Going for Solar Energy

We have had to learn to live with quite a few electrical brownouts here in Puerto Princesa. Dave has installed diesel generators to compensate and run our refrigerator and air-con, which he loves so much. The generators run on biodiesel, but when the brownouts last for 10 hours or more, it's also costly.

To compensate, we have added more solar lighting and recently, 4 large solar panels which now handle the water pump and lights in the kitchen, as well as a fan at my desk and a couple of outlets for laptops and such. All of our lights are LED.

We get all of our solar panels and lights(except for the one charging the electric motorbike) from a solar store in Puerto Princesa. They are in a breezeway before David's salon on Rizal Avenue. Moving soon to a store in front soon.

Here is their info if you are interested:
Photovoltaic Solar Center, Robinson's Mall, 5300 Puerto Princesa City, Puerto Princesa, Philippines(048) 4346940
Mobile No. 09088937191 email = pvsolarcentre@gmail.com

We also charge our electric motorbikes with solar panels.

This is an LED 12 volt solar-powered bulb and some scrap bamboo to hide the unsightly wires hanging down.

These solar LED lights last me all day over my desk while I work. When it rains and is overcast, they use so little battery life that I have run it without it ever going out.

A different solar light system in Dave's internet hut.

This is the controller and battery unit for the light above. It also charges our cell phones. One is charging above the unit in this photo.

Dave added another solar collector on the boat. This one is to keep the aux battery charged. It starts the motor and runs the exterior and interior overhead lights and marker lights.

Solar Controller, battery, and inverter to 220V AC

One of the problems we had when the power went out, is that it became dark in the kitchen and the water pump would not run. So Dave hooked those up to the large solar panels. This way if we are not around and no one can start the generator, the staff can still cook and have water.

All of our lights are on solar as well as electrical plugs which run my PC, three fans and all the LED lights.