Balance-of-System Equipment Required for Renewable Energy Systems

Both grid-connected and off-grid home renewable energy systems require additional “balance-of-system” equipment.

Whether you decide to connect your home renewable energy system to the electric grid or not, you will need to invest in some additional equipment (called "balance-of-system") to condition the electricity, safely transmit the electricity to the load that will use it, and/or store the electricity for future use.  Today there is a lot of solar systems on the market but RENOGY 100W is ideal for camping and traveling.

With stand-alone systems -- those not connected to the electric grid -- the amount of equipment you will need to buy depends on what you want your system to do. In the simplest systems, the current generated by your system is connected directly to the equipment that it is powering (load). However, if you want to store power for use when your system isn't producing electricity, you will need to purchase batteries and a charge controller.


Depending on your needs, balance-of-system equipment for a stand-alone system could account for half of your total system costs. Your system supplier will be able to tell you exactly what equipment you will need for your situation, but typical balance-of-system equipment for a stand-alone system includes batteries, charge controller, power conditioning equipment, safety equipment, and meters and instrumentation.



A grid-connected system -- one that is connected to the electric grid -- requires balance-of-system equipment that allows you to safely transmit electricity to your loads and to comply with your power provider's grid-connection requirements. You will need power conditioning equipment, safety equipment, and meters and instrumentation.
Batteries for Stand-Alone Systems

Batteries store electricity for use during times that your system is not producing electricity (the resource is not available). Batteries are most effective when used in wind and photovoltaic systems (variations in microhydropower resources can be more seasonal in nature, so batteries may be less useful).

The "deep-cycle" (generally lead-acid) batteries typically used for small systems last 5 to 10 years and reclaim about 80% of the energy channeled into them. In addition, these batteries are designed to provide electricity over long periods, and can repeatedly charge and discharge up to 80% of their capacity. Automotive batteries, which are shallow-cycle (and therefore prone to damage if they discharge more than 20% of their capacity), should not be used.

The cost of deep-cycle batteries depends on the type, capacity, climate conditions under which they will operate, frequency of maintenance, and chemicals used to store and release electricity. Wind or photovoltaic stand-alone system batteries need to be sized to store power sufficient to meet your needs during anticipated periods of cloudy weather or low wind. An inexpensive fossil fuel-powered back-up generator can be used to cover unanticipated or occasional slumps in the renewable resource.

For safety, batteries should be located in a space that is well ventilated and isolated from living areas and electronics, as they contain dangerous chemicals and emit hydrogen and oxygen gas while being charged. In addition, the space should provide protection from temperature extremes. Be sure to locate your batteries in a space that has easy access for maintenance, repair, and replacement. Batteries can be recycled when they wear out. Contact your system supplier for information on sizing your battery pack to meet your specific needs.
Charge Controllers for Stand-Alone Systems

This device regulates rates of flow of electricity from the generation source to the battery and the load. The controller keeps the battery fully charged without over-charging it. When the load is drawing power, the controller allows the charge to flow from the generation source into the battery, the load, or both. When the controller senses that the battery is fully (or nearly fully) charged, it reduces or stops the flow of electricity from the generation source, or diverts it to an auxiliary or "shunt" load (most commonly an electric water heater).

Many controllers will also sense when loads have taken too much energy from batteries and will stop the flow until sufficient charge is restored to the batteries. This last feature can greatly extend the battery's lifetime.

The cost of controllers generally depends on the ampere capacity at which your renewable system will operate and the monitoring features you want.
Power Conditioning Equipment

For both stand-alone and grid-connected systems, you will need power conditioning equipment.

Most electrical appliances and equipment in the United States run on alternating current (AC) electricity. Virtually all the available renewable energy technologies, with the exception of some solar electric units, produce direct current (DC) electricity. To run standard AC appliances, the DC electricity must first be converted to AC electricity using inverters and related power conditioning equipment.

There are four basic elements to power conditioning:
Conversion -- of constant DC power to oscillating AC power
Frequency of the AC cycles -- should be 60 cycles per second
Voltage consistency -- extent to which the output voltage fluctuates
Quality of the AC sine curve -- whether the shape of the AC wave is jagged or smooth.

Simple electric devices, such as hair dryers and light bulbs, can run on fairly low-quality electricity. A consistent voltage and smooth sine curve are more important for sensitive electronic equipment, such as computers, that cannot tolerate much power distortion.

Inverters condition electricity so that it matches the requirements of the load. If you plan to tie your system to the electricity grid, you will need to purchase conditioning equipment that can match the voltage, phase, frequency, and sine wave profile of the electricity produced by your system to that flowing through the grid.





A series of requirements for grid-interactive inverters have been developed by Underwriters Laboratories, a leading safety-testing and certification organization. These requirements, referred to as UL 1741, apply to power-producing stand-alone and grid-connected renewable energy systems. Either you or your installer should contact your power provider to see which models they accept for grid-connection; most simply require a grid-interactive inverter listed by an organization such as Underwriters Laboratories.

These factors affect the cost of inverters:
Application (utility-interconnected, stand-alone, or both)
Quality of the electricity it needs to produce for stand-alone
Voltage of the incoming current
AC wattage required by your loads (for stand-alone systems only)
Power required for the starting surge of some equipment
Additional inverter features such as meters and indicator lights.

When you size your inverter, be sure to plan for any future additional loads you might have. In the case of a grid-tied system in which you want to enlarge your renewable energy system, it is often cheaper to purchase an inverter with a larger input and output rating than you currently need than to replace it with a larger one later.
Safety Equipment

Safety features protect stand-alone and grid-connected small renewable energy systems from being damaged or harming people during events like lightening events, power surges, or malfunctioning equipment.

Safety disconnects -- Automatic and manual safety disconnects protect the wiring and components of your small renewable energy system from power surges and other equipment malfunctions. They also ensure that your system can be shut down safely for maintenance and repair. In the case of grid-connected systems, safety disconnects ensure that your generating equipment is isolated from the grid, which is important for the safety of people working on the grid transmission and distribution systems.
Grounding equipment -- This equipment provides a well-defined, low-resistance path from your system to the ground to protect your system against current surges from lightening strikes or equipment malfunctions. You will want to ground both your wind turbine or photovoltaics unit itself and your balance-of-system equipment. Be sure to include any exposed metal (such as equipment boxes) that might be touched by you or a service provider.
Surge protection -- These devices also help protect your system in the event that it, or nearby power lines (in the case of grid-connected systems), are struck by lightening.

A local electrician or your installer should be able to provide you with more information on the safety features required for your particular situation. For additional information on safety and electrical installation requirements, consult the National Electric Code NFPA 70.
Meters and Instrumentation

Meters and other instruments allow you to monitor your small renewable energy system's battery voltage, the amount of power you are consuming, and the level at which your batteries are charged, for example.

If you are connecting your system to the electricity grid, you will need meters to keep track of the electricity your system produces and the electricity you use from the grid. Some power providers will allow you to use a single meter to record the excess electricity your system feeds back into the grid (the meter spins forward when you are drawing electricity, and backward when your system is producing it).

Power providers that don't allow such a net metering arrangement require that you install a second meter to measure the electricity your system feeds into the grid.

Roswell’s Historic Bulloch Hall gets covered in quilts for annual quilt guild showcase

Rooms of Historic Bulloch Hall in Roswell will be decorated with handcrafted patchwork quilts beginning on March 10 to 19 for the Great American Cover-up Quilt Show.

This year marks the 35th annual quilt show, organized and hosted by the Bulloch Hall Quilt Guild with co-chairs, Ellen Lott and Bobette Robinson at the helms.

At last count by the guild, there are 145 quilt submissions.

According to submission guidelines, placement of quilts in the show will be at the discretion of the quilt show committee.

“A committee meets after all the quilt applications have been received. You must submit a photo along with the dimensions of the quilt, then with that information, the group decides which room to place which quilt,” said Jan Antranikian, guild representative.

Antranikian describes placement as a challenge with the committee having “to consider not only the size, but the paint color of the room and even the amount of light in each room.”

Quilts are placed on three of the four levels of the historic home.

“We do have the advantage of having beds, tables and sofa's to drape quilts over and small little quilts get stuck into the nooks and crannies of the house,” she said.

Submissions include works from members of the Bulloch Hall Quilt Guild, but non-members had the opportunity to apply to be featured.

Each year features a spotlight on a quilt artist. Fiber Artist Elizabeth Barton of Athens will showcase her paint and patchwork style of quilting.

“I make wall hangings from layers of cloth that I have painted or dyed, cut into pieces and reassembled. It’s like painting with fabric, the benefit of the fabric being that if you don’t like it in one place, you can move it to another,” said Barton.

Barton, a native of England who immigrated to the United States, began making quilts while working in the health service at the University of Georgia. She chose to focus on art quilts.

The special display will exhibit 13 of Barton’s quilts.

Bulloch Hall Quilt Guild will host a “Meet and Greet Reception” with Barton on March 19 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Each year the guild selects on particular quilt as the “Raffle Quilt,” which will be available for anyone to win.

Raffle tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.

According to Co-chair Bobette Robinson, about 25 people collaborated on this year’s raffle quilt, which was on display on March 2 at the guild’s meeting.

The guild holds monthly meetings beginning in September and going through June at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Alpharetta on the first Thursday of the month.

Ladies met at the church to share current works and quilting happenings as well as emphasis on donations of handcrafted works.

The guild selects nonprofit organizations to receive donations of quilts as “one arm of our charity efforts.”

“This year, we have again chosen two groups to receive our quilts: The Drake House in Roswell and the Quilts of Valor,” as stated on its website.

A special presentation was given by Gwen Koehler, who has published works on the love story between Mittie Bulloch and the elder Theodore Roosevelt.

There will be a preview party at Bulloch Hall the evening before the show opening.

Awards are given for “Guild Choice” “Viewer’s Choice,” in addition to a "Sponsor Award."

The exhibit runs from March 10 to 19 at Bulloch Hall.

Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.

Tickets: $8 per adult and $6 per child ages 6-12 years old.

Plumber Retains Job After Blowing Jackpot Earnings On Golden Plumbing Fixtures

LOS ANGELES, CA — Local Plumber, Joe Schweddy (56), used his jackpot earnings he received in March to trick out his bathroom in gold instead of retiring or doing more sensible things. KWLA News caught up with Joe after rumor spread throughout the city of his spending. The following is a brief exchange we had.

Plumbing VS. Gangs

Unless you’ve stayed up all night studying capital cities for a pub quiz, it’s safe to say you won’t have heard of Puerto Cabezas, the small, but bustling, urban centre of the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua.

The city, better known as Bilwi in the local Miskito language, can be a tough place to live. Power outages are rampant and road access is patchy, schools are overcrowded and the costs of basic supplies can be exorbitant. For Bilwi’s youth, the traps of drugs and gang violence are all too easy to get caught up in.

Surrounded by rivers and lagoons and facing out on to an Atlantic sea-scape, good water, ironically, is hard to come by. Just 20% of Bilwi can tap into the limited municipal water supply, with public waterways and streams visibly polluted. Only half of the city’s population has access to toilets.

4 Winter Plumbing Problems Dallas Doesn’t Have

Remember to pack close-toed shoes and a jacket if you head up north to visit family and friends this year. You can also be comforted in your travels this year knowing your Dallas pipes will still be running when you come home.

The holiday season usually means cold weather and a risk of freezing pipes, but in Dallas temperatures below 50 degrees are extremely rare. Lucky Dallasians have the advantage of watching most of the country freeze under a blanket of snow and ice from the comfort of their warm and sunny homes.

That doesn’t mean that Dallas gets to avoid plumbing problems all together, but here are 4 winter plumbing issues that Dallas doesn’t have to worry about.