General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: A solar graphic that says a lot! [View all]Yavapai
(825 posts)And it supplies enough to pump all of our water from a 550 foot deep well, supply all our house needs and fills our battery bank to make it through the night. We decided to not install wind generators due to maintenance costs because they have moving parts and were only warrenteed for three years. Our solar panels have warranties for 25 years.
On sunny days our batteries are fully charged by noon and they are automaticly stopped to not over charge these batteries. On really cold winter days, we use a 1500 watt electric hear for a couple hour in the morning. To help heat the house. During the summer we use a 3500 cubic feet water cooler most of the day to cool the house to comfort and we still have enough power for the batteries.
The largest expense now, is the battery bank to be replaced every 5 to 7 years. Storage for night use is where the technology needs to improve to make it truly cost effective solution for every home.
The post office recently required us to bring in an utility bill to prove our residency to qualify for a free PO box and we could not do it because we don't have any utility bills. They finally accepted our property tax record and all is well. Nine years living off grid is just fine for us and we don't have to look at any electric wires and we have enough free water to make our summer garden grow. The only thing we miss is the jacuzzi, because it would take $10,000 to power and heat it.