Introducing Maximum PC Lab North
Posted 05/01/08 at 11:24:17 AM by Michael Brown
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THE SOLAR SYSTEM
This really has nothing to do with home automation, but I thought readers might be interested in it.
Since we had plenty of room, there's plenty of sunshine to be had, and California offers a generous rebate program, we decided to install a grid-tied photovoltaic system on the property. These 30 Evergreen Spruce Line panels feed 5kW of electrical power into the grid (we sell the power to our utility and then buy some of it back).
This Fronius IG5100 grid-tied inverter converts the electrical power generated by the panels from DC to AC and pipes it into the electrical grid. A net-meter measures how much electrical we generate (and sell to the utility company) and how much we consume (and buy back from the utility).
THAT'S ALL, FOLKS!
Well, that's the story of Maximum PC Lab North. I hope you enjoyed it and that I was able to give you some tips (or at least some pitfalls to avoid) for when you build or remodel, install home-automation features, or set up a home network. As I said in the opening, I hope you’ll use the comments tool to give me some feedback on what else you’d like to see in Maximum PC’s home-automation and home-theater coverage, whether that be more product reviews, more how- to’s, or whatever else you’re interested in.
Page 3: The Media Room: Wiring and Video
Page 5: The Home Office and the Home Run
Page 6: The Kitchen and the Video Surveillance System
Page 8: The Solar System
z-wave
Submitted by ajuhawk on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 5:03am
I'm currently remodeling my home and would love to have more info on the Z-Wave stuff you selected, how you configured it, etc.
Submitted by tony2tonez on Mon, 05/05/2008 - 10:38am
I was also interested in more about lighting control and more information on Z-wave. I was planning on starting to do my home automation and was reading about Z-wave. Maybe another section added to the forums on this topic would be great for ppl to reply back with ideas and feedback.
Good article and very interesting.
Submitted by zitro62 on Sun, 05/04/2008 - 5:06am
Great stuff! Thanks for writing this up and walking us through your experience.
Did you hook up your HVAC to z-wave functionality? I'm curious to know more info on what you decided to do in this area...
thanks!
Submitted by mikeart03a on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 8:58pm
Interesting stuff you got going on there. I see that you're using a piece of carpetting to help dampen speaker vibration on the pull out trays. Not too many people think of doing that. I use a small piece of cork between my speakers and the carpetting to help deaden the noise from the woofers so that I don't disturb my neighbors below.
- mike_art03a
IT Technician
Gov't of Canada
Submitted by AkuPenguin on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 1:00pm
I think I'm drooling. Someone slap me.
Submitted by Shalbatana on Fri, 05/02/2008 - 7:01am
So when's the PC lab north BBQ and music festival???? I'm there!
There's no time like the future.
Submitted by kamman on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 6:53pm
that is a absolutely stuningly tech out home good job!
Submitted by soggybomb on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 3:51pm
you sure went to lengths to make this house tech-ed out!
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