The Argosy Solar Project
The Argosy Solar Project |
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Dave & Ann WBCCI: 5074
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We have been on several trips since all the hardware has been installed. On each trip we dry camped at least once, if not several times. We have found that our batteries support running the high efficiency 12V refrigerator, an Endless Breeze fan set on medium speed (running 8 hours or more), several hours of fluorescent lights, a bit of water pump and a radio/CD player running for 3-4 hours and not go below the 60% battery full level. If it's sunny the next day, the batteries are usually fully recharged by noon. On my "wish list" are higher capacity batteries. I think that if I had around 200AH worth of batteries I would be all set. I also plan on providing "native" DC voltage for my notebook computer & accessories so I don't need to use an inverter. Was it worth the money? Well, a RV park costs at least $25 a night. When you consider we put about $1500 into the hardware, that's 60 nights worth. So we aren't likely to reach that soon, but definitely will within the lifetime of the trailer. What isn't measurable is the convenience of being able to stop anywhere for the night and not have to worry about power. Also, become energy independent is just a good thing to do. Now if I could only pull the trailer with an electric truck... :-) Please feel free to leave me Feedback on this site or if you have any questions, Also, please see the Resources section to links to suppliers I have used in this project. Thanks!
Dave & Ann Lowrey
This site was last updated 08/20/07 |