Solar Discovery

1. Do not let the plates get exposed to air. This will damage (corrode) the plates.


2. Do not fill the water level in the filling well to the cap. This most likely will cause the battery to overflow acid, consequently losing capacity and causing a corrosive mess.


3. Do not use water with a high mineral content. Use distilled or deionized water only.

CAUTION: The electrolyte is a solution of acid and water so skin contact should be avoided.

Step by step watering procedure:

1. Open the vent caps and look inside the fill wells.


2. Check electrolyte level; the minimum level is at the top of the plates.


3. If necessary add just enough water to cover the plates at this time.


4. Put batteries on a complete charge before adding any additional water (refer to the Charging section).


5. Once charging is completed, open the vent caps and look inside the fill wells.


6. Add water until the electrolyte level is 1/8" below the bottom of the fill well.


7. A piece of rubber can be used safely as a dipstick to help determine this level.


8. Clean, replace, and tighten all vent caps.

WARNING: Never add acid to a battery.

Tax Provisions


Repeals Penalty for Subsidized Energy Financing

Allows businesses and individuals to qualify for the full amount of the solar tax credit, even if projects receive subsidized energy financing (e.g. below market loans, tax preferred bonds, state grants etc.). This amendment shall apply to periods after Dec. 31, 2008.



Extends Bonus Depreciation

Last year, Congress temporarily increased the amount (50% of the cost of capital investment) that businesses could write-off for capital expenditures incurred in 2008 to $250,000 and increased the phase-out threshold for 2008 to $800,000. The bill would extend these temporary increases for capital expenditures incurred in 2009. Accordingly, until the end of 2010, business taxpayers are allowed to write-off up to $125,000 (indexed for inflation) of capital expenditures subject to a phase-out once capital expenditures exceed $500,000 (indexed for inflation).



5-Year Carryback of Net Operating Losses

For tax years 2008 and 2009, extends the maximum carryback period for net operating losses from two years to five years. Eligible small business may elect to increase the carryback period for an applicable 2008 NOL from two years to any whole number of years elected by the taxpayer that is more than two and less than six. An eligible small business is defined as a taxpayer meeting a $15,000,000 gross receipts test. (see Sec. 448(c)) An applicable NOL is the taxpayer's NOL for any taxable year ending in 2008, or if elected by the taxpayer, the NOL for any taxable year beginning in 2008. However, any election under this provision may be made only with respect to one taxable year.



Remedy for AMT and R&D Credits in Lieu of Bonus Depreciation

Where a taxpayer is in a loss position, deductions in excess of income are unable to enjoy the benefit of bonus depreciation. This provision extends the allowance in the Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 that permits AMT and loss taxpayers to receive 20% of the value of their old AMT or R&D credits to the extent such taxpayers invest in assets that qualify for bonus depreciation. The amount is capped at the lesser of 6% of outstanding and unused AMT and R&D credits or $30 million. The extension of the additional first-year depreciation deduction is generally effective for property placed in service after December 31, 2008. The extension of the election to accelerate AMT and research credits in lieu of bonus depreciation is effective for taxable years ending after December 31, 2008.

Discharging batteries is entirely a function of your particular application. However, below is list of helpful items:

1. Shallow discharges will result in a longer battery life.
2. 50% (or less) discharges are recommended.
3. 80% discharge is the maximum safe discharge.
4. Do not fully discharge flooded batteries (80% or more). This will damage (or kill) the battery.
5. Many experts recommend operating batteries only between the 50% to 85% of full charge range. A periodic equalization charge is a must when using this practice.
6. Do not leave batteries deeply discharged for any length of time.
7. lead acid batteries do not develop a memory and need not be fully discharged before recharging.
8. Batteries should be charged after each period of use.
9. Batteries that charge up but cannot support a load are most likely bad and should be tested. Refer to the Testing section for proper procedure.
   

% Discharged
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80
60
40
20
0
0
20
40
60
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% Charged

On February 17, President Obama signed HR 1, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (a.k.a. the Stimulus Bill). The bill contains 19 provisions that help grow markets, finance projects, expand manufacturing, access federal lands, build transmission lines, increase research and development, train workers, and reduce the tax burden for solar companies. Combined, solar has access to over $25 billion in government funded construction projects, illustrating the President’s commitment to renewable energy and his specific interest in promoting solar technologies. This summary outlines how your business can take advantage of these funds in the most timely and efficient way. Below you will find the 15 provisions that most directly affect your business based on four categories:

1. Federal guidance pending: Agency guidance in the next 60 to 90 days.
   
2. Enhanced funding for existing State programs: Federal funds will be directed to States for distribution. State agencies will provide access to funds.
   
3. Agency specific appropriations: Funds directed to specific agencies for programs or projects that are most likely already in the pipeline.
   
4. Tax code provision: Effective upon enactment unless noted otherwise.

The provisions include (solar is eligible for a portion of this funding):

• Grants in lieu of 30% ITC
  
• Loan Guarantees - $6 billion should support $60 billion worth of loan guarantees


• State Funding - $16.8 billion including $3.1 billion for state energy programs
  
• Solar on Federal Property - $5.5 billion


• Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) – an additional $1.6 billion


• Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds - $2.4 billion
• Solar for Schools - $9.75 billion


• Green Collar Jobs - $500 million
  
• Solar Water Treatment Plants - $6 billion
  
• Department of Interior Funding - $125 million


• Solar for the Military - $400 million
  
• Tax Provisions:
  1) Repeals Penalty for Subsidized Energy Financing 2) Extends Bonus Depreciation 3) 5-Year Carryback of Net Operating Losses 4) Remedy for AMT and R&D Credits in Lieu of Bonus Depreciation
  

A summary of each of these provisions and information about how you can take advantage of this funding will be presented in future blogs.

• Unbreakable
• Shadow Tolerant
• Tolerant of Extreme High/Low Temperatures
• Triple Junction Technology (in simple language, the 64 watt module is comparable in daily output to an 80 watt glass module)

For most of our customers, I don't need to sell them on the benefits of UniSolar. Once you have used them, you know exactly what I'm talking about. But it does lead to the question,

What happened to the US64s? Where are they?

UniSolar stopped manufacturing their framed modules about two years ago and their flexible modules in 2005. Why? The solar market has shifted away from small, low voltage applications with an emphasis, first on residential installations and currently, on large scale commercial installations. The module hasn't disappeared... it has simply taken on a new form... a flexible unframed module.

UniSolar's BIPV modules are available in a 68 watt 9 ft version and a 136 watt 18ft version. Architecturally, they are great. They blend into the roofline, allow complete design freedom with ridge to eave coverage possible. They have a "sticky back" that just peels off, making installation easy and cost effective.

They come in rolls that you roll onto your roof or other mounting structure and feature all the benefits of the US64 and a few more:

• Theft resistant!
• No back-ventilation of solar panels necessary (lightweight laminates are easy to handle and can be field applied directly on metal)
• No support structures needed
• UL Listed as prepared roofing cover
• Wind and water-tight roof
• Suitable both for renovation and for new construction
• 20-year power output
• Standard junction box or weather-tight quick connect system
• “Peel & stick” adhesive backing capable of withstanding 160 mph wind loads

We received a question from G. Holmes regarding the difference between a marine deep cycle battery and true deep cycle battery. And which battery type would we recommend using for a system using a wind generator.

Generally, a marine deep cycle and a true deep cycle battery are the same. However, there are differences that do make one type of battery better suited for certain applications and environments than others. The primary differences between the battery types are 1) exposure to environmental conditions and 2) size of the battery's plates.

Corrosion Resistant. Marine batteries have been designed to withstand the harsher environments often associated with a marine environment that often speed the corrosion process including:

• exposure to water
• exposure to salt

Battery Plates. Another difference between these battery types are the sizes of the plates. A marine battery has a thinner plate for higher cranking amps--or in other words--the thinner plate is better for the rigors of starting a battery. Deep cycle batteries have a thicker plate for slower discharge.

Applications. These differences in plate size allows you to use a marine deep cycle battery as a house and starter battery for boats and RVs whereas a deep cycle battery is better suited to be used as a house battery or as energy storage for battery based, stand-alone, solar and renewable energy systems.

Wind Generator Recommendaton. For a wind generator, we'd recommend using a true deep cycle battery, such as a golf cart battery. However, if your wind generator is located on a boat or near the coast with exposure to marine conditions, you may consider the marine version.

Equalizing is an overcharge performed on flooded lead acid batteries after they have been fully charged. It reverses the buildup of negative chemical effects like stratification, a condition where acid concentration is greater at the bottom of the battery than at the top. Equalizing also helps to remove sulfate crystals that might have built up on the plates. If left unchecked, this condition, called sulfation, will reduce the overall capacity of the battery.

Many experts recommend that batteries be equalized periodically, ranging anywhere from once a month to once or twice per year. However, Trojan only recommends equalizing when low or wide ranging specific gravity (+/- .015) are detected after fully charging a battery.

Step by Step Equalizing:

1. Verify the battery(s) are flooded type.
2. Remove all loads from the batteries.
3. Connect battery charger.
4. Set charger for the equalizing voltage (See Table 2 in the Charging section).
5. Start charging batteries.
6. Batteries will begin gassing and bubbling vigorously.
7. Take specific gravity readings every hour.
8. Equalization is complete when specific gravity values no longer rise during the gassing stage.

NOTE: Many chargers do not have an equalization setting so this procedure can't be carried out.