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up to 150kVA ..... which means you can run a Microwave oven on them properly.

I sure hope so! [Linked Image]

The thing is that he's not actually using that much electrical power at the moment. Heating and cooking is done on LP gas, as is water heating. It's really down to just a refrigerator, lights, and a few other intermittent minimal loads, e.g. TV, radio, chargers for cellphone, tools, etc.

Yet he's cranking up a 5kVA diesel generator just to run a trickle charger for the batteries. That's why it's costing him a fortune in fuel. He does transfer some 240V loads direct to the genset when it's running, but I doubt whether the load on it ever exceeds about an amp!

The present inverter is a Swiss-made Domino model, true sinewave output, about 1000VA (I had to replace the eight power transistors in it when they burned out a year or so ago).

I can't see that running a generator all the time could even get near to a sensible cost per unit in this application. I reckon that with an improved installation he should be able to get enough power for a lot of his needs, then just use a genset to boost the batteries if needed.

Oh yeah, he says that the drainage culvert running down the side of the field is pretty fast-flowing and full in winter. I now have the notion of constructing some sort of waterwheel to add to the generating power. [Linked Image]


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 08-09-2005).]