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grover
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2012 17:30
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How tough is it really to live off grid?
This is the reason I ask.
I started out about 6 months ago looking for a little piece of land (at lease 5 acres) to camp on, get away, fish, just hang out. Since then the idea has gone to a small off grid cabin and now onto a large (600-800sq ft) small cabin with electricity. I think the idea of going off grid is a great one in theory but really how good is it in practice?
Heat, I think is not too much of an issue but how about bathroom facilities, hot water, cooking, and in the summer, cooling? I think one of the things to keep in mind is we would like to be able to spend extended periods of time there after retirement.
How many of you have gone off grid and found it just wasn't for you or your spouse?
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Just
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2012 17:44
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If the grid is available at a reasonable connection fee, the grid is the way to go..
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 27 Jul 2012 17:53
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In part whether to be off grid depends on how much it would cost to grid connect. Also how much power is required. Those vary a lot between locations and people's life style. IMO.
Off grid is about modifying life style. Anything that heats with electricity is not viable as a rule. Refrigerators can be electric but require a substantial investment in equipment as a rule, if you want to be able to go away for a couple days or longer and not worry about what's going on at home.
Most off gridders cook with gas, heat water with gas or solar. A properly planned system can power low wattage appliances like a toaster or even a crock pot. It is important to plan for future needs. Summer cooling can be a problem. In some locations a split mini heat pump system can be used. I have a friend in the mountains of California who cools that way. He only needs to cool during the day when the sun shines. He does has both sets of panels on trackers though.
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creeky
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# Posted: 29 Jul 2012 14:15
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I use a 1kw watt solar 12v system with 1180 amp hours of battery capacity to run my 46" lcd tv, kettle, lights, high speed internet, blender, coffee grinder, battery charging etc. I generate around 4 kw of power every day. I did just get internet on satellite so I watch movies/sports at night now. I imagine this is temporary and will drop back to around 2.65 kw, my previous average.
I use propane for hot water (solar hot water coming), cooking and for the "absorption" style rv fridge. I currently use aprox. 10 lbs per week.
I use a lot of shading for the cabin in the summer. On really hot days I sometimes fire up the generator to run an air conditioner.
I actually have to say that solar is pretty easy to maintain and offgrid has been less of a hassle than I had expected.
The biggest problem has been finding information that is complete and detailed on small solar/water heating/toilet systems. And you are pretty much expected to do your own installations/building.
I would like to learn more about your friend's split mini MtnDon. I have run my a/c off the solar for short periods of time and thought maybe a small a/c unit run later in the day (say after 3 when my batteries are full) could speed up the nightly cooling process.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 29 Jul 2012 15:57
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Quoting: creeky I would like to learn more about your friend's split mini MtnDon
Dave is an engineer. He did some experimenting with some assist from Sanyo. Here's a link to a Sanyo page where they talk a little about what he did. What it comes down to is that Sanyo's systems have some user programming. Not all makes do. He programs how much power he will let the unit use at any particular time of day. He knows when his batteries usually hit full and boosts the limit the split system can use at that time.
We visited their place in June. The weather was already hot for the afternoon. He has the system start actually before it is needed and the house cools to a little cooler than normally would be done. As the day warms the interior warms a bit too, but it never got hot. Around 7 PM the unit was shut down (programmed shut down). Soon after that Dave opened the windows to let the cooling evening breezes blow through. There are enough windows that they get good air circulation. The house is mainly one big room, kitchen and living spaces. Two closed off bedrooms along one side. It's also a 2 story house, about 1200 sq ft upstairs for living and a full downstairs as a garage and shop. Works well. Totally off grid, about 2 KW of panels on trackers, rainwater collection capacity of about 15,000 gallons, no well.
Sanyo Link
Another
and another
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 29 Jul 2012 17:49
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I was off grid for a bit last year but soon found that if I swallowed my pride and disgust in my power company, it would be a lot cheaper and better in the long run, as it is now I have power bill averaging $9.47 a month and $7.63 of that is the stupid hookup fee!
My goal is to find ways to still live comfortably using less and less energy to do it with my goal to eventually eliminate electricity from the equation as much as possible.
I am fortunate to have a good well and creek on my property and a comfortable well insulated 200 square foot home I designed and built last year.
I cook with a camp stove, keep food cool with a water based cooler,
lighting is by 5 watt cfls, phone is a Verizon Cell, 19 inch flat screen and laptop computer with a Waterford wood stove are what it takes to live well here.
Would I ever go back to a full sized home....in a word NO!
How well you can cope with it I think depends on what you want to get out of it, me, I wanted to see if I could do it, I did, now I need to refine it more and keep pushing for the ultimate, what ever that is?
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 29 Jul 2012 17:53 - Edited by: cabingal3
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i think its very easy now days.propane stoves for cooking.solar lanterns to read by-we have not totally figured out the clothes washing scene yet but once we get out there-we shall.
we dont really need tv.and with the generator...u can do all kinds of needed things.i vacuumed our cabin rugs just like home.
Gary O made door screens and window screens and we open things up early to get the inside of the cabin filled with fresh air breezing thru.
maybe we will get a small fridge once out there thats run by propane.
u can do about anything now days off the grid.
then we have the solar shower.of course thats gonna be hard to do in the icy cold winter.we are going to get a metal tub and heat up water and take our baths in our cabin.
theres more than one way to skin a cat.
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creeky
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# Posted: 30 Jul 2012 12:58
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thanks MtnDon. A minispilt is something I am considering for the cottage. The program ability to go from 300 watts to 1100 is pretty sweet. Right now, with the smaller solar system, I only have about 2-300 watts spare after getting my batteries back to fully charged. Still, another kilowatt of panels and I'm all set.
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