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Old 04-25-16, 09:10 AM   #16
jeff5may
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MEMPHIS91 View Post
I find that most people who are looking to go off grid either don't understand all the is involved (money, batteries, no sun for days, etc.) or that do it as a worst case scenario as in grid down. For me, I have been planning going off grid for a very long time. It is not about saving money, its because I want security that my power company is not capable of providing.
This security you speak of does not come easily or economically. To provide backup power for when the grid is down is one thing; to provide complete independence from the grid is another. It takes a well-rounded and thorough approach, as well as lifestyle changes. Whether or not your entire family (living in the home) is willing to make these changes (or not) will bear heavily on your system requirements and backup capacity.

A recent line of commercials illustrates this idea with the usual American blatant disrespect: the "settlers" being portrayed in the DirecTV ads. This attitude of making do with what is available is a mentality that many people will no longer accept. Although your family will not have to go to the extreme "homesteader/settler" methods being ridiculed in the commercials, they will need to implement some changes in that direction in order to reduce your raw energy consumption. Simple acts like hanging clothes on a line outdoors, washing them in cold water, and washing (and drying) dishes by hand really add up in savings. Make sure everyone involved is willing, or design your system larger if not.

As you are detailing in your ground-source/water-source heat pump projects, these two methods (direct and water heat exchange) are a large part of retaining comfort while reducing energy demands. When used with some sort of thermal (hot and/or cold) store, your heating and cooling needs can be buffered or time-shifted to reduce or eliminate comfort control from taxing your battery storage. Again, not simple or cheap, but highly effective. Naturally, the insulating and envelope strengthening you are doing further increases the effectiveness of comfort control systems and reduces your thermal energy needs. These comfort control improvements are essentially invisible to occupants not concerned with the details of how they operate, working behind the scenes to satisfy demand.

For a completely off-grid home, using the raw voltage your PV panels produce without conversion is the most efficient way to use that power. Having some low-voltage DC lighting that runs off a panel or two is also a great indicator to those less energy-conscious occupants as to when they can use high-drain equipment without taxing your battery bank. When the lights are on, at least some portion of the consumption will come directly from the panels; when they are off, they know they are using battery power to dry their hair or whatever. This "psychological" habit change can mean the difference between a battery bank draining overnight or not.

Last edited by jeff5may; 04-25-16 at 10:46 AM.. Reason: grammar
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