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Yavapai

(825 posts)
11. Our solar array is just about the same size as our travel trailer.
Thu Mar 14, 2013, 12:13 PM
Mar 2013

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.

That is a brilliant graphic. Damn. byronius Mar 2013 #1
i dig your profile pic. is that Abbie Hoffman? garybeck Mar 2013 #3
Yes indeed, sir, mine as well. byronius Mar 2013 #18
ever see "steal this movie?" garybeck Mar 2013 #32
Many times. Read every book he's written over and over. byronius Mar 2013 #45
Well, the oil companies wouldn't approve. Octafish Mar 2013 #2
I thought Obama was going to put them back on green for victory Mar 2013 #36
No, you heard them. Octafish Mar 2013 #38
Corporate America... 99Forever Mar 2013 #4
How big would it have to be to replace all of our natural gas and petrolium use? tridim Mar 2013 #5
that is another story because garybeck Mar 2013 #8
I'll bite. After the energy is generated how do you move it to the rest of the country 1-Old-Man Mar 2013 #6
the graphic just shows the area required for production. in reality garybeck Mar 2013 #9
Fiber optic cables? Shankapotomus Mar 2013 #10
i'm not aware of fiber optics carrying power. I thought it was data. garybeck Mar 2013 #12
I'm pretty sure fiber cables Shankapotomus Mar 2013 #16
yup. I don't think that translates well to moving large amounts of power garybeck Mar 2013 #17
You don't need to move the electricity Shankapotomus Mar 2013 #19
Germany has managed to figure it out green for victory Mar 2013 #33
No. We are too close to fusion to put THAT much into solar. Occulus Mar 2013 #7
Just so I understand a bit about fusion, dreampunk Mar 2013 #21
Our solar array is just about the same size as our travel trailer. Yavapai Mar 2013 #11
very cool. you're doing it the "old school" way garybeck Mar 2013 #13
well, we could have the grid brought to our property, for just $152,000 :-] Yavapai Mar 2013 #14
and that's why the solar market has skyrocketed in the last 10 years garybeck Mar 2013 #15
We just contracted for a 6kw PV system. SeattleVet Mar 2013 #20
THANKS SEATTLE VET dreampunk Mar 2013 #25
Sounds like a nice outfit, but dreampunk Mar 2013 #23
grid tie is cheaper, not more expensive garybeck Mar 2013 #31
Storage and transmission are still the big roadblocks to this pediatricmedic Mar 2013 #22
and just think how many jobs would be created NewJeffCT Mar 2013 #24
Right? DITTO stuntcat Mar 2013 #40
A little idea from India. ChazInAz Mar 2013 #26
I've always thought the oil companies and Govs Lobo27 Mar 2013 #27
GREAT DISCUSSION THREAD! dreampunk Mar 2013 #28
Imagine if everyone's taxes went up by 0.5% to create and maintain a national solar-electric system. SamReynolds Mar 2013 #29
Spain gets 35% from renewables and they say for every dollar they spend on it garybeck Mar 2013 #30
Olmedilla de Alarcón is quite impressive green for victory Mar 2013 #34
not necessary if trillions of dollars weren't spent bombing and invading other countries green for victory Mar 2013 #35
Doesn't work out cheaper for those with long money and they call the plays. TheKentuckian Mar 2013 #41
I imagine that it might work out for them. SamReynolds Mar 2013 #42
I don't disagree it would be a boon to the overall economy but when cost come out of taxes TheKentuckian Mar 2013 #43
"Least able to shoulder it" SamReynolds Mar 2013 #44
K & R Quantess Mar 2013 #37
If we hadn't invested so ridiculously much in fossil fuels and made them so powerful, stuntcat Mar 2013 #39
Yet all they want to promote is nukes Generic Other Mar 2013 #46
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