Photovoltaic System to Run Computer(s)

Hello all,
I am interested in setting up a solar powered system that will run a computer or two (not necessarily a monitor on them). I would be interested in doing this mainly either for a long term UPS backup, use in distributed computing, and reducing my draw on the grid.
Is this a possibility? Do you guys know of any good guides or articles on how/where to get started?
Thanks!

tc10284@gmail.com wrote:

Is this a possibility? Do you guys know of any good guides or articles on how/where to get started?

http://www.woa.com.au/terryc/remote-power/remote-power.html#solar
might help get you started.

Terryc wrote:

tc10284@gmail.com wrote:
Is this a possibility? Do you guys know of any good guides or articles on how/where to get started?
http://www.woa.com.au/terryc/remote-power/remote-power.html#solar
might help get you started.

Link doesn't work for me =(

I think you need a set of the Harbor Freight panels ($200), an inverter (about $90), a couple of golf cart batteries from Costco, and a Solar Converters MPPT charge controller from Canada ($90).

BobG wrote:

I think you need a set of the Harbor Freight panels ($200), an inverter (about $90), a couple of golf cart batteries from Costco, and a Solar Converters MPPT charge controller from Canada ($90).

Add a battery charger to that.

Tony Wesley wrote:

BobG wrote: I think you need a set of the Harbor Freight panels ($200), an inverter (about $90), a couple of golf cart batteries from Costco, and a Solar Converters MPPT charge controller from Canada ($90).
Add a battery charger to that.

Do you mean a special battery charger that will connect to the solar panel or just a regular battery charger that plugs into the grid? (sorry for the n00bness of that question)
Also, what watt rating do I need to look for in that range and what would it be able to handle running on it?

On 12/11/2006 3:22 PM, tc10284@gmail.com wrote:

Tony Wesley wrote: BobG wrote: I think you need a set of the Harbor Freight panels ($200), an inverter (about $90), a couple of golf cart batteries from Costco, and a Solar Converters MPPT charge controller from Canada ($90). Add a battery charger to that.
Do you mean a special battery charger that will connect to the solar panel or just a regular battery charger that plugs into the grid? (sorry for the n00bness of that question)
Also, what watt rating do I need to look for in that range and what would it be able to handle running on it?
You don't need the battery charger. The solar panels will charge the

batteries and the charge controller will keep them from overcharging.
Dave Pyles

Dave Pyles wrote:

On 12/11/2006 3:22 PM, tc10284@gmail.com wrote: Tony Wesley wrote: BobG wrote: I think you need a set of the Harbor Freight panels ($200), an inverter (about $90), a couple of golf cart batteries from Costco, and a Solar Converters MPPT charge controller from Canada ($90). Add a battery charger to that.
Do you mean a special battery charger that will connect to the solar panel or just a regular battery charger that plugs into the grid? (sorry for the n00bness of that question)
Also, what watt rating do I need to look for in that range and what would it be able to handle running on it?
You don't need the battery charger. The solar panels will charge the batteries and the charge controller will keep them from overcharging.
Dave Pyles

Thanks for clearing that up. Can you tell me what watt range I'm looking at?

Dave Pyles wrote:

On 12/11/2006 3:22 PM, tc10284@gmail.com wrote: Tony Wesley wrote: BobG wrote: I think you need a set of the Harbor Freight panels ($200), an inverter (about $90), a couple of golf cart batteries from Costco, and a Solar Converters MPPT charge controller from Canada ($90). Add a battery charger to that.
Do you mean a special battery charger that will connect to the solar panel or just a regular battery charger that plugs into the grid? (sorry for the n00bness of that question)
Also, what watt rating do I need to look for in that range and what would it be able to handle running on it?
You don't need the battery charger. The solar panels will charge the batteries and the charge controller will keep them from overcharging.
Dave Pyles And also, if that type of setup would be able to handle a system or two

(CPU under full load possibly). I don't really need a monitor running on the solar system.

tc10284@gmail.com wrote:

And also, if that type of setup would be able to handle a system or two (CPU under full load possibly). I don't really need a monitor running on the solar system. ==============================

You design the system. If you run 2 computers that need 50W ea 10hrs a day, thats 1KW-hr. With me so far? The inverter needs be able to produce 100W or more obviously. So the batteries will be humping out about 9 amps x 12 volts while you are computing. Get a battery that is 'deep cycle'... a group 27 size trolling motor battery is about 110 Amp-hrs at a 10 amp rate... but I'd get 2 of em or a couple Trojan T105 6V golf cart batteries, because the idea is to not discharge them below about 50% or 11V. If you live in Florida or Arizona, you might get 8 hrs of sun a day... so 120 watts worth of panels x 8 hrs just about gives you your KW-hr of energy back a day. If its cloudy one day, you might need to crank up the generator. Those Harbor Freight panels are 3 x 15W panels... they are about $5 a watt, but looks like you'd need 2 or 3 sets of em to get up to 120W. Just run one computer and everything cuts in half. Make sense?

tc10284@gmail.com wrote:

Tony Wesley wrote: BobG wrote: I think you need a set of the Harbor Freight panels ($200), an inverter (about $90), a couple of golf cart batteries from Costco, and a Solar Converters MPPT charge controller from Canada ($90).
Add a battery charger to that.
Do you mean a special battery charger that will connect to the solar panel or just a regular battery charger that plugs into the grid? (sorry for the n00bness of that question)

A regular battery charger that plugs into the grid.
With 45 watts of Harbor Freight panels, you'll draw more from the battery than the panels provide, unless you aren't going to use the computer much.
[Google gave a "502 server error" and told me to try again. Apologies in advance if there's a double post.]

schrieb im Newsbeitrag

Hello all,
I am interested in setting up a solar powered system that will run a computer or two (not necessarily a monitor on them). I would be interested in doing this mainly either for a long term UPS backup, use in distributed computing, and reducing my draw on the grid.
Is this a possibility? Do you guys know of any good guides or articles on how/where to get started?

Depends on the power usage of the computer.
Notebooks use far less energy.
Only for the usage on a sunny beach, here my solar equipment for my notebook
http://laptop.pege.org/2005-photovoltaic
-- Roland M�sl http://car.pege.org cars and traffic http://live.pege.org building and live http://www.pege.org

Tony Wesley wrote: Add a battery charger to that. =========================================

Telling the guy to add a battery charger to his PV system is like telling the windmill guy to buy a fan. I think you are trying to tell me my advice and equipment list didn't meet your specs, but you were using sarcasm/humor/meanness to point this out. Whats the chances that the guy really wanted to know what to get for a starter PV system? Whats your recommendation? I'll promise not to kibbitz your list.

BobG wrote:

Tony Wesley wrote: Add a battery charger to that. ========================================= Telling the guy to add a battery charger to his PV system is like telling the windmill guy to buy a fan.

I wouldn't. I'd suggest a generator.

I think you are trying to tell me my advice and equipment list didn't meet your specs,

Not my specs but the requirements that I inferred the original poster needed.

but you were using sarcasm/humor/meanness to point this out.

None of the above.
The guy asked about running a computer or two, for distributed processing. I don't know, but I'm guessing that means 24 hour per day operation.
The system that Terry Collins describes (a laptop) draws 29 amp-hours per day at 12 volts. The Harbor Freight panels are going to produce about 3/4 of that. Assume 6 hours at 3.75 amps. and you have 22.5 amp-hours. Even with a low-power laptop, before we turn on the second system, before we take into account cloudy days, we're falling behind.
If it's not a laptop but a regular desktop PC, the power consumption will be considerably more.
from http://windows.uwaterloo.ca/Hardware/PC_Power_Consumption.asp
"...each PC consumes roughly the same amount of energy at it's highest usage level as a 100w light bulb"
"At night time when your PC is 'sleeping' it only consumes 35 Watts."

Whats the chances that the guy really wanted to know what to get for a starter PV system? Whats your recommendation? I'll promise not to kibbitz your list.

Your list will work, with a good battery charger.

Tony Wesley wrote:

Your list will work, with a good battery charger. ============================================

Good points, Tony. I agree. Thanks for the polite reply! The items I listed would cost $500 or more. Wonder what his budget was for his remote solar datalogging project?