Solar Power Workshop                                                
                                                                                                                                        
                                                ITU Post-Collapse Workshop Series Pt. 1                                                 
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                    Welcome!                                                    
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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                                                              Agenda                                                              
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           ▓▓▓ This presentation (20 - 30 minutes)                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                        
              1. This agenda :^)                                                                                                        
              2. Post-Collapse Networking Series                                                                                        
              3. Solar Power, electricity & the grid/infrastructure                                                                     
              4. Setup, sun hours in Denmark, and sizing                                                                                
                                                                                                                                        
           ▓▓▓ Starting to set-up (15 minutes)                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                        
              5. The items on your work table                                                                                           
              6. Work through the first 3 points of your hand-out                                                                       
              7. Ask any questions, write down any questions or doubts you have.                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                           Break — 10 minutes                                                           
                                                                                                                                        
                        There are bathrooms and a kitchen for bio breaks and if you want to re-fill your bottle                         
                                                                                                                                        
           ▓▓▓ The hands-on part (the rest of the time)                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                        
              8. A few more words on safety                                                                                             
              9. Work through the rest of the number in the handouts                                                                    
              10. Finish your setup                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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             Post Collapse Networking                                                                           
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           A series of workshops with technologies worth knowing                                                                        
           if/when our current infrastructure collapses.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                        
           For a time when none of what we take for granted                                                                             
           today is there any longer.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                        
              •  Solar Power:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                        
                 ◦  Part 1: Hands-on Workshop - Today                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                        
                 ◦  Part 2: Discussion - Infrastructure,                                                                                
                    ownership, maintenance and sustainability.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                        
                    ▪  Next week at the Ethos Lab!                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           Todays facilitators:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
              •  Luis                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                        
              •  Sebastian                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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                                                         Electricity                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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                                                 What is electricty?                                                 
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the                                        
                                presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge.                                            
                                                                                                                                        
                                A lot more can be said for electricity. For today, all you need to care                                 
                                about is that electricity means the presence and flow of electric                                       
                                current.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                        
                                This flow and knowing how to use it allows us do many things, like                                      
                                illuminate a room, produce heat to cook, and keep our addiction to the                                  
                                internet alive.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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                                         Charge, Voltage and Current                                         
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           Let's use the image to the right as a metaphor:                                                                              
                                                                                                                                        
           ▓▓▓ Charge                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                        
           This is the water sitting in the top. Generally its                                                                          
           the electrons in a material                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                        
           ▓▓▓ Voltage                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                        
           This is the potential of energy, in this case, it's                                                                          
           the distance between the ground and the basin. It's                                                                          
           measured in Volts (V)                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           ▓▓▓ Current                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                        
           The flow of water going down is the Current, it is                                                                           
           measured in Amps (A)                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
           ▓▓▓ Power                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                        
           Power, also knows as Work is the result of Current                                                                           
           multiplied by Voltage.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                        
           It's meaured in Watts (W)                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                        
           ▓▓▓ Resistance                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                        
           The resistance is the tap restricting the water flow.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           The units used to measure these are from the                                                                                 
               International System of Units (SI for short).                                                                     7 / 21 
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                           Ohm's Law                                                           
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           Ohm's law describes the relationship between Voltage                                                                         
           (V), Resistance (R), and Current (I).                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           It's written like this:                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                        
                                 V = R x I                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                        
           Voltage could come from a battery, solar panel, wall                                                                         
           plug, etc                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                        
           Current is the number of electrons flowing through                                                                           
           the wire                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                        
           Resistance in our case is the Load or whatever device                                                                        
           we will be powering!                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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           Solar Panels                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           Solar Panels transform sunlight into electricity.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                        
           The max power these can generate can be calculated as follows:                                                               
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                  Power = Max. Voltage x Max. Current                                                   
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           For now you should now that the max power the panel can generate is also measured over time.                                 
                                                                                                                                        
           So if your panel is rated for a Max Power of 100W and it gets full sun for 6 hours                                           
                                                                                                                                        
           You will have generated 600 Watt Hours (Wh)                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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           Solar power, in Denmark...                                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                     https://globalsolaratlas.info/                                             10 / 21 
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           A solar setup                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                        This is a look at how the wiring will look towards              
                                                                        the end!                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                        This is a simple set up, you can find similar set ups           
                                                                        (with more safety mechanisms) in:                               
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                           •  Kolonihavehuser                                           
                                                                           •  Camper vans                                               
                                                                           •  The sensors measuring water quality around                
                                                                              Copenhagen                                                
                                                                           •  Police surveillance systems                               
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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                                                           DC vs AC                                                             
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                   So far we have been looking at Direct Current (DC), which means                                      
                                   a stable polarity of + and -                                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
                                   DC is how all solar panels generate electricity.                                                     
                                                                                                                                        
                                   However, DC is not the standard way we use electricity.                                              
                                   Alternating Current (AC) is the standard, though most                                                
                                   electronics are still powered by DC. For example, if you check                                       
                                   your laptop/phone/vape charger you will see these symbols:                                           
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                   Which tell you the "brick" is transforming AC into DC.                                               
                                                                                                                                        
                                   ▍ This is all to say, make sure what you want to power accepts                                       
                                   ▍ DC. Otherwise, you need to find a way to invert AC into DC.                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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                                                What's on your table                                                
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
              •  Instruction hand-out                                                                                                   
              •  Solar panel — 12 V                                                                                                     
              •  Battery — 12 V lead-acid, sizes differ                                                                                 
              •  Charge controller — every table differs                                                                                
              •  DC-DC step-down — only 3 in the room                                                                                   
              •  Multimeter                                                                                                             
              •  Cables — 4 mm² (panel + battery), 2 mm² (load)                                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
                                                Every table's kit is slightly different                                                 
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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           The panel                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           A "12 V panel" actually gives ~18–22 V in full sun — headroom to push charge into a 12 V battery.                            
                                                                                                                                        
           What do you think it gives when covered, or indoors?                                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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           The battery                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           12 V, mostly lead-acid, sizes differ per table.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                        
           Ah vs Wh: Wh = V × Ah → 12 V × 7 Ah = 84 Wh.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                        
           Lead-acid rule: only about half is really usable — deep discharge kills it.                                                  
                                                                                                                                        
                                                             ▓▓▓ WARNING!!                                                              
                                                                                                                                        
                      Do not EVER short the terminals. This could be connecting them directly with anything metal                       
                                                                                                                                        
                                     Shorted terminals = enormous current, sparks, heat, explosion                                      
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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           The charge controller                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           Simple but important functions: stops overcharge, stops over-discharge.                                                      
                                                                                                                                        
           A panel should never goe straight onto a battery.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                        
           Many types! We have a bunch to show                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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           The DC-DC converter                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           The battery gives ~12V, but sometimes your load may want less or more.                                                       
                                                                                                                                        
           DC-DC converters allow us to adjust the Voltage so that we dont fry our electronics.                                         
                                                                                                                                        
           Set and verify the output with a multimeter BEFORE connecting any load                                                       
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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           The multimeter                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           DC voltage mode (V with a solid + dashed line).                                                                              
                                                                                                                                        
           Probes across the two points you're comparing.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                        
           Today's rule: measure before every connection.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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           Safety                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
           We are missing fuses — a fuse belongs on the battery +, as close to the terminal as possible. Today: check twice             
           before connecting anything.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                        
           Cable sizing matters — thin wire + big current = heat, melted insulation, fire. That's why the battery cable is 4            
           mm².                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                        
           Before the load: measure — multimeter across the converter output; know your set point before anything plugs in.             
                                                                                                                                        
           A shorted battery is a welding machine — no rings, no watches, no tools resting across the terminals; sparks +               
           lead-acid gas are a literally explosive and undesired mix.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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                                                Time to get hands-on                                                
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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           Further reading                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
              •  Victron Energy, Wiring Unlimited — cable sizing, fuses, DC systems —                                                   
                 https://www.victronenergy.com/media/pg/The_Wiring_Unlimited_book/en/dc-wiring.html                                     
              •  Battery University, BU-201: How does the Lead Acid Battery Work —                                                      
                 https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-201-how-does-the-lead-acid-battery-work                                       
              •  12 Volt Planet, Cable Sizing & Selection — https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/cable-sizing-selection.html                  
              •  PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre) — solar yield for any European address —                                              
                 https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/                                                                                 
              •  Global Solar Atlas (World Bank) — solar potential worldwide — https://globalsolaratlas.info/                           
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
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