Sol-Ark – a new line of
inverters
We are now offering a new solar power inverter “Sol-Ark” and find
this will suit a variety of uses for our grid-tie customers. For
those who wish to add batteries at a later date, you can start your
system out as straight-grid tie, then add batteries later as time or
your budget permits. The time of use programmable feature also fits
nicely with many utilities' practices and rates.
 If
you are anticipating the use of solar as a UPS (uninterruptible
power system), presently Sol-Ark has twenty different battery
manufacturers that are easily adapted for this use.
If you're a customer wanting to have “whole house” back-up during a
grid outage? The “smart load” management system answers the call by
reducing the big load hogs during an outage and allowing lesser
consumptive loads to continue. This is a new solution for our solar
power consumers.
A Sol-Ark hybrid solar system, integrated with a standby generator
along with your solar array and battery bank, can act as a whole
house UPS. The engineers at Sol-Ark have addressed a lot of little
problems that have plagued many inverter manufacturers for decades
(one is -- integrating a generator AND grid-power). The Sol-Ark
engineers have been able to address and tackle long-standing
problems that every inverter manufacturer has been faced with in
their products, and that is testament to how far the inverter
industry has evolved. Sol-Ark, designed and engineered in Texas,
veteran-owned and veterans hired as technicians and
troubleshooters...makes it easier to offer a national brand that is
good for all of us.
MSRP pricing for the 5KW model is $4800; for the 8KW model, $6300;
and for the 12KW model, $6950, at this writing. And like everything
nowadays, pricing is subject to change without notice. If you need
specifications on one or more of these inverters, call us or send us
an e-mail to
info@oasismontana.com.
This new product, now available, is an improved technology when it
comes to solar power systems. Ease of installation, reliable
performance for our DIYer family? We think solar power will be
easier and more reliable for our off-grid customers, DIYers as well
as grid-tied consumers.... the new kid in town is “Sol-Ark”. Call us
for more information, 406-777-4321.
|
New Enphase product: The
Enphase IQ8 (microinverters) have started production
shipments in North America. The IQ8 claim to fame is
that it is capable of forming a microgrid during a power
outage, providing backup power even without a battery.
How does that happen? The IQ8 can limit energy capture
to just what the home is consuming, so in the event that
the grid suffers a power failure, a proprietary,
intelligent chip within the IQ8 will seamlessly switch
between on or off grid. Call for more information or
visit
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/12/27/enphase-energy-starts-shipping-iq8-microinverters-in-north-america/ |
SUPPLY CHAIN WOES:
A little update about truck freight: Many of the power
system goods we sell ship via truck freight. Capacity
limitations, driver shortages, shifts in scheduling, severe
weather, fluctuating fuel prices and other factors have cause
shipping costs via truck freight to skyrocket in the past year,
with no relief in sight. And we have seen more freight damage
claims in the past nine months than in the previous twenty
years! What’s a consumer to do? We have some tips to minimize
shipping problems. First, keep your camera handy – and be
prepared to thoroughly inspect your goods upon receipt. Take a
picture of your pallet of goods upon arrival. If there is any
damage or any problem with the exterior packaging, note it in
writing on the bill of lading (shipping receipt). Most claims
for damage must be made pronto!
Here's an article about why the price of gas and diesel is so
high:
https://gizmodo.com/the-real-reason-gas-prices-are-so-high-right-now-1848088360?utm_source=TheOnion_Daily_RSS&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021-11-19
The price of diesel has gone up about $1.25 a gallon in the past
year.
Increases in costs for polysilicon, glass, steel, aluminum, and
copper affect the cost of nearly every component in solar,
including modules, racking, inverters, and the full suite of
balance-of-system components. Industry analysts say that it can
take 3-9 months for end-users to see the impact of raw material
cost increases in their price, and even longer for those costs
to drop. This is our industry’s current dilemma.
While there are still some deals to be had, we suspect the
supply of certain goods will continue to be tenuous.
Fortunately, we have a diverse bunch of suppliers, so if one is
out-of-stock, we can usually find someone else to fill the bill.
If you are looking for a particular inverter, or solar module,
let us know, and we’ll put the word out and see what’s
available. However, many battery manufacturers have found their
raw materials are simply not available. Popular models like
Trojan, or Rolls/Surrette, are experiencing lead times of one
year or more. The lithium (LFP) batteries continue to have
shorter lead times, as well as some FLA industrial batteries.
Give us a call and we’ll see what’s in the pipeline.
 |
Appliance
Update
Appliance suppliers have their share of
back-orders too. We sell several types of
non-electric gas products (gas refrigerators, freezers,
stoves, cooktops; visit
www.LPappliances.com for more information), and
some of those goods are just starting to be available
again after an absence of nearly a year! We also offer
several Energy Star and DC refrigerators (www.eco-fridge.com),
so if you are looking for something efficient for your
remote home, or just trying to keep a lid on your
utility bill, give us a call and we’ll see what’s
available. And if you are thinking about some appliance
need for this spring or summer, you’d better think about
getting in line sooner than later. The supply issues are
ongoing and frustrating!
|
 |
 |
 |
RENEWABLE ENERGY NEWS &
MORE
Quotable Quotes
- Against stupidity the very gods themselves
contend in vain. -- Johann Christoph
Friedrich von Schiller (1759 – 1805)
- One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea,
never regains its original dimensions. –
Oliver Wendell Holmes
- The longer I live, the more convinced am I
that this planet is used by other planets as a
lunatic asylum. – George Bernard Shaw
- Tune your television to any channel it
doesn’t receive and about 1 percent of the dancing
static you see is accounted for by an ancient
remnant of the Big Bang. The next time you complain
that there is nothing on, remember that you can
always catch the birth of the universe. –
Bill Bryson
- Nothing disturbs me more than the
glorification of stupidity. – Carl Sagan
- Kids don’t remember what you try to teach
them. They remember what you are. – Jim
Henson
- Always maintain a kind of summer, even in the
middle of winter. --Henry David Thoreau
- Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is
in my heart. –Victor Hugo
|
|
