admin answers:

I think you are looking for deep cycle batteries, the same kind that are used with solar collectors.

Try some of these sites…

Edit – to answer the question “Why not car batteries?” … The difference between a deep-cycle and car battery is that deep-cycle batteries contain solid lead and withstand “deep-cycling” (losing up to 80% charge) better than automotive batteries, which have a different construction. Car batteries are designed to give you more “starting” power and stay up above 50% charge. Deep-cycling a car battery can result in a quicker breakdown of the core, thus increasing cost in the long-run.

admin answers:

Call your electric company; the folk you would have had to call anyway to get connected & let them know that you would like a reverse meter so that they can measure how much energy that you are back feeding. There is specific wiring for this that has to be approved through your county anyway & it is a safety feature for people working on the lines after a storm so you don’t inadvertantly electrocute a lineman who is trying to restore power around you. They will no doubt have the answers that you need or can advise you on where to look for the insurance. The way that you do a million dollar insurance policy is called an UMBRELLA POLICY on the homeowner’s. That isn’t hard. It is a property insurance that goes above what the homeowner’s insurance carries. The UMBRELLA coverage is a catastrophic event coverage that is called secondary insurance. It isn’t even very expensive as it covers after everything else has been exhausted first. Go to yahoo & google Umbrella insurance & then if that doesn’t work, look at commercial insurance companies in your area. I know that CNA which is a HUGE insurance company, they write in Texas & may be able to write your friend the policy that he needs. I hope this helps. I used to do underwriting assistance for them & I helped insure folk in Texas in particular.

admin answers:

Thomas Boone Pickens, Jr. (born May 22, 1928), known as T. Boone Pickens, is an American financier who chairs the hedge fund BP Capital Management and he attempted to promote the use of wind energy. He was a well-known takeover operator and corporate raider during the 1980s. With an estimated current net worth of about $1.4 billion, he is ranked by Forbes as the 290th-richest person in America and ranked 880th in the world.

Louis Burton Lindley, Jr. (June 29, 1919 – December 8, 1983), better known by the stage name Slim Pickens, was an American rodeo performer and film and television actor who epitomized the profane, tough, sardonic cowboy, but who is best remembered for his comic roles, notably in Dr. Strangelove, 1941 and Blazing Saddles. He attempted to promote the use of wind energy as well.

admin answers:

Hey Philip, Billruss is right, but let me explain further. Your question is, “Are there efficiency standards…” There is no efficiency requirements, or standards for these devices, just safety requirements. Most utility companies for example, require that your grid connected inverter disconnect from the grid if the grid voltage or frequency goes outside of predetermined limits within one second. The Underwriters Labaratories does tests such as this, and others to make sure a stand alone inverter does not continue to power a small patch of homes if the section becomes disconnected from the rest of the grid for any reason. This situation, called islanding, can be deadly to lineman working on a downed wire when they assume the end going to the homes is not powered. There are other requirements, fire suppression, overload protection and so on, but as far as the government is concerned, if your inverter takes 1000 watts of solar power to dump 10 watts of useable power onto the grid, that’s your problem.

Most inverters operate in a range of efficiency, between 40 and 90 % for example. They generally run at best efficiency when running around 80 % power, and less efficiently at higher or lower power outputs. Manufacturers love to quote their “peak efficiency,” but don’t often mention how much power they use when all they are running is a night light. Take care Philip, Rudydoo