Costco solar panels

[realFedUp]

Has anyone bought/used these portable solar panels
from Costco? They are having demonstrations at various
stores...I just wondered how you hook up any appliances
etc. to these.

[marmar]

1. Costco seems to be quite progressive, as big corporate monsters go.

:)

[realFedUp]

9. yep

progressive in their fair wages and benefits, unlike
other big box stores.

[madokie]

2. link please

[realFedUp]

7. online catalog page here...

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11099458&whse=&topnav=&browse=&s=1

[RufusEarl]

3. Here's a link to a discussion group on the subject,

hope it helps!

http://www.fieldlines.com/section/solar/3

[realFedUp]

21. thanks...nt

[Atman]

4. Here is a great resource

We're looking at going solar for our weekend place. I'm surprised at how cheap it can be! The GAIAM Real Goods catalog has solar panels for just about any size application. Fascinating stuff here!

http://www.realgoods.com/calsolar/

http://www.realgoods.com/calsolar/casestudies.html

http://www.gaiam.com/retail/gai_content/learn/gai_learnArticle.asp?article%5Fid=3760

.

[realFedUp]

11. thanks for these links....nt

[RufusEarl]

31. I agree, thats for the links!

[havocmom]

5. Oh, cool! I need to get out more.

::havocmom opens new window to check out COSTCO site::

[realFedUp]

13. lol....me too.

these look cool. I don't really camp but they
look useful anywhere.

[havocmom]

23. If one had serious health issues or was otherwise limited

it would be nice to be able to keep phones and a little light running in case of power outages. And I am thinking America will be treated to more and more outages as power companies rule the roost and Mother Nature throws more sever storms at us all the time.

Those do look handy. If one were building ones own home, they would be handy while working on the project. Could also see applications for people in rural areas where the power lines are remote. Ranchers around here were out for two weeks last summer when storms took out several hundred poles. Towns got the juice back, but the individuals miles from their neighbors had to wait. It took time.

The solar bird feeder? :shrug: OK, that I just don't get. Birdseed is afraid of the dark? Who knew?:shrug:

[realFedUp]

24. hehehe...solar bird feeder...howabout solar bird houses? cozy

[havocmom]

25. They really had a solar bird feeder!

Are people that afraid of the dark? No wonder America can't get any sleep. ;)

[AlCzervik]

6. from this link it looks like it comes with it's own inverter

these aren't huge but hey every little bit helps.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11003873&whse=&topnav=&browse=&s=1

[seemunkee]

8. Is this a battery or grid-tie system?

I've been looking for some DIY systems recently but most seem oriented towards those who are off the grid. I don't need battery storage just want to slow down the meter.

[realFedUp]

10. looks like battery

Solar Power Backup System Features:

Energy independent, reliable power backup
Max Output: 45 Watts rated power at 15 volts operating voltage
Constant solar charger for larger battery needs
Run small appliances – both AC and DC
Silent operation
No operating costs
Ideal for remote areas, hunting and fishing camps
Installs in seconds, maintenance free
Weatherproof/rust/shock-resistant polycarbonate frame around each panel
Works even under low-light conditions
Built-in protection
Everything you need to recharge your 12V battery
Includes: (3) 45W Coleman® solar panels with mounting frame, 10 ft. 16-gauge wire for each panel, 7 amp battery charge controller, built-in diode for reverse current protection and battery clamps
Tools needed for assembly: Screwdriver
(not included)

[Atman]

15. Costco has a 160w one featured, too.

As the world’s leading manufacturer of photovoltaic modules, Sharp® produces both single and multicrystalline solar cells. Sharp® solar panels are built with the most efficient cells on the market and use a textured cell surface to reduce reflection of sunlight and Black Surface Field (BSF structure to improve conversion efficiency. An anti-reflective coating provides a uniform blue color and increases the absorption of light in all weather conditions.

* 2-80 Watt Panels
* Designed for RVs, Homes, Boats, Back-up & Remote Power Use, 12 Volt Battery Charging and Solar Power Stations, Pumps, Beacons, and Lighting Equipment

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=11113663&whse=&topnav=&cat=21274&hierPath=3960*49389*21274*

.

[realFedUp]

19. this is cool...every RV should have them IMO.

[Ian David]

26. $899.99? Hey, I can buy me a Jetski for that kind of money!

Personal watercraft - commonly known as jet-skis - are a common source of noise pollution near water. They can reach speeds up to 60 mph and emit noise up to 115 decibels. Noise alone is not the sole reason communities have sought to ban them. While jet skis comprise 5 percent of watercraft, the small boats are involved in 37% of vessel accidents, according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics. Pollution emissions are another problem: most water scooters use two-stroke carburated engines, which emit 20 percent to 40 percent of their fuel unburned, including MTBE.
http://www.newrules.org/environment/noiseJetski.html

:sarcasm:

[YDogg]

12. My favorite radio station is solar-powered ... and on the Web.

http://www.ktao.com

[realFedUp]

17. nice graphics!

I like that it's solar powered.

[seemunkee]

14. Solar links

Been collecting links about solar systems. If interested here they are
Off the grid setup
http://www.otherpower.com/wardsolar.html

collection of articles and products
http://www.builditsolar.com/

DIY panels
http://www.siliconsolar.com/diy-solar-panel-kits.php

$600 dollar 32W set up. This is fine for off the grid. If you want to tie it into your house system you could eliminate the batteries.
http://www.off-grid.net/index.php?p=487
Another look at the same system
http://www.siliconsolar.com/diy-solar-panel-kits.php

20W system for 295
http://store.sundancesolar.com/20wadosoenst.html

[realFedUp]

18. thanks very much...definitely the present and the future. nt

[shenmue]

16. I'd love to have those

:7

[trof]

20. I used solar panel to charge car battery.

For the last few years of my flying career, I had to leave a car at JFK for the week or so I'd be gone on a trip. I got a little solar charger at Radio Shack that I'd put on the dash and plug into the cigarette lighter. Never had a dead battery, not even in winter.

[realFedUp]

22. smart. nt

[Ian David]

27. Here's where we can spend our $100 Oil company buy-off checks...

Buy one of these...

Coleman 45 Watt Solar Power Backup Power Kit
3-15W Coleman® Solar Panels
$299.99
Item # 973222
Plus Shipping & Handling



http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=11099458&whse=&topnav=&cat=21274&hierPath=3960*49389*21274*

A household of two would only end-up paying an additonal $99.00 over their refunds.

[donsu]

28. kicking

good info

[skids]

29. Seems a decent deal...

...The cost/watt is very competitive, if you factor in the invertor and controller and assuming you need them. I'm guessing these are thin-film aSi, because of their low wattage/panel -- unless they are a lot smaller than they look. Those have the advantage of working a bit better without being aimed right at the sun, but will have more like a 20-year non-degraded life than the 30 you could expect from the old mono-Si (and of course, take up more space than mono-Si.)

I'll have to take a trip down to my local COSTCO and see whether they have a display going on -- I was thinking earlier of getting some there, but all they had on shelves was the solar LED marker lights and such. I did buy the two spotlight set and can say those are a very nice product.

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/solar_panels.htm

[Tesha]

32. They describe them as being Sharp aSi on at least one of the pages. (NT)

[KoKo]

30. Thanks for the post...and for links from folks here about Solar...was just

checking out large capacity generators last night in prep for coming hurricane season and whatever else is in store for us with Bush...and thought "why not solar?"

There used to be alot of interest in Solar when Carter had his tax breaks in place but then it kind of died off when the tax breaks did.

I'm glad to see this thread so I can do some research on Solar as opposed to running a gas generator.

[seemunkee]

33. A lot of states are giving tax breaks

Check this map to see if you can get one.
http://www.dsireusa.org/

[KoKo]

39. Kick....good to keep this thread going for more ideas...and links!

[KoKo]

40. Excellent info on that link....thanks! n/t

[realFedUp]

35. I think all new construction should include solar...nt

[realFedUp]

36. Does someone make solar film that just sticks to your windows?

and that plugs into a battery...

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

34. More links for those interested in

getting involved in helping bring solar and other renewables to the market. Buying from Costco or Real Goods is not bad - but we need market transformation on a massive scale. Japan and Europe are kicking our asses and there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON for it.

www.ases.org American Solar Energy Society. Their annual conference is in July in Denver

www.irecusa.org Interstate Renewable Energy Council

www.seia.org Solar Energy Industries Association (trade association)

http://www.solarelectricpower.org Solar Electric Power Association (utility solar oriented)

http://www.dsireusa.org The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy. Hosted by the NC Solar Center in Raleigh and THE BEST resource for finding out about what your state offers in terms of incentives, policies etc. for renewables and energy efficiency.

http://www.eere.energy.gov General renewables info from DOEs Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network

[realFedUp]

37. thank you. I feel the power.

[Neil Lisst]

38. I'm looking into them now. Theirs and others.

The data I have read suggest that newer panels produce more than older panels, but the degradation over time is low, like under 20% over 20 years, so you should weigh the cost of used with decreased efficiency versus the cost of new with greater efficiency.

I'm designing a cabin to be 100% energy self sufficient, and solar is going to be my key source of energy. The no moving parts and the durability of the panels sold me on solar.

Wind? Ya gotta maintain those dudes, and climbing poles ain't in my job description.

[realFedUp]

41. I hope you share your final Thoreau cabin design with us...

[Neil Lisst]

42. Odd you should mention him. His 10x15 cabin is my inspiration.

I figure it's going have to be larger than that, but only 20x16 maybe, with a loft.

In some parts of the country, you can sell your excess wattage produced back to the grid. I'm not sure how it works, but I think it makes your electric meter run the other direction.

I believe high oil is here to stay, and it's going to make Solar the wave of the future. Solar has been trying to take off for 35 years, but it needs a faster recoupment period on the investment. With the price of oil doubling in the past 3 years, the cost of installing solar can be recouped in half the time required before.

If your annual electric bill is, for example, $4800, you can figure on spending at least 2-4 times that to install a solar system sufficient. Most people can't do that, unless they can do it through a home improvement loan based partly upon home equity.

IMO, planning to be energy independent starts with each of us, and I'm planning mine so that within 5-6 years, my home and business will be energy self-sufficient.

[realFedUp]

43. interesting....good luck with all of it

:-)