Solar Generator for Pellet Stove

[bigislandhikers]

I own the Quad Mt Vernon. It can run off a 12v battery.

I am looking for advice about what I am going to need. I would like a solar generator that I could depend on to operate the stove in case of a long term power outage.

I am just starting to learn about the whole solar thing. At this point I'm figuring I would want a couple of marine batteries that would be rotated. I am a bit confused about how many watt panel(s)and controller part. Lots of different brands and types also.

Any advice would be great!

Thanks!
BIH
_________________
Quadra-Fire Mt Vernon AE

[Mary B]

Skip the marine batteries and get some designed for solar use. Much longer life span. You will also need a charge controller. Depending on how long you can wait fir it to recharge will make a difference in how many watts of solar panel you need. What part of the US are you in?
_________________
Never trust a skinny chef
Bixby 115
Outdoor wood fired BBQ pit

[bigislandhikers]

The stove says it runs on 1.5 amp. All the motors are DC. Is it the amperage that determines how fast it will draw down the battery?

I live in Mid Michigan...not exactly Arizona but not Seattle either

Thanks!
BIH
_________________
Quadra-Fire Mt Vernon AE

[Mary B]

at 13.6 volts and 1.5 amps you need ~20 watts per hour(that amp figure sounds low). Look at your battery rating in amp hours to figure out battery size. To recharge in the middle of winter with only 5 hours of useful sunlight I wouldn't buy less than 100 watts of solar panels. Not going to be cheap, about $5 a watt for the solar panel. You might find cheaper but make sure they have a decent warranty.
_________________
Never trust a skinny chef
Bixby 115
Outdoor wood fired BBQ pit

[bigislandhikers]

I checked the label on the back of the stove (startup= 5 amp,run = 1.25)

It has to be manually started when running on battery backup.

Let me see if I have the math right, correct me if I'm wrong:

If the 1.25 amp is correct....I would need a battery with a discharge amperage of at least 30 amp (24hrs X 1.25amp) to operate for 24 hours.

To recharge that same battery in 5 hours I would need to replace 6 amp per hours. 30amp/5hrs = 6amp per hours recharge

The panel would have to be at least 81.6 watts (13.6v X 6amp).


Thanks

BIH
_________________
Quadra-Fire Mt Vernon AE

[Mary B]

Oversize things a bit for some leeway like a cloudy day. Thats the way to figure things. I just looked at the owners manual for the stove. It draws 1.5 amps at 120 volts, so at 12 volts its going to draw 15 amps.
_________________
Never trust a skinny chef
Bixby 115
Outdoor wood fired BBQ pit

[bigislandhikers]

So I would have to get a battery with a 360 amp discharge to run it for 24 hours?
_________________
Quadra-Fire Mt Vernon AE

[Ahshucks]

Darn battery sizing ... I've come to the conclusion that one can not adequately calculate what you need! I use this calc sheet to help: http://www.xantrex.com/support/howlong.asp You may consider an inverter/?charger? with auto switching, a modified sine wave may work, but I prefer a true sine wave for your standard appliances

You will need 864 Amp/Hrs battery bank to operate 180 watts for 24 hours in a 12 volt system. You might want to add a set of 12 Volt fog lights for occasional lighting too? How about a pump, refrigerator, freezer, charge cell phone which won't work with a MSW inverter, radio, TV, and a microwave for popcorn, and of course your garage door openner won't work.

Wonder how long it would take to charge that battery bank with your car alternator? Should be significantly cheaper than solar panels that you have to clean routinely, that is if they didn't blow away with the storm. You could make your own generator out of an old lawn mower which is easier on the gas bill




_________________
Profit/Turnaround Expert: http://webpages.charter.net/rennhack1/index.html