Off Grid For Dummies?

[frazoo]

Can someone recommend a good book or site that explains what is needed to go off-grid but still have some amenities (hot water, washing machine)? 

thanks, frazoo

[frazoo]

Uh, sorry guys, I just found MD's recommended list in a sticky.  If you know of anything else or newer since then, thanks for posting.

frazoo

[MountainDon]

http://www.amazon.com/Solar-Power-Your-Dummies-Garden/dp/0470596783/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285037439&sr=8-1



No idea on what it's like. I see the reviews are spread all over the place from 5 to 1 stars. Probably depends on what one already knows.    

[SuperCharlie]

Im hopin to get off grid eventually. Ive looked into a lot of systems...most all are extremely expensive photovoltaic (solar) or wind turbines. Whats important is to reduce the amount of electricity you use.. has a lot to do with how big and efficient you make your house and how much you use alternative ways to do power like hot water.

I found the real kicker is the battery part in that you make power while ya got sun or wind, but you have to be able to span the times you dont make power..when its dark or no wind..and thus ya need big, expensive, have to replace them batteries.

One way around this..and an easier way to transition to off the grid..is to do a grid-tie system. This is where you hook into the regular power system and use your own power while ya got it and grid power when ya dont. As your capacity scales up you eventually get to zero usage..and then..when you make more than you use, the power company buys it back from you (the meter runs backward). You can turn this extra capacity into a defacto battery by selling it to the grid on excess and buying it back when you dont have sufficient generating power. This of course assumes you have grid to begin with.

I actually checked with our electric co-op on this and thats basically the way it goes. They also do an engineering check to make sure you wont mess things up and require insurance, ours required $500k in insurance to tie in but said most homeowners policies would do.

Just throwin in what Ive run into.
SC

[Dave Sparks]

I always ask my clients that are at your stage to decide on two things. How many aspects of the way your grandparents lived could you do? What is your budget?

The part of the country you decide on, the timeline and money line, and your ability all factor in. There is a very high failure rate offgrid. There has never been a better time than now however! With a decent budget anything is possible!

It does have to make sense! Going offgrid in a powered neighborhood, trying to save 15K$ for utility power in Wyoming, and the big one, not knowing how much energy you need and how to get it! These are the crazy ones and there are many more!

In a beautiful location, living off the grid, it is one of the sweet things in life!

[MountainDon]

In a beautiful location, living off the grid, it is one of the sweet things in life!

I agree!!!  I have become accustomed to being off grid at the cabin. At first I was watching ever watt, peering at the charge controller as clouds moved about the sky, I now know our system works and works well. I still watch but I'm not so crazy about it anymore. I used a lot of switched outlets when I designed the electrical circuits. That makes it easier to turn things "completely off".


Dave, what causes most off grid living failures, from what you have seen?   Guessing at too low at the required capacity? Cheap parts/equipment? Attempts at going DC only?

[Dave Sparks]

In a beautiful location, living off the grid, it is one of the sweet things in life!

I agree!!!  I have become accustomed to being off grid at the cabin. At first I was watching ever watt, peering at the charge controller as clouds moved about the sky, I now know our system works and works well. I still watch but I'm not so crazy about it anymore. I used a lot of switched outlets when I designed the electrical circuits. That makes it easier to turn things "completely off".


Dave, what causes most off grid living failures, from what you have seen?   Guessing at too low at the required capacity? Cheap parts/equipment? Attempts at going DC only?

My people do not have failures other than  normal wear and tear! They have paid me to avoid that stuff and I basically teach them how to take my job away from me! I make it easy for women and I have simple sanity checks that tell me that they are doing their part. There are 41 of them right now. Different size systems and all larger than mine on my webpage.

From the forums over 18 years I have seen thousands of failures. Most are deficit charge related failures.

[MountainDon]

Most are deficit charge related failures.

Taking out more than is put in....  hmm...  sort of like over drawing the bank, too much placed on the credit card...  seems there's a lot of that been going 'round.

[SuperCharlie]

I notice most of the off-grid electrical discussions are about PV.. is there a drawback to wind? Is it mostly that we always know there will be (relatively) available sun but not so much wind? Or is it a cost thing or what? Just wondering..

And heck yea!! On the overdrawing thing MountainDon!!

[MountainDon]

Generally speaking there are more locations with good sun than there are with good wind. At least that is true for where we are located.

Another factor in some places, like home here, is that PV panels can be placed on a roof top whereas a wind turbine tower would not get anywheres in the permitting process. maybe not just to some, but it is a factor. In the mountains by the cabin I'd need too much tower for wind power. Trees are too tall and plentiful.

[rick91351]

From what I have read wind requires about a 100' in the air away from trees and obstructions.  Seems Glenn has written his wind generator is about that.   

[SuperCharlie]

Makes sense about the clearance for the wind stuff. For me, luckily I guess.. we are about the highest point around.. not really a hill as much as just a high area.. "town" is 22 miles away and over 700 feet below us. We have 10 acres of pasture to our northwest running all the way to our east and winds here even at ground level are pretty constant and very often hit 30mph+. Not to say its *always* windy..but we get more than our fair share and I hope in the long run to use some of it. Probably a dual system with PV.