120v power in remote location

Thanks!

With the cabins - we use solar. At each we keep four 120 watt, 12 volt solar panels. A wind generator would rarely work when needed. We only use the cabins a few days at time, sometimes up to a week. And then - months might go by without us being there. Subsequently, we don't leave all the equipment there. Solar panels are always locked up inside when we're gone. We use a bank of six - six volt deep-cycle batteries - wired in parallel to keep total voltage at 12 VDC. 12 volts is harder to wire in long runs - but . . . it leaves the option of running 12 VDC appliances direct from the battery bank. We use a load-sensing inverter rated at 3000 watts - 12 VDC input and 120 VAC output. It senses demand and only turns itself on when AC current is needed. During the summer we leave the batteries there. In the winter - the batteries and inverter come home for safe storage. We also have a propane generator at both places that serves two purposes - #1 high current demand like running an AC welder or air compressor and #2 charging the battery bank if the batteries get run down from overuse, lack of sunshine, etc. With these setups - I run power tools while building, run fans, TV set, DVD player, water pump, CFL lights, computer, etc. System has worked out fine. Solar panels have just about always kept up with the battery bank charge - and this is in a low sunhine area of the Adirondack Mountains of New York - and with the panels on the ground just leaning against the cabin. They would be even more efficient if mounted on the roof. But - since we don't go there all winter, I'm not willing to leave them there for someone to steal. They cost $500-$700 each.

Few home made windmills with car or truck alternators have been successful. Those who have checked out the possibility consider the alternators to be inefficient compared to other generator designs.

Visit the web site of Home Power Magazine and learn there.

First you have to determine your absolute minimum power needs and work from there.

Many of line homes use 12, 24, or 48 volt batteries, generally combinations of 6 volt golf cart batteries. For these battery voltages, inverters and chargers are available from several vendors. As well as windmills and photo voltaic panels.

Since its inefficient running a 2 KW inverter for a few compact fluorescent lamps, its better to have built in inverters in each lamp and those are available at RV and marine dealers to run off 12 volts DC. There are a few analog TV that will run off 12 volts DC, I don't know about HD for 12 volts DC. Should be, I think.

The only rub with running stuff on 12 volts is that you need sturdier wires than for the same loads at 120 volts to minimize voltage drop, but LED and CFL lights don't use a lot of that precious stored energy.

But then if your needs are short time, none of the above will pay off and you might as well drag a noisy (or quiet Honda) generator to the camp and use it for a few hours a day when you need lights and TV. That will cost the least and will work reliably so long as you care for the engine and have fuel.

Gerald J.

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