Helen and Noel's Starbase "Virtual Rurality". Goomalling, Western Australia.
Latitude 32 degrees South.

Commissioned in July 2005. Advanced rural solar power station in shipping container format, featuring "fuzzy logic" splayed solar array. One wing facing N.N.E, the other facing N.N.W. The "splayed array'' is my own innovation, which I have perfected over a number of years. It is designed to stretch the solar charging cycle from early morning to late afternoon, instead of three hours either side of noon, as is the case with a single North facing array. By doing this, the following benefits are obtained :-

• Battery life is extended by reducing depth of discharge, as the recharge cycle begins earlier in the morning, and is sustained until very late afternoon.
• The likelyhood of the solar regulator reverting to "float" mode and wasting charge in the middle of the day due to high peak charge is reduced.
• Wider skydome coverage hedges the effects of cloud buildup during the day, as the N.N.E wing of the solar array responds earlier to clear morning skies. This is quite a common phenomenon, early clear sky, with progressive cloud buildup.

The charge graph of a "splayed array" looks like a molar tooth, with a dip in the middle, instead of a large hump centered on noon like a North facing array. The "splayed array" is particularly appropriate
with UNI-SOLAR Advanced Amorphous panels because they have a wider angle of acceptance to solar radiation due to their low reflectance, matt surface and triple junction cells.

Power System.

• 20 x UNI-SOLAR US-64 Advanced, thin film, triple junction photo-voltaic panels. 1280 peak watts. = to 1600 watts of crystalline panels @ 50 deg C cell temp. "Splayed Array". NNE & NNW . Nett daily energy production (after system losses) is 6000 watt-hours in Summer, and 3750 watt-hours in Winter.
  
  
• 1 x Plasmatronic PL-60 regulator / controller with SH200 current shunt and PLS2 adaptor. Allowing all energies generated and consumed to be observed. This is the key to successful operation and comprehension of an advanced energy system.
  
  
• 1 x SOLAR TECH 24 Volt x 1600 Amp hour, maintenance free battery bank. ( 38,400 Watt-hours) This equates to 8 days storage, as the average daily design load is 5000 watt-hours.
  
  
• 1 x MASTERVOLT DAKAR. Inverter / charger. 4000 watts continuous, 10,000 watts surge. 100 Amp triple stage battery charger, with inbuilt 20 Amp load transfer switch. One of the most powerful 24 / 240 volt units of it's type on the market.

Notes

A 12 KVA Lister twin cylinder 1500rpm diesel lurks in retirement.....Noel gives it a run once a month to keep it lubricated. In Winter it may run once or twice a week for a few hours to give the battery a boost charge during sustained cloudy conditions . The power quality on this beautiful 100 Acre rural retreat is far superior to all their neighbors, who choose to rely on the antiquated mains supply in Goomalling.
In fact, several neighbors wanted to buy the land , but missed out because they hesitated, as it was without power. Helen and Noel taught them a lesson, and scored one of the best blocks in the shire.
Nature know's it's own !