Rooftop solar energy project to start soon

[orosee]

Just to clarify the peak load times, and whether or not the sun is shining at those times. PLT are from 7am till 11pm for industrial and densely populated areas, and the sun is up at decent angles from around 8am till 5am for Thailand. That's just over 50 percent, which is not bad.

The government needs to find a policy that enables a mix of renewable sources, including wind, water, biogas etc which are available when solar is not.

At the same time I feel that proper waste loss reduction could achieve even more. Electricity is still too cheap in Thailand to make efficiency and renewable generation attractive, that's why subsidies are necessary.

Ultimately I feel that these measures are only for show, to satisfy some UNFCCC or other global environmental agencies requirements. And of course, make money for political insiders.

PS: I never thought that Thailand is particularly sunny, it's hot and humid yes, but much of the days the skies are overcast or hazy. Best places for solar are where they put the large space telescopes ;-)

[CWMcMurray]

The accounting aspects here are boggling to me. If I were going to put in a system, I'd be tempted to pony-up the additional cost/maintenance for a battery bank. Without that, you're somewhat more at the mercy of the power companies it would seem by not being able to time-shift the power generation.

In the technical vein, I wonder if it would be feasible to have a dual-use inverter that could be switched from PVs to battery bank to avoid having two inverters - one for the active PVs for battery charging/house supply, then switchable to the battery bank for house supply when the PVs are inactive. Probably be simpler, but more expensive (perhaps) to have two inverters due to probably highly-differing load requirements of the two. If the PVs were set up to somehow deliver 12.4 VDC under all sunlight conditions (unlikely?) that would be a step in that direction. Now the EE aspects are boggling me.

Anyway, are both the solar and non-solar consumers seeing their bills increase with the smart meters?

IMHO The intent is to put smart meters in all homes in oz, though Victoria is the leader at the moment. The idea is to retail electricity at a variable rather than a flat rate, which is how the retailers buy it, and charge relative to the wholesale rate. This has been happening for years with commercial/industrial customers, "encouraging" them to reduce usage during the daily peaks - some factories have switched to night production, penalty rates for labour more than covered by electricity savings.

My advice - forget batteries, use the mains. For night-time blackouts I use an LED array on a motorcycle battery, swap with the one in my bike every few weeks.

Interesting overview of smart meters with a large Victoria entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_meter

. It seems as though the major fluorescent producers are somehow controlling the retail outlets to limit LED lamp sales, although one can buy a relatively expensive Philips, LED bulb at Home Pro for 400 Baht.

Actually the difficulty is that to import most types of LED lights, the importer will need special import permits

Have a few customers who are trying to import LEDs into the Thai Market and have been working with lawyers to get the necessary import permits

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[MaxYakov]

Interesting overview of smart meters with a large Victoria entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_meter

Interesting that you tell us to forget batteries and the proceed to tell us how you're using a hydrocarbon-charged MB battery with LEDs in the very next sentence. Wouldn't a recycled (cheap), deep-discharge battery floated on he mains give you higher potential capacity and less hassle swapping the MB batteries?

I certainly am with you with LEDs - LEDs and batteries are a killer combination. I use homemade corncob-LED, ceiling lamps (5w) and small, study lights (3w), and LED flashlights exclusively in my apartment instead of the 26w (actual - 18w tube) ceiling fluorescents. LED-based lighting is difficult to find in Bangkok. It seems as though the major fluorescent producers are somehow controlling the retail outlets to limit LED lamp sales, although one can buy a relatively expensive Philips, LED bulb at Home Pro for 400 Baht.

I have worked with large scale battery banks for many years. They are restricted areas accessible to trained persons only and with every possible method of spark exclusion. They are dangerous, expensive and the source of many injuries over time - not what you want in your home.

As for my little system, it is very cheap, little bother and it works. I will change my home to LED lighting when they become commercially available and cheap. The energy/money savings don't warrant the effort and expense to make my own.

BTW your battery plan is economically illogical. You would be better off selling all power you generate at the ridiculous price offered while running your house on batteries, and then charging from the mains at a cheaper price, saving yourself B3/kWh. Not recommending it, just saying.

The battery bank you describe resembles one on a WW II fleet class submarine (lead-acid and subject to possible salt water flooding). The three, large, deep-discharge, Gel-Cel, recycled, large-scale-UPS batteries I employed in my motor home were sealed and did not emit gas and cost me only $50 USD each. Combined, they could power a laptop for a week and took 3 hours to fully charge via a Yamaha EF1000iS 1 Kw generator.

I purchased 66-LED corncobs in Bangkok (near Chinatown) for 240 baht. The A/C wire, receptacles and reflectors were trivial. I have to say I paid big-time in labor to add aluminum foil to the 10 baht reflectors because .... I must have been trading my labor time to save 90 baht/reflector. The LED corncobs, reflectors, receptacles were light enough to be suspended from the ceiling by the power cable (40 meters - purchased in bulk) and guided down the wall using adhesive, poly, wire-run attachment pads and a cable tie. Height from floor is adjustable. Simple and effective. I replaced a 25w incandescent in the walk-in closet with a similar, 400-baht, Phiiips bulb-type LED (very bright) and put the fridge on the balcony to minimize room heat ... then I, ironically, run the A/C heavily.

Hmmmm. Your money-making, battery-based, Kwh time-shift plan to scam the electric companies might give people ideas. They'd be found out if they mistakenly tryed to grid-tie with their alleged PVs (battery bank) after sunset. Anyway, if they bought decent batteries/charger/inverter, the break-even period is probably in the neighborhood of 100 years. Anyone want to do the math?

Edited August 3, 2013 by MaxYakov

[RubbaJohnny]

i would have preferred roofs.

Your choice.

Definition of roof in British and World English in Oxford dictionary. Meaning ... The most usual plural of roof is roofs, although rooves is sometimes used.

It behoofs me say he's a not wrong and a promising career in dildactic Teflry awaits

[Andrew83]

I work for a company that installs grid tied systems. The company is called "Grenzone"

Send us an email for some more information.

[steveromagnino]

I'll believe this scheme when I see it. seems suspect thanks to the minister involved.

Edited August 7, 2013 by steveromagnino