On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 10:29:12 -0800, "RST Engineering \(jw\)"
wrote:

It seems as though we are trying to build a cathedral foundation to hold an
outhouse. It isn't like I'm LIVING in the hangar, nor am I there working
all day every day. Sure, lights when you are elbow deep inside an engine
are nice, but hardly bleeding edge solar design. What? Ten fluorescent
fixtures with 80 watts of bulbs each? A drop cord with another 20 watt
fluorescent bulb? Perhaps a hand drill twice a day WHEN you are working in
the hangar?

It's not a matter of building a cathedral foundation, but rather trying to
design the least expensive foundation.

But I guess if you're going to light 35 hangars with ten fluorescent
fixtures that are on for a few minutes each day, you won't need much.


As to the compressor, drill press, grinder etc., a gas generator for the few
times a month you need them is quite in order and certainly less expensive
in both the short and long term than gearing up for 100% solar for the
peaks.

Very reasonable, and what I would suggest depending on how much the surge
is. Of course, that means you'll have to have wiring so that those items
will plug directly into the generator, rather than going through the
inverter.


And, if you design the system correctly, letting the gas generator
run for an hour every time you fire up and letting the batteries take a full
charge from an inexpensive battery charger can add to the output of the
solar system.

It is extremely inefficient to bring the batteries up to full charge using
the gas generator. Batteries charge more slowly as they approach full
charge. Better get a reliable generator, then.



I've done a little digging and it seems that Great Plains has the best
pricing on solar panels. Harbor Freight has a little better pricing, but I
need something that I can reliably get month in and month out (I'm the
guinea pig for about 50 hangars) and I can never rely on Harbor Freight to
have what I need when I need it.

My best guess after doing a little educated digging is that I can come up
with a system I can live with for a little over 1 AMU.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)