For folks Off-grid: how in your house do you daily use phone? & computer?

ines871
ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

Do you have Solar panels for harvesting the sun's energy, or what? Thanks for sharing what & how you do.

Comments

  • tammyrichardsmt9
    tammyrichardsmt9 Posts: 109 ✭✭✭

    When we were off grid we charged our cell phones and computer in the car. We did not have internet.

    I know many people who have solar systems that allow them to.charge phones, computers, etc. and use a refrigerator and such. It depends on your solar set-up.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @tammyrichardsmt9 Thanks for responding. Saying "when we were..." does that mean Now you are back on the Grid ? Not sure so just asking.

    A good friend, just moved, had a Solar set-up where he could use Both, & sell his extra power back to the Utility-company. - so Paul suggested I ask our Utility company about this, as it also comes with Federal rebates. - But horrors!! - Not only did they say "NO, we refuse to participate". The very next week they FORCED on us a dang "smart"-meter that has caused additional health-challenges, so that is yet another reason to motivate us moving... as far away as we can reasonably. -

    Also, I remain humble from ignorance about many subjects, incldg. all things SOLAR. Would anybody care to enlighten, please. It may well also help others...

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Does anyone use Solar panels for harvesting the sun's energy?

    The only need is for a freezer, & Landline phone & hardwired computer.

    Thanks for sharing what & how you do.

  • tammyrichardsmt9
    tammyrichardsmt9 Posts: 109 ✭✭✭

    We lived 6 months in an Amish house. We are on the grid now...

  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin

    Following. This is an interesting topic! :)

  • hmsadmin
    hmsadmin Posts: 123 admin

    Truck repairs and maintenance have delayed my solar plans.. But I hope to be my own little, rolling solar farm by next summer.

    I'm still doing tons of research and as with all plans, things could change by then, but I'm aiming for 400-600watts in panels, and 600 or so usable Watt hours in the battery bank. This should allow me to run almost any appliance I have (except the AC), my computer, and other small equipment for my internet hotspot near constantly and reliably, even with some cloudy days factored in.

    A setup like this should let me be "off grid", and still able to work from anywhere (as long as I have cell signal at least - there is always that layer of the "grid" that I can't shake lol).

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi @jodienancarrow - Thank you, especially for listing what equipment is needed aside the Solar panels: Inverter + gell batteries + back-up generator. May I ask you further questions, please.

    re Pump: what do you mean?

    LPG-gas ?

    What is the initial expense of each of these components ?

    Breakage aside, How often do any of these machines usually need to be replaced?

    Thank you for Enlightening me, the electrical simpleton, lol

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    Sure rainbow, we just replaced our whole solar setup, new inverter, new gell batteries, solar panels plus installation, for approx $35,000. Batteries are the most expensive component almost $20,000. They have a life of 20 yrs if you look after them. Inverter approx $8,000 and should last a lifetime. Solar panels are now 50% more efficient than the older version and should last a lifetime, also we got a govt rebate on those. So now we have a 10.2kw system, an upgrade from a 2.5kw that was replaced. That's a really substantial solar array to run our property. Remembering this is in aussie dollars. We harvest our rain water into tanks and then pump that water up a hill to another couple of tanks, which is then gravity fed to the house. I only ever pump(water pump) on sunny days, so that way our solar setup is not under pressure. We have a water bore, if I need to pump from that, only on a sunny day, you get the picture. LPG, liquid petroleum gas, is what we use for our stove and cooktop. Hope this helps. Happy to answer any other questions.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jodienancarrow - Thank you for engaging this subject matter, with speedy answers.

    Honestly, for like a year have tried to make tails or heads about Solar matters, - but remained comfuzled = my way of saying am confused), so when you said at the end "you get the picture", I said to myself "Actually, no".

    I think it just boils down to experience... so while teaching with my friend Paul next week, I'm going to ask him to DRAW me pictures... of how his ROOF Set-up worked. oh, & btw on 15/08/2019 the $35,000 AUS, was about $24000 US. Um, obviously people with Solar-systems have financial resources FAR higher than most of the global population.

    Relevant question: How Small a system would be needed/Adequate to Solar-power... a freezer, a Landline phone & hardwired computer reliably ?

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    Yep experience and I'm still learning all the time. I have the installer of our system to contact when I need to, he is most wonderful. He even installed a wifi setup so you can see what the system is doing even if you're not on the property, via an app on the phone! We have a hut on another part of the property with 1 solar panel on the roof and 1 small deep cell battery that runs a water pump and 2 light bulbs inside the hut a very cheap simple system.

    At our house this is a very simple version of what happens. Basically the solar panels extract the sunlight and the inverter converts to AC power for domestic use, charging the batteries along the way. The batteries are a bank of stored power, so at night or during cloudy weather you are sourcing power from the batteries. Once the sun is out the batteries are charging. We like to go into every night with 100% charge. By morning that charge has gone down to roughly 85%. Then the next morning by about 11am, if its sunny, the batteries are back to 100%. So then I use the water pump, or bore because the system is fully charged and the watts provided run the equipment. Like I said earlier you have to work with it. Use electricity when the sun shines. If you only want to run a freezer, computer and little else then you wouldn't need a big expensive setup. You need your panels to face north for maximum exposure, you might only need 6 panels and 4/6 batteries plus inverter. Speak to a local qualified solar installer, they should come to your place and explain and answer any questions you have.

  • camper_01
    camper_01 Posts: 2

    About 5 years ago I bought a small solar generator, I have forgotten about using it to charge items such as my laptop or phone, guess what I am going to do this evening! plug in my phone and/or laptop into the generator.

    Kevin

  • John
    John Posts: 3 ✭✭✭

     Hmmm … . Thought I’d follow on from some knowledgeable earlier comments. We’ve been off-grid these seven years ‘up-country’ in the Sangre de Cristo Mts. of Northern New Mexico. Local electric co-op was problematic so we said ‘adios’.

      Having worked as a tech in the solar field, just went on the internet and found American top-rated equipment suppliers—interestingly, were mainly sourced from the Pacific Northwest region. Bought new, high-caliber flooded-acid batteries, four 6 volt 400 amp-hour units in series to get 24 volts, which were downstream from three 280 watt 24 VDC PV solar modules, those being freight-shipped from Home Depot, and were wired parallel. Solar MPPT controller (auto-adjusts the solar energy input to match battery levels), and a pure sine wave 4000 watt inverter/battery charger wired into the battery bank, and the 120-240VAC output runs the <2K square foot homestead lodge; deep-well pump, and small shop—just like it was in the suburbs. New Mexico high elevation sunshine can exceed the rated solar constant so the 3.5 kWh daily harvest of sun-powered juice is ‘good & plenty’. Our LPG bulk tank runs the propane/gasoline dual-fuel gen-set, feeding into the lodge when snowstorm and excessive in-laws are part of the equation. The initial hardware was about $7000, including shipping & handling, and our electrician buddy bartered the hook-up for food—mainly pizza. The ‘return-on-investment (ROI) was maybe 4-5 years with this set-up. Mid-speed internet, VOIP telephone, computer feeds come in over low-power non-licensed ‘Air Fiber’ network which serves the mountain/forest areas from 25 miles away, as cell phones don’t really operate here. So, a semblance of modern living is possible … .

    John; Elder Statesman

  • mchapin1307
    mchapin1307 Posts: 1

    We are 48v DC. 48vForklift battery. A/C mini splits, Frig, ceiling fans, lights all 48v DC. Washing machine, Dishwasher are AC. Dryer and hot water heater are propane at this time. You can get a cable that is used to power a laptop on a fork lift. In my case a 48v, which lowers voltage to match your computer. Use the computer to charge the cell phone.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi @John Thank you for sharing your expertise as a "Solar field Teach, - Undoubtedly many here know exactly what you are talking about with your equipment: " Having worked as a tech in the solar field, just went on the internet and found American top-rated equipment suppliers—interestingly, were mainly sourced from the Pacific Northwest region. Bought new, high-caliber flooded-acid batteries, four 6 volt 400 amp-hour units in series to get 24 volts, which were downstream from three 280 watt 24 VDC PV solar modules, those being freight-shipped from Home Depot, and were wired parallel. Solar MPPT controller (auto-adjusts the solar energy input to match battery levels), and a pure sine wave 4000 watt inverter/battery charger wired into the battery bank, and the 120-240VAC output runs the <2K square foot homestead lodge; deep-well pump, and small shop—just like it was in the suburbs. New Mexico high elevation sunshine can exceed the rated solar constant so the 3.5 kWh daily harvest of sun-powered juice is ‘good & plenty’. Our LPG bulk tank runs the propane/gasoline dual-fuel gen-set, feeding into the lodge when snowstorm and excessive in-laws are part of the equation. The initial hardware was about $7000, including shipping & handling, and our electrician buddy bartered the hook-up for food—mainly pizza. The ‘return-on-investment (ROI) was maybe 4-5 years with this set-up. Mid-speed internet, VOIP telephone, computer feeds come in over low-power non-licensed ‘Air Fiber’ network which serves the mountain/forest areas from 25 miles away, as cell phones don’t really operate here. So, a semblance of modern living is possible … . "

    Including the fact that am perpetually overwhelmed, plus I started this discussion hopeful I can build on my negligible awareness about this subject, I have read & Reread your very Informational post 3x, - & believe it or not I know a little bit about VOIP, lol

    Would you post who Specifically the "American top-rated equipment suppliers mainly sourced from the Pacific Northwest region" are?

    Anyway, thank you.

  • John
    John Posts: 3 ✭✭✭

    Hello Rainbow,

    As you wrote:

    *****************************

    Would you post who Specifically the "American top-rated equipment suppliers mainly sourced from the Pacific Northwest region" are?

    *****************************

    Well, it's going back a bit in time, however reviewing our records here, thought to suggest one 'Fire Mountain Solar' as a recommended private vendor of the equipment that we did business with. Why so? Fire Mountain was a family biz, working with technical competence; fair pricing; and ethical standards that comported with our own business protocols. You'll find them at www.firemountainsolar.com; open a dialog with them regarding one's needs; get some direction; and consider their materials and packages. Again, their familiarity with the high-caliber, but affordable , American resources that are excellently engineered; quality components; knowledgeable tech-support; reliable warranties; yeah, all the right stuff.

    We've been at it here these seven years, of course, and I've actually left on assignment in the last year for both 2 and 4 months stints on end, leaving this system to 'hum along' on it's own without any montitoring—how's that for a set-up? Anyways, try 'em out.

    Best,

    John; 'Elder Statesman'

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi again John, Thank you for giving this recommendation. - From their site https://www.firemountainsolar.com/learn-more/grid-tie-basics/#1 : They write very plainly so even Electrical simpletons like me, can follow along. However, on that page they say that being Connected to both the grid, & solar is Best.

    Most likely they will want to communicate with folks that can actually Afford to have a Solar system installed this/next year, & with extreme budgeting we are just scraping by. But I'd like to think we can do this in the future, you know Hope springs eternal...

    Would you be so kind as to Address other questions, it would be greatly appreciated.

    1.There are 3 5G cell-towers within 150 feet of our home. (The only reason there are none closer, is because the Electric co-op has their power-lines under ground). When the other town's cell towers get turned on, is that crap (for lack of a better word) going to Interfere... with any Solar system ? - And IF so, since they plan to Blanket the entire earth with no less 20,000 high frequency radiation emitting satellites, will Any solar system be dependably operational anywhere ?

    2.Knowing increasingly people are EMF-hypersensitive, the Electric co-op forced on us a 'smart'-meter; & they not only refuse to give us our thrice safe & trouble-free Analog meter back, they also refuse to do any “net metering” after Solar power is installed. In that case how could the Solar system "pay for itself" ?

    3.Both Underground wiring, plus the 'smart'-meter: heard that Insurance companies will NO longer insure such properties, in case of FIRE caused by the 'smart'-meter, which has happened all over the globe, like the 100's of 'smart'-meters that simultaneously ! exploded !! in Stockton, California in 2015. Does the Solar Warranty cover such well known & increasing crimes too ?

    4.a house Metal roof is most likely the BEST Shielding against satanic intermediate plans. Does that translate to a metal vehicle too? - iow while driving & struck by the military Beam-forming equipment, are people going to be safe inside a car, let alone while driving ? - This question concerns people with a Solar-system mounted on top of their vehicle, because said vehicle IS their "home".

    Would you please Address these 4 questions? Thank you very much.

  • silvertipgrizz
    silvertipgrizz Posts: 1,990 ✭✭✭✭✭

    New to this thread. Lots to read and anxious to get started. Thanks rainbow for passing this info on.

  • ines871
    ines871 Posts: 1,283 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2019

    am glad you will find the voices of First-hand experience from especially "John; Elder Statesman" in this discussion, @silvertipgrizz

  • bcabrobin
    bcabrobin Posts: 251 ✭✭✭

    We just got the hand held solor, looks like a thick cellphone. They charge cell phones and the ad says computors. We'll let you know after Christmas how they work for everyone.

  • chimboodle04
    chimboodle04 Posts: 286 ✭✭✭

    One of the long term goals for our small, suburban homestead is to move towards being more energy efficient and less dependent on the local power grid. After looking into the various power sources, we believe that solar is the way to go for us. We have recently fixed all remaining problems with our roof (where the system will need to be installed) and are now finally ready to take this next step, but we are complete novices when it comes to alternate power systems. I do know that we will not create enough power to completely cover our needs, so we will need to remain hooked to the grid for those times. So, where do we start???? The amount of info and options seem dizzying.... Any advice, experiences, suggestions, things to watch out for, etc would be most welcome! Thank you in advance :)

  • solarnoon.aspen
    solarnoon.aspen Posts: 219 ✭✭✭

    We are in the Rocky Mountains in Canada and are 'off the grid'. We checked data before we decided to do this and it assured us that we could have enough energy to run our household using solar. We cannot use microhydro or wind, as both are virtually non-existant on our land. We have both AC and DC wiring in our buildings. The AC is for popular/usual electric things you buy for kitchen, battery recharging etc. But the main and important things like freezers (four), fridge, lights are all wired in the DC side. Using DC for essentials saves some energy by it not having to be inverted to AC and it means we can turn off the inverter at night and sleep without emfs.

    We have since hit reality, though. Whereas we were hoping to be independent and truly off the grid, it seems that winters here are very foggy and our backup propane generator is in daily use. NOt only that, because of the recent surge of summer forest fires, dense smoke blocks the sun significantly, and our water pump, which we absolutely run lots for our rather large gardens, uses so much power that we are also now using back up generator power in the summer!

    We are of two minds. We like to be off grid, rarely even aware of the blackouts that our neighbours endure. We would always want to use solar and have batteries ready for grid failure. The cost to be grid-tied would be significant - $20-30,000. However, there are certain things that, if it weren't so darn expensive, make it attractive. First, instead of using propane to back up our batteries, the power cos here are based on hydro, not a bad source. Our batteries would last much longer if we were grid tied. If we ever could afford to purchase an electric car, we could charge it whereas now, we could not.

  • RhondaBusby
    RhondaBusby Posts: 22 ✭✭✭

    Love this thread! So helpful:)

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    We are off grid for many years. We have a Honda 2000EU generator. We use it to charge our batteries most of the year as we have long, dark winters. We do have 4 solar panels and a charger and inverter system. We keep things to a minimum most of the time. Use LED light bulb. We are able to run our TV, a desktop and a laptop computer, our lights and when the generator is running and batteries are charged we can plug our freezer in as well. No refrigerator to deal with. Not ideal but when it is dark most of the time in the winter, Well, it works for us.