.

UbiPetrus:
While you wait for info on flight fares, I wish to say congratulations.

Thank you

Guys I have received my passport stamped with "visum".

Please house I need URGENT information on how to get a TRAVEL HEALTH INSURANCE

Please can someone advice me on how to go about obtaining HEALTH INSURANCE.

I just received a mail from the consulate. They asked me forward my passport and Health Insurance to them.

victree007:
Hello House,
I had my interview this morning 06/07/2018 in Lagos and thought it wise to share my transcript. The interview lasted less than 15 minutes. The multitude that came for interview today sha. It didn’t get to my turn until 9:20AM
So here is how it all went;

VO: Have you funded?
ME: Not exactly. I haven’t exactly decided whether or not I will use a BA or SL as my uncle is currently processing an SL in Munich for me. So the outcome will determine if I’ll be using a BA or SL

VO: Okay. Please read the information on this form and sign
NB: It was a form containing blocked account confirmation details…

So I read and signed the form then passed it over to her.


VO: Why do you want to study in Germany?
ME: I want to study in Germany because the country has some of the world's top universities for geosciences, which are ranked based on their reputation and research in the field. Also, the educational system is high-class and combines theoretical teaching and practical training with the goal of ensuring a lasting/perpetual innovation. The caliber of scientists and geologists that the country has produced over time is a testament to the quality of education currently being offered in Germany. This is why I want to study there.

VO: Masters or Bachelors
ME: Masters

VO: What is the name of the course?
ME: Masters in Sustainable Mining and Remediation Management

VO: What is the title of your BSc thesis?
ME: Hydrogeological Study of Ekiadolor and Environs. I quickly asked if I should spell “Ekiadolor” for her and she said yes. After typing, I asked her to please repeat the spelling of the same (E-K-I-A-D-O-L-O-R) to be sure it was well spelt and she did.

VO: Why do you want to study this particular course?
ME: The Sustainable Mining and Remediation Management programme is a critical aspect of Geology in which I want to carry out a geoscientific and an environmental research. This area of investigation is a build-up on my undergraduate thesis in Hydrogeology and it will give me the opportunity to conduct a research on the geochemistry of acid mine drainage and its impact on water and earth resources particularly around mining exploration communities. The skills and knowledge to be gained from this programme will readily make me become a better environmental hydrogeologist.

VO: Why not study this course in Nigeria?
ME: The level of infrastructure and the quality of education offered in my home country cannot be compared to that in Germany especially when you consider some of the modules and internships involved in the programme and the fact that a teaching experimental mine is at the disposal of whoever studies this programme at TU Freiberg. Also, the unpredictable nature of education in Nigeria does not guarantee the completion of this kind of programme in record time.

VO: Why not study this course in US, UK and other English speaking countries
ME: A key motivation for me is the level of flexibility of university programmes to meet the research needs of students as well as the affordable nature of education in Germany.
NB: Me and VO go back and forth about this question before we finally agree for this response sha o
If she asks any question that doesn’t carry Germany in it, she will ask you not to mention anything about Germany in your response as well. I no know how to explain the thing pass like this.

VO: What do you know about Germany?
As we reach this question, for my mind I say we die here[b][/b]

ME: Germany is located in the central-western part of Europe
Its capital and largest city is Berlin
Germany has a largely temperate seasonal climate with population of about 82,8 million people
Germany is the most populous member state of the European Union and the second most populous after Russia in Europe
Germany is one of the world’s largest technologically advanced economies and It is both the world's third-largest exporter and importer of goods
Being an eco-friendly nation, Germany is currently researching about ways to transition from mainstream energy sources to renewable energy such as solar and wind energy.
Then she cuts in and asked me to wait for her to type…

ME: Can I continue the story telling?

VO: Yes please go ahead

ME: Okay. Germany operates a federal, parliamentary and democratic/representative system of government where Frank-Walter Steinmeier is the president and head of state while Angela Merkel is the chancellor and head of government in Germany.
During the period of Allied occupation, two German states were founded: West Germany, formed from the American, British and French occupation zones which formed the federal republic of Germany and East Germany, formed from the Soviet occupation zone.
Which also formed German democratic republic
On October 3, 1990, the unification of…..

VO: It’s okay It’s okay It’s okay. You want to fill up my computer with what you know about Germany, I can already see you know a lot about Germany.
For my mind I come dey say aunty na you say make I fire down like caro nao.

Eventually we both laughed to her “You want to fill up my computer” comment and then she told me that’s all, we are through with the interview.

ME: Can I ask you a question please?

VO: The interview has ended nao what else do you want again?

ME: That form you asked me to read and sign which contains the blocked account confirmation details, does signing it invalidate provision of sponsorship letter?[i][/i]

VO: No it does not. You can forward us either your blocked account confirmation or the sponsorship letter. Anyone is fine.

ME: Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. Have a nice day
NB: VO didn’t even ask any information regarding the sponsor I mentioned I have in Munich

I made sure I asked that last question because a lot of people have been coming here to say once you sign that form you can no longer use SL in place of BA. I doubt if any of such people ever asked their respective VOs this same question before arriving at that conclusion.
Well there you have it from the horse’s mouth – Signing that BA confirmation form does not invalidate SL in anyway. VO’s word, not mine.

What date did you mail them first for interview appointment booking?

alamsgodsalams:
I have not funded a block acc yet but my money will be completed soon. Will I be able to book for interview now or when I have done the block acc stuff?

Yes. This was the mistake I made (waiting to fund account), dont make the same. What is your schools deadline for enrollment?

Somebody please just give us an idea of 1. how long it took to get an appointment for an interview after emailing them for a student visa appointment interview [/b].2. how long it took to process visa after the interview[/b]

Please house. I have opened and funded my blocked account but I do not know how to go about booking an appointment for an interview, how do I go about this. deadline for enrollment in the school is October 30. I hope it is not late.

Good morning house. I just got my blocking confirmation. Please how do I go about booking for interview?

please someone should guide me. I have just got admission for admission and im trying to update my fintiba profile. deadline for enrolment for late entrants is october 30, what are my chances of meeting up and please guide me through the steps with deadlines too

Otunba147:
Please house I just got my admission letter from btu cottbus-senftenberg. Bachelor environmental and resource management. Guys any update on appointment bookings was informed they are closed for the year. Any possibility of opening the block account send differ the admission.


Thank you

Bro I too got an admission letter for masters env. and resource mgt that school, however Im still at the fintiba stage.. try reply pls

simplyhonest:
Hmnnn... must everything be politicized?

They want to get rather get the funds for projects (seeming similar to theirs) meant directly for the Council

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday opposed creation of the National Council on Climate Change.

Speaking at a public hearing by the House of Representatives committee on climate change in Abuja, the Director General of NiMet, Professor Sani Abubakar Mashi, said rather than establish the council; the House should consider strengthening NiMet.

He said the House could also establish a climate change commission to supervise activities of Nimet after strengthening the agency.

On her part, a representative of NLC, Hauwa Abubakar, said instead of establishing the council, the House should establish an agency on climate change , which she said would be more independent.

The hearing was declared open by the Speaker Yakubu Dogara who said the draft law sought to achieve its objectives through strategies and key activities targeted at raising a green bond to finance environmental projects and continue the Ogoni clean-up.

Members of House of Representatives and critical stakeholders in the environment sector have underscored the need for a proper legal frame-work to streamline policies, issues and responses arising from effects of climate change.

The lawmakers and the actors in the sector are also craving for the establishment of National Council on Climate Change in Nigeria.They expressed their determination yesterday at a public hearing on a bill for an act to provide a legal frame-work for the mainstreaming of climate change responses and actions into government policy formulation, implementation and establishment of the National Council on Climate Change and for other related matters organised by the House Committee on Climate Change, headed by Samuel Onuigbo.

Onuigbo said that the bill reinforced the medium term policy objectives contained in the Nigeria Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017-2020.He said: “The is Bill is the product of a deliberate effort by the Legislature to fill critical gaps in legislative mechanism and also reset our thoughts and actions to create the enabling environment for the public and the private sectors to collaborate in investing massively in ambitious climate change related projects like renewable energy and climate finance

spinna:
I would have thought you would have raised this issue with her, rather than raising it with NL. its no use observing something thats irritating you and not mentioning it. Also since you are the one spending its simply up to you to say no we are eating at home. if this woman was truly your potential fiancee then you have to raise the issue first before dumping, you have to try to educate her and see if she will listen.

to be sincere I'm actually looking for a reason to keep her. permit me to say this : my "demand" is really higher than the average guy.. and I know it like I know my name.. I just don't allow it intoxicate me

Another thing that is really confusing me is that most of the girls I've dated frequently ask for money..maybe because they see I'm working.. I really don't know if its the same thing all working class guys face. in fact honestly I see requesting as a Nigerian girls character.

this one girl is uniquely annoying me cos I want her to pay attention to more important things.. but she is not. I am really the one reading her. I am seeing a lot of her secrets. Contrarily she doesn't know ANYTHING about me.. she hasn't seen my bad part.. The only way she can discover this is when her interest is in SEEING AND KNOWING MORE. like I am reading her glutinous characters

Another thing that is really confusing me is that most of the girls I've dated frequently ask for money. I don't know if its the same thing all guys face. in fact honestly I see it as a Nigerian girls character.

this one is annoying me cos I want her to pay attention to more important things.. but she is not. I am really the one reading her. I am seeing a lot of her secrets. Contrarily she doesn't know ANYTHING about me.. she hasn't seen my bad part.. The only way she can discover this is when her interest is in SEEING AND KNOWING MORE. like I am reading her glutinous characters

nnamdiokere45:
omo she has someone else joor.she doesn't love u

Thanks bro.. but she calls me often on phone.. and feels bad when I don't call.

STFUareyouGod:
Is this another palmchat story?

bros how old are you. What's the "story" here that looks in ONLY your eyes like "palm chat"

My people pleaseeee I need sincere advise here. Your advise will definitely guide me on the next step to take.

There is a beautiful girl I've been considering getting married to, but the way she requests money and fast food is making her look very ... lol.. "hungry" and opportunistic to me. The values she sees in a man seem to me like its basically what he will BUY for her. I confess that I made matters worse initially by "fast fooding" each time we meet... Now I think she sees me like a free lunch at crunchies. If I call her in the afternoon, she says I'm hungry.. its so irritating now.. in fact I lost a lot of regards for her..but she doesn't know yet.

Recently she asked me for some money and I refused very politely..she said she was "disappointed".

I wonder if she even loves any other thing about me asides the MONEY I WILL GIVE HER. she pays ABSOLUTELY NO attention the things I want her to see in me...like level of maturity, my leadership skills, I taught she was just being childish, but lately I discovered its just her nature. her ideology about a guy is WHAT WILL I GET FROM HIM.. I might dump her .. i wont even talk to her about it. please advise me

OLE !!! ...you see your life.. you are looking for where to steal something. Barawo




These are the thieves among us.. SHAME ON YOU

Your skeletal structure determines the main framework for your body shape, and the overall shape that you end up with is determined by the distribution of fat and muscle on top of your skeleton. For the butt, the main factor which causes the particular shape of the buttocks is your pelvis, followed by your fat distribution which is largely genetically determined. In general, for most people who do not do specific glute training, muscle does not contribute a lot to butt shape as the glutes are generally underdeveloped in most people.

What are the Different Types of Butt Shapes for Women?

Most plastic surgeons recognize four main shapes when it comes to the female derriere:

Square – “H” shape
Round – “C” or “O” shape
Heart/pear – “A” shape
Inverted – “V” shape

Guys choose your favorite

Buhari said he is willing to end Bsc, HND Dichotomy, however he has not considered that:

1. It is so much easier to obtain admission into the Polythecnics than Universities. Therefore the products cannot be the same. I f he said improve the standards first, then he will be making more sense. But like someone rightly said how do you expect him to know "anything" about higher education when his O'Levels is even questionable.

2. There is already so much competition for white collar jobs. If you feed a Nigerian Poly Graduate that his qualification is same as the B.Sc ....trust me (with our Nigerian mentality) nobody will want to work in the Nigerian technical industries; for eg. A poly graduate will want to sit in the office instead of soiling his hands with the machines.

3. B. tech is normally issued in industrialized countries where technical jobs are paid as well as or even better than the B.Sc's because they MANUFACTURE. Technological PRODUCTION/ MANUFACTURING = FINANCIAL capacity to pay B.tech graduates well...and even better. CAN our POLY graduates MANUFACTURE "ANYTHING".. even as little as a pin B.tech should be the peak of productivity. FOR INDUSTRIALIZED countries ONLY

4. Bachelors degree system is already being flooded with low standards.. such as the part timers, the online universities, and the continuing education center, etc... where admissions are just by fees payment and an "expo-ed" WAEC result.

The summary of my points is that the qualities are not same yet. why does he need to kill BSc further rather than improve the quality of HND. Nigeria technological system does not equate to B.tech qualifications. FULL STOP

biglord:
yes

brother thank you.. i really do not understand this grading thing. I and my cousin applied for admission into Rhine Waal University of applied sciences. Our CGPAs are 3.1 and 2.6 respectively we already paid the uni-assist application fee on Thursday thru wire transfer, but we can still adjust our uni-assist application as it has not yet been received in Germany.

please advise us so we do not make mistakes.

Question 1:

(my CGPA is 3.1)
I applied for masters degree (Rhine Waal *German* GPA cut off is 2.5) ...with 3.1 am I qualified for masters in that school

Question 2:

(Cousins CGPA)
Is he qualified for masters in the same school (Rhine Waal *German* GPA cut off is 2.5)....with 2.6 is he qualified for masters in that school.

Question 3:

please which other school in Germany can I apply for both of us


Question 4:

How long does it take to process German study visa for Nigeria. I applied for winter admissions

hello everyone. Is it possible to secure admission to do a Maters program in Germanywith a Nigerian CGPA of 3.1?

Join the Largest Network of African Youth Leaders who take unified action towards sustainable development, gender equality, peace, proper leadership, education, climate change and ensure brotherhood on the continent.

The organization’s main objectives:

The Africa Connect Platform (ACP) considers the development of continental understanding as well as cooperation between all international , regional and national youth organizations as the world as a fundamental task in contributing to the strengthening of the solidarity of our Africa youths.

Africa Connect Platform (ACP) includes youth from different African countries and diverse political tendencies, religious beliefs and forms of activity which is based on the basis of equality and mutual respect for their autonomy. Africa Connect Platform (ACP) also wishes to coordinate their efforts for the best satisfaction of the interest of youths and to make contributions to common ideas of freedom, independence, democracy, international solidarity and world peace.

ACP Departments

# Governance and Politics in Africa

# Education & Health

# Business & Entrepreneurship

# Agriculture & Climate Change

# Human Rights violation & Gender equality

Think like this: Will it be nice to connect with people Across Africa together to innovate and solve Africa's problems

Do you ever dream of; attending international meetings, touring African countries, meeting Government officials. Then Join us lets change dreams to reality

Our Head Office in South Africa:

Do you work for an NGO?

Do you work/ have you ever worked with United Nations, European Union, Common Wealth, Non-Profit Organizations, Local and International Foundations, etc

Do you love to help people?

We are raising a voice Across Africa ..... You and I

.............................

Join the WhatsApp group: text your field of work OR your passion (related to helping people; volunteering): 07013858521

Register on our Website: http://www.africaconnect.org.za

Like us on Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/Africa-Connect-Platform-ACP-475888062610382/


Join us NOW !!!!!

(Modify) (Quote) (Report) (Share)

Join the Network team of African Youth Leaders who take unified action towards development, gender equality, peace, proper leadership, education, climate change and ensure brotherhood on the continent.

The organization’s main objectives are to:

The Africa Connect Platform (ACP) considers the development of continental understanding as well as cooperation between all international , regional and national youth organizations as the world as a fundamental task in contributing to the strengthening of the solidarity of our Africa youths.

Africa Connect Platform (ACP) includes youth from different Africa countries and diverse political tendencies, religious beliefs and forms of activity which is based on the basis of equality and mutual respect for their autonomy. Africa Connect Platform (ACP) also wishes to coordinate their efforts for the best satisfaction of the interest of youths and to make contributions to common ideas of freedom, independence, democracy, international solidarity and world peace.

ACP Departments

# Governance and Politics in Africa

# Education & Health

# Business & Entrepreneurship

# Agriculture & Climate Change

# Human Rights violation & Gender equality

Think like this: Will it be wise to connect with people Across Africa with Head Office in South Africa:

Do you work for an NGO?

Do you work/ have you ever worked with United Nations, European Union, Common Wealth, Non-Profit Organizations, Local and International Foundations, etc

Do you love to help people?

We are raising a voice Across Africa..... You and I
...............................
Join the WhatsApp group: text your field of work OR your passion (related to helping people; volunteering): 07013858521

Register on our Website: http://www.africaconnect.org.za

Like us on Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/Africa-Connect-Platform-ACP-475888062610382/


Join us NOW !!!!!

The topic should have been "stove that uses battery for its fan" the batteries are not used to power the stove, rather they power the fan that blows the charcoal

skillpride:
A solar panel is a device that collects and converts solar energy into electricity or heat which can be used by (for example) nearby buildings.

They come in sheets, like sliced roofing sheets. These sheets are placed on your roof according to the amount of power
you need to generate energy for your equipments in question. They are used with inverters and batteries. Instead of using electricity from PHCN to charge the inverters, you use solar panels which will be placed on your roof to enable it receive sun. It does not emit any rays. It was used mainly by those people who do not have access to electricity; like our remote villages where there is no PHCN. At night it uses the energy it accumulated to give light.

Solar photovoltaic panels can be made so that the sun's energy excites the atoms in a silicon layer between two protector panels. Electrons from these excited atoms form an electric current, which can be used by external devices. Solar panels were in use over one hundred years ago for water heating in homes.



MORE:


The Basics of Solar Power for Producing Electricity
Learn the essential basics of using solar power so you can understand your project.
Planning your project begins with understanding the basics found in this section.
An excellent place to start for those just beginning.
Solar power works well for most items except large electric appliances that use an electric heat element such as a water heater, clothes dryer and electric stove - for example - or total electric home heating systems. It is not cost effective to use solar power for these items. Conversion to natural gas, propane or other alternatives is usually recommended. Solar power can be used to operate a gas clothes dryer (Maytag, etc) because the electrical requirement is limited to the drum-motor and/or ignito-lighter, but not a HEAT element for drying the clothes, for example.

We recommend you also review our page Helpful Solar Power Glossary which will provide useful terms and General Construction Techniques for insight into energy efficient new construction or retrofitting energy efficient principles into your building project.

The basics of solar power:
Using solar power to produce electricity is not the same as using solar to produce heat. Solar thermal principles are applied to produce hot fluids or air. Photovoltaic principles are used to produce electricity. A solar panel (PV panel) is made of the natural element, silicon, which becomes charged electrically when subjected to sun light.

Solar panels are directed at solar south in the northern hemisphere and solar north in the southern hemisphere (these are slightly different than magnetic compass north-south directions) at an angle dictated by the geographic location and latitude of where they are to be installed. Typically, the angle of the solar array is set within a range of between site-latitude-plus 15 degrees and site-latitude-minus 15 degrees, depending on whether a slight winter or summer bias is desirable in the system. Many solar arrays are placed at an angle equal to the site latitude with no bias for seasonal periods.

This electrical charge is consolidated in the PV panel and directed to the output terminals to produce low voltage (Direct Current) - usually 6 to 24 volts. The most common output is intended for nominal 12 volts, with an effective output usually up to 17 volts. A 12 volt nominal output is the reference voltage, but the operating voltage can be 17 volts or higher much like your car alternator charges your 12 volt battery at well over 12 volts. So there's a difference between the reference voltage and the actual operating voltage.

The intensity of the Sun's radiation changes with the hour of the day, time of the year and weather conditions. To be able to make calculations in planning a system, the total amount of solar radiation energy is expressed in hours of full sunlight per m², or Peak Sun Hours. This term, Peak Sun Hours, represents the average amount of sun available per day throughout the year.

It is presumed that at "peak sun", 1000 W/m² of power reaches the surface of the earth. One hour of full sun provides 1000 Wh per m² = 1 kWh/m²  - representing the solar energy received in one hour on a cloudless summer day on a one-square meter surface directed towards the sun. To put this in some other perspective, the United States Department of Energy indicates the amount of solar energy that hits the surface of the earth every +/- hour is greater than the total amount of energy that the entire human population requires in a year. Another perspective is that roughly 100 square miles of solar panels placed in the southwestern U.S. could power the country.

The daily average of Peak Sun Hours, based on either full year statistics, or average worst month of the year statistics, for example, is used for calculation purposes in the design of the system. To see the average Peak Sun Hours for your area in the United States, you can click the following link which will open a new window - just close it [X] when you're done to return here; U.S.-Solar Insolation Choose the area closest to your location for a good indication of your average Peak Sun Hours.

For a view of global solar insolation values (peak sun-hours) use this link: Global Peak Sun-hour Maps , then, you can use [back] or [previous] on your browser to return right here if you want to.

So it can be concluded that the power of a system varies, depending on the intended geographical location. Folks in the northeastern U.S. will need more solar panels in their system to produce the same overall power as those living in Arizona. We can advise you on this if you have any doubts about your area.

Components used to provide solar power:
The four primary components for producing electricity using solar power, which provides common 120 volt AC power for daily use are: Solar panels, charge controller, battery and inverter. Solar panels charge the battery, and the charge regulator insures proper charging of the battery. The battery provides DC voltage to the inverter, and the inverter converts the DC voltage to normal AC voltage. If 240 volts AC is needed, then either a transformer is added or two identical inverters are series-stacked to produce the 240 volts.



Solar Panels:
The output of a solar panel is usually stated in watts, and the wattage is determined by multiplying the rated voltage by the rated amperage. The formula for wattage is VOLTS times AMPS equals WATTS. So for example, a 12 volt 60 watt solar panel measuring about 20 X 44 inches has a rated voltage of 17.1 and a rated 3.5 amperage.

V x A = W
17.1 volts times 3.5 amps equals 60 watts

If an average of 6 hours of peak sun per day is available in an area, then the above solar panel can produce an average 360 watt hours of power per day; 60w times 6 hrs. = 360 watt-hours. Since the intensity of sunlight contacting the solar panel varies throughout the day, we use the term "peak sun hours" as a method to smooth out the variations into a daily average. Early morning and late-in-the-day sunlight produces less power than the mid-day sun. Naturally, cloudy days will produce less power than bright sunny days as well. When planning a system your geographical area is rated in average peak sun hours per day based on yearly sun data. Average peak sun hours for various geographical areas is listed in the above section.

Solar panels can be wired in series or in parallel to increase voltage or amperage respectively, and they can be wired both in series and in parallel to increase both volts and amps. Series wiring refers to connecting the positive terminal of one panel to the negative terminal of another. The resulting outer positive and negative terminals will produce voltage the sum of the two panels, but the amperage stays the same as one panel. So two 12 volt/3.5 amp panels wired in series produces 24 volts at 3.5 amps. Four of these wired in series would produce 48 volts at 3.5 amps. Parallel wiring refers to connecting positive terminals to positive terminals and negative to negative. The result is that voltage stays the same, but amperage becomes the sum of the number of panels. So two 12 volt/3.5 amp panels wired in parallel would produce 12 volts at 7 amps. Four panels would produce 12 volts at 14 amps.

Series/parallel wiring refers to doing both of the above - increasing volts and amps to achieve the desired voltage as in 24 or 48 volt systems. The following diagram reflects this. In addition, the four panels below can then be wired in parallel to another four and so on to make a larger array.



Charge Controller:
A charge controller monitors the battery's state-of-charge to insure that when the battery needs charge-current it gets it, and also insures the battery isn't over-charged. Connecting a solar panel to a battery without a regulator seriously risks damaging the battery and potentially causing a safety concern.

Charge controllers (or often called charge regulator) are rated based on the amount of amperage they can process from a solar array. If a controller is rated at 20 amps it means that you can connect up to 20 amps of solar panel output current to this one controller. The most advanced charge controllers utilize a charging principal referred to as Pulse-Width-Modulation (PWM) - which insures the most efficient battery charging and extends the life of the battery. Even more advanced controllers also include Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) which maximizes the amount of current going into the battery from the solar array by lowering the panel's output voltage, which increases the charging amps to the battery - because if a panel can produce 60 watts with 17.2 volts and 3.5 amps, then if the voltage is lowered to say 14 volts then the amperage increases to 4.28 (14v X 4.28 amps = 60 watts) resulting in a 19% increase in charging amps for this example.

Many charge controllers also offer Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD) and Battery Temperature Compensation (BTC) as an optional feature. The LVD feature permits connecting loads to the LVD terminals which are then voltage sensitive. If the battery voltage drops too far the loads are disconnected - preventing potential damage to both the battery and the loads. BTC adjusts the charge rate based on the temperature of the battery since batteries are sensitive to temperature variations above and below about 75 F degrees.

Battery:
The Deep Cycle batteries used are designed to be discharged and then re-charged hundreds or thousands of times. These batteries are rated in Amp Hours (ah) - usually at 20 hours and 100 hours. Simply stated, amp hours refers to the amount of current - in amps - which can be supplied by the battery over the period of hours. For example, a 350ah battery could supply 17.5 continuous amps over 20 hours or 35 continuous amps for 10 hours. To quickly express the total watts potentially available in a 6 volt 360ah battery; 360ah times the nominal 6 volts equals 2160 watts or 2.16kWh (kilowatt-hours). Like solar panels, batteries are wired in series and/or parallel to increase voltage to the desired level and increase amp hours.

The battery should have sufficient amp hour capacity to supply needed power during the longest expected period "no sun" or extremely cloudy conditions. A lead-acid battery should be sized at least 20% larger than this amount. If there is a source of back-up power, such as a standby generator along with a battery charger, the battery bank does not have to be sized for worst case weather conditions.

The size of the battery bank required will depend on the storage capacity required, the maximum discharge rate, the maximum charge rate, and the minimum temperature at which the batteries will be used. During planning, all of these factors are looked at, and the one requiring the largest capacity will dictate the battery size.

One of the biggest mistakes made by those just starting out is not understanding the relationship between amps and amp-hour requirements of 120 volt AC items versus the effects on their DC low voltage batteries. For example, say you have a 24 volt nominal system and an inverter powering a load of 3 amps, 120VAC, which has a duty cycle of 4 hours per day. You would have a 12 amp hour load (3A X 4 hrs=12 ah). However, in order to determine the true drain on your batteries you have to divide your nominal battery voltage (24v) into the voltage of the load (120v), which is 5, and then multiply this times your 120vac amp hours (5 x 12 ah). So in this case the calculation would be 60 amp hours drained from your batteries - not the 12 ah. Another simple way is to take the total watt-hours of your 120VAC device and divide by nominal system voltage. Using  the above example; 3 amps x 120 volts x 4 hours = 1440 watt-hours divided by 24 DC volts = 60 amp hours.

Lead-acid batteries are the most common in PV systems because their initial cost is lower and because they are readily available nearly everywhere in the world. There are many different sizes and designs of lead-acid batteries, but the most important designation is that they are deep cycle batteries. Lead-acid batteries are available in both wet-cell (requires maintenance) and sealed no-maintenance versions. AGM and Gel-cell deep-cycle batteries are also popular because they are maintenance free and they last a lot longer.

Using an Inverter:
An inverter is a device which changes DC power stored in a battery to standard 120/240 VAC electricity (also referred to as 110/220). Most solar power systems generate DC current which is stored in batteries. Nearly all lighting, appliances, motors, etc., are designed to use ac power, so it takes an inverter to make the switch from battery-stored DC to standard power (120 VAC, 60 Hz).

In an inverter, direct current (DC) is switched back and forth to produce alternating current (AC). Then it is transformed, filtered, stepped, etc. to get it to an acceptable output waveform. The more processing, the cleaner and quieter the output, but the lower the efficiency of the conversion. The goal becomes to produce a waveform that is acceptable to all loads without sacrificing too much power into the conversion process.

Inverters come in two basic output designs - sine wave and modified sine wave. Most 120VAC devices can use the modified sine wave, but there are some notable exceptions. Devices such as laser printers which use triacs and/or silicon controlled rectifiers are damaged when provided mod-sine wave power. Motors and power supplies usually run warmer and less efficiently on mod-sine wave power. Some things, like fans, amplifiers, and cheap fluorescent lights, give off an audible buzz on modified sine wave power. However, modified sine wave inverters make the conversion from DC to AC very efficiently. They are relatively inexpensive, and many of the electrical devices we use every day work fine on them.

Sine wave inverters can virtually operate anything. Your utility company provides sine wave power, so a sine wave inverter is equal to or even better than utility supplied power. A sine wave inverter can "clean up" utility or generator supplied power because of its internal processing.

Inverters are made with various internal features and many permit external equipment interface. Common internal features are internal battery chargers which can rapidly charge batteries when an AC source such as a generator or utility power is connected to the inverter's INPUT terminals. Auto-transfer switching is also a common internal feature which enables switching from either one AC source to another and/or from utility power to inverter power for designated loads. Battery temperature compensation, internal relays to control loads, automatic remote generator starting/stopping and many other programmable features are available.

Most inverters produce 120VAC, but can be equipped with a step-up transformer to produce 120/240VAC. Some inverters can be series or parallel "stacked-interfaced" to produce 120/240VAC or to increase the available amperage.

Efficiency Losses:
In all systems there are losses due to such things as voltage losses as the electricity is carried across the wires, batteries and inverters not being 100 percent efficient, and other factors. These efficiency losses vary from component to component, and from system to system and can be as high as 25 percent. That's why it's a good idea to speak to someone who has extensive design experience - like us! - to properly configure the right equipment for you.

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