Author Topic: Any more off-gridders here? (Read 8558 times)

beav · « **on:** January 24, 2007, 09:45:09 am »

Nine years ago I moved into my new house. I never hooked up to PSNH (our local power co.) so I never had to cut the cord.
At the time everyone thought I was crazy. Maybe I was, but the paradigm seems to be shifting. I have not regretted my decision yet.
I have solar electric,hot water,passive heat. Winter wood heat, dhw. A collection of back-up generators.
All the lumber to build the house came from the lot. The claps came from large pine bartered from off-site. All wood mizered.
New Hampshire is kinda north, but these systems work fine,within my expectations.
I will REALLY try to get pix here, if any interest.
Any one else living like this?

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #1 on:** January 24, 2007, 10:02:36 am »

Youster did, back in the 80's. Had telephone service. Everything else was self made. Wood furnace and hot water, Wind Generator, self made, back up generator for battery banks charging. Water from Spring.

Radar67 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 24, 2007, 10:15:19 am »

I am working toward it. I just got my first solar panel. I plan to hook it up to my shed/cabin to keep my tractor battery fresh and keep another battery charged for lights. I plan to use as much alternative energy as possible when I start my house in the next year or so. This panel will help me cut my teeth. Beav, I would be very interested in seeing pictures of your setup and hearing about everything you used.

Stew

OneWithWood · « **Reply #3 on:** January 24, 2007, 10:37:57 am »

Pics and descriptions of the things you have done would be most welcome

Mooseherder · « **Reply #4 on:** January 24, 2007, 06:23:52 pm »

Would love to live completely off grid. We kinda do that a couple times a year at camp except for the occasional generator start-up when you absolutely have to have it.

Pics, Pics and more Pics Please

stumpy · « **Reply #5 on:** January 24, 2007, 06:55:32 pm »

We have a cabin in Northern Wisconsin that is Literaly Off-grid(2 miles away from power line)
Five yrs ago we installed a bank of 8 batteries(24 volts) that feed an inverter/charger. It provides lighting as well as powering the well pump. We can run other items but we try to conserve battery power. Up till recently, we would spend a few days up there then run a generator for 4 or 5 hours to charge up. 3 months ago, we installed two 135 watt solar panels on an adjustable rack. We have not run the generator since. It is a great feeling to get power from the sun and not hear the generator.

Mr Mom · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2007, 08:20:42 pm »

Not to change the subject but how do you know how much watts you need to run a whole house??
I would liketo get off grid.

Thanks Alot Mr Mom

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #7 on:** January 24, 2007, 08:36:08 pm »

There is lots of information on some Alt. Energy sites, that list wattages of appliances and such.

If you avoid Regular A/C and Electric How Water, the average home uses around 4KW or 4000 watts per hour, AVERAGE.

Starting appliances uses 3 times the amount for start up.

Do some Googling for energy usage charts of appliances. Should find some info pretty easy.

Radar67 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 24, 2007, 09:48:00 pm »

Check out www.backwoodssolar.com They have a good article for beginners with a good link to appliance wattage usage.

Stew

Bill · « **Reply #9 on:** January 24, 2007, 10:45:13 pm »

Pic's would be great as would any links to sites that gave you helpful info.

Thanks ! ( and congrats for being off-grid )

farmerdoug · « **Reply #10 on:** January 24, 2007, 11:52:06 pm »

My problem with solar is the payback. I see solar cells are down to 4.50/watt. That is $4500/kilowatt. At ten cents a kilowatthour the payback is over 12 years out. If it gets down to a dollar / watt I think it would be great.

What is the expected life of a bank of solar cells?

Farmerdoug

Lance in Ontario · « **Reply #11 on:** January 25, 2007, 04:15:18 am »

Has anyone used a water as a source? I have a good flowing river about 500feet from where I would like to build a dry kiln. So I was looking if it could power a dh kiln. Will this require to much power from a water generator?

DanG · « **Reply #12 on:** January 25, 2007, 07:35:04 am »

Welcome aboard Lance.

Check out the thread, "Anyone experiment with alternative energy?" on this board. On the first page, Toxedo_2000 talks about some hydro generators he built, complete with pics. He doesn't post much, but still looks in here from time to time. Send him a message and you might be able to drag him back into the fray.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2007, 08:19:43 am »

Water has been used for centuries. Problem with a river is getting enough flow, without getting debris and flooding. Usually go uphill toward a source and run a pipe away from the source, so heavy rain won't trash the set-up. Water can be regulated, so, an AC Alternator can be used directly to run a house.

Used to have lots of info. Must be lots of info on the 'Net.

beav · « **Reply #14 on:** January 25, 2007, 10:27:42 am »

Go to www.homepower.com. download primers for solar-electric,hydro,wind power, and download a free issue. very good info.

Mr Mom- I run my house on 600 watts of pv panels. I require backup generation during the low sun months with cloudy stretches. Some people need systems of 4k or greater.(4000 watts) It all depends on your level of reliance. For example, I got my drivers license in '71. My first car was a Simca 1200. The price of gas went through the roof and I felt pretty good getting 40-50 mpg. since then every every tool,appliance,whatever I get must consume the least power and perform the task adequately.The house has cfl lighting, propane fridge, front loading washer,etc. I do look for deals on pv panels and occasionally add one. The mongrel appearance of my array bears this out

farmerdoug- the pv(photovoltaic) or electric solar panels are warranted for 25 years. In real life they last much longer.

Lance- Not knowing the size or flow or head of your stream it is hard to say. An excellent place to find out is www.otherpower.com. mebbe .net.?

DanG- That is a great thread on a great project. Micro-hydro is the most reliable form of generation. I have a small brook next to my house I will install a sm system on. Its an intermittent stream, but a small bit of power during the monsoons we seem to be getting lately will go a long way.

FlDh- You da man. Methinks a man with your experience in alt.e may know enough to cut through the excess externalities to the quick and just morph into a solar panel.Hey wait, whatcha doin in CR?! Any more room down there?

Got the woodstove stoked and hope to get pix goin soon

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #15 on:** January 25, 2007, 11:02:26 am »

Youster sell and install Wind and Solar chargers. Did some hot water and built wood furnaces. Back then, power was reasonable and gasoline was .75/gal. When it hit $1.00 or more, folks went screaming for cheaper power. Govt. issued Investment Tax Credits for Alt. Energy. Nixon or Ford removed them

Back then, you could claim a 40% tax credit, over 5 years. Folks just groused that "IT costs too much".

Sold BIG batteries, Phone Co. type, Forklift type were REAL popular. Had a deal for used-good cells.

Made my own 4K Wind generator and put it on a 100' tower. Got tired of all the complaining and nobody buying, so, moved to Fl. and did self employment for 20 years.

Now, I'm getting into Bio fuel down here. Soon as I get time.

Greg Cook · « **Reply #16 on:** January 28, 2007, 11:23:32 pm »

Beav, we're off grid and less than 300 feet from the lines. It isn't a decision to save money, as you don't, but if we can make it, then other feel they can too. I can't save the world, just help my little place here.
We drained savings to buy a 35 acre overgrown farm with no house on it. We moved a camper in here, developed a small spring into a usable water system, with a solar panel running a Flow-Lite DC pump. Recently completed a small (380 sq/ft) strawbale house till we build the "real " house. We have compact flourescent lamps plugged into a small inverter in the barn, near the batteries. Honda generator for back-up, or when the girls want to use hair implements or the microwave in the camper. Have a small woodstove in the straw house, it's doin' its job OK. No landline phones, just cellulars, so dial-up internet was out. Since I had grown fond of the high-speed variety anyway, we use the WildBlue sattelite internet. It doesn't use much power, so it's good for the inverter, and the laptops use less than desktops. Speed is as good as we used to have with cable-modem. When the house is built, a proper solar set-up has been designed, and we'll use the generator a lot less.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #17 on:** January 29, 2007, 07:25:01 am »

Way to go, Greg.

Amazing thing is, once off grid for a few months, you really don't miss it, even the wimmenses.

dewwood · « **Reply #18 on:** January 29, 2007, 10:23:15 am »

DH are you not missing being off grid or the wimmenses?

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #19 on:** January 29, 2007, 05:51:39 pm »

OK, ya got me. I was hurrien and didn't add the "don't either", at the end.

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Author Topic: Any more off-gridders here? (Read 8558 times)