Making The Trailer: Understanding The Solar System

A preliminary video full of out-takes from day 1 of filming the new video, Aristotle Solar


Imagine you're like me:  a recently layed off solar worker.  You've got nothing else to do, but dream of your job, where you worked.

Let's say you had some other skills, such as writing and making video.  In addition, you took meticulous care of your childhood toy collection (just like your truck, when once upon a time you had a job).

Keep in mind that hardly anyone knows about solar electricity, and your mission in life is to educate as many people as possible on the subject of what life would be like if we used more PV.  By that, I mean there would be additional responsibility to those who were sharing their homes with photovoltaic systems.

How are people supposed to know?

We're supposed to tell you.  Who else but Lego Spacemen would you expect to describe and explain the message and meaning of solar electrical system design?  It's something everyone wants to know, and I have access to.  The information:  whether your home could run entirely on solar.

Details to the question abound.  What defines the type of inverter that I will need?  The segment that was extracted, of out-takes the other night, describe the portion (without audio commentary) of what determines the size of a disconnect.

In the world, there are basically only 30 and 60 amp disconnects.  Last time I checked, only two companies even made them:  GE and Square D.  Therefore, if a system amperage:

(Strings x ISC x 1.56)

Exceeds the rating of a 30a disconnect, a 60 becomes necessary.

About The Video

The video incorporates 3 different elements: 

• 1980's Lego Spacemen
• Armatron (a robot from RadioShack, vintage 80's). 
• Line/Load:  The PV System Board Game

Only one of those things is technically the proprietary rights of Stereomedia, this organization.  But that's good because the point of the video is to explain the board game. 

For another look at the board game, check this out: 

Extra Links:

LineLoad.Org
SolarEducational.Blogspot.Com

Solar Educational Website

©Stereomedia 2011.

Complete Blog:  SolarEducational.Blogspot.Com

Solar Electricity.  Even if the technology was affordable, we wouldn't
be prepared for it.  You realize that you're responsible for the electrical
system in your home.  And if you rent, then your landlord is responsible.
So if you have a difficult enough time understanding how your existing
electrical system functions, how in the world will you ever feel prepared
for adding additional features to it which generate all your power on
bright and sunny days?  That's what this guidebook is for.

That's why I made the cartoon, the flipbook, the efficiency wheel, the board game, the website, the video, and the teacher's reference.  After I lost my job as a solar installer for a Solar Company, I went on to write as much as I possibly could, because I knew that my old job was going the way of the dinosaur.

I thought that the best strategy to stay alive doing something solar energy-related was to produce a curriculum that best explained the  procedure, from site evaluation, to design, to installation.  There's even a little section on maintenance in there.  For Surely, Cris Shirley!  That's an associate of mine.  That's the other thing- I found great associates!  People who have credentials that want to work with me.  In essence, by degrees of association, I have several.

That said, now that we have combined forces with a few other people, let's get down to the busy side of things.  There's a ton of work to be done, and if solar energy was affordable and available for everyone, we would have to be ready to implement it with the speed in which we invaded Afghanistan.  I don't know why America rushes into these things.  This entire nation was founded in a hurry, and it seems that the only real slow decisions we ever made were in getting involved with WW1 and WW2.  Everything else from acquisition of the continent to launching a moon landing has been rush, rush rush.  It's time to slow the rush down and talk about solar, so hush.

I can show you what an inverter is. You might someday have one in your home.  Then again, you might also go to a friend's house, and impress your friend with your knowledge of their system.  There is so much cool stuff that you can do, just by learning!  It makes you more prepared.

The material on the website does not reflect the full content of the academic package.  It was developed in part with a little help from the Horace Mann School's John Dorr Nature Laboratory, working with the administrators there on how to dial in the material so that it can be taught.  It was also tested at the Foote School, in New Haven, where it received some e-mail applause from parents with children thought to be generally inattentive to lessons.  Believe me, this kid was glued to his seat when I started telling him about the harness saved me from falling off a rooftop.  That's part of the safety module.


Go visit LineLoad.Org

LineLoad Update

Greg Teschendorf and Ian Applegate, solar electricians, 

are offering educators access their information as 

professional solar installers through the program, "LineLoad."

LineLoad teaches the principles of distributed generation 

to you kids, from guys who built stuff like what you see below.  

Since there's no money in the system to build anymore, 

and it looks like solar is getting put back on the shelf again, 

we now have more time to spend giving you and your family 

a better education with Solar Energy.  

30 x SPR-230's = Watt ???

Ian Applegate writes:

Maybe you've noticed, or perhaps you haven't, that we live in a world where we continuously use a fuel that we know is damaging to our environment, which we also know that there's a limited quantity of. 

Many experts seem to believe that we can go about our business, consuming massive quantities of oil around the world for the rest of time, and there will be plenty of it as we gradually switch to renewable energy.  I have a difficult time believing this, because we are not moving fast enough, we're not trying hard enough, and there seems to be some sort of necessary emergency to get the world to take the issue seriously.  

I'm also not stating any of this to be alarmist.  I'm just suggesting that we should be more proactive about preparing for this future, by learning more and understanding more about solar energy.  

And that's why I am helping to develop http://LineLoad.Org

Ian Applegate