Anyone working toward Off Grid - Page 13

randen · 07-24-18, 10:52 AM

J J

Panels were $12,000 Cnd
Racking. $3000
Charge control $1700
Batteries $1400
Sundry items $1000
DIY inverter $3000

If I were to do it again I would DIY the charge controller as well. I have my ROI at about 6 yrs based on today’s cost of electricity. I know most people like to think this way to justify the expenditure. I know though the price of power is only going to increase so that time will get shorter

For me other things come into play like charging electric vehicles and cutting grass with electrons. In the beginning of the season I had employed the kubota rider and it cost me $14.00 in diesel fuel for the cut and my guess is 20 cuts.in the season

Randen

jjackstone · 07-24-18, 11:37 AM

Thanks for the cost breakdown. Great price on the battery pack. Mine was $1800 US.

I know a number of people think it's silly to go offgrid when there is a perfectly good grid already attached to the house. Here is how I look at that. I have a small bicycle habit/hobby. Over the last ten years that hobby has cost me close to $10,000. It's served me well. It keeps me healthy. It has cut my fossil fuel consumption by better than 80% and it makes me happy.

My concern for energy efficiency and self production began way back in the 1970's when the first fuel "crisis" began. That hobby has been in my head for a lot longer than the bicycle venture. I've just been waiting for the right time/price. With the current low cost of solar panels and now the availability of reasonably priced energy storage it is time to change hobbies for a while. I figure if I spend $10000 on solar equipment that I can easily go offgrid. I have a much lower use electricity than most. Generally less than 10kwh per day with two people in the house. So five days autonomy shoud be reasonable with a 50kwh storage system and 5kw worth of panels. Anyway, I'm slowly re-starting the decades long hobby and maybe by next year I will have made some progress.
JJ

randen · 07-24-18, 12:40 PM

Hobbies do cost money

The thing is with renewables it’s becoming technically feasible. As our homes and businesses become more efficient with led lighting heat pumps and other efficient appliances it’s very much more obtainable

Storage is the last piece of the puzzle welcome lithium

A sunny place on the planet is best positioned for solar applications it most likely a done deal now. The ROI would be very short and make so much sense. Just to run a conventional service to a building would help with the cost of a off grid system and in no minor way

Randen

gasstingy · 07-24-18, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randen

For me other things come into play like charging electric vehicles and cutting grass with electrons. In the beginning of the season I had employed the kubota rider and it cost me $14.00 in diesel fuel for the cut and my guess is 20 cuts.in the season

I kind of skidded to a stop when I read this part, because I want to mow my grass with electrons, too. I have a 40v battery electric B&D push mower, and it is barely okay to trim some of my yard, by completely depleting both of its batteries and the 36v weedeater battery. Our Gravely OTOH uses about 3.5 gallons of grass to mow and a battery electric mower that will cut more than 3 acres is more money than the faint of heart can afford

....unless you know something that I don't.

Do you mow on electrons or is this a forward looking goal?

randen · 07-26-18, 09:05 AM

Gasstingy

Check out a Husqavarna Automower. Is been maintaining my lawn in a way I was never able. There are some videos on this little guy. Uses few electrons. I recommend it highly. Now their not giving them away but my time is worth something and maintaining and fueling a rider is not for the faint of heart either

Randen

where2 · 07-27-18, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randen

Check out a Husqavarna Automower. Is been maintaining my lawn in a way I was never able.

I've been waiting for an owner of one of these to show up on one of the forums. Which model did you go with?

I could totally enjoy going on vacation and having the lawn maintained while I'm gone...

randen · 07-28-18, 08:09 AM

Where2

We purchased the 450 as its capabilities allow it to maintain 1.25 acres. During the spring it has its pants full trying to keep up with the rapid growth. But I was never able to keep the lawn looking as nice as this little fellow does. We named it Jeeves

Randen

randen · 08-06-18, 10:12 AM

Fellow eco renovators

I’m on a family holiday in Europe, lots of rooftop solar hot water heating here

I’m casually looking for a larger battery pack. About 10:00 am the volt pack is full and the car is charged so the charge controller is throttling back and powering the house with air conditioning and other household stuff

Conclusion I need a lot more storage

First order of business when I return is to make an auxiliary connection to the Chevy S10 battery. That will have my battery capacity up around 50 kWh. From 17 kWh that’s a sizeable move
The other thing is I will be charging the truck directly from solar which is the holy grail of driving on electrons. I don’t think that will ever get old.
I do believe I’m really looking for a Tesla pack.

Thinking of some improvements for the 20 kw inverter. Some subtle stuff more heat sink capacity or better fan not sure yet

I know liquid cooling would be possible and an awesome heat management but at greater complexity. After all that’s how Tesla has done it and we’ using the same IGBTs. I could plumb it into the hydronic floor but again the complexity

Lots to do

Randen

NiHaoMike · 08-06-18, 07:08 PM

Do you have any dedicated freezers? Install relays to bypass the thermostat when the charge level is very high. Also set the water heater to a higher temperature during that time, if it's electric or heat pump.

gasstingy · 08-07-18, 09:18 AM

NiHaoMike, I was stunned momentarily at the suggestions to overcool the freezer(s) and heat the water an extra measure.

These are really good suggestions that fall so far out of what I typically hear. Of course, you are speaking of an off-grid setup and use it or lose it power generation and what makes sense there is not intuitive for many of us.

08-06-18, 07:08 PM	#129
NiHaoMike Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,154 Thanks: 14 Thanked 257 Times in 241 Posts	Do you have any dedicated freezers? Install relays to bypass the thermostat when the charge level is very high. Also set the water heater to a higher temperature during that time, if it's electric or heat pump. __________________ To my surprise, shortly after Naomi Wu gave me a bit of fame for making good use of solar power, Allie Moore got really jealous of her...

07-24-18, 10:52 AM	#121
randen Uber EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Strathroy Ontario Canada Posts: 657 Thanks: 9 Thanked 191 Times in 129 Posts	J J Panels were $12,000 Cnd Racking. $3000 Charge control $1700 Batteries $1400 Sundry items $1000 DIY inverter $3000 If I were to do it again I would DIY the charge controller as well. I have my ROI at about 6 yrs based on today’s cost of electricity. I know most people like to think this way to justify the expenditure. I know though the price of power is only going to increase so that time will get shorter For me other things come into play like charging electric vehicles and cutting grass with electrons. In the beginning of the season I had employed the kubota rider and it cost me $14.00 in diesel fuel for the cut and my guess is 20 cuts.in the season Randen

07-24-18, 11:37 AM	#122
jjackstone Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sacramento,Ca Posts: 88 Thanks: 5 Thanked 32 Times in 23 Posts	Thanks for the cost breakdown. Great price on the battery pack. Mine was $1800 US. I know a number of people think it's silly to go offgrid when there is a perfectly good grid already attached to the house. Here is how I look at that. I have a small bicycle habit/hobby. Over the last ten years that hobby has cost me close to $10,000. It's served me well. It keeps me healthy. It has cut my fossil fuel consumption by better than 80% and it makes me happy. My concern for energy efficiency and self production began way back in the 1970's when the first fuel "crisis" began. That hobby has been in my head for a lot longer than the bicycle venture. I've just been waiting for the right time/price. With the current low cost of solar panels and now the availability of reasonably priced energy storage it is time to change hobbies for a while. I figure if I spend $10000 on solar equipment that I can easily go offgrid. I have a much lower use electricity than most. Generally less than 10kwh per day with two people in the house. So five days autonomy shoud be reasonable with a 50kwh storage system and 5kw worth of panels. Anyway, I'm slowly re-starting the decades long hobby and maybe by next year I will have made some progress. JJ

07-24-18, 12:40 PM	#123
randen Uber EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Strathroy Ontario Canada Posts: 657 Thanks: 9 Thanked 191 Times in 129 Posts	Hobbies do cost money The thing is with renewables it’s becoming technically feasible. As our homes and businesses become more efficient with led lighting heat pumps and other efficient appliances it’s very much more obtainable Storage is the last piece of the puzzle welcome lithium A sunny place on the planet is best positioned for solar applications it most likely a done deal now. The ROI would be very short and make so much sense. Just to run a conventional service to a building would help with the cost of a off grid system and in no minor way Randen

07-26-18, 09:05 AM	#125
randen Uber EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Strathroy Ontario Canada Posts: 657 Thanks: 9 Thanked 191 Times in 129 Posts	Gasstingy Check out a Husqavarna Automower. Is been maintaining my lawn in a way I was never able. There are some videos on this little guy. Uses few electrons. I recommend it highly. Now their not giving them away but my time is worth something and maintaining and fueling a rider is not for the faint of heart either Randen

07-28-18, 08:09 AM	#127
randen Uber EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Strathroy Ontario Canada Posts: 657 Thanks: 9 Thanked 191 Times in 129 Posts	Where2 We purchased the 450 as its capabilities allow it to maintain 1.25 acres. During the spring it has its pants full trying to keep up with the rapid growth. But I was never able to keep the lawn looking as nice as this little fellow does. We named it Jeeves Randen

08-06-18, 10:12 AM	#128
randen Uber EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Strathroy Ontario Canada Posts: 657 Thanks: 9 Thanked 191 Times in 129 Posts	Fellow eco renovators I’m on a family holiday in Europe, lots of rooftop solar hot water heating here I’m casually looking for a larger battery pack. About 10:00 am the volt pack is full and the car is charged so the charge controller is throttling back and powering the house with air conditioning and other household stuff Conclusion I need a lot more storage First order of business when I return is to make an auxiliary connection to the Chevy S10 battery. That will have my battery capacity up around 50 kWh. From 17 kWh that’s a sizeable move The other thing is I will be charging the truck directly from solar which is the holy grail of driving on electrons. I don’t think that will ever get old. I do believe I’m really looking for a Tesla pack. Thinking of some improvements for the 20 kw inverter. Some subtle stuff more heat sink capacity or better fan not sure yet I know liquid cooling would be possible and an awesome heat management but at greater complexity. After all that’s how Tesla has done it and we’ using the same IGBTs. I could plumb it into the hydronic floor but again the complexity Lots to do Randen

08-07-18, 09:18 AM	#130
gasstingy Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Arab, AL Posts: 491 Thanks: 109 Thanked 49 Times in 43 Posts	NiHaoMike, I was stunned momentarily at the suggestions to overcool the freezer(s) and heat the water an extra measure. These are really good suggestions that fall so far out of what I typically hear. Of course, you are speaking of an off-grid setup and use it or lose it power generation and what makes sense there is not intuitive for many of us.