A Lifetime with Solar

A Lifetime with Solar

My introduction to solar power occurred around 1970. I was working in various functions such as manager of quality control, supervisor of installations, and technical support to sales for a firm than known as Gould National Batteries. Also, I was investigating and tabulating all field problems. The Department of Lands and Forests, the Canadian equivalent to forest ministries here, called to complain about frozen batteries in the field installations. The batteries were powering a small transmitter, and they were charged by solar panels. I never saw a solar panel before.

The course of events was obvious. The batteries were sized to deliver power to the transmitter for two weeks without charging. Not for several months. In spite of that, the panels were tilted some 65 degrees from vertical. The snow accumulated in sufficient quantity that it restricted the illumination, and the power output dropped to zero. As the lead acid battery discharges, the electrolyte loses the sulfuric acid content, due to formation of lead sulphate on both positive and negative plates, and the electrolyte becomes lighter and watery. The freezing temperature of a fully charged battery with relative density of the electrolyte above 1.2 (one point two times denser than water) is very low, perhaps 40 deg below zero; but a discharged battery with an electrolyte at a relative density as low as 1.03 may be as high as 20 deg F. The electrolyte increases volume during freezing. The case of the battery breaks and upon thawing the electrolyte leaks out. So this was enlightenment for everyone. No satisfactory solution was found to protect solar panels from snow and ice cover, and winter utilizations of solar panels became impossible.

The price of solar panels was coming down slowly and consistently, and it became economical to power up some monstrous loads. I remember being involved in the construction of a cellular telephone site around 1990 in the mountains east of San Diego. In 2001, I was involved in another PCS installation in Puerto Rico. These installations produced around 100A at 24 Volts.

In 1982, my wife and I purchased 30 acres in the Rincon Mountains east of Tucson. We fell in love with the property, but we discovered very fast the cost of taming a piece of land in isolation. The Tucson Electric Power quoted price for a power line in excess of $100,000. Fortunately, I was still working for then Gould Technologies, taking care of technical problems and executing installations of the back-up power systems for large computer operators like data centers and telephone companies. The benefit of lead acid batteries to the telephone company is twofold. Firstly, it powers up the system during power failures. The telephone system during a disaster is usually the last system to fail. Next, because the battery has a HUGE capacitance (1 farad per 1000 Ampere-hours), it acts as an efficient filter to absorb the noise the phone line would experience without filtering.

Telephone companies replace their batteries on regular schedules. Many of those batteries still could provide years of service. I exchanged such batteries with life left in them with my friend, a manager of Tucson’s Photocom office, for solar panels. The progression from candle to oil lamps to a propane lamp and to electric light felt like what a cave man would feel leaving the cave for a Holiday Inn.

In 1986, we incorporated under the name Aquarius Enterprises. The company went through numerous reorganizations and now is waiting for new blood to let me enjoy retirement.

The progress at the ranch was unstoppable. Firstly, we wired up the new building for 12V. It was some time before first 2 KW Trace inverter was installed. After that, it would not make sense to continue using RV appliances and lighting. This inverter powered possibly 2000 mixes in a concrete mixer, provided power simultaneously to three carpenters for saws, drills, other hand tools. The inverter is still going strong, but a few years back we got a new Trace sinewave inverter and moved the old one to power the cottage, some 200 yards distant.

Little by little, we installed equipment to enjoy all the modern conveniences in a remote setting. Our location at 4000ft is well above Tucson, so any city pollution comes diluted. Water is pure. Instead of drinking a diluted mixture of pesticides, herbicides and other compounds, our water comes from the sky. It is filtered through sand, then 50 micron filters before being stored in concrete tanks lined with vinyl "drinking water" liners. From there, it is filtered again through three woven filters and a charcoal filter prior to going through a 12 volt ultraviolet sterilizer. The cooling and heating of water and space are also solar. Because our property has a large elevation gradient, I am planning to run power from the PV panels through a hydrogen generator in series with the batteries. The generator would be 200ft below the supply water reservoir. This would keep the evolving gases under 80lb pressure. The hydrogen would be fed directly into the propane tank, where it would mix with propane. The oxygen would be fed through pressure relief valves into the fish pond.

Because the optimal life of a battery is achieved in full float service rather than cycling service, a wind generator is used to aid in reduction of discharging at night.

We cook on electricity, use a microwave oven, coffee maker etc. and in every place where a heavy demand is put on electricity, a voltmeter is wall mounted. In several places multi-function meters are used to enable the wife to see the amps produced, kilowatts used etc. to help her to decide if a chicken is cooked in the rotisserie or cyclone cooker or propane stove.

Under construction is a hot tub. It will be solar heated, hot water stored in a super insulated 2000 gallon concrete tank, and a thermostat will be switching on a circulating pump as needed to keep the water temperature constant.

To save water, we use a waterless composting toilet. In 20 years of its operation, it has not needed emptying yet. From the receptacle compartment, 8 ft x 6 ft tall x 6 ft wide, is installed a 10 in. pipe up 2 1/2 stories, above the roof, where a 12 Volt fan is switched on before the user lifts the toilet lid. The fan creates draft down the toilet and any smelly gases are exhausted above the roof.

The water from the shower is collected in a concrete tank where water hyacinths and cattails remove soap components like the borax. The semiprocessed water is used for watering plants.

Living in an unpolluted safe environment is wonderful. Not knowing what is the cost of electricity, garbage pick up and water/sewer service feels even better. The canyon below us is at the end of the power line. Pima County has a wonderful lightning display, and during monsoons the whole area is without power at least weekly. When the canyon is in darkness, we switch on every light in the house to demonstrate the benefit of solar power.
Unfortunately, due to the population explosion, resulting in piling on regulations with astronomical speed, we would not be able to duplicate our lifestyle today. Our electric system, producing 80 Amps in full sun, mounted on three passive and one active 2 Axel’s tracker, and on fixed roof mounts, would cost in excess of $100,000. The batteries were free at one time. Than they were placed into the hazardous materials category. We dutifully obtained the hazardous waste permit; without it no phone company would release the old batteries to us.

Next, the State of Arizona decided to regulate the movement of batteries and yearly a $200 permit was needed. This happened at the same time when shipping of unusable batteries to the smelter became a problem. In 1975, battery manufacturers earned more money buying scrap than selling new batteries. In these days, it is very difficult to find someone who will accept spent industrial batteries. Some of our batteries worked for 20 years after being replaced by a phone company, but one by one they showed age and died. At the moment, we use three strings of 21 plate 750AH Rolls batteries made in Canada. These two cell units are about the maximum size one can maneuver under the house. Because of our granite terrain, we cannot construct an underground home for them. Under the house they are still much too hot, often 100 degrees.

Jerry Kubias, P.O. Box 69, Vail AZ 85641-0069.