name? Thanks

 

[Ringo]

Ringo,
Is your shipper able to bring this in without the ITBIS tax? By law it is supposed to come in tax free, but doing that is difficult. I finally gave up and paid the tax. If they are able to bring it in tax free, can you tell me the shippers name? Thanks

Copy/paste from previous posts:

"From Miami to Sosua. Door to door.
From Windeguy's suggestion in another thread: "Three quotes received for Door to Door shipping prices from Miami with EncargoPaq:" I also get an estimate for shipping of about $50 per panal and $50 for the rack. They come by ship so take a week of two. They take care of the paperwork and will get the TAX information before I buy anything. So I don't know if it is TAX free or not at this time."

We sent the information for the 4 solar panels and the frame to Emanuel Knudsen at EncrgoPaq in Sosua on Friday. We recieved our quote from him at about noon today.

Door to door from Miami to our place in Playa Chiquita in Sosua. Shipped via boat so will take a couple of weeks after they get them in Miami.

EVERYTHING included.... all paperwork, shipping, taxes and delivered.

... "the price to import solar panels is, R$D 6.500 PESOS (US $152.09 for 4 panels), and R$D 3.000 PESOS (US $76.04) for the frame.

This price includes shipping to your home."

I hope that this answers some questions regarding shipping and taxes. At US $38.02 per panel inclusive is a real deal.......... as long as it holds true. (Ya... we ARE in the Dominican Republic. lol)

Thanks for the tip Windeguy.

Getting our order put together and getting things done. "



My understanding is that everything is included in the quote from the shipper.
Our stuff should be in Miami now or soon. Loaded on a ship to S.D. The shipper does all the work and gets the stuff in S.D. and delivers to our door here in the Sosua area.

IF this works out it could be a REAL game changer for Solar in the D.R. as well as for EncrgoPaq.

I'm guessing a couple more weeks before we get the final results.

 

[Ringo]

We received this email this afternoon. Of course we understand the situation but found it impressive that the Company that we are dealing with, once again, proved how professional they are by letting us know. And we emailed back thanking them for letting us know and that we hope that all are safe.... we can wait for our panels.

Solar Panels for Your Home & Energy Efficient Products - EcoDirect.com


Dear ....

Thank you for your order and interest in EcoDirect. The Sharp panels you ordered are in stock in New Jersey. This warehouse has been closed for the week due to the recent storm.

We anticipate the panels shipping to you next week via Freight Carrier. In the meantime, the racking will ship from CA.

As soon as we have all of the tracking information it will be emailed to you. Thank you and have a great day!

(Maybe I've been down here too long and don't remember what "service" really is anymore. LOL)

 

[Ringo]

A good day to boil the batts. It is the first week of the month and time to boil them. So Edenorte makes some money being that it takes about 5 hours at 40 plus amps to get them done.

The last couple of weeks we have had a lot of clouds and rain so the solar is not able to keep up adding only 3 or 4 kwh per day. I've done a little adjusting on the Edenorte/generator schedule to keep up with prime use hours and the batteries up.
5:50 to 7:00 AM Edenorte to charge batteries and inverter pass thru so all is on them. Run pools.
7:00 to 10:00 AM Edenorte Runs pools only.
5:50 to 6:20 PM Generator to charge and power everything.
6:30 to 7:00 PM Edenorted to charge and power everything. (Pools off)

Other then boiling the batts day, we are at an average of 16kwh per day with Edenorte. The half hour with the generator really seems to give a big boost to the battery charging before Edenorte kicks in.

Looking for the sun to come back.... soooooon.

 

[william webster]

Took me 2.5hrs y'day to get things up to charge..... had a bit of a late night.
Zorba the Greek and his wife kept me up later than usual w/ pool lite and other porch lites running o'time.

At the 2 hour mark today...... very crappy morning but catching a glimmer this afternoon.

Gasoil man is happy............irate:

 

[reilleyp]

Took me 2.5hrs y'day to get things up to charge..... had a bit of a late night.
Zorba the Greek and his wife kept me up later than usual w/ pool lite and other porch lites running o'time.

At the 2 hour mark today...... very crappy morning but catching a glimmer this afternoon.

Gasoil man is happy............irate:

If I can get 235 watt mono panels down to the DR, does anyone want some at $325 US dollars, (or equivalent)each.? You pick them up in Samana.

 

[william webster]

I'm pretty well set - 12 Sanyo 195W........ so far, so good.

There are quite a few people getting ready to add solar here.

 

[PeterInBrat]

I just got a LED 60w replacement at LOWES yesterday for about $15. It's a warm white unlike fluorescent lights and only uses 13.5w. It really does give the same amount of light as a 60w and it's suppose to last 22 YEARS. The payback time is thought to be about 4 years in the US assuming the cost of replacing incandescent/fluorescent into the equation. If you could get them in the DR for about the same price, the payback time would be much less.

China produces over 90% of the LEDs. The US really needs to be catching up on these.

 

[windeguy]

I just got a LED 60w replacement at LOWES yesterday for about $15. It's a warm white unlike fluorescent lights and only uses 13.5w. It really does give the same amount of light as a 60w and it's suppose to last 22 YEARS. The payback time is thought to be about 4 years in the US assuming the cost of replacing incandescent/fluorescent into the equation. If you could get them in the DR for about the same price, the payback time would be much less.

China produces over 90% of the LEDs. The US really needs to be catching up on these.

I have been purchasing soft white compact fluorescent bulbs from WalMart for years that are 13 Watt replacements for 60 Watt incandescent. It is good to see that the LED bulbs are dropping in price, but for me they still have not quite reached a competitive advantage over the compact fluorescent bulbs.

Unfortunately the type of manufacturing done to make such items is unlikely to return to the US.

 

[william webster]

In our house, what pushes us to the LED is the color..... The squiggly bulbs feel like a department store or dentist's office