Solar & other Energy System(s). How do we make the most of them?
Homesteading, off grid living, is really about managing a totality of circumstances efficiently. How good is solar? It has come a lot farther than most people think it has. It is better than posting stick poles up and running wires. Poles break… One interruption of a wire, which is little more than a large, modulated, heavy duty extension cord, and things go black for a while. You pay a premium for this power and it is never enough. Power companies constantly raise their rates to satisfy investors concerned with making a lot of money not simply a nice return. Who pays for such generous returns? As I write this, California is once again being held hostage as PG&E demands another rate increase. People will complain, but they will pay up because, they are dependent on the grid.
For the average consumer solar can run anything the grid can run, with some caveats. No, it does not give one the convenience of ” just plug in and go” with access to a constant flow of electricity, with no other measures needed to maintain power. Nor does solar come from a central location, with a dedicated staff ready to remedy any problems. At the very least, solar is a back up system to the grid. Until they bury wires, and/or otherwise protect and make the grid more reliable, you should never exclusively rely on the grid for your power needs. For solar to really shine it has to be part of a thoughtfully designed energy system with certain features. Nothing about solar, and the larger system we will be discussing is complicated. Hook ups are child like in their simplicity, and the basic principles of operation are likewise.
Regardless of which system one uses, If one simply “relies” exclusively on that system for their energy needs, whether it be solar, the grid, a generator, wind, etc, the same problems persist, namely: when we rely on any one source, our resources are limited to that one system… What if we could use different energy sources to reinforce each other, so if one system component went down, we had an alternative? Thus negating the risk of total failure, through depending upon only one source for our energy. What if these components worked well together, reinforcing each other, making each component more able to provide for us without overtaxing any system components?
How does one do that? First we look at all our sources of power, then how to maximize their use, then, we use them to support each other… This last point is crucial: There is a difference between having a system with a back up power supply… For example, a battery that kicks in if the energy grid goes down, and having an energy set up where the components can actively reinforce each other in the system. A well designed solar system can do this and we will discuss how this is done!
Redundant, overlapping functionality is a vital principle to be incorporated into a well designed, off grid, energy system. For example, your emergency brake in your vehicle. You can use it to park on a steep incline, but it also can act as a secondary braking system in an emergency. This is Redundancy because your car braking system uses one component for two purposes, at least one of which (your brakes) also does the same thing. How does this principle apply to our energy system components? How do we initially set up such a system? Lets make our system!
Stand Alone Solar: Some of you will be pricing solar systems… Including systems I am making available to all of us, at a great price… Consider the purchase of stand alone solar components, particularly LED lights, as part of a complete energy system. Stand alone items are distinguished by containing their own internal battery and solar panel. Many such appliances can be plugged into a larger solar system when necessary (to charge), but are otherwise self regulating. Before one starts counting Watts, and considering how to get by with as little energy usage as possible… Think about how many items one could set up as stand alone. People often run exterior lights as stand alone, one can also run their well pumps with a pump that is stand alone… You can even set up an interior light system with LED’s (because they are so energy efficient) using a stand alone system with its own battery and solar panel. These lights run indefinitely and are, as a general rule, not expensive.
These systems are not limited to smaller drawing appliances. Next time you are on the highway, you may well notice higher wattage lights on the roads that have a solar panel attached. This innovation is an excellent way to set up a self regulating component to a larger system of energy usage. Another example would be a well pump which draws a considerable amount of amperage. Yet because the well pump is used sporadically, a stand alone set up works very well and leaves one with a lot more power available in the general solar system. In an emergency your stand alone items have battery power and regenerative capacity that can be used, though this is beyond the scope of this present post.
Propane and Gas: Once you account for heat, cooking, and fueling a generator for occasional charging and emergencies, your solar system becomes a lot more powerful because, less demand is put on the system. First things first, safety is a priority. We will be selling, or, you can find one on Amazon… A gas wand. This wand, in addition to proper detectors, that can be used for Carbon Monoxide and other gas/fire hazards, allows you to easily and routinely check for any gas leaks. Once you are able to do this you can run your heat and stove off of propane, or natural gas. As a former safety inspector, let me address the issue of gas and safety: Gas is safe when one makes it a habit to check all detection systems, at least bi annually, Uses quality made detectors for attachment to a structure, and procures a gas wand to check any leaks. PS, if you have an old vehicle you can always take the wand with you to travel and check for any carbon monoxide.
Any generator you purchase should be able to run off of both, gas and propane, or, some folks use diesel generators (and heaters) which are cheaper to run. Diesel burns slower and fulfils a similar function to having a generator that can burn propane, or gas, because in both cases, one can use another source of fuel in a pinch… Diesel heaters tend to be more robust, simple in design (less to break!), and you can run diesel fuel appliances on other organic based oils in a pinch! You can give yourself a similar back up when you make sure your generator can run on gas and propane… Gas tends to go bad faster and is marginally less expensive than propane.
If gas prices shoot up, or propane becomes prohibitively expensive, you are covered when your generator can run on either source. A decent homestead, RV, or small house, should have a generator that is at least 8000 watts baseline… At this wattage your generator should be able to handle any starting surges for mid to large appliances like a small air conditioner, or refrigerator. Keep in mind that a larger air conditioner will usually require a 10,000 to 12,000 watt generator and always consider that total watts means the watts required to meet the surge of an appliance initially starting up.
Propane can be bought in a big tank, and transferred easily to smaller tanks for use. There are monthly propane services that can help you hook into a large tank. With the right amount of work delegated to propane, primarily heat and cooking, you can now use your other system aspects more efficiently. So far we have stand alone lights and gas/propane to run your generator and take care of two major energy loads: cooking and heat. Your generator can function as a source within itself for power, it can charge up a solar system, and you can run it on fuel that you also use for travel (gas), heat and cooking (Propane).
Solar System: This now gives you an opportunity to run things like your fridge, the air conditioner, microwaves, television, internet and other appliances more efficiently with a solar system. You can bolster efficient use even further… Using LED lights for the interior of an RV or dwelling, using energy efficient appliances, etc. You can run these items without solely being dependent on solar, or any one energy source. The system you purchase may well vary depending on how many watts your household uses… The average household apparently consumes around 1,300 watts daily, or so. This would be for a mid to larger dwelling, assuming all appliances are coming through central power, with a 100 to 250 amp panel.
For RV’s and smaller dwellings, and in consideration of synergistically using other sources of energy along with solar, you can get by using much less wattage daily from your solar system. I have asked so many solar people about recommending a system based on what people use… None of them want to commit to an answer. The truth is, only you will determine within a comfortable range, your solar needs… And that is ok because we have you covered! Solar systems should be modular, and easy to add to as your needs change, or, when you realize you want more power… However, just being able to link more battery power into a system does not make your system entirely modular. Rather, you want to have the capacity to run multiple inverters, inverters being the things that convert power into your current.
Many portable systems are great and can be added onto, but a stand alone system, with separate batteries, controls, and inverters are much better for long term usage. We have an entry level system, on up to a substantial system, that will run a dwelling, all the way up to a light commercial system. All of these systems can be upgraded through and through… We can access your needs and make a recommendation to you. Ultimately your system can grow with you as you settle in.
Portable solar systems are better for their intended purpose than trying to use them as a central system. Some portable battery systems have an intended use capable of overlapping, thus making them an excellent part of a solar system. Dewalt has a battery charger that can also act as a generator able to generate over 3000 watts. This allows one to use tools with larger amp batteries and, in a pinch, have an emergency source of power for an appliance like a refrigerator. In my opinion having a battery charger that allows me to run decent power tools, and can also be used as a small generator is a great asset to an off grid system because of the overlapping utility. Think about it, if your going to have a battery charger, why not have it assume the most functionality, the most bang for the buck.
You will find yourself pleasantly surprised at what you can run when you have options! Lets review how our system parameters should look…
Stand alone lights regenerate automatically. They can light your paths and even your interior. Propane and gas can keep you warm and light your stove. It can run your generator. When you get your well, get a pump with a solar attachment. You can now expect your solar system to provide for microwaves, coffee makers, televisions, air conditioning, etc. Clean sine wave energy is necessary for internet and computers… One has an option to run this off of solar (our equipment will be checked for proper clean sine wave energy), but in a pinch one can buy smaller battery chargers that charge off of panels for this power. Tools can be run off of solar, through batteries, or plug in. The Dewalt system, is a possible alternative allowing one to have a great charger with a dual purpose of also providing another back up.
Hopefully you can see how these systems all overlap and give you layers of protection as opposed to simply depending on the grid, if one even has such an option.