Posted by Tom P on April 6, 2011, 8:55 pm
On 04/06/2011 05:14 PM, Vaughn wrote:
>> After all its pretty much a solid-state component with no moving parts
> "Pretty much" yes, but it's the exceptions that kill you. Most inverters
> incorporate both fans and electrolytic capacitors. Neither of those items
> last forever, either will cause failure.
>> I can't see any particular reason they wouldn't last for 50 years
> 50 years is wildly optimistic. There are too many things that can happen to
> any installation. Some of them have little or nothing to do with the
> robustness of the design. Equipment can get zapped by line surges or
> lightning, can get wet, stolen, attacked by bugs or rodents, displaced by
> home repairs& renovations; the list goes on...
> Vaughn
Then there's the question whether the roof it's mounted on will last
50 years. It's written off after 20 years anyway. How much do you worry
whether your new car will last 20 years or 50 years?
Posted by John on April 6, 2011, 9:33 pm
> On 04/06/2011 05:14 PM, Vaughn wrote:
>> in
>>> After all its pretty much a solid-state component with no moving parts
>> "Pretty much" yes, but it's the exceptions that kill you. Most inverters
>> incorporate both fans and electrolytic capacitors. Neither of those
>> items
>> last forever, either will cause failure.
>>
>>> I can't see any particular reason they wouldn't last for 50 years
>>
>> 50 years is wildly optimistic. There are too many things that can happen
>> to
>> any installation. Some of them have little or nothing to do with the
>> robustness of the design. Equipment can get zapped by line surges or
>> lightning, can get wet, stolen, attacked by bugs or rodents, displaced by
>> home repairs& renovations; the list goes on...
>>
>> Vaughn
>>
>>
> Then there's the question whether the roof it's mounted on will last 50
> years. It's written off after 20 years anyway. How much do you worry
> whether your new car will last 20 years or 50 years?
This is interesting. Whereabouts in central Europe are you located Tom.
How much sun relative to say the south UK?
Posted by Tom P on April 7, 2011, 8:07 am
On 04/06/2011 11:33 PM, John wrote:
>> On 04/06/2011 05:14 PM, Vaughn wrote:
>>> in
>>>> After all its pretty much a solid-state component with no moving parts
>>> "Pretty much" yes, but it's the exceptions that kill you. Most inverters
>>> incorporate both fans and electrolytic capacitors. Neither of those
>>> items
>>> last forever, either will cause failure.
>>>
>>>> I can't see any particular reason they wouldn't last for 50 years
>>>
>>> 50 years is wildly optimistic. There are too many things that can happen
>>> to
>>> any installation. Some of them have little or nothing to do with the
>>> robustness of the design. Equipment can get zapped by line surges or
>>> lightning, can get wet, stolen, attacked by bugs or rodents, displaced by
>>> home repairs& renovations; the list goes on...
>>>
>>> Vaughn
>>>
>>>
>> Then there's the question whether the roof it's mounted on will last 50
>> years. It's written off after 20 years anyway. How much do you worry
>> whether your new car will last 20 years or 50 years?
> This is interesting. Whereabouts in central Europe are you located Tom.
> How much sun relative to say the south UK?
About the same latitude - Germany.
Posted by Giga2 on April 7, 2011, 8:22 am
> On 04/06/2011 11:33 PM, John wrote:
>>> On 04/06/2011 05:14 PM, Vaughn wrote:
>>>> wrote
>>>> in
>>>>> After all its pretty much a solid-state component with no moving parts
>>>> "Pretty much" yes, but it's the exceptions that kill you. Most
>>>> inverters
>>>> incorporate both fans and electrolytic capacitors. Neither of those
>>>> items
>>>> last forever, either will cause failure.
>>>>
>>>>> I can't see any particular reason they wouldn't last for 50 years
>>>>
>>>> 50 years is wildly optimistic. There are too many things that can
>>>> happen
>>>> to
>>>> any installation. Some of them have little or nothing to do with the
>>>> robustness of the design. Equipment can get zapped by line surges or
>>>> lightning, can get wet, stolen, attacked by bugs or rodents, displaced
>>>> by
>>>> home repairs& renovations; the list goes on...
>>>>
>>>> Vaughn
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Then there's the question whether the roof it's mounted on will last
>>> 50
>>> years. It's written off after 20 years anyway. How much do you worry
>>> whether your new car will last 20 years or 50 years?
>>
>> This is interesting. Whereabouts in central Europe are you located Tom.
>> How much sun relative to say the south UK?
>>
>>
> About the same latitude - Germany.
To be fair latitude isn't the only factor here. Cloudiness is also
important. I lived in Germany and summers were much longer and warmer and
even winters were brighter (tho colder) in general.
Posted by Tom P on April 7, 2011, 8:59 am
On 04/07/2011 10:22 AM, Giga2 <Giga2 wrote:
>> On 04/06/2011 11:33 PM, John wrote:
>>>> On 04/06/2011 05:14 PM, Vaughn wrote:
>>>>> wrote
>>>>> in
>>>>>> After all its pretty much a solid-state component with no moving parts
>>>>> "Pretty much" yes, but it's the exceptions that kill you. Most
>>>>> inverters
>>>>> incorporate both fans and electrolytic capacitors. Neither of those
>>>>> items
>>>>> last forever, either will cause failure.
>>>>>
>>>>>> I can't see any particular reason they wouldn't last for 50 years
>>>>>
>>>>> 50 years is wildly optimistic. There are too many things that can
>>>>> happen
>>>>> to
>>>>> any installation. Some of them have little or nothing to do with the
>>>>> robustness of the design. Equipment can get zapped by line surges or
>>>>> lightning, can get wet, stolen, attacked by bugs or rodents, displaced
>>>>> by
>>>>> home repairs& renovations; the list goes on...
>>>>>
>>>>> Vaughn
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Then there's the question whether the roof it's mounted on will last
>>>> 50
>>>> years. It's written off after 20 years anyway. How much do you worry
>>>> whether your new car will last 20 years or 50 years?
>>>
>>> This is interesting. Whereabouts in central Europe are you located Tom.
>>> How much sun relative to say the south UK?
>>>
>>>
>> About the same latitude - Germany.
>>
> To be fair latitude isn't the only factor here. Cloudiness is also
> important. I lived in Germany and summers were much longer and warmer and
> even winters were brighter (tho colder) in general.
There are some figures here -
http://www.climatedata.eu/continent.php?cid 0&lang=en
The south coast of England is even sunnier, despite all rumours to the
contrary.
XML site map
> "Pretty much" yes, but it's the exceptions that kill you. Most inverters
> incorporate both fans and electrolytic capacitors. Neither of those items
> last forever, either will cause failure.
>> I can't see any particular reason they wouldn't last for 50 years
> 50 years is wildly optimistic. There are too many things that can happen to
> any installation. Some of them have little or nothing to do with the
> robustness of the design. Equipment can get zapped by line surges or
> lightning, can get wet, stolen, attacked by bugs or rodents, displaced by
> home repairs& renovations; the list goes on...
> Vaughn