Evaluating Solar PV

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Bob

On April 1st and May 1st, 2012, I read the electric meters on our street at OMV. (The meters were first hooked up to the grid in early March.) Here are the readings, and calculated costs based on current ICE residential rates.

I also have solar data for the month of April, collected from the panel we have installed on the community center roof. Total amount produced for the month from this 220 watt panel was 21.7 KWH. March was a bit better, at 28.7 KWH. (You can see live data for this panel here.)

The number of panels required is calculated by dividing the total monthly usage above 300 KWH (the point at which ICE net metering kicks in) divided by the measured output for the month.

The installed cost is based on $4/watt * 220 Watt/panel * number of panels.

The payback period is calculated by dividing Cost by Savings/Month * 12 months/year. Using the default values, it looks like a payback of about 10 years. Note, this is simple payback only. It does not include interest, inflation, ICE rate changes, etc.  Nor does it include ROI – the fact that it will continue to produce electricity long after it has been paid off. Nor does it include consideration of anything other than economics — things like global climate change, added security & reliability, emergency backup during grid power outages, etc.

The images above are screenshots taken from a live calculator you can use to calculate your own costs.  To use, change the values in the yellow highlighted cells and see the results…

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Cyclone Power Technologies

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Bob

A modern steam engine, from Cyclone Power Technologies

Consider for use in our Waste-to-Energy center. Burn multiple fuels or even use with solar, grid tied. Wonder if could pyrolize biomass with the exhaust temps.

CPT has two different engines: a high temp, hi pressure, hi efficiency one (~ 30%) and a lower temp (~15% eff) one, called the WHE.  Other advantages over IC engines include multi-fuel, no need for transmission (related to torque curve of Rankine cycle.), no precise air-fuel mixture, no oil changes (water lubricated).

The Cyclone Waste Heat Engine (WHE) is a self-starting engine that operates in a low pressure, low temperature range. This feature allows the engine to run on waste heat emanating from an external source, such as the exhaust from an internal (or external) combustion engine, or the direct burning of biomass (i.e., processing garbage into methane would not be required). The Waste Heat Engine is also designed to run efficiently on solar heat without the installation of costly photovoltaic panels.

Another major commercial application includes solar-power generators for homes or businesses. By attaching inexpensive panels to a roof, enough heat can be produced to run the Waste Heat Engine. Cyclone believes that such a system could be installed at a price of approximately 20% of the cost of comparable photovoltaic panel systems, while also providing home owners with a back-up power supply. Excess electricity could be directed back to the power grid for electrical power credits

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Aquaponics Water Testing Manual

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Bob

A free manual From the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture.

Testing your Aquaponic System Water:
A Comparison of Commercial
Water Chemistry Methods

Introduction:

Aquaponics involves the dynamic interaction of fish, plants, bacteria, and their aqueous environment. The fish and plants are dependent on the balance of dissolved nutrients and quality of the water, as they generate and utilize metabolic products from each other. It is this unique balance that leads to healthy animals and a productive crop. Because of the symbiotic uptake and release of nutrients from fish to plants, periodic monitoring of your aquaponic system water is essential.

There are a multitude of commercially available water testing systems ranging from water test strips and kits to electronic meters. Both strips and kits can be obtained at local aquarium shops, while multiparameter aquaculture kits and electronic meters must be mail ordered. The choice(s) of which method to use can be particularly daunting, especially for those who are just starting in aquaponics. Are test strips any good for measuring pH or should I purchase a meter? Do I have to know how much nitrate is in my system and which is the best method to measure it? These are typical questions being asked of extension personnel and unfortunately there are no simple answers. Every person will be faced with a different situation (e.g., type and number of systems, beginner, advanced) This publication will help guide your decision to choose the best method(s) for your needs, and is based upon information regarding availability, ease of use, accuracy, precision, and cost.

List of CTSA Publications

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Hydraulic Rams

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Bob

Home-made Hydraulic Ram Pump from Clemson University

Hydraulic Ram Pumps from Practical Action

A full description of how to build and install an Atlas Ram Pump from a kit is contained in the ‘The Original’ book  Hydraulic Ram Pumps, How and Where They Work’

Variety of good resources from builditsolar

A hydraulic ram pump system is designed to deliver the desired pumping flow rate for a given elevation lift. The range of available flow rates and elevation lifts is related to the flow quantity and velocity from the water source through the drive pipe. The mathematical relationship for pumping flow rate is based upon the flow rate through the drive pipe, the vertical fall from the source through the drive pipe, and the vertical elevation lift from the pump to the point of use. These variables are illustrated in Figure 2. Equation 1 is used to calculate pumping rate:

where:

Q=pumping rate in gallons per day (gpd)
E=efficiency of a hydraulic ram pump installation, typically equal to 0.6
S=source flow rate through the drive pipe in gallons per minute (gpm)
L=vertical elevation lift from the pump to the destination in feet
F=vertical fall from the source through the drive pipe in feet.

To convert the p~umping rate expressed in gallons per day(gpd) to gallons per minute(gpm), divide by 1440. The following example illustrates an application of Equation 1.

Example.
A hydraulic ram will be used to pump water from a stream with an average flow rate of 20 gpm up to a water tank located 24 feet vertically above the pump. The vertical fall through the drive pipe in the stream to the pump is 4 feet. Assume a pumping efficiency of 0.6. What is the maximum pumping rate from the hydraulic ram pump?

In this example, E = 0.6, S = 20 gpm, L = 24 feet, and F = 4 feet. The resulting pumping rate, Q, is calculated as:

The maximum pumping rate delivered by the hydraulic ram pump operating under these conditions is 2880 gallons per day, or 2 gallons per minute.

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Under cabinet task lighting

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Bob

LED Minibar2 – High Output Linkable LED strip $80 each for 20″ long, 6 Watt, qty 12+

These High Power LED fixtures require NO DRIVER, operating directly from a 120 volt source using the included 6 foot plug-in power cord OR the included external hard wire box & they are linkable! Slim, lightweight, and extremely cool, using ultra long life HO LED’s Aluminum Construction in 3 colors and 10″, 20″ and 30″ lengths.

6-watt – High Power LED Minibar2 lighting Fixture, 20 in long, 400 lumens, Choose White, Bronze or Brushed Nickel Finish. Soothing 3500K lamps. Fixture include 4 High Power 1.4 watt LED’s with reflectors.  Never needs relamping

High/Med/Low/Off rocker switch is included on each fixture. 6 ft. Plug in power cord, 120 volt input – included. 18 inch connecting cable included. Direct link connector – included Optional hard wire box – included. (note: not directly hard wireable) Mounting clips and hardware included.

Maxim Lighting 87883 CounterMax™ MX-LD Under Cabinet LED Puck Light Multi-Pack

CounterMax MX-LD LED Light Kit (3 LED Discs)  $75.60 each.  Discs mount easily under any cabinet and can link up to 30 discs without additional hardware. The energy efficient LED disc uses only 1.7 watts, requires no additional driver, and stays cool to the touch making it safer than both halogen and xenon. The warm white color lasts long and compliments any room.

  • Kit Includes:
    • (3) MX-LD LED Discs
    • (1) On/Off Switch
    • (2) 18″ MXInterlink2 Connector Cord
    • (1) 72″ MXInterlink2 Power Cord & Installation Hardware
  • Uses 80% less power than incandescent
  • 50,000 life hours
  • Easy to install
  • Warm white 3500 K light
  • Polycarbonate housing
  • Uses MXInterLink2 Accessories

Under cabinet CFL Lighting:

White, White Acrylic Diffuser 21 1/4″ L x 5″ W x 1″ H, 1 – F13T5 Min BI-Pin Linear Fluorescent:  Product: V6021-6 – $41.40 each.

White, White Acrylic Diffuser, 12 1/2″ L x 5″ W x 1″ H, 1 – F8T5 Min BI-Pin Linear Fluorescent: Product: V6412-6 – $37.80 each.

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Energy efficient DC ceiling fans

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Bob

Emerson CF955WW Midway Eco Appliance White Energy Star 54″ Ceiling Fan with Light & Remote :

345 Watts/CFM.  This is a huge breakthrough considering that the average ceiling fan only produces approximately 76 CFM/Watt. …  The Emerson Midway ECO is the first of a new breed of ceiling fans that sets the standard for the future. Proven to be over 300% more efficient than any other ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fan with lights, the Midway Eco is in fact the Greenest Ceiling Fan on the Planet. The Midway Eco is a powerful, yet low energy consuming fan that moves a whopping 6,936 Cubic Feet of Air per Minute while consuming only 24 watts of electricity. This is an unprecedented breakthrough in ceiling fan technology and far exceeds the standards set for ENERGY STAR Qualification by the Department of Energy (DOE). Even more, the light fixture uses 4-13 Watt CFL bulbs for the equivalent of about 200 Watts of incandescent light while only consuming 52 Watts. The fan and lights combined use about as much electricity as a 75 watt light bulb, which is quite remarkable.

http://www.hansenwholesale.com/ceilingfans/reviews/emerson_midway_eco.asp

Energy star rated ceiling fans

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Consumer Reports comparisons, refrigerators, showerheads

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Bob

consumer reports comparisons

Highest rated refrigerators:

  • LG LFC25776[SW] — $1800 – $2400
  • Whirlpool Gold GXF5FHDXV[] — $1200 — $1500
  • Kenmore 7201 — $1524

Low flow Showerheads

  • Moen Inspire 21777 — $50
  • American Standard Flowise 1660.502 — $30 – $60
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Aquaponics Media Sizing Tool

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Bob

New Aquaponics System Design Tool

Dr Wilson Lennart, of Aquaponic Solutions has developed a new aquaponic system design model for all those people who wish to design and build their own backyard/hobby/domestic media bed aquaponic systems. This model allows you to size the media bed (gravel bed) of your system based on three important requirements: the fishfeed to plant use ratio requirment (we use the UVI ratio model for this), the biofiltration requirment (this is for people who wish to use a gravel bed as a filter and want a majority system using another hydroponic approach, like deep flow or NFT) and the solids mineralisation requirment (to make sure that solids that enter the gravel bed are broken down and mineralised).

There are many different sizing approaches for media bed aquaponic systems, but none of them are actually based on the use of sound or established scientific or technical principles. The new sizing model uses established and well known associations for gravel bed biofilter sizing, fish feed input to plant use ratios and gravel bed solids mineralisation ratios.

http://www.microponics.net.au/

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Tilapia pond resources

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Bob

Misc Pond Design Notes:

  • Pond systems that yield the highest fish production only replace water lost through evaporation and seepage. Water flow generally reduces the production of pond systems in the tropics.[1]
  • Provide drainage around the dike so pond does not collect run-off water from the surrounding watershed.
  • The water overflow pipe is used only in emergencies. Water should NOT flow out of the ponds on a daily basis. During heavy rains the overflow pipe takes excess rainwater and run-off water out of the pond. If you install the overflow pipe with the intake underwater as shown, this will prevent the screen from clogging with debris that may be floating on the pond surface.

References:

  1. http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/AD15.pdf
  2. http://aqua.ucdavis.edu/DatabaseRoot/pdf/280FS.PDF
  3. http://tilapiafarmingathome.com/notsobasic.aspx
  4. http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/AC736E/AC736E02.htm
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More efficient ozone-friendly air conditioner

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Bob

An air conditioner with VFD condenser, uses R134a or R410a refrigerant which is more ozone friendly than R22.  The condensing unit modulates to meet demand instead of on/off, so is more efficient. Replace the Air-Pro units currently installed in Villas.  Possible 2 yr payback.  “Inverter A/C” info from wikipedia…

The inverter tag found on some air conditioners signifies the ability of the unit to continuously regulate its thermal transfer flow by altering the speed of the compressor in response to cooling demand.

Traditional air conditioners use a compressor that is either working at maximum capacity or switched off periodically, to regulate the temperature of the room. A thermostat is used to measure the ambient air temperature and switch the compressor on when the ambient air temperature is too far from the desired temperature.

An alternate way to meet the varying cooling demand is to vary (“modulate”) the capacity of the compressor. An air conditioner compressor has two components, a mechanical part – the actual compressor and the electrical part – the motor to drive the compressor. Either of the components can be used to modulate the capacity. In digital scroll compressors – the mechanical Scrolls of the compression mechanism is controlled to modulate and the electric motor runs at constant speed. The other method is to control the speed of the compressors by various means. “Inverter” air conditioners use a variable-frequency drive to control the speed of the motor and thus the compressor.

http://www.ecoxline.com/web/en/products-detail.php?id=1111.12MPINV

ecox ac unit – catalog_32528

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