Energy Alternatives
Online Store Resources Company E-services
Home Solar Wind Micro Hydro Batteries Inverters Water Pumping Lighting Appliances Catalogue Check Out Cart Home Email
System Design Tools

Spreadsheets
Download these interactive system design tools. The excel spreadsheets allow for interactive calculations of your power requirements through use of a Energy Budget form.

Microsoft Excel 2000 Format
Microsoft Excel 5 Format
Adobe Acrobat Format

HOMER is a computer model that simplifies the task of evaluating design options for both off-grid and grid-connected power systems for remote, stand-alone, and distributed generation (DG) applications. HOMER's optimization and sensitivity analysis algorithms allow you to evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of a large number of technology options and to account for variation in technology costs and energy resource availability. HOMER models both conventional and renewable energy technologies.

Starting Smart: Calculating Your Energy Appetite.
From solar to microhydro, in Barbados or Barrow, for a hen house or a townhouse, every renewable energy system should begin with a load analysis. This analysis is an assessment
of your site’s electrical use—your electrical “load profile.” You’ll need to ponder and juggle a lot of numbers in the process of selecting, sizing, and installing a solar-electric system. A reliable load analysis is essential to get your calculations off on the right foot.

Excel Spreadsheet

System Instructions and Guides

Electrical Contractors: Are you pre-wiring an off-grid building? Please download our Guide for electrical contractors to pre-wire an off-grid home document to give you a quick summary of the considerations you and your customer should be aware of, to avoid higher costs down the road.

Batteries: Much myth exists around how to operate and maintain batteries. These documents separate fact from fiction and give you the straight goods.

Battery Charging Guide - 2V Global-Yuasa forklift cells
Battery Charging Guide - 6V golf cart batteries
Battery Safety Sheet
Battery service chart - 2V
Battery service chart - 6V

Microhydro Resources

Are you considering a larger mini hydro installation (100 kW - 10 mW)? BC Hydro has produced an informative handbook that walks you through the many decisions that need to be made regarding operating a small hydro generation plant.

Microhydro site survey forms

Microhydro Power Calculator

Free Download! This calculator makes easy work out of all the calculations required to determine the potential microhydro resource at either an existing or a new system. Works on Microsoft-based computer systems. Just download and run the file, no complicated installation required.

Conversion Tools

This is an amazing little program that will convert pretty much anything you can think of. All you need to do is download and run the application. There is no setup or configuration required. I have been using it for years, it is one of those "what did I ever do without it" utilities.

Product Spec Sheets

For detailed product specification sheets, please use our online catalogue The online catalogue allows keyword searching and downloading of specification sheets and manuals (if available) for each product.

Utilities

Voltage Drop Calculators
Use this super handy java voltage drop calculator to calculate the appropriate wire size for your application. Allows you to easily calculate voltage drops for various sizes of wire.

Also available via download, a Windows based voltage drop calculator. This demo mode allows 10 uses before registration is required. A worthy investment for system design purposes.

Atmospheric Carbon Calculator
This Atmospheric Carbon Calculator will allow you to input your monthly or yearly figures for transportation, heating and electricity and from then calculate your total carbon contribution in pounds per year and finally how many trees would be required to absorb your production. Very enlightening

Water Heating Calculator
This Water Heating Calculator allows you to compare gas vs electric heating, as well as examine the payback time for a solar hot water heating system

What is a Watt?
This Energy Conversion Calculator allows you to convert watts into power, BTUs etc. and shows the equivalent mechanical energy required to produce or store this energy.

Conversion Tools
This is an amazing little program that will convert pretty much anything you can think of. All you need to do is download and run the application. There is no setup or configuration required. I have been using it for years, it is one of those "what did I ever do without it" utilities.

Design & Resources

System Design
Introduction
Photovoltaics
Wind Energy

Micro Hydro

Batteries
Inverters
Battery Chargers
Charge Controllers
Installations
Discussion Forums
Industry News and Events
Conservation
Catalogue
Downloads



Contact Energy Alternatives - (250) 846-9888 • Smithers, British Columbia Canada V0J 2X2
© Copyright 2013 EA Energy Alternatives Ltd.
Design & Resources - Articles, Troubleshooting, Education, FAQ's, System Design, Design Tools, Conservation, Catalogue Download.
Company - Installations, About EA, Testimonials, Privacy Statement, Homepage s
Catalogue - Systems, Photovoltaics, Wind, Microhydro, Inverters, Batteries, Battery Chargers, Balance of Systems, Pumps, Generators, Books & Education