NPower Complete 1800 Watt Solar Package — Solar Panels, Batteries and PowerHub — A Northern Excl

[pring7]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200441246_200441246#

Has anybody used, or looked into this system? It looks to me like a cheap (relatively) way to get into solar. It also has the option of including a wind turbine to the system. I don’t know anything about N-Power. I figured that I could use a system like this to power a small casket freezer and maybe my above ground water pump in the event of a power failure. If it works well, maybe it could be used for a few applications like that full time. I like the way that the system is somewhat expandable also. I think that additional solar collectors would be the way to go in my area instead of the wind turbine. The video on NPE’s website and the Q&A’s make it look easy. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

[Badfish740]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200441246_200441246#

Has anybody used, or looked into this system? It looks to me like a cheap (relatively) way to get into solar. It also has the option of including a wind turbine to the system. I don’t know anything about N-Power. I figured that I could use a system like this to power a small casket freezer and maybe my above ground water pump in the event of a power failure. If it works well, maybe it could be used for a few applications like that full time. I like the way that the system is somewhat expandable also. I think that additional solar collectors would be the way to go in my area instead of the wind turbine. The video on NPE’s website and the Q&A’s make it look easy. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Find a good load calculator online to see if 1800 watts will be enough. Pumps are tough because they require so much current at startup. This looks like the ideal starting point for something I've been considering for a while. Eventually we want to buy land and begin building a camp in Maine. The properties that are not on the power grid are usually the cheapest (and offer the most peace and quiet ) but the idea of leaving expensive solar panels, charge controllers, inverters, etc...up there for months at a time was a scary thought. My idea is to purchase an enclosed landscaping trailer and house a dual fuel (propane/gasoline) generator in it along with all of the electronics and batteries, and mount the solar panels in a collapsible array on the roof. That way we could bring our power with us! We could pull up, unfold the array, connect the "power trailer" to the house via a heavy duty cable (like the ones you use for emergency generators), connect the propane tank, and wa'la! Instant power station.

 

[JustWood]

I have bought 2 solar panels from Northern and I wood advise against it from my experience. The third I bought was directLEE through a vendor and much happier with the experience and price.

 

[benjamin]

I see two 110 watt panels, where does the 1800 "running" watts come from? pure optomism?

The point of solar panels is that they are no maintenance (and no input), so I'd look at used panels if I ever got to that point. I've seen good brand panels that are barely used or factory seconds on flea bay for just over a buck a watt. New warrantied panels could be had for under $3 a watt.

 

[pring7]

I think that it stores that much (1800 "running" watts) in the batteries. They say in the Q&A's that you can hook up to 4 of the 110 watt panels up, but that it can accept up to 480 watt input. It also says that it could take two days of full sunlight to fully charge with just the two 110 watt panels.

Badfish: It might be a good solution for your mobile power trailer since you could recharge it with the generator. I think that more batteries can be added to the system as well to give the generators a rest sometimes.

LocalLee: How long ago did you buy Northern panels? Were they N-power? I wonder if the quality has improved or just the same as it was. I think that many similar technologies have come a long way in the last decade.

 

[pring7]

I just found this too in the Q&A: "Keep in mind that the the amp hour rating is @ 12Volt D/C and will be much lower on the A/C side."

 

[GaryGary]

Hi,

You might have a look at just putting together a system with off the shelf parts -- the small systems like this go together pretty easily.

Here is one example:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PV/TruckPV/TruckPV.htm

Carl's (goes by MightyBooBoo) system has more PV panel capacity and more storage -- with some scrounging, he put the system together for less than $1000.
A lot depends on the inverter and whether its a pure sine wave or not.

The inverter that comes with this package is a modified sine wave, not a pure sine wave, so some things may not run well on it.

But, there are a lot of deals out there now on PV panels, and the Morningstar charge controllers for this size system are not that expensive. There are even some fairly reasonable small pure sine wave inverters out there now.

Some more on small standalone systems here:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PV/pv.htm#Small Systems

Gary