Date:         Sun, 12 May 1996 23:32:49 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         jwakefield@4dmg.net (john wakefield)
Subject:      Re: Solar-Powered 1969 VW Van

Dan Herbert wrote about Don Kulha's 1969 bus featured in the 
August/September issue of Home Power magazine.

"Don has mounted 5 Siemens modules on a rack atop his van.
The array produces 24 amps of current at 14.5 VDC, or approx
375 watts.  With inverter, controller, batteries etc. he has
added $4,421 of investment and 400 pounds of weight to the bus."
http://www.homepower.com/

  I've speculated about cooling an RV with solar power.  First consider 
that the best of the reported "super insulated" houses in Canada get 
through winters with passive sun load heating plus normal kitchen cooking 
and an average of 600 BTU per inactive human per hour, but no furnace run 
time!  If somone were intent on super insulation within current 
technological and VW van space constraints, then maxed out the roof area 
with solor voltaic collection, ran a Trace, Heart, or like efficiency 
inverter/charger, a tiny electric refrigerant compressor, large passively 
cooled (no fan) condensers, a self-cooling system could be made.  This is 
just mind candy, so ignore normal cost/benefit constraints.  Just how 
close to a pleasingly nice system could be built?  What compressor would 
be the best choice?

  I'd be up for covering my Westie top with used bargain basement 
collectors if anybody knows where a super deal could be struck.

  John Wakefield