20KW Solar Hybrid system

I'm getting beat upon lately for my answers, but here goes. 20kW!!! is my best guess, if anyone else would like to dispute that, come on down.

Well generally you will need at least 20kW of solar panels at the voltage you require. Have a look into the solar panels first. You will find that to get 20kW (to power a home?) you will need a lot of them. An awful lot of them, say 50x400W panels minimum. And a small field to erect them.

Start by having a look at how physically large and expensive a single 400W panel is. Now multiply that by at least 50 you will need to get 20,000W. The solar panels are only part of the cost. Add a LARGE inverter/solar regulator, LARGE battery bank for storage when it is dark, cabling, supporting structure for all the panels, etc, etc.

This is a fairly simple approach but it is more than enough information to allow you to assess whether or not this is a viable project.

Right. Do a careful cost/savings assessment to see if building a solar hybrid will actually save you money. The land for the solar collectors may be expensive and some environmentalist may find one endangered bug after you have built it, so be sure to do environmental impact studies for much money before you start. Unless the Democrats manage to make regular electric power too expensive to use, few of these "green"schemes to make power will be cost effective. Do the math.

I have a subscription to "Home Power Magazine" (www.homepower.com_) it will give you a world of articles to look at. It will also have contractors, suppliers, and everything else in advertising. It's focus is on off grid power. Good luck.

James

Hello cpl.

A company in Australia Control-tech.com (Control Technology International) may be of assistance.

Their work gas been with a new form of solar collector, generator, and heat cell that replaces batteries.

Cheers,

Peter

Two things here.

1) The Average home power requirements (in Australia anyway) are 18-27kWh/24hour period. Roughly 1.2kW/hour (this is Minimum size for your Solar array).

Regardless of where it is for, I suggest you look at your power bill and work out how many kiloWatts you are using per hour and what you power profile is.

2) The Battery banks sizing is based on the power profile, how long you wish to run on Batteries alone and what you are Hybridising the system with. Is it Generator or Wind or Fuels Cells???

Once the Battery banks sizing is established, you need to work out how many kilowatts you need to Charge the Batteries in five to six (5-6) hours.

Once Items 1&2 are established and allowances made for Optimal Solar exposure in your location and hybridisation is taken into account you can start looking for space for the Solar array, Batteries and Inverter.

For my worksite the Solar array was A$350k + 500sqm (Roof Space) = 50kW
(This system has NO Battery support)

Despite all this it is well worth investigating as in the near future, the Carbon Credits alone may well pay for the system.

Regards,
Sapper.

Hello Sir,

I could arrange to Offer you A Tall Tower Based Parabola with Heavy (500Kgs) HELiUM gas Engine at the Center to Provide DIRECT Electricity Generation of 10KW from SOLAR Insolation with AUTO Tracking for Morning to Evening and also Azimuth Correction by Softwarte System for Direct Feeding to POWER SET say Bore Well Pump

Power during Sun Shine Hours only. Battery system required for OFF SUN Hours for street Lighting etc.

Cost of Each 10KW OFF Grid System is Rs.80=00Lakhs (USD 200,000/-) But Life Being 15 Years with Nature's FREE INPUT the Economics MAY be Workable.

Cost of Engine alone being High ONLY Volumes such as 100UNITS DECENTRALISED may be acceptable for REMOTE Decentralised Power Plant of 10KW each.

100 Units of 10KW System would Cost nearly 60% of Individuakl Costing referred. Delivery of 100 Systems could be around 8 Months with L/C agreeing Part paymenmts before Shippment against 100% before System leaves German Shore.

INTERESTED?

The Engineering is From GERMANY and in Use in Middle East on Commercial Plants.

Regards:KK

Dear Sir

Please check on the www.joliet-europe.com website for details.

Regards

Manuel

I would use a hybrid generating system to reduce the need for batteries. Use a steam [or other working fluid] engine to turn the generator, Use solar steam during the day and a clean fuel to make steam at night. Check out the Green Steam Engine, Cyclone Engine, Lysholm design engines and even the possibility of using a Tesla Turbine. Water tube boilers are very safe and the Lamont design gives more power for its size. A good steam engineer can tell you how big the boiler needs to be, but a one about 30" dia. X 15" H could power a 5,000 lb car at 85 mph.

For off Grid I assume you mean to use it for your home. If you can cut your electrical requirements, without living in the dark ages, you should be able to keep it down to a manageable size.

Dear cpl:

If you are in USA your system could require now about $10/W * 20 000W = 200 000 USD.

Some States can help you financially, but... most of the time you need to have these initial 200 kUSD anyway. A Hope is in new technologies. Some perspectives in CA and NC shows perspective unit cost of PV panels about One USD per Watt.

For Commercial building it is a different case. PV could keep business/production/service running when electric grid does not deliver power.

It drastically reduces ROI

Good intro and examples of Hybrid you may find

http://www.environmentalistsinc.com/

Get from them Intro to Solar Energy slide show, watch, think, DO DESIGNING, eventually w/engineering support.

P.S. Only USA technologies are presently economically efficient. Germans buy from USA! China is mostly on Si technology.

Dear Cpl

Your request is for "hybrid" power system with solar & battery. Firstly battery with solar is NOT HYBRID system. Hybrid system would consist of Solar & any other SOURCE of POWER e.g. Solar+Wind or Solar+wind+diesel or any other feasible combination. In your querry you have not mentioned what type of hybrid you are looking for. Please confirm your correct requirement so that accordingly any suggestion can be given.

Thanks and regards

Ashok Toshniwal, Bangalore - India

PS - I donot understand why people try to hide their identity.

They hide their identity so that people they know and who know them will not laugh at their questions, their silly ideas, take their good ideas to the boss before they can, get upset with their comments and so on.

If you would like to make good use of the sun, it is very doable without costing a lots amount of money. See this Solar Panels and system. Solar Home Stezader 4 kW off grid energy generator system.1,500 Watt off grid Solar Panel System.

off grid system

http://www.hardysolar.com/off-grid

<...anyone...>

Well, the easiest way is to pick up the phone to a few <...battery solar system...capacity 20kW...> suppliers and talk to them.