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Frank Sanns, Jr.
a local alternative power expert, spoke at our meeting of Dec 13, 2006.Power Supply
Frank has equipped his home with a 110 photovoltaic cell (PC)system using alternating current (AC). He states he prefers to use AC as the direct current (DC) system is problematic due to wire resistance, resulting in using unreasonably large wires to overcome electric resistance. Frank had a PC assembly to demonstrate the mechanics and issues involved in using PC systems.
Frank started in solar power in 1997. Using an AC system requires the use of a device called a sign-wave inverter. The first year he used a 300 watt PC system for a starter program. The next year he went to a 3000 watt PC system.
Metering Systems
Frank states there are three metering systems from which to choose. He uses a net system, which charges and credits electric usage at the electric company's retail rate. The net system has the advantage of crediting at the retail rate, but will not allow a negative balance. The meter, in effect, can net the user's electric bill to zero, but cannot bill back the electric company if the user's system produces more than needed for the user's own use. Frank states there is an alternate system that bills the user at the electric company's retail rate, and credits back at 1/2 the wholesale rate. This allows the user to sell back power to the electric company if producing enough excess. Frank also stated that there is a third system but he was not familiar with how it worked. He states that for most people, the net system works best.
As a humorous aside, Frank stated that when he called the electric company to install an appropriate meter for his system, he found out that he was on their watch list for possibly fraudulent activity due to his extremely low use of the electric company's power. He was able to get the meter installed, but had to talk to several people before getting a resolution because no one at the power company understood what he was talking about. At the time he was the only person using an alternate power system, but since then others have been added. They probably don't know that their path was easier due to Frank's pioneering.
Phantom Loads
Phantom loads are electric use by appliances that are powered off, but still generating an average of 7 watts each. If you have 10 appliances in your house, and using none of them, phantom loads are generating more than a 60 watt light bulb. Phantom loads are, therefore, a significant source of electric usage, and can be negated by placing an on/off switch at an appropriate point in the wiring. One of the audience members mentioned they had done this, and had trouble with their cable having to reprogram itself each time they used the switch. They routed the cable supply line around the phantom load switch. It was helpful to be aware of this issue.
Wind Power
Pennsylvania winters are not a sunny time, so Frank added a wind power generator to his system. He said the first summer he installed it, it hardly operated, and he was wandering if he had wasted his money on it. However, in November, when we have daylight, but little direct sunlight, the winds start. The combined effect of the two was a perfect seasonly complementary power system, balancing the summer sun with winter winds.
Solar Heating
Frank states that he doesn't use the PC system for space or water heating because the system size for this use would be impractical. He uses a heat exchanger system, which is essentially panels that admit sunlight into a south-facing opening which has pipes inserted for absorbing the sun's energy. Frank states the system is very effective for heating both water and space.
Spreading The Word
One of the audience members was a high school student who asked Frank to help her with a presentation to an assembly to be held at her school. Frank agreed to help her, so the evening's work compounded, and the word is spreading.
