[RE-wrenches] [Fwd: Re: ice accumulation]

[boB]

I was discussing this off-line with Ron (Copied below).  I cc'd here but 
I didn't quite "have it right" yet for this new list site,
so this is also a test...

He's using HIT 195 modules which,  ~might~ just turn out to be  ~700 
Watt heating elements.  I've never tried
applying this much power to a module, but it could theoretically work. 
(?)   The 700 Watt (approximate)
figure comes from Voc times  66% (10 Amps) Series Fuse current Rating 
for these modules.  I see that the
rating is 15 Amps.  You could go higher in forward current but this 
seems like a decent limit cuz you don't
want to trip the breaker.

I'd love to know if this actually works at melting snow and ice.  What 
you use for this exactly, I'm not sure....
Maybe a "Defrost "  mode in some future MPPT charge controller  ??

BTW, Rainex doesn't seem to keep the snow from sticking on my parked car 
windshield here, but the windshield isn't vertical either.

boB

On Aug 14, 2008, at 5:53 PM, Bob Gudgel wrote:
 
  Hi Ron...  What a beautiful comm site and breath-taking view !!  (maybe one could ski back to town?)
 
 
  If there were enough extra energy storage, I would try, somehow,
  driving the PV modules just above their Voc (treating them like
  forward biased diodes), and see if that would make enough heat
  so that the ice would melt on the panels.   This is something I
  have long wanted to try, but just don't have a mountaintop system to
  test on.
 
  <<some snippage>>
 
  boB   K7IQ
 
  Disclaimer:  I make no guarrantees on anything using this method.
 



 
  On Thu, 14 Aug 2008, Ron Young wrote:
 
   Hi Wrenches,
  
   I know this is a nice cool subject for these (hopefully) sun filled
   days. I am working on a telecom system that has some issues with ice

<<SNIP THE COLD PART >>

   Ron
   earthRight Solar