Forecast calls for rain and overcast skies until Monday, when it calls for…fog? That’d be a first. This is the first time so far I’ve lit a fire in the stove just to make the cabin feel dry.
I’ve been so concerned about the solar power that this morning I even turned off the inverter, since I wasn’t using any power anyway. Figured why bother with the parasitic load? I always said (as quoted in my brilliant ebooklet on the subject, available on the sidebar for a low, low $4.99) my system was so small that after two days without direct sun I’d be done. The system is making me regret my lack of faith. This is the end of the third day, and so far I’m in pretty good shape as long as I don’t do anything stupid like use the computer for hours. A CFL bulb or two at night is fine. There’s almost no level of overcast that doesn’t allow the solar panels to make some power, but we’re approaching the solstice and the angle of the sun is almost as bad as it ever gets. So the combination of season and overcast is really stress-testing my design, and so far it’s exceeding my expectations but I still have to be reasonable. No electronic entertainment allowed until the sun comes out again.
So once again, no blog for you.
Perhaps you need to contemplate a few overcast days more endurance and acquire a handful of 12V LED lights that don’t require running the inverter. They would also give you the option of running them off a luggable battery that is charged elsewhere or filched from a vehicle.
Maybe this won’t be of any help, but then again . . .
Check into UVPaqlites, a light rechargeable glow in the dark series of products that really work. They recharge from ANY light source – sun, floresecent, even flashlight beams will work and their glow will let you get around the dark without stumbling. Their use would extend your use of limited stored electricity. Yeah, sounds gimmicky – but they work well.
No connection to company, just an impressed customer.
The power went out here a few days ago (story of that not really related) and I had to go down to my storage room for something. No windows down there, and the flashlight seemed seriously anemic. I opened the door and was shocked to see an otherworld looking blue glow in one corner! Cue Twilight Zone music… And then I realized it was the plastic base of my ancient humidifier, not used since I came here eight years ago. I don’t remember that it had a “glow in the dark” property… and since there is no light down there 99% of the time, I have no idea how it got to glowing. But I did appreciate the additional light!!
Did I mention that basement is REALLY dark when the electric is out? LOL
“Maybe I’ve died and gone to Michigan?”
You could end up in worse places, Joel. It’s overcast and a mixed bag of precipitation today in Michigan, as a matter of fact, again.
Michigan . . . yeah, I remember. Lived in Warren for a couple of years, and noticed that the sun was absent from about mid-October thru about mid-April. “Depressing” doesn’t come close to describing it.