A day for solar energy and salvaging

I spent some time last night and this morning doing research on 12 Volt and 24 Volt solar energy system components. I was able to come up with a couple of possible systems that would be made up of components that would best balance cost with long term durability.

Possible 12 Volt system:
-(x2) Kyocera, 135 Watt, multi-crystalline panels (Total 270 Watts)
-Morningstar, 45 Amp, 12/24 Volt, Pulse Width Modulating charge controller
-Sima, 1500 Watt, Modified Sine Wave, inverter
-Trojan, 130 Amp Hour, Flooded, Deep Cycle, battery

I have not yet researched the cost of cables and wiring. The 12 Volt system actually came in a around $600 cheaper than the 24 Volt system I cooked up.

Possible 24 Volt system:
-(x2) Kyocera, 185 Watt, multi-crystalline panels (Total 370 Watts)
-Morningstar, 45 Amp, 12/24 Volt, Pulse Width Modulating charge controller
-Power Bright, 1500 Watt, Modified Sine Wave, inverter
-(x2)Trojan, 130 Amp Hour, Flooded, Deep Cycle, battery

While the 24 Volt system would provide an additional 100 Watts of power I am leaning toward the 12 Volt system since we believe that it would provide everything we will need to power the 30' yurt. We would be able to add an additional Battery and another 130 Watt panel at a later date.


We also had some fortune visiting a construction site today. It was at a home building site that we had noticed going up over the last few weeks. I stopped to ask if any of the wood was headed to the dump and was directed to a bin with a truck load of mixed sizes pine 2x4" and 2x8." We even found a few pieces that ranged into the 12-16' lengths. Will post some pictures tomorrow.