Living in Baja with Solar Power
My first experience with solar power was about twenty years ago when I purchased an old trailer in Laguna Percebu, (near San Felipe), Baja California. The solar equipment consisted of, a used 12 volt solar panel from an old Southern California Edison project, a cheap charging controller, an inexpensive 500 watt A/C inverter and two 6 volt deep cycle batteries.
I was amazed that I could operate lights, a water pump and a fan for what seems to be free. Somehow electricity was magically coming from the sky and charging my batteries.
Over a period of many years, my simple trailer in Baja turned into a full blown project of building a large house. My solar equipment needs grew as well. I now have eight 180 watt panels, a 4000 watt A/C inverter and ten large batteries. I searched the internet and found deals on everything.
I am still amazed that electricity falls from the sky and we get to use it for free. I now run a refrigerator a washer and dryer, a dishwasher, toaster, microwave, all my lights, power tools, fans, satellite television, satellite internet and still have more power than I can normally use.
Most of us, “Gringos”, come to Baja to not only enjoy the beauty, but to also have that inexplicable feeling of freedom that only Baja seems to provide. Being “Off the Grid”, gives me a feeling of independence and self sufficiency. It is also one of my goals to limit my carbon foot print to as minimal as possible.
Yes, my investment is solar equipment cost some money. However, I did it myself and on the cheap and I don’t pay one cent to any oil burning electric company. If you shop the internet for solar equipment you can find relatively inexpensive solar components. (I suggest eBay or search Google). If you’re not handy, there are solar companies all over Baja that can sell you everything you need, however it will cost more.
I’m not the consummate expert on solar equipment, but I can tell you that it is not rocket science to install. This is how it works: The solar panel is mounted and pointed in the most common direction of the suns path. (The solar panel consists of photo voltaic cells that convert sunlight into an electrical charge). The solar panels are connected to a charging controller via a positive and a negative wire. (The purpose of the controller is to regulate the charging of the batteries). The electrical charge passes from the panels through the controller to the batteries via the positive and negative cables. The batteries collect the sunlight during the daytime and store the electricity as D/C power. An inverter is attached to the batteries which then converts the D/C power from the batteries to A/C electricity. From there you use your electricity as any normal on the grid house.
Don’t confuse buying solar equipment cheaply, with buying cheap solar equipment. If all you can afford is the least expensive equipment, then buy it but don’t expect it to last too many years. However, no matter what you budget is I suggest you spend the money for a good controller. Your controller is the brain of your solar system. It should be a three phase controller that has a bulk charge, a float charge and a maintenance charge. It should also disconnect at night so your batteries don’t drain power back into the night sky.
There are many good manufacturers of solar equipment. My particular brand choice is Xantrex, (used to be Trace). I don’t work for Xantrex or sell there stuff. Whatever brand you purchase, I suggest using the same brand for the controller and inverter; they seem to be engineered to work better together. A Xantrex controller can be purchased for as low as $105.00, a really good Xantrex controller with a digital monitor will cost about $300.
Inverters are available online for as little as $89.00. These are typically low wattage and have no bells or whistles, but they will work for limited use. A good inverter also has a smart processor, and will allow you to charge your batteries through the inverter with an outside source like a generator. Some will even start your generator when your batteries are low. A good quality, mid range Xantrex 12 or 24 volt inverter with 2400 watts can be purchased for about $1000.
Good solar panels will last about 25 years. There are no moving parts. If you buy solar panels new online they cost about $550 for a 130 watt panel or about $750 for 180 watt panel. Sometimes you can find them used for much less. However, you need to be careful regarding the age and condition to make sure you’re getting a deal.
You can get some idea of the age of a solar panel by the color of the protective glass over the voltaic cells. If the glass is yellowish it probably has some years in the sun and may be less effective. Also there is usually a plastic film on the back. If they have been in service for many year the plastic will be cracked or pealing.
Regardless of how the panel looks, it’s more important how it functions. To see if a used solar panel is working you simple need to use a volt meter to the positive and negative wires, (while in the sun), and read the voltage of the output. This is called an, “Open Circuit”, test. The voltage required to charge a 12 Volt battery from a solar panel will often be 17 volts or more. Typically there are 12 volt and 24 volt solar panels. A 24 volt solar panel on an “Open Circuit” test may put out around 40 Volts. When buying solar panels make sure they are a compatible voltage with your inverter, controller and batteries. Don’t buy 24 volt panels if you have a 12 volt inverter.
Batteries are the “Consumable” part of any off grid solar system. Deep cycle lead acid batteries are the best and most typical battery used for solar systems. I found that sealed batteries are not typically rated for the high temperatures of Baja and often prematurely fail.
In a lead acid battery, the lead in the battery chemically reacts with sulfuric acid to charge and discharge electricity upon demand. Because of the cost of lead has become so expensive in recent year, thus so has the cost of batteries. Note: Do not use a normal car battery in a solar system, it won’t work properly and can be dangerous.
A cheap deep cycle battery can be purchased for about $80.00. I have also seen batteries that cost over a $1000.00 each. However, you get what you pay for when is come to batteries. I suggest you buy what you reasonably need for your specific use.
Batteries pretty much look alike except for the size; however the quality of the lead in the charging plates will usually determine the longevity of use. A typical Trojan T105 will cost about $135.00 each. The much larger Trojan L16 will cost about $425.00 each. The number of batteries you need is determined by the amount of voltaic cell output you have and how much you use electricity.
There are estimating calculations solar professionals use when selling you a system. However, my thinking is, buy a reasonable sized system for what you think your needs are and then add batteries or panels only if you need them. Usually your lifestyle will adapt to your solar system. It’s amazing how you find yourself automatically shutting off lights when your electricity is limited. If you have a lot of money to spend, then go for the big system. It’s typically a one time investment for everything except the batteries.
Lead acid batteries need maintenance this is a crucial part of your solar system. You need to make sure they always have the proper level of electrolyte in the battery to work efficiently and last as long as possible. When the outside temperature is over 70 degrees your batteries will evaporate water. The greatest cause of early battery failure is not keeping the proper amount of liquid in the battery.
In Baja, batteries need to be monitored regularly and filled to the proper level with de-ionized or distilled water. If the lead plates in your batteries get exposed to the air, they will corrode and build up a sulfate coating. If you allow this to happen you will greatly reduce the life and effectiveness of your battery, if you haven’t damaged them beyond use. Batteries in Baja need to be filled at a minimum every two weeks during the summer and every month during non-summer months if you expect them to last.
When I was a part time Baja resident, I used to cringe when I came back to Baja after a long hot summer. Often I would have to add gallons of water to my damaged batteries. I would suffer with less and less electricity until I finally had to buy new batteries. Back then batteries cost only $70.00 each and I had to replace them every two to three years.
After I became a full time resident, I still found myself putting off filling the batteries because it was very unpleasant. I had to force myself to keep a maintenance schedule. However, every time I popped the battery caps off my bank of batteries, I inevitably got a few drops of acid on my cloths. After washing the clothes I would find these little holes in my tee shirts and shorts. At first I thought I had moths in the house, but then figured out that it was the acid from the batteries. I then designated a set of clothes that were my “Battery Maintenance” clothes. Once I realized how dangerous this was I also wore gloves, eye protection and a filtered mask. (I hated the metallic aftertaste from the sulfuric fumes and corrosion.)
I came to Baja to escape such responsibilities. I needed to find a better answer. I went to an RV store and found a battery cap for about $35 per battery, where each cell is fitted with a cap, interconnected with hose, and then you simply pump water into the cell using a “Bulb Pump”, (Similar to those used on a boat motor). However, I still had to remember to pump them every couple of weeks. I eventually found that with this system, I would regularly overfill my batteries by about eight ounces each cell, which diluted the electrolyte made the batteries weak. I wanted something more reliable and automatic.
I searched and found another good quality battery cap designed in Germany for about the same price. This cap had a built on/off float valve that filled the batteries using gravity, which eliminated the bulb pump. The cap was well designed, but had a small glitch for my use; it wasn’t designed to continually remain connected to a water system without overfilling.
This new German float valve caps worked great except I needed a timer valve to keep it from overfilling and to make it maintenance free. I was now on a mission. I tried all kinds of valves but all of them leaked and overfilled my batteries. I searched the internet for weeks to find an actuated shutoff valve that would work with this system.
I finally found the valve that had a secure shutoff system. I tested it on my battery bank over a hot summer and came back and my batteries were filled perfectly and operating at full performance. I have NOT manually filled my batteries ever since. My batteries are topped off once a week with exactly the amount of electrolyte they need. The system functions like a medical intravenous feed. Now I only fill the three gallon water tank about twice a year and never pop open any battery caps.
Many of my neighbors that have seen the system have asked me to install one for them. I now sell this system from Puerto Penasco to Cabo San Lucas. The manufacturer of the caps has granted me the exclusive rights to all of Baja California. (Site Link)
To make a long story short, once your solar system is installed, it is essential to take care of your batteries. If you don’t keep a watering schedule in Baja, you can expect to buy new batteries every few years. While a well maintained solar battery should last six to ten years depending on the type.
In overview, if you shop carefully, an inexpensive solar system can cost as low as $1000. A solar system to reasonably function an average house may cost you $4,000. If you spent $12,000 you can pretty much have all the power you would need.
If everybody in the U.S. installed ten, 180 watt solar panels, the U.S. would have zero dependency on oil from the Middle East. REALLY!
Having solar power has given me a feeling of freedom. Even if the rest of the world falls into an economic collapse, I will have electricity. My electric bill will not change based on the price of oil. So far nobody has found a way to charge for sunlight, so my power falls free from the sky, (Less the cost of the solar system).
Live free and do your part to take care of the environment.
