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The
"cold standard" for super-efficient food
refrigeration.
I
use and recommend SunFrost® refrigerators. I bought
my first machines way back in 1984—they’re still
humming! The ordering process can be a bit complicated
because of all the available options, but I’m proud
to say that my company has been 100% correct in
all ordering details on every SunFrost order I’ve
processed. Returns are expensive all around, so it’s
very important to get things right the first time. You
need to know your dealer, and your dealer needs to
know his products. |
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Sundanzer:
Cool With Solar™
These
DC chest style food chillers are nicely made. I always
try to wait a few years when a new company arrives
on the scene, and Sundanzer™ has made the grade.
I especially like the “battery free” refrigerator
for some applications. This incorporates thermal storage
within the product--connect solar electric modules
for “sun-direct” operation, and it’s
almost like perpetual motion.
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The
best gas refrigeration products—for less!
Here’s
a link to the gas appliance page at Lehman’s®.
They’ve shipped Servel™ and Frostek™
products for me for years—the chest freezers
are cool. I also sell Danby™ and others, but
there are certain brands that I won’t sell,
due to reliability problems. If my customers have
trouble, I’m the one who hears about it. While
customer problems usually cost me time and/or money,
they also help me learn which products are the really
solid ones.
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“Energy
smart” gas ranges with power saving spark ignition.
Most
gas ranges require hundreds of watts of electricity
to ignite and run—posing a problem for energy
extremists like myself. Peerless-Premier™
is different; they use a tiny spark to light the flame,
or you can even light these with a match. This company
has a long track record of reliable service. I always
pay Peerless the extra charge to palletize my client’s
appliances--so shipping damages are minimized. If
you want a most impressive home range, check out the
Stainless Steel Pro Series. |
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This
quality clothes washer saves water and electricity.
I
sold my first Staber™ washer in the mid-nineties;
the stainless steel tubs and simple design are very
desirable. There’s nothing like a Staber for
low power requirement, and a special version works
with “modified sine wave” inverters. Since
these use less water, they also use less energy to
heat and pump that water. If my Staber customers ever
need product support, I can probably help out--I’ve
been through these machines from end-to end.
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Composting
toilets with a track record…
Sun-Mar™ has been leading the way with
low water compost toilets for years. While these aren’t
for everyone, they appeal to clients with severe water
shortages, rocky terrain, or a composting preference.
Some health departments still require a “septic
tank” just for household graywater, so a Sun-Mar
may not avoid your cost of putting in a septic system.
Serious recyclers will want to consider Sun-Mar’s
Home Composter for kitchen waste. |
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Rev Up Your Battery
Be sure to visit our Top Floor for the finest in
battery health care products, including the
revolutionary BattEQ™ automatic equalizer and the
original sulfation buster: PowerPulse®.
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Heavy
batteries for heavy duty…
Do
the math: if you want less than 500 pounds of batteries,
you should probably buy them locally so you don’t
have to pay freight. “Heavier” users might
save enough through me to pay the shipping. Of my
many sources, my connection for East Penn/Deka™ brand
is one of the best—great people doing good work
on behalf of my clientele. Deka builds almost every
type of lead acid battery, so here’s the link
to their website.
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Bergey
Windpower™
Bergey is one of
two small scale wind machines that I deal with—the
other one is Southwest Windpower™. Do you
live in an area with an unpleasant amount of
wind? Are you willing to follow the tower
recommendations of a qualified dealer? Do you
accept the need for occasional maintenance and
repairs? If so, wind generator ownership may be
for you. P.S. That "extra small" wind
machine is often a poor performer as it is usually
installed—a word to the wise... |
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Harris
Hydroelectric™
For the small percentage
of properties that have a suitable hydro resource, a
micro-turbine from Harris (or another
manufacturer) is well worth consideration. Huge
water flow rates are usually not essential, but most
installations need at least 50' to 75' of water fall—a
steep canyon close to your battery location is most
cost effective. This is another product where
good system design, careful siting, and occasional
maintenance are important to happy ownership. |
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Xantrex
Technology™
Xantrex
(formerly known as Trace Engineering) is the “800
pound gorilla” in power conditioning for the
solar industry. I can supply the full Xantrex line,
but I’d like my customers to know that Xantrex
is not the only game in town. I have found that
their best selling SW inverter series is so complicated
that end users typically need education and re-education
to understand it. |
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Victron
Energy: Blue Power™
I began using
Victron gear in 2002. This equipment is well known in
the shipyards of Holland and the world. Once I got
past the inevitable learning curve, I found Victron to
have category leading features in several areas. I can
sell any brand of inverter to my retail clients, but
when performance and value are the main
considerations, I specify Victron. See more about this
on my Top Floor.
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Outback
Power Systems™
Outback
is the 200 pound gorilla—it was launched by
a group of former Trace engineers. If you need modular
inverter/charger systems with ETL listings, these
are worth a look. Drawback—the engineers brought
the over-complication problem with them—programming
their FX inverter line requires navigation through
over 100 menus. Their switchgear line is nice, but
I prefer my own Can-Do Switchgear™ line in all
respects—see this on my Top Floor.
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My Favorite Pure Grid Tie
Inverters
One of my clients gave me a grid tie inverter “wish
list” to work on. We wanted: (1) An American
based manufacturer with few or no production ties to
the world of slave labor. (2) A major history
of power conversion in adverse environments. (3)
A product that won’t fade or rust in a few years. (4)
The ability to run on relatively low PV voltage. I
looked and looked…and then discovered Solectria
Renewables™. This is a company that understands
and a company that cares. It’s a class act with
quality products. |
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A.E.E.:
The good ol’ gang is back!
I started trading
with Alternative Energy Engineering™ (now AEE
Solar™) in 1989. Several corporate changeovers
later, many of my original contacts are back where
they belong. I’ve never really liked their company
logo, but the people and the products are great.
You’ll find all the “big stuff” in this catalog, and
a few unique items, as well. About the logo: A.E.E.
may not intend it this way, but the “clenched fist
symbol” is widely known as a salute to international
communism. That’s a salute I choose not to raise. |
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SunWize
Technologies™
I have many
vendors, but I’m posting the links with the least
product overlap with other suppliers. SunWize™ is
another one of those sources that offer all the
major items plus a few products that can’t be found
elsewhere. For our retail customers who want to
check out another nice parts catalog, here’s the
link. For our Top Floor dealers, this is another
company you’ll want to hook up with if you haven’t
already. |
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Solar/Wind water pumping systems
I can furnish
pumping/energy systems from Conergy™ , Aerovironment™,
Grundfos™, and others. Good system design requires
knowledge of the products and of water systems in
general. If you can furnish detailed and accurate
information about your application, I can help you
determine which products are the best fit for your
situation. Note: sometimes the best fit is not a
"solar pump" at all... |
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The above links are
just a few of the connections I’ve made since 1984.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for, just ask. |
