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Heat Load Analysis - Heating Degree Days
If you have a heat-load analysis performed on your property, the results are likely to come back in a very odd measurement: Btu per heating degree day per square foot. How can you use this to work out your solar thermal space heating requirements?
What are Diversion Loads?
An electrical load is normally required all the time to work a wind or hydro turbine. The energy generated from these sources needs to be redirected elsewhere when the batteries are fully charged. This is where the diversion load steps in.
Equalizing Battery Charging
CAUTION!
Sealed or "maintenance-free" batteries need no equalization charging.
Equalizing these batteries can cause fire or explosion.
The equalization process can be visualized as batteries being buckets with electricity being the water filling the buckets. One bucket is one battery cell.
What is Inverter Capacity?
Inverter capacity is the amount of power which can be supplied continuously by the unit. The inverter rating must be at least 25% more than the total power required by all connected appliances operating simultaneously. Multiple inverters can be series-wired or parallel-wired for the required capacity.
Inverter Surge Capacity
Inverter Surge Capacity
An inverter's surge capacity indicates how it handles short-term overload before "tripping". Surge capacity is essential to start up some large loads, especially motors that need 2-3 times their running power to get going. The start period may be very short – a fraction of a second – but it still needs to be considered.
Fossil Backup Power
An unsuitable backup power supply is the Achilles' heel of an off-grid energy system. The problem does not lie in the renewable energy equipment's reliability; a well-designed system is often more reliable than the electrical grid.
Problems are more often related to the weather than the equipment. When the winter months are dark without any sun or wind, your system will require more batteries.