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Electronics
& Entertainment |
Most electronics equipment works well on solar power. Most modern electronics
has noise filters that filter almost all Mod-sine Inverter Buzz. Battery
powered equipment like laptops and Radio/ CD players have become especially
efficient and are very feasible to run on even modest power systems. The
biggest issue when powering electronics is deciding whether or not to
let the power system go to sleep, or whether to keep it on 24 hours a
day to run the plethora of cell phone chargers, cordless phones,etc. Many
devices like TV satellite receivers take full power even turned off! While
a few watts here or there may seem insignificant at first, consider that
the sun quits shining after 6 to 8 hours, but all those loads with the
inverter included may be on 24 hours. Then consider that the sun may not
shine for days, very little power coming in, and possibly more electronics
use since the weather is bad. For many of our systems now, we recommend
more panels and batteries to leave the inverter on full time (see inverter
standby), with a good backup power source in case the weather is bad and/
or your usage goes up.
To Sleep Or Not To Sleep?
Insomnia? No Lets consider the pros & cons of using the inverter's
sleep mode, standby, search.
| |
Sleep Mode |
Inverter On 24 hours a day |
| Noise, if
inverter is in house |
Quiet &
no EMF radiation when in sleep mode |
extra noise
of inverter at night |
| Informal Power
indicator |
Easy to confirm
everything is off, if inverter is in sleep mode. |
Easy to leave
lots of extra stuff on, plugged in, etc. |
| Turning on
Lights |
some delay,
super high efficiency bulbs won't always wakeup inverter |
lights come
on instantly |
| chargers |
only charge
when something else keeps the inverter on, may not fully charge. |
Work normally,
but take power even after finished charging |
| radio, small
electronics |
not enough
power draw to keep inverter completely on, annoyingly shuts off every
few seconds |
Work normally
|
| cordless phones |
need a corded
phone during sleep mode |
cordless
phones work 24/ 7 |
| Need backup
generator |
Only customers
who use sleep mode can possibly try to get by without a backup generator. |
Need backup
power more often. |
| Novice
users |
Systems
designed for sleep mode will perform poorly if accidentally allowed
to stay on. |
More
like grid power, less learning curve. |
| Energy
Usage |
save
the equivalent of 240 watt-hrs to 500 watt-hrs, enough to run a laptop
computer for over 10 hours. |
Cost roughly $1000 in extra solar panels and batteries to run this. |
SolarRay recommends: Small systems use sleep mode: renegade+, and frontier
systems. Defeat sleep mode for certain usage.
Family and above systems go to inverter "on" full time, but
now how to sue sleep mode if back up power is unavailable. .
Communication:
TV, satellite TV, DVD, VCR, etc. cameras
Computer:LCD monitors, satellite Internet, s, playing
video games...
Radio,, CD, etc. Offgrid Studios
Communication
device |
Power
draw |
Typical
Hours a day |
Total
Energy |
Special
|
| Cordless
Phones |
3 |
24hrs |
75 |
on 24 hrs
a day |
| Cell Phone
Charger |
3 |
8hrs |
24 |
solar chargers
available |
| Radio Phones |
|
24hrs |
|
|
| Satellite
Phone |
|
6hrs |
|
|
| Internet
satellite phone |
|
6hrs |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| Small combo
Radio, CD, tape |
|
6hrs |
|
can be converted
to 12 vdc |
| Stereo Separate
Components with subwoofer |
|
6hrs |
|
|
| laptop |
20 |
4 hrs |
80 |
|
| desktop &
17 " LCD monitor |
175 |
4 hrs |
700 |
|
| desktop &
17" CRT monitor |
225 |
4 hrs |
900 |
|
| satellite
Internet receiver |
15 |
4 hrs |
60 |
|
| ink jet printer |
25 |
1/4hr |
|
|
| laser printer |
|
1/4hr |
|
|
| 13"LCD
TV |
|
3 |
|
|
| 20"
LCD TV |
25 |
3 |
|
|
| 19"
regular TV |
85 |
3 |
|
|
|
32"
regular TV |
250
|
3 |
|
|
| Big Screen
Plasma 42" |
|
3 |
|
|
| VCR or DVD
player |
20 |
2 hrs |
40 |
|
Inverters: Electronic Loads, Surge
Protectors and Radio Interference
by Windy Dankoff
Sizing an inverter for electronic loads
Most electronic devices (especially stereo and music amplifiers, computers
and TVs) are labeled with power ratings that are based on absolute maximum
or surge conditions, for the purpose of sizing power circuits. Their actual
power draw may be HALF of that, or less. The best way to measure the peak
and average power consumption is to use a Brand Power Meter (available
from Dankoff Solar, see SunPaper 1).
Surge protector warning
Do not use household or computer type surge protectors on circuits powered
by a "modified sine wave" inverter. They may overheat. Inverters
do not produce dangerous spikes or surges, so protectors are not necessary.
EXCEPTIONS: Use a lightning arrestor on any long AC feed line to another
building, for example, or to a well pump. Long lines can pick up induced
surges from lightning, and feed them back to the inverter and to the AC
circuits. The Delta LA-AC Lightning Arrestor is appropriate (available
from Dankoff Solar). Place it at the beginning of the line, close to a
main ground connection.
AM radio interference
ALL inverters produce radio interference in the AM and short-wave bands.
It may be necessary to use a radio that is powered by DC or internal batteries,
and is not located near the inverter. To hear distant stations, it may
be necessary for the inverter to be off.
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