So...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vderks
1. Our candle melter - think overgrown crock pot. It will keep our wax at 160 degrees full time when we are on site. Per specs it is 12amp 120v 1440 watt.
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This load in particular could be difficult. I think your specs aren't accurate representations of your load- it will taper off at the desired temperature once reached rather than pulling 1440W constantly if this is what I think it is.
So here's what I'd do. Get yourself a Kill-A-Watt meter (any brand really) to monitor how much energy this appliance uses, something like:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y1SLZ8W
Run it for 24h and see how many Watt-Hours (Wh) the device consumes. That will tell us how realistic it is to power it off of solar.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vderks
2. A heat gun. This is used for short bursts of time, 1-2 minutes at a time, 1-2 hrs in total for a full day. Per spec 1200 watts.
3. a glue gun. Rare use but 30min to 1 hr when needed. 80 watt.
In addition to those big pull items - LED lights, maybe music, POS Square (I-pad), and to charge our phones, laptops etc.
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These loads are actually pretty easy. You need a decent inverter to support the instantaneous loads of the AC components of course, but overall energy requirements should actually be fairly modest.
I think for an inverter you'll want something advertised at around 4000W. The ratings you see online are not the continuous delivery ratings, usually they are surge or short period of time ratings. Further, as you are hoping to support potential loads of well over 2000W (the candle melter could kick on at the same time as your heat gun is going, and your laptops are plugged in/lights are on, etc), I would not advise going with a 12V system, but rather a 24V or 48V system- referring to your battery bank voltage. You can power 12V appliances with a different voltage battery bank.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vderks
How do I calculate the load required? Wit that information I "think" I can calculate the size solar array? Inverter? Battery Bank? I will need...
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Battery capacity is somewhat subjective based on your desires. If you could run your big loads only when you have sun, you could go with a good sized solar array and a small battery bank, but few people fit this model. How many days do you want to be able to power your loads without the sun, days of overcast or rain where you will not be generating as much power?
You're already on the right track by thinking in terms of wattage and time, my current suggestion is to try measuring how much your biggest load (the candle melter) uses, and maybe some of your other loads. Also, it would help people here if they knew what kind of budget you were working with. Solar is multi-faceted- you have generation, storage, discharge, and conversion all in the same thing. Trying to tackle them all at once without a good understanding of each can be challenging.
If you would like, we can arrange to have a phone conversation to answer any of your specific questions in real time. PM me if interested.
Hope this was somewhat helpful.