Well, Last week I spent my week in Oregon. I went to Solar Energy International Workshop to begin my journey in becoming a solar partitioner. I have a few pictures I am going to share. Overall the experience was very pleasant.
The workshop was in a hotel, but it was really hands on. The course excluded a lab, but I plan on taking other coarse to have more hands on experience. I was learning on to install PV systems using Net-Metering Technology. Where your house produces energy and sells it back to the grid. It was pretty cool seeing all these peoples from different walks of life. I was introduced to some charters from the Coal, Electrical, HVAC, and Renewable Energy Installers.
The module we were playing with was the Solar World AG 175 watt Mono Crystalline Module. Don't be fooled, this module is 5 feet tall, and almost 3 feet wide. It is a big boy. Since Solar War was kind enough to come into the workshop and pitch the concept of Peak Oil, and gain more clients, I was Sold. That particular unit is something I plan to install next year on my house. We learned about typical series circuits and how to wire DC to inverter to AC. The real kicker was watching what the future of Solar Looks like. Enphase technology came out with a new product that blew me away. I have never seen anything like it, and it was worth the trip to learn about their product.
This is the Enphase inverter. What is unique about this product is, it makes Solar Install pretty much, Plug and Play. Traditionally when you install a system each module is connected together in a series circuit. If you were to shade one of the modules, you can lose as much as 80% efficiency on the whole system. This pesky problem changes with Enphase. When your wiring on the roof, you take the inverter and put it under the module. So instead of having to worry about DC power lines, you have AC power coming from the module on the roof. What you have to do now is connect all the AC together and wire it to your box. This really only takes minor technical experience. The best part is, if one of your modules is shaded it is completely isolated from the whole system. The power is transfered to your box, and Enphase also has a computing aspect to it. Using the AC cables, it sends information to a unit, that trackers your performance and uploads it to their servers. This information is accessible and you can have a profile in how your producing energy on your system. Pretty neat huh? I was pretty blown away. When I was talking to Ryan the other instructor, he told me that inverters would be integrated on the modules in less then five years time. So, Solar Industry is a Metaphor to how the Microchip industry was. Like Solar Cells, CPU became smaller and small originating from the transistor.
The enphase will become smaller and smaller and be incorporated onto the solar cell. All components will match and be universal and it will be PLUG and Play! Imagine how easy it would be to install systems, if anyone could do it.
This is a picture of the local food co-op. It was a real trip, because this is the first time I went to anything like it. Sure, it vibes like Whole Foods but it has a much better appeal. Since all the people are bread to function independently in this state as is. I was stoked to see how good the bulk department was in this store. They have everything, and they had agave nector on tap. Who has nector on tap! If your raw, this is a place for you. The store had a cafe, and modest display of frisbees.
The best part is, they are working on becoming as carbon neutral as possible. They bought a Ford Electric Vehicle so they can offset some delivery expenditures on fuel. I am pretty sure it is working well. They also have many renewable energies on site. Me being a LEED guy, I was impressed in How they weren't certified already.
They also feature a 2.5Kw~ PV system on their roof. The multi crystalline helps offset some of the energy the use. Of course they are using ultra efficient CFL T-8 Bulbs, but it is nice to see they are trying extra hard! The PV system is self explanatory, and you can tell it is very cloudy.
I hope you guys can read this. They have a 200+ Gallon rain barrel outside. It takes all of the water and strains it to make it somewhat potable. It isn't something you should drink, but it seems like during the summer they garden some herbs and use it as irrigation water. Good for them! This system is something, I plan to install on my house. Nothing as big as their kit, but defiantly thinking about off-seting some of my water expenditures. Also, check out this picture to put everything into perspective.
I kid you not, but the top of the barrel is almost 6 feet high. Overall, I am very satisfied with my trip to Oregon, and I am looking forward to more solar training. The next big step for me is to install more Solar Cells.
Although it'll be awkward to have this iPetals solar charger out on the street, taking advantage of the sun to keep your phone charged is just smart.
Another useless solar charger. I live in Chicago... I wonder how handy this will be during the winter?
