How Do You Power Your Homestead?

[flowerbug]

we use propane for heat, but the electric company for juice. would love to do solar hot water and solar electricity some time but i'm not sure if/when that might happen. if the prices keep falling sooner or later it will really be worth it. the other option is to pay the utility company a bit extra and they'll develop more solar and wind and we can just keep doing what we're doing and still be supporting the way things should be.

 

[flowerbug]

LED lights save a lot of money. WE added a wood-pellet insert to our big drafty granite fireplace in the family room when we bought the place. It really helps to make the place cozy warm. It will run off battery if we need to.

yes, we were going to eventually switch all the lights to LED over time as the price was very expensive for as many lights we have (most we don't use often), but it turned out that one day we were at the store and they were having a Utility Company sponsored sale on six packs of lights and it worked out perfectly between the two of us we could get four packs which finished the entire house for the whopping price of $12. i'm sure we've saved at least that much many times over since we did the change. at the time we also had to replace the large flourescent lights we use for the kitchen and Mom's room and upgraded her room to have more light for her sewing. again, saved a lot of money through the years since then i'm sure enough to pay for those a few times over too by now.

 

[CrealCritter]

The house I just bought is oil furnace with baseboard hot water heat. Hasn't been run in 7 + years, so waiting on getting the tank reset on the blocks so I can get oil delivered and the furnace checked and all. I am looking at an outside wood furnace which will work perfectly with the baseboard hot water heat....they are expensive, and the model I am looking at is said to be the best by 2 friends that have it compared to other types....But he said that the payback is about 5-8 years and then.... there is PLENTY of wood available here and with us always cutting trees around hayfields and all.... plus I can get on a "drop list" for a tree trimming company... they are always looking for places to dump wood that is taken down when they are in a certain area... and also for chips when they are chipping stuff.... and my ds works for the DOT so there are always ways to get wood from trees down... with the ash trees dying from the infestation of the emerald ash borer, they are talking of having to start next year of removing trees that are in danger of falling into roadways and such. Ash burns good and splits well.....
My stove will be propane as I hate electric stoves. There is an outlet for an electric dryer, but I have a propane one that has been in storage for 20 years. I use the clothesline and prefer it. The current hot water is electric.... The electric company has an incentive to add solar panels so that will be something to look into next year when I get some trees and scrub brush and HUGE way overgrown boxwoods taken down. I will only put panels if they can go on the roof of a building... not wanting them using up lawn space.
Also considering a hybrid wind system to add because this ridge has a nearly constant breeze blowing here. Need to see what I have to do to check out the feasibility of it. I would give my eye teeth to be where I could have hydro/water power.... but no stream/creek here.
After I am into this house will have a better idea of what it costs for the electric monthly, and then will be able to make better decisions as to what needs to be upgraded first...

Let me know what you find out about hybrid wind. We live on windy hill here ourselves.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I really like that stove @CrealCritter
Bet it will heat your mancave really well.

I have been trying to talk DH into spray insulating the garage/woodshop. They didn't put a house wrap on when they sided the building, and you can see the sunlight coming through the vinyl siding in the gaps in the walls.

 

[CrealCritter]

I really like that stove @CrealCritter
Bet it will heat your mancave really well.

I have been trying to talk DH into spray insulating the garage/woodshop. They didn't put a house wrap on when they sided the building, and you can see the sunlight coming through the vinyl siding in the gaps in the walls.

That's my wife's wood stove, she would not leave north Carolina without it and basicy made me move it. Long story short... I had it on a trailer when I moved it to southern IL. Stopped in Tennessee for gas, wife in the passenger set and this young lady comes up to me and said you know you can bring that stove over to my house. My wife jumped out of the truck and said. Missy, that's my stove! Well "Missy" turned around got in her car and drove off.

With insulation, I'm no expert here by any means but there are some real horrific stories about spray foam insulation on the internet. Fishy smells and toxic mold growth. Not trying deter you or anything like that but just do your homework first.

My experience with foam board in a basement was not so good. After a while it smelled like dead fish. I can see how spray foam could produce the same results. Call me old school but I still prefer good old cheap fiberglass insulation.

 

[wyoDreamer]

The fiberglass insulation won't work very well with the wind blowing through it. I want an inch of spray on insulation to seal the walls. I don't think it will mold in this application because it is not that moist of an area. and there will be air exchange in the building. 1 inch of spray on and then fill the rest of the cavity with fiberglass insulation.

 

[Beekissed]

Awful lot of nosy questions on here and BYH....what power source do you use, what animals are you keeping, etc. Not something I'd want to divulge to just anyone in these days and times.

Here's a question: Why do you want to know these things, Project Manager?

 

[CrealCritter]

The fiberglass insulation won't work very well with the wind blowing through it. I want an inch of spray on insulation to seal the walls. I don't think it will mold in this application because it is not that moist of an area. and there will be air exchange in the building. 1 inch of spray on and then fill the rest of the cavity with fiberglass insulation.

Gotcha... Maybe look into open cell spray foam vs closed cell. If I recall correctly it's the closed cell that had problems but like I said I'm no expert here.