Completely off The Grid ( aol news article)
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sunsaver
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The energy industry is going to demolish that guy. I live completely off-grid solar too, but you won't see me going on the news, not as long they leave me alone.
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Pirtykitty
Lovin' The Homestead
How expensive is it really to go completly solar???? We live in town so not sure it its feasable .... plus don't know it the roof of our house would take it. My step son worked for a company a few years ago in Austin installing solar panels when the goverment was giving money for it.. But the work ran out... I think then he said it was at least 30 thousand.. maybe more.
Marianne
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It depends on how well you lower your electrical consumption, then you can get by for less. Sunsaver gets by on very little, but he's very frugal with every watt. Check out his blog, he talks about it on there.Pirtykitty said:
You don't have to put the panels on the roof as long as you have an area that gets sun all day long. A lot of roofs have engineered trusses and they are not designed to handle the extra weight, so there'd have to be some beefing up there by someone who knew what they were doing.
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Very interesting! I wonder what the energy loss is going from electricity to hydrogen and then back again?
The guy has a 20 kw system!?!? That's a crazy amount of power! I've got a 4 kw system and that's more than we need in the summer, and we use a lot of electricity!
The guy has a 20 kw system!?!? That's a crazy amount of power! I've got a 4 kw system and that's more than we need in the summer, and we use a lot of electricity!
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BTW, do a youtube search for "Michael Strizki"... lots of interesting videos!
Here is a good one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEdQRVQtffw
That's a pretty expensive way to go. Personally I don't mind using the local power grid as my "battery" to store my excess during the Summer and then get a credit against my Winter usage. Sure I rely on them, but it is a way cheaper and easier way to go than batteries or hydrogen storage.
If I lived out in the mountains though, this would be a bit more appealing to me.
Here is a good one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEdQRVQtffw
That's a pretty expensive way to go. Personally I don't mind using the local power grid as my "battery" to store my excess during the Summer and then get a credit against my Winter usage. Sure I rely on them, but it is a way cheaper and easier way to go than batteries or hydrogen storage.
If I lived out in the mountains though, this would be a bit more appealing to me.
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sunsaver
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The best way to go off-grid solar is to dramatically reduce energy consumption so that only a few solar panels and batteries are needed. I use LED lighting, a small LCD, HD flat screen TV, a laptop computer, and that's about it. I use an ice box that i stock from an ice vending machine nearby, a propane stove and a wood-burning stove, a wood-burning brick oven, and a wash tub. My lights never go out during thunderstorms or hurricanes, the ice box is clean, cold, and just as easy as using a refrigerater, and except for washing my clothes by hand and hanging them on a clothes line, my suburban lifestyle is no different than anybody else. The biggest difference between me and my nextdoor neighbor is: i don't have any utility bills to pay!
Being self sufficient really pays off in the long run. My solar system has already paid for itself, and i also made some money by selling off those gas-guzzling appliances.
Being self sufficient really pays off in the long run. My solar system has already paid for itself, and i also made some money by selling off those gas-guzzling appliances.
windyoak
Power Conserver
I was thinking about something like that, only using wind energy to create hydrogen via electrolysis. I get wind some of the time, but not enough to warrant dependence on a wind generator, but if I converted its sporadic output into stored hydrogen, then I could net out on the plus side. The only problem that I can see is the storage. That would be in compressed tanks which would require a lot of energy to fill.
I have been completely on solar for over 15 years. I have washer, drier, refrigerator, etc no problems, except batteries. I think Batteries are the weakest link in a solar system. They are expensive, and they only last a few years. I live beyond the utilitys service and when I was building, they wanted $60,000 to bring power in. For me, going solar was a no-brainer. Now, after all these years, I have lived through Californias power shortage, the ENRON crises, and all of the bickering associated with our utility company something about smart meters, and I must say that I have never been so grateful for having to witness all of that from such a large distance!
I have been completely on solar for over 15 years. I have washer, drier, refrigerator, etc no problems, except batteries. I think Batteries are the weakest link in a solar system. They are expensive, and they only last a few years. I live beyond the utilitys service and when I was building, they wanted $60,000 to bring power in. For me, going solar was a no-brainer. Now, after all these years, I have lived through Californias power shortage, the ENRON crises, and all of the bickering associated with our utility company something about smart meters, and I must say that I have never been so grateful for having to witness all of that from such a large distance!
Daffodils At The Sea
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For what it's worth, no one ever said solar was cheaper. And I think that's important to note, because it gets a lot of press, and everyone is trying to do the right thing, but are being taken advantage of. The big companies that are sucking large amounts of money off of their consumers to set up "solar tied to the grid" arrays are not being straightforward. We are off the grid, and it's more reliable because in our rural location the power often goes out in the winter, sometimes for 2 weeks at a time. Plus the power company wants an easement across the property, and that's not going to happen!
It takes a lot of keeping track of, too. the shortest day of the year is very different from the longest day of the year, regardless of how much you want to have plugged in. I have to keep track constantly, and I don't think people want to do that. Which is why the big electric companies can convince people to sign on, thinking they are being "green" and "saving money" but when you think about it, are those big companies ever going to do anything that makes them lose money? No!!!
It takes a lot of keeping track of, too. the shortest day of the year is very different from the longest day of the year, regardless of how much you want to have plugged in. I have to keep track constantly, and I don't think people want to do that. Which is why the big electric companies can convince people to sign on, thinking they are being "green" and "saving money" but when you think about it, are those big companies ever going to do anything that makes them lose money? No!!!
