My Power Station South Africa Public Relations

The latest version was released on 11th June 2010 and solves a problem with USB connections and also allows use on Windows 7. It is a recommended download for all users.

You can find it here.

Move your mouse up to the top right hand corner of the site. Watch what happens. Move mouse back to the middle of the screen.  Then move mouse over page peel and click.  You are taken to our Online Store.

Enjoy.

We are on the front page of Engineering News at the moment.    Search for Gecko Rock.  If we aren’t there when you look, then try this link: http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/western-cape-nature-reserve-installs-solar-power-2010-09-23

My Power Station has just completed an installation of an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) system at Gecko Rock, near Touwsriver, Western Cape, South Africa.

See photos on Facebook with descriptions and here:

Technical Information:

Summary:

• 1.6 kilowatt photovoltaic array with 24 Volt 675 Amp Hour battery bank and 1,200 watt inverter charger with generator backup
• 8 kwh of battery backup
• 8 kwh of average daily solar production from the photovoltaic array
• the system has been sized to operate: a DSTV decoder, satellite phone system and satellite data system used 4 hours a day and on standby 20 hours a day; LCD TV set; Lighting; Laptop; 220 Volt energy efficient refrigerator; small hi-fi system, playing an ipod; digital projector from time to time.  The system should be able to manage much greater outputs than this and has been sized to allow for conferences and training courses to be held at Gecko Rock

Installation Team (left to right in the group photo at the top of this page):

• Antony Stone from Big Bang Stunts and Effects: Camera
• Steven Mulder from Intricate Steel: Welding, Dual Axis Trackers; Metal Work
• David Lipschitz from My Power Station: Sales, Design and Team Leader
• Peter Burden from SolarSells: Design and Electrician

Overview:

• System Type: Off-grid solar-electric
• Location: Gecko Rock, 25 km South South East of Touwsriver, Western Cape, South Africa
• Solar Resource: approximately 5 average peak sun-hours
• Photovoltaic Array Size: 1.62 kW (1,620 watts)
• Nominal Voltage Batteries: 24 Volts
• Nominal Voltage Array: 72 Volts
• Array Voltage at Max Power: 108.6 Volts
• Array DC Current at Max Power: 15 Amps
• Battery Amp Hours: 675 Ah (amp hours) at 20-hour discharge rate.  Multiplied by 24 Volts and allowing for a 50% maximum depth of discharge = 8.1 kWh in the batteries for overnight and overcast periods
• Record Low Temperature: unknown; we have allowed for Minus 15 degrees Celsius (during day light (operating) hours)
• Average Low Temperature: 2.2 degrees Celsius in July
• Average High Temperature: 28.6 degrees Celsius in February
• Average Daily Production: 8.1 kWh
• Average Electricity Available after taking account of efficiencies (or inefficiencies): Allow 7% for inverter loss; 20% loss for battery charge/discharge from photovoltaic array; and 2% voltage drop on the cabling: 8.1 kwh * 0.93 & 0.8 * 0.98 = 5.9 kwh per day of usable electricity (daily average over the entire year)

PV System Components:

• 9 Tenesol TE1700 at 24 Volt nominal: 180 Wp STC, 36.2 Vmp, 5 Imp, 44.4 Voc, 5.4 Isc (133.2 Volts open circuit for the array (at zero amps, i.e. first thing in the morning) and 16.2 Amps Short Circuit current for the array)
• Array: 1 “string” of 3 “panels” with 3 “modules” in each panel.  Total 9 Modules, 1,620 Watts total
• Array installation: Dual-axis (manual) trackers designed by SolarSells, and enhanced, built and installed by Intricate Steel
• Inverters: 1 x 24 Volt Victron 1200 Watt multi-plus Inverter/Charger allowing 24 Volt DC to 220 Volt AC conversion of electricity and allowing automatic synchronisation of a generator input into the system to supplement the batteries in the case of long cloudy periods
• Solar Charge Controllers: 1 x 80 Amp Outback FM80 MPPT (maximum power point tracking) controller.  The FM80 allows array sizes up to 2,000 Watts when charging at 24 Volts.  The FM80 allows one to use a higher output voltage PV array with a lower voltage battery, such as charging a 24 VDC battery with a 72 VDC array.  This reduces wire size (and cost) and power loss from the PV array to the battery/inverter location and maximises the performance of the PV system
• Batteries: Deep Cycle: 12 x 6 Volt Trojan T105′s in 24 Volt nominal configuration, i.e. 3 banks (in parallel) of 4 batteries (in series) making 24 Volts nominal and 675 Amp Hours capacity. Each 6 volt battery weighs 28 kg making a total battery bank weight of 336 kg.  We expect the batteries to last about 8 years with an average discharge of 20% and a maximum discharge of 50%.  The batteries have a 2 year free replacement guarantee assuming they are looked after and “watered”, i.e. the battery de-ionised water is checked and filled as required.  We can tell how the batteries have been used by looking at the information on the Victron Battery Status Monitor.  The Trojan batteries are designed in the USA and assembled in Cape Town
• Generator: 5 kw Honda
• System performance metering: Victron Battery Status Monitor BM 600 for DC performance and battery monitoring; Efergy e2 Electricity Monitor for AC performance and historical AC kwh tracking
• 2 Earth spikes and open earthing cabling allowing all metal work to be earthed. System and Equipment negative grounding.  We have used USA NEC Article 690 rules as far as possible as there aren’t standards for PV systems in South Africa yet.

http://www.mypowerstation.biz/ just hit 601 Facebook Likes & is now ranked 716,733 worldwide and 1,471 in South Africa. See http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/mypowerstation.biz. Compare with your web-site.  Email david@mypowerstation.biz or write a reply here if you’d like to increase your own online sales.

http://www.mypowerstation.biz hit 545 Facebook likes and we are below 1 million worldwide on Alexa (at 875,205) and ranked 1,551 in South Africa.

We just added the Hahnel batteries and battery charger to our My Power Station store.

This press release added 3rd September 2010 and updated 10th September 2010.  We didn’t like the first Hahnel charger we found as it didn’t show when the batteries were full.  We have now find a more advanced Hahnel charger and have tested it and are happy with it.

David Lipschitz, Energy Expert at MyPowerStation, says that he chose these batteries and battery charger for the following reasons:

• The charger uses the latest technology and includes a microchip for optimal charging and battery life.  The charger charges AA (R6-Mignon) and AAA (Micro) batteries.  You can find a product manual here.
• The charger comes with a 240 Volt mains adapter and a 12 Volt car adapter.
• Supplied with 4 High Power Rechargeable AA 1.25V 2500mAh (or higher) Ni-MH Batteries.  If you buy our kit with the Efergy and batteries and battery charger, you get 8 AA batteries and 8 AAA batteries.
• Charge time about 3 to 4 hours depending on battery type and capacity.
• The batteries are made from Nickel Metal Hydride which is a reasonably clean technology for recycling and proper disposal.
• Hahnel batteries are designed in Cork, Ireland.

Here is a quote from http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-20.htm: ”Although nickel-metal-hydride is considered environmentally friendly, this chemistry is also being recycled. The main derivative is nickel, which is considered semi-toxic. nickel-metal-hydride also contains electrolyte that, in large amounts, is hazardous. If no disposal service is available in an area, individual nickel-metal-hydride batteries can be discarded with other household wastes. If ten or more batteries are accumulated, the user should consider disposing of these packs in a secure waste landfill.”

Hahnel is an independent manufacturer of batteries, power adapters, chargers and accessories for cameras and notebooks. Hahnel’s products are designed for most major manufacturers and models and offer an affordable alternative to brand name products.

Hahnel was originally a German company, but is now based in Cork, Ireland. In 2008 the company celebrated fifty years of business.

We have loaded a Efergy e2 Wireless Electricity Meter technical data sheet and setup instructions to ISSUU.

Note that the 3 phase Efergy is the same as the single phase Efergy.  It just needs to have its voltage set to 380 Volts and it needs 3 sensors instead of 1 sensor.

The standard kit comes with one sensor and costs R899.  The extra two sensors make the kit R1199.  Prices include VAT and delivery in South Africa.

Re ISSUU: You can click anywhere on the picture to zoom in and move the mouse around the screen to move the document around.  You can also move the mouse to the right of the page to see an arrow to move forwards a page.

We now have our very own custom Facebook web Address: http://www.facebook.com/MyPowerStation.

Thank you Facebook.