Cyprus-Forum.com

[Oracle]

If you have good wind resources at your location I would also suggest adding the attached wind generator, typically used for boats to keep the boat batteries charged at all times. This is an excellent power source, rated 24V to match the battery bank. It should give you approx 200W at moderate winds, day & night, unlike the solar panels which only produce during the day. At a lifetime of 20 years this robust wind turbine can be mounted on a 15-20 foot pole attached onto the side wall of the power hut.

Aerogen Wind Generator - Aero2gen 12v
Link http://www.shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatal ... rogen.html

I would think a combination of the suggested wind/solar could provide more than sufficient power, thus eliminating the genny all together.

All the equipment I listed do qualify the the Gov subcidies, so calculate to dish out approx half of the original invoice.

Best of luck,

Georgios100

That's exactly what I had in mind -- a combination of wind and solar and doing away with flammable, dirty, pricey petroleum products. Thanks for the great website. The outlay isn't as horrendous as I thought it might be.

I suppose they come with good instructions and it's just a matter of plugging one thing into the other!

[georgios100]

If you have good wind resources at your location I would also suggest adding the attached wind generator, typically used for boats to keep the boat batteries charged at all times. This is an excellent power source, rated 24V to match the battery bank. It should give you approx 200W at moderate winds, day & night, unlike the solar panels which only produce during the day. At a lifetime of 20 years this robust wind turbine can be mounted on a 15-20 foot pole attached onto the side wall of the power hut.

Aerogen Wind Generator - Aero2gen 12v
Link http://www.shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatal ... rogen.html

I would think a combination of the suggested wind/solar could provide more than sufficient power, thus eliminating the genny all together.

All the equipment I listed do qualify the the Gov subcidies, so calculate to dish out approx half of the original invoice.

Best of luck,

Georgios100

That's exactly what I had in mind -- a combination of wind and solar and doing away with flammable, dirty, pricey petroleum products. Thanks for the great website. The outlay isn't as horrendous as I thought it might be.

I suppose they come with good instructions and it's just a matter of plugging one thing into the other!

You'll need an electrician, preferably one with experience in solar/wind/inverter connections... approx 5-6 hours of work to hook everything up.

The erection of the solar panels is pretty easy.

The wind turbine pole not that difficult either, use a 2" or 2 1/2" galvanized tubing, the plumbing type. Install 4 guy wires for extra stability.

The batteries are laid next to each other and connected in series ( connectors supplied by the battery vendor).

The inverter gets mounted on the wall, above the batteries not more that 4 ft away to avoid losses. The inverter input is the battery bank, the inverter output goes to your home main electrical panel via the breaker fuse box.

Done!

[Oracle]

If you have good wind resources at your location I would also suggest adding the attached wind generator, typically used for boats to keep the boat batteries charged at all times. This is an excellent power source, rated 24V to match the battery bank. It should give you approx 200W at moderate winds, day & night, unlike the solar panels which only produce during the day. At a lifetime of 20 years this robust wind turbine can be mounted on a 15-20 foot pole attached onto the side wall of the power hut.

Aerogen Wind Generator - Aero2gen 12v
Link http://www.shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatal ... rogen.html

I would think a combination of the suggested wind/solar could provide more than sufficient power, thus eliminating the genny all together.

All the equipment I listed do qualify the the Gov subcidies, so calculate to dish out approx half of the original invoice.

Best of luck,

Georgios100

That's exactly what I had in mind -- a combination of wind and solar and doing away with flammable, dirty, pricey petroleum products. Thanks for the great website. The outlay isn't as horrendous as I thought it might be.

I suppose they come with good instructions and it's just a matter of plugging one thing into the other!

You'll need an electrician, preferably one with experience in solar/wind/inverter connections... approx 5-6 hours of work to hook everything up.

The erection of the solar panels is pretty easy.

The wind turbine pole not that difficult either, use a 2" or 2 1/2" galvanized tubing, the plumbing type. Install 4 guy wires for extra stability.

The batteries are laid next to each other and connected in series ( connectors supplied by the battery vendor).

The inverter gets mounted on the wall, above the batteries not more that 4 ft away to avoid losses. The inverter input is the battery bank, the inverter output goes to your home main electrical panel via the breaker fuse box.

Done!

Hello Georgios

You do make it all sound do-able, so thanks for the confidence boost. I feel as though I ought to be paying you for the consultation!

Perhaps when we next coincide in Cyprus we can have you round to inspect our handiwork and you can have a solar-baked lemon pie!

... and I don't care if you are TC

[georgios100]

If you have good wind resources at your location I would also suggest adding the attached wind generator, typically used for boats to keep the boat batteries charged at all times. This is an excellent power source, rated 24V to match the battery bank. It should give you approx 200W at moderate winds, day & night, unlike the solar panels which only produce during the day. At a lifetime of 20 years this robust wind turbine can be mounted on a 15-20 foot pole attached onto the side wall of the power hut.

Aerogen Wind Generator - Aero2gen 12v
Link http://www.shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatal ... rogen.html

I would think a combination of the suggested wind/solar could provide more than sufficient power, thus eliminating the genny all together.

All the equipment I listed do qualify the the Gov subcidies, so calculate to dish out approx half of the original invoice.

Best of luck,

Georgios100

That's exactly what I had in mind -- a combination of wind and solar and doing away with flammable, dirty, pricey petroleum products. Thanks for the great website. The outlay isn't as horrendous as I thought it might be.

I suppose they come with good instructions and it's just a matter of plugging one thing into the other!

You'll need an electrician, preferably one with experience in solar/wind/inverter connections... approx 5-6 hours of work to hook everything up.

The erection of the solar panels is pretty easy.

The wind turbine pole not that difficult either, use a 2" or 2 1/2" galvanized tubing, the plumbing type. Install 4 guy wires for extra stability.

The batteries are laid next to each other and connected in series ( connectors supplied by the battery vendor).

The inverter gets mounted on the wall, above the batteries not more that 4 ft away to avoid losses. The inverter input is the battery bank, the inverter output goes to your home main electrical panel via the breaker fuse box.

Done!

Hello Georgios

You do make it all sound do-able, so thanks for the confidence boost. I feel as though I ought to be paying you for the consultation!

Perhaps when we next coincide in Cyprus we can have you round to inspect our handiwork and you can have a solar-baked lemon pie!

... and I don't care if you are TC

I am coming down to Cyprus for 2 weeks in August (Larnaca area).
A couple of my brothers have "illegal" mountain cottages at Pedhoulas, near the summit of Troodos. Since they don't have building permits for their cottages no connection to the national grid is allowed. I was asked to install generating systems(like yours... a bit larger). So much for my vacation... back to work I suppose.

Might take a few pics & forward to you when done.

My advise is free of charge, glad to be of service.

Later,

Georgios100

[Oracle]

If you have good wind resources at your location I would also suggest adding the attached wind generator, typically used for boats to keep the boat batteries charged at all times. This is an excellent power source, rated 24V to match the battery bank. It should give you approx 200W at moderate winds, day & night, unlike the solar panels which only produce during the day. At a lifetime of 20 years this robust wind turbine can be mounted on a 15-20 foot pole attached onto the side wall of the power hut.

Aerogen Wind Generator - Aero2gen 12v
Link http://www.shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatal ... rogen.html

I would think a combination of the suggested wind/solar could provide more than sufficient power, thus eliminating the genny all together.

All the equipment I listed do qualify the the Gov subcidies, so calculate to dish out approx half of the original invoice.

Best of luck,

Georgios100

That's exactly what I had in mind -- a combination of wind and solar and doing away with flammable, dirty, pricey petroleum products. Thanks for the great website. The outlay isn't as horrendous as I thought it might be.

I suppose they come with good instructions and it's just a matter of plugging one thing into the other!

You'll need an electrician, preferably one with experience in solar/wind/inverter connections... approx 5-6 hours of work to hook everything up.

The erection of the solar panels is pretty easy.

The wind turbine pole not that difficult either, use a 2" or 2 1/2" galvanized tubing, the plumbing type. Install 4 guy wires for extra stability.

The batteries are laid next to each other and connected in series ( connectors supplied by the battery vendor).

The inverter gets mounted on the wall, above the batteries not more that 4 ft away to avoid losses. The inverter input is the battery bank, the inverter output goes to your home main electrical panel via the breaker fuse box.

Done!

Hello Georgios

You do make it all sound do-able, so thanks for the confidence boost. I feel as though I ought to be paying you for the consultation!

Perhaps when we next coincide in Cyprus we can have you round to inspect our handiwork and you can have a solar-baked lemon pie!

... and I don't care if you are TC

I am coming down to Cyprus for 2 weeks in August (Larnaca area).
A couple of my brothers have "illegal" mountain cottages at Pedhoulas, near the summit of Troodos. Since they don't have building permits for their cottages no connection to the national grid is allowed. I was asked to install generating systems(like yours... a bit larger). So much for my vacation... back to work I suppose.

Might take a few pics & forward to you when done.

My advise is free of charge, glad to be of service.

Later,

Georgios100

Photos of your set-ups would be great.

The national grid needn't be extended further and sustainable energy sources should be mandatory in rural areas, as a fair compromise to anyone wishing to utilise their isolated retreats.

Enjoy your "bus-man's holiday" and perhaps we can catch you on one of your maintenance trips ...

[georgios100]

If you have good wind resources at your location I would also suggest adding the attached wind generator, typically used for boats to keep the boat batteries charged at all times. This is an excellent power source, rated 24V to match the battery bank. It should give you approx 200W at moderate winds, day & night, unlike the solar panels which only produce during the day. At a lifetime of 20 years this robust wind turbine can be mounted on a 15-20 foot pole attached onto the side wall of the power hut.

Aerogen Wind Generator - Aero2gen 12v
Link http://www.shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatal ... rogen.html

I would think a combination of the suggested wind/solar could provide more than sufficient power, thus eliminating the genny all together.

All the equipment I listed do qualify the the Gov subcidies, so calculate to dish out approx half of the original invoice.

Best of luck,

Georgios100

That's exactly what I had in mind -- a combination of wind and solar and doing away with flammable, dirty, pricey petroleum products. Thanks for the great website. The outlay isn't as horrendous as I thought it might be.

I suppose they come with good instructions and it's just a matter of plugging one thing into the other!

You'll need an electrician, preferably one with experience in solar/wind/inverter connections... approx 5-6 hours of work to hook everything up.

The erection of the solar panels is pretty easy.

The wind turbine pole not that difficult either, use a 2" or 2 1/2" galvanized tubing, the plumbing type. Install 4 guy wires for extra stability.

The batteries are laid next to each other and connected in series ( connectors supplied by the battery vendor).

The inverter gets mounted on the wall, above the batteries not more that 4 ft away to avoid losses. The inverter input is the battery bank, the inverter output goes to your home main electrical panel via the breaker fuse box.

Done!

Hello Georgios

You do make it all sound do-able, so thanks for the confidence boost. I feel as though I ought to be paying you for the consultation!

Perhaps when we next coincide in Cyprus we can have you round to inspect our handiwork and you can have a solar-baked lemon pie!

... and I don't care if you are TC

I am coming down to Cyprus for 2 weeks in August (Larnaca area).
A couple of my brothers have "illegal" mountain cottages at Pedhoulas, near the summit of Troodos. Since they don't have building permits for their cottages no connection to the national grid is allowed. I was asked to install generating systems(like yours... a bit larger). So much for my vacation... back to work I suppose.

Might take a few pics & forward to you when done.

My advise is free of charge, glad to be of service.

Later,

Georgios100

Photos of your set-ups would be great.

The national grid needn't be extended further and sustainable energy sources should be mandatory in rural areas, as a fair compromise to anyone wishing to utilise their isolated retreats.

Enjoy your "bus-man's holiday" and perhaps we can catch you on one of your maintenance trips ...

Yeah, I agree.

Maintenance is very easy, anyone can do it, no experience required.

It's really difficult and very costly when someone builds a retreat a bit away from the grid. The expenses to install hydro poles, feed lines & transformer is levied on the owner... literally 1000's of Euros... people just can't afford that!

On the other hand, when you get a stand alone system installed, while watching TV with a nice ceiling fan cooling you... your thoughts will go to the wonderful energy harvested from sun/wind... a great feeling of achievement... not to mention - no more electricity bills - total independence. During a blackout, you are still up & running while others are looking for candles...

Strangely, Cyprusgrump is against all that... I wonder why?

Georgios100

[apc2010]

If you have good wind resources at your location I would also suggest adding the attached wind generator, typically used for boats to keep the boat batteries charged at all times. This is an excellent power source, rated 24V to match the battery bank. It should give you approx 200W at moderate winds, day & night, unlike the solar panels which only produce during the day. At a lifetime of 20 years this robust wind turbine can be mounted on a 15-20 foot pole attached onto the side wall of the power hut.

Aerogen Wind Generator - Aero2gen 12v
Link http://www.shop.solar-wind.co.uk/acatal ... rogen.html

I would think a combination of the suggested wind/solar could provide more than sufficient power, thus eliminating the genny all together.

All the equipment I listed do qualify the the Gov subcidies, so calculate to dish out approx half of the original invoice.

Best of luck,

Georgios100

That's exactly what I had in mind -- a combination of wind and solar and doing away with flammable, dirty, pricey petroleum products. Thanks for the great website. The outlay isn't as horrendous as I thought it might be.

I suppose they come with good instructions and it's just a matter of plugging one thing into the other!

You'll need an electrician, preferably one with experience in solar/wind/inverter connections... approx 5-6 hours of work to hook everything up.

The erection of the solar panels is pretty easy.

The wind turbine pole not that difficult either, use a 2" or 2 1/2" galvanized tubing, the plumbing type. Install 4 guy wires for extra stability.

The batteries are laid next to each other and connected in series ( connectors supplied by the battery vendor).

The inverter gets mounted on the wall, above the batteries not more that 4 ft away to avoid losses. The inverter input is the battery bank, the inverter output goes to your home main electrical panel via the breaker fuse box.

Done!

Hello Georgios

You do make it all sound do-able, so thanks for the confidence boost. I feel as though I ought to be paying you for the consultation!

Perhaps when we next coincide in Cyprus we can have you round to inspect our handiwork and you can have a solar-baked lemon pie!

... and I don't care if you are TC

I am coming down to Cyprus for 2 weeks in August (Larnaca area).
A couple of my brothers have "illegal" mountain cottages at Pedhoulas, near the summit of Troodos. Since they don't have building permits for their cottages no connection to the national grid is allowed. I was asked to install generating systems(like yours... a bit larger). So much for my vacation... back to work I suppose.

Might take a few pics & forward to you when done.

My advise is free of charge, glad to be of service.

Later,

Georgios100

Photos of your set-ups would be great.

The national grid needn't be extended further and sustainable energy sources should be mandatory in rural areas, as a fair compromise to anyone wishing to utilise their isolated retreats.

Enjoy your "bus-man's holiday" and perhaps we can catch you on one of your maintenance trips ...

Yeah, I agree.

Maintenance is very easy, anyone can do it, no experience required.

It's really difficult and very costly when someone builds a retreat a bit away from the grid. The expenses to install hydro poles, feed lines & transformer is levied on the owner... literally 1000's of Euros... people just can't afford that!

On the other hand, when you get a stand alone system installed, while watching TV with a nice ceiling fan cooling you... your thoughts will go to the wonderful energy harvested from sun/wind... a great feeling of achievement... not to mention - no more electricity bills - total independence. During a blackout, you are still up & running while others are looking for candles...

Strangely, Cyprusgrump is against all that... I wonder why?

Georgios100

Grump did not say that , he said massive wind farms are not eco friendly...

[kingsdale]

Hi

I don’t know if this is what you want to know, but. We have a 3 bed house in Pano Akourdalia, it isn’t on the grid yet, so we are using alternatives for power.

We have 480watts of PV panels at 12v going to 600Amps of batteries for storage. We have an inverter that goes from 12v to 240v and then connects into the house wiring. We run a standard fridge freezer and all of our lights (which have low energy bulbs fitted) The hob is gas fired, and has a kettle on that.

In addition, There are network cable points around the house and as we do not have internet yet I have put a 12v supply through this and we have 12v low energy bulbs in standard lamps. The advantage of this is that we can turn off the inverter if we need to, (remember it is using power just being on) and still have lights available.

We supplement this with a 6Kva petrol generator, which we really only use if we need the washing machine or the electric oven, and it would only be on while this sort of appliance was in use.

The PV system is right at the limit of producing the energy we use and we could probably do with a couple more panels and batteries to be safe, or we could go for a low energy or gas powered fridge which would mean our system has more than enough capacity. We have used the house at various times of the year and found it was enough even in winter as the fridge is not having to work as hard.

I have brought all this out with me from the UK in a variety of ways – you wouldn’t believe what I pack in suitcases.... and installed it myself.

As and when we get connected to the grid, I will switch the inverter for a grid tie inverter. This will mean we use the power from the PV panels before we pull energy from the grid. There are different ways of connecting to the grid with the panels and getting either the installation grants or the money per kw generated as part of the co-generation scheme, however this usually involves the system being installed by one of the ‘approved’ installers and a hefty hike in the price of the system.

With hindsight (isn’t it wonderful) I would have done some things different in the build, a vertical ground source heat pump for example for the heating.

If you want any more info, please get in touch.
regards
Adrian

[Oracle]

Hi

I don’t know if this is what you want to know, but. We have a 3 bed house in Pano Akourdalia, it isn’t on the grid yet, so we are using alternatives for power.

We have 480watts of PV panels at 12v going to 600Amps of batteries for storage. We have an inverter that goes from 12v to 240v and then connects into the house wiring. We run a standard fridge freezer and all of our lights (which have low energy bulbs fitted) The hob is gas fired, and has a kettle on that.

In addition, There are network cable points around the house and as we do not have internet yet I have put a 12v supply through this and we have 12v low energy bulbs in standard lamps. The advantage of this is that we can turn off the inverter if we need to, (remember it is using power just being on) and still have lights available.

We supplement this with a 6Kva petrol generator, which we really only use if we need the washing machine or the electric oven, and it would only be on while this sort of appliance was in use.

The PV system is right at the limit of producing the energy we use and we could probably do with a couple more panels and batteries to be safe, or we could go for a low energy or gas powered fridge which would mean our system has more than enough capacity. We have used the house at various times of the year and found it was enough even in winter as the fridge is not having to work as hard.

I have brought all this out with me from the UK in a variety of ways – you wouldn’t believe what I pack in suitcases.... and installed it myself.

As and when we get connected to the grid, I will switch the inverter for a grid tie inverter. This will mean we use the power from the PV panels before we pull energy from the grid. There are different ways of connecting to the grid with the panels and getting either the installation grants or the money per kw generated as part of the co-generation scheme, however this usually involves the system being installed by one of the ‘approved’ installers and a hefty hike in the price of the system.

With hindsight (isn’t it wonderful) I would have done some things different in the build, a vertical ground source heat pump for example for the heating.

If you want any more info, please get in touch.
regards
Adrian

Hello Adrian & welcome!

Thank you for all the details. I'm a bit slow and overcautious when embarking on new projects, but this helps greatly.

Hubby's just convinced me that a diesel generator needn't be any more dangerous than a car engine running. Indeed, it seems you can run a house lighting system from keeping the car engine idling and it's as economical, over a few hours per day, as a generator. But, like you, the greatest sense of satisfaction will come from not using fossil fuels.

I've just bought a briefcase sized solar panel, a mini wind generator, a 12V leisure battery and will play around with my lab-sized prototype before scaling up to killer currents. I need to actually fit things together myself and see them functioning before they make any sense. I'm quite keen to build my own wind generator, for some reason -- I can't see why I have to buy one -- maybe a spare part from a plane? Then modify it to use the power from flowing water (I don't see why a 3m drop is essential ).

Anyway, I've got a little bit more reading up to do on "inverters" and then I may well have some more questions for you, so I hope you stick around.

[georgios100]

Kingdale's description of his system is similar to my Dom Rep systems I install. His system is OK for now. Just a bit undersized for the future. Adding more PV panels is always a good idea. Adding more batteries is not due to equalization problems. New batteries don't mix well with old ones...

24VDC battery bank c/w 24VDC/240VAC grid connect inverter is a more efficient way to go (less amps-more volts = lower gauge wires = less losses)

Windmills require a special charge controller & one way diode to be able to charge a battery bank, this is a tricky situation. Home made windmills are probably a waste of time, I tried that already. Stick to the windmills currently sold in the market, already tested & configured to "blend" into the system.

"Victron", a Dutch company, has excellent inverters.

Hope this helps.

Georgios100