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Hi Mike
It would cost five hundred thousand for me to go grid at the moment.
I was going to replace the 12 volt at the main house, where I don't live, with 48 volt system but you run out of $30 k real fast...even with a huge battery bank you won't last past three or four days ..the main house has 1300 amp hours of battery which cost me $5 k ( replacement recently) and really is good for a day or two so just for batteries to see out a cloudy week I would say $15 To $20 k ...usually if cloudy they start the genny the second day...it is best not to run them down.
In my first and second observatories I went for everything 12 volt but with obs three and four (the current ones..1 was stolen 2 is still in Sydney) I have last two all 240 volt ( not the dew heater yet..but soon) ...part of the reason is I have two groups of batteries and it is much easier running a lead to an inverter at a particular bank than any alternative in a 12 volt swap...at the moment one battery system is out of action as it is being given a new home in the new observatory...And when I get time I will buy another five hundred amp hour battery bank...my main problem is I have gone thru four gennys in the last 12 months..I had 2 @2kws and 2@ 700 watts ( just for charging)..I had the big ones running all the time last summer for the air conditioning...expensive but it literally is a life saver as the van heats to 40 c...and as I near died cause of heat stroke once in Sydney I figure one has to pay the price...been looking for another genny all day and am starting to think I will have to fix the two that won't run..one has key start but has not on the latest model...damn it.
Anyways still plenty to do before I can have both obs working it seems...near finished the lining today so not far off now...
Alex
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