Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Power your Roof Air with Solar Power
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| Re: [GMCnet] Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295832 is a reply to message #295829] |
Sat, 20 February 2016 12:08   |
Olly Schmidt
Messages: 1265
Registered: February 2014
Location: Germany and Scottsville, ...
Karma: 8
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Very interesting vid. Sounds doable for at least specific situations,
where you can't/don't want to run the generator, and still cool down the
coach. Now, where did my lottery ticket go so that I can buy all the
needed PV, battery and other equipment needed...
--
Best regards
Peer Oliver Schmidt
the internet company
PGP Key ID: 0x83E1C2EA
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Olly Schmidt
PGP Key ID: 0x18a9 3a1f 4196 bf22
'76a Eleganza II, VA
'73 Sequoia, SH, Germany
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| Re: [GMCnet] Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295833 is a reply to message #295829] |
Sat, 20 February 2016 13:23 |
Ronald Pottol
Messages: 505
Registered: September 2012
Location: Redwood City, California
Karma: -2
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I'd thought that was doable, you can buy 9k BTU 600w DC air conditioners
for cooling truck sleepers, that's a sane amount of solar (say, 900w
installed), and enough to be useful in the dry West. I wouldn't try it in
the southeast.
On Feb 20, 2016 09:44, "Jon Payne" wrote:
> Guys,
>
> Check out this video about how to it is possible to power your roof air
> using solar power and batteries. I don't know if the roof of our GMCs have
> the
> real estate to hold enough solar panels but nevertheless it is very cool
> that these people were able to do it.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0rZY5uotKI
> --
> Jon Payne
> 76 Palm Beach
> Westfield,IN
>
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1973 26' GM outfitted
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| Re: [GMCnet] Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295834 is a reply to message #295832] |
Sat, 20 February 2016 13:38 |
Hal StClair
Messages: 971
Registered: March 2013
Location: Rio Rancho NM
Karma: -12
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Got to be running a 9200 btu a/c unit to draw that little power. We don't have near the real estate to mount a near 1 kw solar farm on our units and 9200 btu's of cooling is not near enough cooling in almost any type of heat. Love the idea but the mechanics just don't work for us.
Hal
"I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind, except you happen to be insane."
1977 Royale 101348,
1977 Royale 101586, Diesel powered,
1974 Eagle Bus 45',w/slideout,
Rio Rancho, NM
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| Re: Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295835 is a reply to message #295829] |
Sat, 20 February 2016 13:40 |
rcjordan
Messages: 1913
Registered: October 2012
Location: Elizabeth City, North Car...
Karma: 1
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I happen to be researching these newish, DIY, high SEER, inverter heat pumps (220vac) and I am attempting to get my head around SEER. If SEER equals BTUs divided by watts then does that mean a 9000 BTU 20 SEER system only uses 450 watts?
That would get us into affordable solar panel territory.
Am I missing something?
SOLD 77 Royale Coachmen Side Dry Bath
76 Birchaven Coachmen Side Wet Bath
76 Eleganza
Elizabeth City, NC
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| Re: Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295836 is a reply to message #295835] |
Sat, 20 February 2016 13:48 |
Hal StClair
Messages: 971
Registered: March 2013
Location: Rio Rancho NM
Karma: -12
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(SEER) Season Energy Efficiency Ratting At least that's what it meant at one time. It was a formula someone devised to rate different units.
Hal
"I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind, except you happen to be insane."
1977 Royale 101348,
1977 Royale 101586, Diesel powered,
1974 Eagle Bus 45',w/slideout,
Rio Rancho, NM
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| Re: [GMCnet] Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295849 is a reply to message #295834] |
Sat, 20 February 2016 16:57 |
Olly Schmidt
Messages: 1265
Registered: February 2014
Location: Germany and Scottsville, ...
Karma: 8
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Hal,
> [..]We don't have near the real estate to mount a near 1 kw solar farm on our units
People with a single A/C unit an no storage pod do have enough space to
mount 6x 160W panels. Just checked based on the available metrics from
GoPower and the GMC blueprints. And as PV will seldom be used during
driving, one could fabricate some folding mechanism to probably add a
total of 9 or more of those panels.
> and 9200 btu's of cooling is not near enough cooling in almost any type of heat.
Probably depends on your needs and wants. I personally run the A/C only
a couple of minutes after arriving in the coach to cool it down some.
And for that need, it might be all that's needed. But as I said earlier,
need to find the lottery ticket first. Total invest would be around
10kUSD. Got other use for that money in my coach :)
--
Best regards
Peer Oliver Schmidt
the internet company
PGP Key ID: 0x83E1C2EA
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Best regards
Olly Schmidt
PGP Key ID: 0x18a9 3a1f 4196 bf22
'76a Eleganza II, VA
'73 Sequoia, SH, Germany
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| Re: [GMCnet] Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295853 is a reply to message #295849] |
Sat, 20 February 2016 17:58 |
Hal StClair
Messages: 971
Registered: March 2013
Location: Rio Rancho NM
Karma: -12
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Don't know how you'd manage 6 160 watt panels Peer. I have a pair of 140's up front and they were really tight with the forward vent to contend with and the A/C right behind. I couldn't mount them behind my single A/C unless I removed the roof rack or would have had shading of the panels-also had vents to consider. Not saying someone couldn't squeeze them up there or mount them above everything with the right panel shape, but it would be a real challenge.
An 80 amp hour Lithium battery is over $1000 so $9000 worth of batteries alone in their system? Add the panels, solar chargers, the inverter and $10 wouldn't come close.
I'd love to see it happen but don't think it's practical.
Hal
"I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind, except you happen to be insane."
1977 Royale 101348,
1977 Royale 101586, Diesel powered,
1974 Eagle Bus 45',w/slideout,
Rio Rancho, NM
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| Re: [GMCnet] Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295856 is a reply to message #295853] |
Sat, 20 February 2016 18:21 |
Hal StClair
Messages: 971
Registered: March 2013
Location: Rio Rancho NM
Karma: -12
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Senior Member |
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Nice link Gene. The inverter Magnum just recently came out with is a nice unit (my brother recently installed two in his SOB) but Trace had one out almost 20 years ago. I put one in my Bus in 1998 and have two sitting in my garage right now, 2500 watt true sine 12 volt units. Xantrex bought Trace and eventually stopped building the load sharing units but they were a really nice piece.
I was able to run the air off a 10 amp supply with the extra power needed supplied by the battery bank (6 L16 Trojan's,1070 ah) through the load sharing of the inverter. Nice units.
Hal
"I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind, except you happen to be insane."
1977 Royale 101348,
1977 Royale 101586, Diesel powered,
1974 Eagle Bus 45',w/slideout,
Rio Rancho, NM
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| Re: [GMCnet] Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295858 is a reply to message #295856] |
Sat, 20 February 2016 19:16 |
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ljdavick
Messages: 3548
Registered: March 2007
Location: Fremont, CA
Karma: -3
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Senior Member |
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Tow a Nissan Leaf and use its battery on the road. A big inverter could be housed on the passenger seat and then run 110v wiring to the coach. When you get to the RV park plug it in. What could possibly go wrong?
Then again, the Onan works just fine for me.
Larry Davick
A Mystery Machine
1976(ish) Palm Beach
Fremont, CA
Howell EFI + EBL + Electronic Distributor
> On Feb 20, 2016, at 4:21 PM, Hal StClair wrote:
>
> Nice link Gene. The inverter Magnum just recently came out with is a nice unit (my brother recently installed two in his SOB) but Trace had one out
> almost 20 years ago. I put one in my Bus in 1998 and have two sitting in my garage right now, 2500 watt true sine 12 volt units. Xantrex bought Trace
> and eventually stopped building the load sharing units but they were a really nice piece.
> I was able to run the air off a 10 amp supply with the extra power needed supplied by the battery bank (6 L16 Trojan's,1070 ah) through the load
> sharing of the inverter. Nice units.
> Hal
>
> --
> 1977 Royale 101348,
>
> 1977 Royale 101586,
>
> 1974 Eagle Bus 45',w/slideout
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
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Larry Davick
A Mystery Machine
1976(ish) Palm Beach
Fremont, Ca
Howell EFI + EBL + Electronic Dizzy
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| Re: Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295872 is a reply to message #295829] |
Sun, 21 February 2016 00:08 |
habbyguy
Messages: 896
Registered: May 2012
Location: Mesa, AZ
Karma: 3
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Senior Member |
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Y'all are missing the obvious... with about an acre of solar panels hovering above your coach, your cooling needs will be much less because there won't be any sun at all getting to your coach (or probably those parked on either side).
I'm hoping that peltier devices (basically solid-state coolers with no moving parts) will achieve a major breakthrough and get the kind of efficiency our dinosaur compressor A/C units do... THAT would be a big improvement... silent, reliable, and another reason to spend money updating our coaches!
For the geeks among us: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_cooling
Mark Hickey
Mesa, AZ
1978 Royale Center Kitchen
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| Re: Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295885 is a reply to message #295829] |
Sun, 21 February 2016 08:38 |
rcjordan
Messages: 1913
Registered: October 2012
Location: Elizabeth City, North Car...
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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>left over hybrid vehicle banks
Those are already around from savvy salvage yards. Dave (hertfordnc) purchased one for his Honda hybrid beater for $600 or thereabouts.
SOLD 77 Royale Coachmen Side Dry Bath
76 Birchaven Coachmen Side Wet Bath
76 Eleganza
Elizabeth City, NC
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| Re: Power your Roof Air with Solar Power [message #295928 is a reply to message #295829] |
Sun, 21 February 2016 19:32 |
Jack Ramsey
Messages: 82
Registered: December 2012
Location: Tulare, CA
Karma: 1
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I researched the possibility of solar and running the coach, including AC, before starting my rebuild.
It does help I own a fairly large (4-6 installs a week) solar company with at any given time there are plenty of panels to pick from, including a row of pallets of surplus 120-140 watt panels that have been pulled from warranty claims. A number of the old systems installed in the 2004-2006 era had some issues and one of the large companies did warranty the panels. I did not install any of the previously mentioned systems but have pulled and replaced a lot of them in the area.
I do a fair amount of offgrid and battery backup installs, and describe them to my customers as "cubic dollars". I sleep well at night.
I also had a visit from one of the importers of DC scroll compressor systems back about 5 yrs ago and he was pulling around a small square trailer with about 4 panels in the 240watt range and the inside of the trailer got pretty cool. I think it was Securusair http://www.securusair.com/ But I have slept since then.
I just checked old emails, and it is Securusair and it was in 2011. Met with him in Fresno.
I found the below link and looks like the same equipment.
http://www.hotspotenergy.com/solar-air-conditioner/
It looked like the best way was to convert to a 48v system and wire a couple of 260W 60 cell panels in series. (they put out about 9amps at 30VDC each). Would require a good charge controller to run the AC and properly charge any battery bank. (probably require at least 4 260W panels)(2 series then parallel each series run) Then a couple ways to pull of 12V to run the rest of the coach equipment. Probably by tapping off the 4 available 12 V subsystems. Plus a 48V inverter and ac charge controller.
Then the options on batteries and rebuilding older hybrid batteries sounded like a good idea, but more stuff to rebuild-design.
Got to sound just too complex and expensive, and also, I would be the ONLY person to be able to troubleshoot or fix it. KISS applies and I just ordered a good 3Kw inverter and have gone about using off the shelf 12V devices. Gas is cheap even at $5/gal.
I am also an old Porsche mechanic from the 70's, and that does temper my desire to make anything too complex to run. Don't get me wrong I have been a network engineer the last 25 years and like lots of new things, but not at the expense of reliability.
Plus, and you can laugh, but why do I want to take the beautiful lines of a GMC coach and plant ugly rectangular shapes on top of it. AND why do I want to park my coach out in the sun when it is hot??? Huh?? I think I will try to park in the shade and spend my $$ on making a generator as quiet as possible.
I like the discussion, and will help in any way possible, those that desire to go down that road. Oh one more thought.. the efficient panels, Poly, and Mono, crystalline panels are exactly that, crystalline. The wafers probably are not designed to be bounced around nonstop. The thin film flexible would be better suited for mobile applications but are typically only about 40% as efficient as the crystalline products. I would imagine the crystalline panels would degrade with micro fractures after just a few years. No real data on this, just my speculation, nothing else.
Jack
Jack Ramsey
Tulare, CA
TZE165V101526
1975 Palm Beach
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