Copyright © 2010 The Alpha Group. All Rights Reserved.

Alpha Energy & OutBack Power

Innovations in Solar Power Supply

Designs

Copyright © 2010 The Alpha Group. All Rights Reserved.

Alpha Group Overview

The Alpha Group is an industry leader in the design and manufacturing

of AC and DC power conversion, protection, and standby products for

global markets

1975

1976 1978 1986

2010 1997

ATS, Inc

1999

Copyright © 2010 The Alpha Group. All Rights Reserved.

Latin America

• Oil & Gas

• Telecom

• Rural Electrification

North America

Telecom

Oil & Gas

Railroad

Government

OEM

Grid-Tie

Africa

• Oil & Gas

• Telecom

• Rural Electrification

Europe

• Grid-Tie Asia / Australia

• Oil & Gas

• Telecom

• Rural Electrification

Middle East

• Oil & Gas

• Telecom

• Rural Electrification

Alpha Energy Overview and Focus

Alpha Energy is an engineering and project develop group delivering

innovative power conversion solutions that integrates solar, wind and

alternative resources to provide reliable electric power for the most

demanding remote off-grid applications.

Solar and Photovoltaic Basics

Location and Time-of-Year

• Determines Available Solar

Resource

– Average sun resource requires smaller

PV (saves money)

– Worst case sun resource requires

larger PV (but guarantees no loss of

load)

Average Case Insolation Worst Case (December)

Insolation

Photovoltaics

• Photovoltaics is an energy conversion technology that converts light energy directly into electricity.

• Solar energy is converted to electricity at an atomic level, there are no moving parts and modern solar panels (PV modules) are designed to generate electricity for thirty years or more.

Example Average System Output

• Two locations, same

size array

• Contiguous array (no

row spacing on roof

of trailer)

• Continuous power

(Avg) is the yearly

average output

• Continuous power

(Dec) is the worst-

case output

Alpha Energy Solutions

Optimum Power Solutions- OPS

OPS in New York

• This system was designed to allow for

real time monitoring and system

control of a groundwater collection and

treatment system

• Needed internet connection to power

and run equipment

• Located at a remote site, a quarter mile

from nearest utility power access point

System Specifications:

• Solar Array: 246W

• Battery Bank: 324Ah

• System Voltage: 12VDC

Solar Skid

Deployable and expandable with essentially no site prep

Substantial savings over system requiring concrete supports to be

installed for PV arrays

System sizes to support small load of less than 25 watts to hundreds of

watts

Inverters can be added to support AC loads

Propane Generator added for hybrid operation with Solar

Solar Skid Designs

1500 watt system

500 watt system

Border Security, USA / Mexico

Deployment: 17 systems

Application: Border Security

HPS in Sierra Vista, AZ

• A cellular repeater along a remote stretch of

highway initially powered by a 10kW propane

generator.

• Cost over $21,000 to annually power 250W load.

• Alpha Energy’s solution was to install an HPS

that combines two power sources, photovoltaic

and an engine generator, with battery back up.

• The PV array delivers 75% of total energy

consumed by repeater and reduced generator

run time from 8760 hours per year to less than

200.

• Allows for a smaller, lighter-duty generator to

be used.

System Specifications: •24 VDC system voltage

•300W (DC) continuous load

•900W, 24VDC PV array

•Kohler COM-6 propane generator

•1500Ah, 24VDC battery bank

Sign Company

Examples of Poor Designs

Resulting in Safety and Reliability

Concerns

Safety Wyoming

Two rows of 5 - 8D batteries

stacked on top of each other.

Significant challenge to work on

and service the batteries

Significant wiring safety Hazard,

in the event of a short circuit, all

+ & - battery wires melt into each

other causing a critical

cascading short of each battery

resulting in fire, & explosion

Competing Systems?

Rubbermaid battery boxes

1.5” TV antennae mast, will not withstand

the wind to the industry standard of 90 MPH

One battery box in the sun, cooking the

batteries, the other shaded, potential for

battery explosion.

Dark Colored battery boxes will absorb heat

with no apparent ventilation explosion

hazard

Open wires no conduit, rodents can chew

the insulation, catastrophic short circuit,

fire & explosion? Definite code violations!!!

Insufficient skid size for PV array and wind

load, Tipping Hazard, catastrophic failure?

Energy Storage

A General Description of Batteries

Responsible battery design

accounts for:

– Temperature

• Hot temperature: loss of life

• Cold temperature: loss of

capacity

– Autonomy: Realistic length of

backup during poor weather

– Depth of Discharge: Average %

use of capacity reduces lifetime

PV energy output is

sent to the batteries

Solar Skid, Deka Unigy II

Batteries

50% DOD 1800 cycles

40% DOD 2000 cycles

80% DOD 1200 cycles

21

Battery Sizing Guidelines

• Accurate load profile: kWh or Amp-hours per day

• Characterize loads as: cyclical, random, coincidental, non- coincidental, and

demand factor (load control required?)

• Account for parasitic losses and system inefficiencies

• Include the appropriate factors: Temperature, autonomy, EOL capacity,

design margin, parasitic losses, and DOD.

• Do not discharge the batteries too deeply

• Use the correct rating (5hr, 20hr, 100hr), or a rate that approximates the

actual load (functional hour rate)

• Choose the correct technology (Flooded, AGM, Gel)

Battery Comparisons

Battery Type Application Maintenance Safety Cycling

Ability

Recharge

Ability Cost

Flooded

Lead Acid

Wet-Cell

Off-grid,

central office /

Telco

Watering is required

Equalization cycle is

periodically required

Spill able

Operated upright only

Must be vented

Good deep

cycle life

More tolerant of

improper

recharge

voltages and

abuse

Lowest initial

cost

Has cost of

maintenance

Lead Acid

VRLA

grid-

interactive, off-

grid, UPS and

backup power,

emergency

vehicles,

Maintenance-Free

Superior shelf life

Electrolyte does not

need to be replaced

Does not require

equalization

Sealed

Spill Proof

Leak Proof

Good cycle

ability at 50%

DOD

Charge voltage

must be limited

Moderate initial

cost

Lithium-ion

Deep cycle,

peak shaving.

Hybrid EV’s

Can be

charged or

discharged

rapidly and

operated at

higher

temperatures

Maintenance-Free

Must be used with an

onboard battery

management system

to prevent over-charge

/

over-discharge /

thermal runaway

Superior

cycling ability

Charge

conditions

must be

controlled

Very high initial

cost

Solar and Battery Capacity

Batteries must be sized to support the loads when there is little to no

Sunshine.

The text book definition of this is Days Of Autonomy or DOA meaning

the number of Days that the load can operate from energy in the

battery alone

This is the industry standard however it is flawed

Many Solar designs use DOA calculations that are often based upon

the average weather and not the worst case. Therefore when unusual

storms come along the batteries do not have enough stored energy

and the load fails

Solar and Battery Capacity

Large battery banks can be expensive, large and

heavy

Sizing Considerations

Even on the poorest day there is still daylight and solar panels convert

light into power

If 3 weeks of autonomy are required then factoring in the lowest or

poorest Solar recorder on a daily bases in the last 20 years then all you

typically need is two weeks of battery DOA

DC to DC Converters

26

DC to DC Converters

• Batteries are best placed in series, not parallel, and typically the fewer

series strings the better.

• It is more economical to use a longer series string of batteries to

increase the capacity or Kwhrs.

• Down convert the higher voltages with DC to DC converters that

operate at about 90% efficiency.

• Converters can also be used for sensitive electronics that require tight

voltage regulation.

• Isolating positive and negative ground equipment in the same

installation

Typical Deployment of LION batteries in remote sites

due to temperature extremes, inaccessibility and

Capex & Opex Value

Endeavor HPS Site Photos

Ft. Bliss ‘Endeavor’ Site, Motorola

• 7000 watt load capable of being

powered by completely by Solar

with 20% safety factor

• 63 kW PV Array

• 3 sub arrays for redundancy

• 16,000 AH Battery Bank, 35 Tons

• 18 Outback Charge Controllers

• Cordex controller

• Propane DC Gen set for backup

only

Boundary Bay Airport PVUPS GRID TIED

Next Generation Batteries

&

Li-ion Battery Solutions

PVUPS LION

PVUPS - LION

• Ultra high efficiency round trip at a CEF of 98%

• Full Recharge time in 30 minutes at 2C rate!

• Continuous discharge rate of 250 amps continuous per

battery or 10C for 30 seconds

• 5 year warranty standard and upgradeable to 10 year

warranty if monitored or an approved design. More than

double the warranty of most battery warranties (2 years)

• ¼ the size and ¼ the weight of equivalent Lead Acid

battery capacity

• Built in BMS, monitoring each cell

Lithium NMC

Cell Technology

Bullet Penetration (Field Test)

Hot Oven @150℃

UL1642

SBA G1101

UL1642

Level Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Criteria No Change Leak Smoke,

<200℃

Smoke,

>200℃

Fire Explosion

Results Criteria Test Method

Level 1

Level 0

Level 0

Level 1

Level 2

Level 2

Hot Oven @150℃

Thermal Abuse

Level 3 SBA G1101 Nail Penetration

Level 3 UL1642 Crush

Level 3 UL1642 Impact

Level 3 UL1642 External Short

Mechanical Abuse

Level 3 UL1642 Forced Discharge

Level 3 UL1642 Overcharge @1.0CmA

Electrical Abuse

SLPB UL Safety Test Results

UL1642 Level 3 Level 2

Case Studies

Premiere Application

Remote Commercial

US Cellular BTS installation, Mount

St. Helens, Washington

Overlooking North America’s most deadly active volcano

Premiere Application:

Green education

Camp Kernow, Cornwall, UK

Net-zero children’s camp designed to teach sustainability techniques in a fun atmosphere, using OutBack charge controllers to maximize solar harvesting under challenging geographical conditions

Rifugio Alimonta climbing station, Italian Alps Combination base, lodge and cafeteria at 8,464 ft/2,580 m in the Dolomites

Premiere Application:

Extreme hospitality

Solar and Wind Hybrid Power System

• Test facility ensures thorough product testing

• 7.5kW Wind Turbine

• 4kW Watt Solar Array

• 5kW Alpha Generator

• Alpha DC Power 450A, 48V Alpha DC Power Plant,

533Ah, 48V Battery Bank

Hybrid Test Facility

• 5 KW Fuel Cell

• Electric Scooter

charging station

Gord Petroski

gpetroski@Alpha.com

(360) 392 - 2354

Technical Support Hotline:

(360) 618 - 4363

Additional Info available at:

www.outbackpower.com

Questions