PV Gap

Brandon Said:

what are the best energy storage devices? for living off the grid?

We Answered:

I'm not sure what you are saying is really practical, and you certainly won't save money at first. Deep cycle lead acid batteries are the choice of most off-the-grid folks, but they are expensive. Some of the eBooks on wind generators have info on reconditioning old batteries. These would be cheaper - but still very heavy to haul around.

Carol Said:

What method is the best way to harness energy for an ecologically compatible lifestyle?

We Answered:

none. Storing energy is always detremental to the environment. NOW, capturing and using energy from the sun and wind continously is the closest thing to be ecologically correct, but there are still problems with these. Where does the energy capture systems come from? We pilage the earth mining minerals needed. We set them up and kill birds or shade the ground such that plant life dies off.

The best thind, is to only use energy we it is available and thats in a passive solr heating system.

Sherry Said:

THE SOURCE OF ENERGY FOR SATELLITE IS OUT OF BATTERY,SOLAR CELL,CRYOGENIC STORAGE?

We Answered:

Mostly solar. Some use the heat of decay of very radioactive elements to make the little power they need- last about 30 years. Look up nuclear battery for how they work.

Ricardo Said:

Where can I get infomation on how to build a storage battery...?

We Answered:

There ain't no such thing as a "cheap solar battery", if you compare the price of electricity from it with that from a conventional power plant.

I kind of doubt that you can even build a device significantly cheaper per kWh than a commercial vendor can.

What you probably can do is to talk yourself into believing that what you have built is better than what you could have bought... the easiest way to get away with that is to not do any performance and lifetime testing of your design. It's like winning the Olympics field and track by never going on the field and the track but talking about your accomplishments at your local bar. This is also known as make belief.

And no, I am not trying to put you down here. But I do want to point out that if what you need is a solar storage system, just buy one. It will come you cheaper in the short and the long run than any attempt to build one. Unless maybe if you are a professional design engineer. But then, if you were a professional design engineer, you wouldn't be here asking for advice. Right?

As a reference point: I am a professional design engineer and I know this stuff. If I wanted to have a solar storage system, I would simply go to a vendor and order one. Without even thinking about it for a minute.