Archive for April 11th, 2009

Solar Trackers, Big and Small

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

Solar Trackers or suntrackers are a cheap solution to boosting performance of existing fixed panels. Trackers permanently keep panels in full, direct sunlight, boosting performance upto +50% in summer and +35% in winter.

Trackers can be single or twin axis and either follow the sun via a photo-cell, liquid or by timer.
At Generador-Electrico.com’s premises a Lorentz Etatrack1500 was installed.

With its 15 x 125Wp Kyocera KC series panels (15m2) it has a considerable size, is robust and economic.

We have compared 2 similar installations; only a rough 20 Kms away in a straight line.
Our installation in Ronda (Málaga) with 15 “tracking” panels against 16 “fixed” panels in Yunquera (malaga).
Comparisons were made using the proper Outback MX60′s 64 day history.
Checking one particular day in the month of april that neither of the two systems had been absorbing nor floating (so full power had been fed into the batteries all day long) the following results came up:

Yunquera 16 x 125Wp FIXED panels: Outback MX60 read: 11,8 Kw
Our own installation in Ronda, with 15 TRACKING panels (please note, 1 less): Outback MX60: 17,9Kw.

(Sunny, cloudless day)

You don’t have to be a wizard to see the difference…

Currently our system has new panels, and is currently equipped with 12 x Sanyo HIT 230Wp monocrystalline panels and is currently kicking out around 25 Kw/day For slightly smaller installations the Etatrack 1000 Activ (10m2) and the Feina SF9 biaxial de 9m2 , are available. Also we have the smaller Etatrack 400 Activ (4m2) and Suntracer+ de 2m2.

Recently Etatrack 2000 (20m2) and Feina SF20 have been added.

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Solar Charge Controllers

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

The main function of a solar charge controller: adjust the power (amps) going into the battery to a correct value, normally the maximum the battery will accept, without overcharging, but charging it in the shortest possible time.

This is an essential part of the solar system, and should be carefully elected.
Different brands and types can be acquired, with different charge states, adjustable and non adjustable bulk, absortion and float voltages, with/and/or without automatic equalization modes, displays, temperature compensated models or Mppt controllers.

We do just about all of them and we will happily advise you on which one would suit you most

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Dc to AC Inverters & Inverter Chargers

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

Solar Inverters (also named converters) are electronic devices that change the DC current from the batteries into AC current (Vac), 220V, as you have in any traditional house plug.

There are 3 types available:

SQUARE wave: Cheapest and worse quality. OK for normal lightning but very bad for electronics. Hardly sold any more.

MODIFIED sinewave: This is the “cheaper” type of inverter and is normally cheaper. Its slightly less indicated for delicate appliances. They are present just about everywhere.
We distribute Xantrex, Waeco, Hr-Electronics and Conversion Devices as our main brands.

PURE Sinewave: These inverters give us the same quality of electrics that you’d receive from the mains. The waveform is perfect. Victron Energy (Phoenix), Xantrex (SW), Conversion Devices and ICO-GE are the main brands we commercialize.

Both types of inverters have interesting versions as the combis or multis/multiplusses.

These are Inverter and Battery charger in one, normally equipped with an internal transfer switch, letting them change from one function to the other without any interruption. Available both in Pure and ModSine.

victron phoenix


cd 1500

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Posted in Inverters and Inverter/Chargers, Solar Power | No Comments »