Electricity Power Cuts

Few hour power cut isn't a problem.

But 2 days?
Than my beef/chicken and the rest walking out off my freezer.
who bring me a good breakfast in the morning.

ah Sateev Sateev Sateev..solar power is not technically demanding, and you dont have to have 110 w panels, heck I have got by for 15yrs on two 70w panels, a Trace controller, and one 105w battery, no inverter, no nothing..I think I have changed the battery three times, and clambered up on the roof and washed the panels, due to moss, a couple of times, other than that, I have never run out of power once, and that is my major power supply..

but yes I agree that if one have dreams of selling extra power they make to the government, you would need a house covered from head to foot in panels, and a setup worth $100,000 or more..but as a backup for hours or days when the main national grid goes down, a small 12v system would give one lights, music, water pump, even a 14"tv, with a generator a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening just to keep the fridger /freezer at its normal temp...solar power is silent, generator noise gets on my goat, but if it is just a couple of hours , I can put up with it.....anyway, now having lived 15yrs with solar as my main power source, any new house I build in the future in the Land of a Thousand Mopeds, will have the same, but I will step up to a 2400w inverter or thai eqivalent..

Ah, Makaa Makaa Makaa (and Makaa - one extra for good measure) - first, congratulations on living solar. It's one thing that I believe in wholeheartedly that will do good for people - being self-sufficient, or at least moving that direction.

The comments in my post to Mosquito, however, still apply. The last thing I said was that if you want to power your house with solar, you need to either be very rich, or live very simply. Kudos to those who can afford a house covered in PV panels; not in my league. And, really, I say fabulous to those who can live with a 14" TV, and a few 12v lights, plus a couple oz of diesel for the generator every day. I merely point out that to live a more usual lifestyle, with TVs, computers, appliances, it isn't a simple matter of finding "a solar energy company that does installs". It's a major investment in time, money, and technology.

I know how to live simply: I had a single 55W panel atop my camper to keep my coach battery charged, back in the lean days. But, for me, those days are over. Since Mosquito was talking about a grid-tied system, I assume he's not sleeping in a tent, so I just wanted to point out that it's not quite as simple as tossing up a few scavenged calculator photocells, and living on free energy ever after...

And, while I agree that 140W, carefully applied, with a couple of batteries, can be made to do nicely, it's not a replacement functionally for a mains-supplied, fully integrated electrical system.

Still, I admire your style, and would love to see it in action sometime.

Peace.

Sorry for misspelling your name, Maaka. I was still half asleep.

While on about generators, not my forte', any recommendations. Diesel, I'm sure of, as not mechanically inclined anymore. Live outside of SriChiang Mai, outer Nong Khai, and in the boonies also. Having outages on a monthly basis and thought of them many times, but honestly, just don't have a clue where to start. Something to power a small air conditioner and keep the refrigerator going if more than 6 hours outage. Stand alone, with a few (4)outlets would be fine, as no desire to wire to main. Maybe use once every couple weeks, and would that cause a maintenance problem, since not continually on, which hoping diesel would be the better choice for that reasoning.

THANKS

not a problem Sateev with the spelling of my name, thought it does alter the meaning, but we will just leave it at that..

in regards solar, my neighbour has all the mod cons you rich fellas have in your Thai mansion, even a ruddy bread making machine, computer, stereo, big tv, auto washing machine, all 240volts, he has about six 70x panels, a 2400w inverter, and 4x 105ah battieries, perhaps about a $10,000 NZ system, 250,000 baht, though I am not sure of Thailand's current prices for panels and stuff..you can do for alot less...I could run a computer and big tv if I just bought another $120 battery and hooked up this 2000w Inverter sitting beside me. I just havent got around to it, and I love the idea of living like a pioneer... I would not need any more panels because I only would be using it at night and not all day, and anyway during the day the panels are collectiong power...thats one things with solar, you get used to conserving your power, and using it wisely...

to save waffling on, for those who maybe interested in solar, the last contact I had for solar was
Thai Solar Energy (BBK)
(662)7198777
02 6507841 Luigi Butori
www. ekarat solar com..

they have advice and products for city or rural, and I dare say trademen to install.



Now to Generators...and WhoUrDaddy.. there is a thread here called ' Portable Generator ' that has some good comments, on size, types, and where to buy...

for those rural blokes, you know those two wheeled hoe's with the long handlebars that tow trailers around country roads, the engine on the front is a generator as well with a couple of electrical sockets.. I think they come in diesil, and you can buy just the engine /generator without the rest of the hoe and handlebars from an agricultral shop in Phon Prisai, first one in on the left...cant remeber the size in KVA's or the cost as I am parted with the brouchure...but if you live that way call in, the lady speaks da english...or failing that for the smaller man, go Globe or ....as mentioned in thread above....

"for those rural blokes, you know those two wheeled hoe's with the long handlebars that tow trailers around country "...

For a minute, I thought you were talking about my ex!


-S

heck, she must has been rough..handlebars you reckon..hahaha...sure she wasnt a ladyboy

oops for to answer all of WhoUrDaddy question...generally if any type of engine sits around unused its not good for it..some of this new petrol they make these days can eat rubber O ring and clog the carb...most diesil will start but will blow alot of smoke to start with if left for long periods..sometimes if left to long, one has to squirt oil into the injectors, and if you get an airblokage then you have to take the injector pipes off, turn the engine over until diesil squirts out then put the pipes back on..nothing really major...

I am not a mechanic by no means, but was brought up with a couple of grandfather like fiqures who had workshops, bulldozers and graders, and every weekend we were weilding this, or stripping that..one of them back home makes generator sets out of bulldozer / tractor engines, and generators /alternators..even cuts up the steel to make a trailer, scabs some wheels from the car dump, and you end up with a towable generator fit for any buildling site..he knows everything there is to know about power amps watts volts even how the universe was formed, and how it is powered..get him talking and look out, you'll never get a word in edge wise, but learn one hell of alot...

I think that is the main reason I have not gotten one, the return on investment, and maintenance due to non continual use. I don't enjoy tinkering any more, and enjoy going to the river every other week when power goes out. Motivation for an overnight and relaxing evening. Think I'm way ahead financially and stress wise. Thanks for info, just in case I move even further out.

I agree with you guys. There nothing like abit of star gazing and comtemplating one's navel, and getting away from the tv and soaps, but having said that, there are those men where an hour a week, or everyday out in the woodshop, dressed in a boiler suit, and old favourite cap, SAS beret, or tam a shanta, the slightly soiled rag in back pocket, wooden ruler in the leg pocket, standing there like some sort of Casey Jones fiqure, tinkering around with geasey tools, oil can, casket paper, and spark plug gauge, firing up the generator for abit of a blowout, or just to clean the plugs and adjusting the belts, the fumes flying, and the neighbours cursing the racket, can be quite blissful and manly, relaxing and a good time spent among mates, or away from the other half, who hopefully calls out from the house when tea and fresh baked scorns are ready... ahhh those were the days, and many I spent like that, and will again when back home with my old mate...a man has got to have a shed to escape too.

OT always has some organic tobacco to hand so if the power goes out, I'll have a puff, get the munchies and clear the fridge. Doesn't work for frozen products though. I have been known to get the bbq started and cook whatever is going to perish when the power goes. The power hardly ever goes out these days unlike a decade ago. My place is inside the ring road which could help.

OT................

Thats exactly the type of bloke I was describing Parrot, well done, hes even got the Casey Jones cap...theres abit of grunt in that red motor he has there, looking at the size of the two big round flywheels. I was looking to cut my teeth on one just alittle bit smaller. The old farmer down the valley from me had an old one lying in his barn, and when he died I thought I would be in like Flint, but one of my mates, beat my other mate, who beat me to it. now hes buggered off overseas and it lying in his garage, and us two are left mumbling under our breaths....hahaha...ahh the things mates will do to stab each other in the back for an old generator..