Solar Success – Full Content Details
As you will see from the list below – the contents of Solar Success is very comprehensive.
Table of Contents
| Preface |
| Terminology |
| Chapter 1 – Solar Reality – an overview – How much solar is available? |
| Solar – what runs/what doesn’t |
| Stand-alone solar systems |
| Grid-connect |
| What solar modules produce |
| Solar access |
| Service importance |
| First all-solar town |
| Chapter 2 – Lighting |
| Fluorescent tubes and globes |
| Compact fluorescents |
| Light-emitting diodes |
| Light colour |
| Lighting levels |
| Recommended light levels |
| Chapter 3 – Fridges & freezers |
| Fridge ratings |
| Domestic fridges |
| Chapter 4 – Air conditioning |
| Air conditioner star ratings |
| Air conditioner types |
| Inverter air conditioners |
| Reducing air conditioner consumption |
| Cooling capacity required |
| Reverse-cycle air conditioners |
| Chapter 5 – Washing machines |
| Washing machine – energy ratings |
| Water efficiency ratings |
| Buying caution |
| Rebates |
| Chapter 6 – Clothes dryers – Dryer types |
| Chapter 7 – Dishwashers |
| Energy ratings |
| Saving energy |
| Chapter 8 – Power tools |
| Chapter 9 – Phantom loads |
| Example phantom loads |
| Remedying phantom loads |
| Chapter 10 – TVs and computers |
| TV energy draw |
| Computers |
| Chapter 11 – Water |
| Rainwater tanks |
| Rainwater legislation |
| Pumping water |
| Pump energy draw |
| Pressure systems |
| Constant pressure pumps |
| Variable speed pumps |
| Pressure tanks |
| Irrigation |
| Valve control |
| Bore pumps |
| Pumping losses |
| Calculating pump pressure |
| Chapter 12 – Swimming pools |
| Keeping water clean |
| Recent trends |
| Chapter 13 – Ponds |
| Ultra-violet sterilisers |
| Pumps – general |
| Solar pumps |
| Chapter 14 – Solar |
| What solar modules produce |
| Nominal Operating Cell Temperature |
| How much sun? |
| Tracking the sun |
| Shadowing tolerance and loss |
| Weather effects |
| Buying solar modules |
| Chapter 15 – Solar modules – voltage & current |
| Increasing voltage |
| Power Maximisers |
| Solar output beware – it’s not what it seems |
| Chapter 16 – Solar regulation |
| Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) regulators |
| Chapter 17 – Batteries |
| Battery types |
| Battery capacity |
| Interconnecting batteries |
| Battery location |
| Chapter 18 – Battery charging |
| The battery charging area |
| Chapter 19 – Energy monitoring |
| Chapter 20 – Generators |
| Diesel generators for long term use |
| Battery charging from a generator |
| Auto-start/stop |
| Generator noise |
| Generator size |
| Generators and switch-mode chargers |
| Chapter 21 – Alternative power – wind & hydro |
| Larger wind generators |
| Micro hydro-electric |
| Turbine types |
| Ram pumps |
| Geothermal space heating |
| Passive and direct solar heating |
| Energy efficiency first |
| Site selection |
| Chapter 22 – Alternative energy storage – fuel cells |
| Fuel cell history |
| Commercial development |
| How fuel cells work |
| Chapter 23 – Inverters |
| Silicon camels |
| Stand-alone inverters |
| Inverters for fixed wiring |
| Grid-connect inverters |
| Battery backed grid-connect |
| Chapter 24 – Energy auditing |
| Existing usage |
| Chapter 25 – Scaling stand-alone systems |
| Available irradiation |
| Needed solar capacity |
| Solar regulators |
| Example of solar regulator sizing |
| Battery capacity |
| Battery chargers |
| Generators for battery charging |
| Fuel cells |
| Chapter 26 – Meters & measuring |
| How to measure solar current output |
| How to measure battery voltage |
| How to measure battery and other heavy currents |
| Current shunts |
| Chapter 27 – Installing – legal |
| Working on batteries |
| Inverter safety |
| Chapter 28 – Installing the system |
| Reducing voltage drop |
| All 12/24-volts |
| The inverter decides |
| Solar array voltage |
| Establishing cable size |
| How most cable is rated |
| Auto cable |
| Current ratings |
| Cable (voltage separation) |
| Terminating cables |
| Power posts |
| Crimping tool & lugs |
| Protecting cabling |
| DC circuit breakers |
| AC circuit breakers |
| Fuses |
| Solar modules need unobstructed sun |
| Solar mountings |
| Connecting modules |
| Solar modules lightning protection |
| Testing series-connected solar modules |
| Testing parallel-connected modules |
| Earthing solar module frames |
| Solar regulator |
| Programming solar regulators |
| Locating energy monitors |
| Locating batteries |
| Example |
| Large capacity battery banks |
| Battery chargers |
| Current shunts |
| Switches for 12/24-volts DC |
| Power outlets for 12/24-volts |
| Inverters |
| Generators |
| Generators- auto/changeover |
| Water pumps |
| Pressure accumulators |
| Air conditioners |
| Refrigerators |
| Fridge cable size |
| Fusing fridges |
| Chapter 29 – Constructing a Stand-alone System |
| Chapter 30 – Grid-connect |
| The grid network |
| Electricity usage |
| Distributed energy storage |
| Grid-connect |
| Going off-grid |
| Climate-optimised solar |
| Strategies to consider now |
| Chapter 31 – Example systems |
| Comments |
| Example 2 – mid-sized cabin |
| Updates |
| Further update |
| Example 4 – an ongoing (Queensland) system |
| The costs |
| The savings |
| Update |
| Chapter 32 – Living with solar |
| Seeming lack of solar input |
| Battery maintenance |
| Leaking batteries |
| Solar modules |
| Chapter 33 – Our solar systems |
| The Broome house’s structure |
| Extending the solar |
| Water |
| Irrigation |
| Swimming pool |
| The end of an era |
| Chapter 34 – Technical Terms Explained |
| References & contacts etc. |
| Useful sources of information |
| Recommended books and publications |
| Relevant standards |