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Watts2C
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Joined: 24/08/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 5

Posted: 01:47am 24 Aug 2010

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So what's a hybrid solar system?

I've cut n pasted this from my various blogs, so if you want to know the history go to http://independentenergy.wordpress.com/

... Ian in the workshop

The whole idea of a hybrid solar system is that most of your power comes from the sun and is stored in your battery bank. However, come a cloudy day or days and you could be in strife if solar panels are your sole way of generating energy for the battery bank. A hybrid system adds a diesel DC generator to the mix. It sits there quietly, minding its own business until such time that it senses your battery bank is running low on power, and then kicks in automatically to charge your batteries. The fact that the generator only ever runs when it needs to provides fuel savings, prolongs the life of the engine and is environmentally friendly.

The system Ian's working on should be complete by late this week and ready to transport to its new home. I'll get a photo of the finished product and put it into one of my posts for you to see what it looks like.

As promised, here it is. The (99%) finished hybrid solar system. All ready to be shipped off to the back of Woop Woop.

Power to the people right on! (John Lennon). The system consisits of 12 solar panels, 24 batteries and and a 5.6KW diesel generator - along with battery charger, inverter, solar regulator and quite a few other hoo dackies.

The beauty of the system is that it can be shipped anywhere, put in place and you have power. No difficult set-ups. Pretty much a plug and play concept.

So on to the truck tomorrow and then a 2hr haul West. Don, the design engineer along with Ian, our auto electrician cum general whiz kid, will be following it out to commission it on site. Pic's when they get back.

Looks like they'll have a good day for it after rain yesterday and possibility of showers today. At least the weekend was a good one and looks like another good one on the way. Plus a hangi! Yumm.

If you don't know what a hangi is, why not Google it. And then try one in your back yard. Well worth the effort I can tell you. Just make sure you get the right type of rocks. You don't want exploding missiles to spoil your day.

And if you want to find out more about us and how we can help with your independent energy needs, check out our site - www.watts2c.com.au

PS: Just had a call - due to a big wet out the back of Woop Woop, delivery has been postponed 'til next Wednesday.

power to the people... wherever you are, whatever you're doing, wherever you're going! watts2c.com.au

MacGyver

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Joined: 12/05/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 1329

Posted: 03:06am 24 Aug 2010

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Watts2c

So, are you selling this? If so, perhaps it should be posted in The Classifieds. If not for sale, but just for information, then thank you for the interesting post.

. . . . . Mac

Nothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas

VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539

Posted: 03:06am 24 Aug 2010

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Hi Watty

Looks like a good compact system but I think you need to add a tracker to get the best out of your panels, or add another four panels, it looks great and well made, hope you have success with them.

All the best

Bob

Foolin Around

Watts2C
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Joined: 24/08/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 5

Posted: 03:21am 24 Aug 2010

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We do sell these units.

Designed & manufactured right here in Australia.

Don Pulver, the owner of Watts2C is an electrical engineer/designer.

He designed and manufactured the in-service gen sets for the Australian Military
about 15 years ago and they are still in use. Sold that company and moved up to the
Sunshine Coast, QLD.

Turned his attention to independent energy solutions - for marine, RV and remote
residence applications.

The hybrid system is one of the end results. The DC generator is one of the PowerMaker range, again designed and manufactured by Don.

The concept is based on using solar to generate the majority of your energy needs. The DC generator only kicks in should your battery bank be running low on energy or if their is a heavy load on the battery bank. This alleviates the need for large fuel tanks, is more environmentally friendly and one of the most efficient ways to generate electricty.

So to answer the question, not selling as such. Just info on what we're doing and what new concepts Don may come up with.

Howver, if you want to buy a hybrid solar system, we have models ranging from 0.7kWh thru to 9.4kWh - and we can tailor make other variations as well.

adios

power to the people... wherever you are, whatever you're doing, wherever you're going! watts2c.com.au

VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539

Posted: 07:01am 24 Aug 2010

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Hi Watty

Good on you mate , its good to see some Aussie initiative in the enviro friendly production of electricity, we spend so much time fixing and modifying Chinese made parts that it is refreshing to see some Aussie made products get to the market,I wish you well.
All you need now is a wind turbine hung in the end of it and it would make all and sundry happy.

All the best

Bob

Foolin Around

Watts2C
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Joined: 24/08/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 5

Posted: 10:42pm 02 Sep 2010

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I promised you in my previous posts that I would load images of the finished solar hybrid system once it was delivered and up and running.

Below you can see it insitu, Booubyjan QLD and the backside as well...

The new owners have gone from a noisy 24/7 diesel generator to an environmentally friendly solar/dc generator system that basically looks after itself. The beauty of the system is that it is �plug & play�.

The units are completed and fully tested at our manufacturing facility before loading on to the back of a truck and delivered to site. Drop it off the truck, connect to your home/workshop/shed/worksite and you have power. As we Kiwi�s say �easy as�.

If you would like to know a little of the history, to follow is a copy of a recent media release.

Zoi kien

The KISS principle is often bandied about, but very rarely put into practice. Not so at Watts2C, a Sunshine Coast business that design and manufacture a range of diesel DC generators and Solar Hybrid Systems.

Owner and development engineer, Don Pulver, explains that his background has reinforced the need to produce products that are simple for the end user to operate and service.

�When designing generators for the Australian Military, it became evident that there were three main criteria to fulfill � durability, reliability & serviceability. And all of this under the harshest of conditions, whether it be tropical jungles or the barren deserts of Afghanistan.

We realised that keeping things simple would best provide the Aussie diggers with a rugged generator that they could rely upon, no matter what the environment and elements threw at them.�

The quality and reliability of Don�s design resulted in him receiving recognition from the Australian military for his �most significant contribution to the Army generator projects.� Nearly fifteen years down the track the gen sets are still in use.

Don has maintained the philosophy used in supplying the military with quality products in the design and manufacture of POWERMAKER DC generators and solar hybrid systems.

�When we started developing the POWERMAKER range, it was with the standalone power market
in mind. Things like motor homes, remote residences that can�t or don�t want to hook up to grid power, the mining industry, telco�s and the like. We took the experience and principles we gained through designing independent power solutions for military applications and applied them to our new range of generators.�

With their robust design, reliability and ease of use, POWERMAKER DC generators quickly developed a loyal following. As word spread, Don started receiving requests for generators suitable for marine use, which lead to the POWERMAKER Cruise range. Compact and quiet, they are designed especially for the marine environment.

Don had also turned his attention to designing a hybrid power system that was simple and more efficient than others on the market. Using DC power as the starting point he has developed a range of solar hybrid systems that are lighter, smaller, last longer and capable of supplying clean power for AC & DC power needs.

The basic concept revolves around using solar panels to produce the bulk of the energy needs. The solar panels are backed up by a diesel DC generator which kicks in automatically when the battery bank runs low on power or there is a heavy demand on the batteries.

The range of solar hybrid systems start at 4.7kWh and go through to 9.4kWh. Within each of the models there are a number of configurations � providing a choice of battery bank with life spans ranging from 3.8 to 16 years. Watts2C will also tailor the systems to meet clients needs.

�We have designed and built smaller hybrid systems for communication towers as well as larger systems for industrial type applications� says Don.

�At the moment we are selling the standard units complete with the housing cage � delivered to site ready to run. Pretty much a plug and play system. However, we are looking at selling individual components so that customers can build their own system based around our technology. We are happy to meet the market�s requirements, and being both the designers and manufacturers gives us the freedom to do so.�

So Why DC?

Don has always seen DC as the way of the future. The reasons include simplicity, longevity and most importantly, efficiency.

A solar system produces DC energy. So it makes sense for the backup to be DC based as well. The bonus is that DC generators are as much as 15% more efficient at producing power than AC generators. The use of variable speed technology provides up to 40% savings in fuel and extends the engines life. Coupling the DC system with a pure sine wave inverter provides clean 240V power that is suitable for all modern appliances � from laptops to washing machines.

High demand starting (such as an air conditioning unit) is no problem for a DC power system � power is drawn from the battery bank, so no stress is placed on the generator. This means a smaller, quieter generator can be used.

Where to from Here?

Until such time as we start generating nuclear energy in Australia (?), Don believes there are smarter and more efficient ways to produce energy. While grid energy is still relatively inexpensive, many Australians live in remote areas where grid connection is close to impossible, or exorbitantly priced. While the Watts2C Solar Hybrid System is one solution, Don hasn�t stopped experimenting yet.

�We put a lot of time and effort into R&D. We know we have a high quality and extremely reliable product. But things can always be improved. The whole philosophy behind Watts2C is to develop the most efficient and environmentally friendly products possible � using the latest in technology.�

The interest in alternative energy supplies is growing exponentially � pushed in part by the solar rebate schemes. However, Watts2C are looking at the long term, providing real solutions that are both people and environmentally friendly.