Deep water... [RE-wrenches]

[Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar]

----------
>From: "Steve Willey, Backwoods Solar" <steve at backwoodssolar.com>
>To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>Subject: Re: Deep water... [RE-wrenches]
>Date: Tue, Jul 4, 2000, 7:09 PM
>

>They run on 60 or more volts
>array direct and have inverter and AC motor within the sub-pump as I recall.
>But big $$



I think Steve is pretty much on to something here.  For this application,
this depth and daily volume solar direct water pumping can't even be
anywhere close to cost effective.  As others have already suggested the
volume does sound pretty high.  Given your customers lack of budget I don't
see solar direct as an option.  They are probably better spending their
money on the biggest cistern they afford on top of the hill and filling it
every few days.  If it was just a water pumping application it might be a
little closer to being cost effective.  Since we are talking about a entire
house system the only additional cost is the extra inverter to get 240 plus
a very small amount of additional propane per year.

This would be a good time for some hardcore solar water pumping people to
help me with the numbers.  
I'd like to see the math come anywhere near a dual inverter system not to
mention the added complexity of a 180 volt DC water pumping system whose
only purpose is for pumping water which means there is another array for
charging batteries. By the way NEC has some real problems with DC voltages
over 48 in residences.  A dual inverter system would really be the way to
go. Forget the the T240's.    

Don't get me (too) wrong I am running a 1/8 page solar water pumping add in
my local Big Nickel for 13 weeks as we speak but I just don't like to do
solar direct systems in houses with inverters.  It might be because most of
our wells around here are well over 200' feet.

How many of us wrenches are licensed to set and service well pumps?  Try to
get a well service guy out to service a DC pump.  It "ain't gonna" happen
here in the Ozarks.

Travis Creswell

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