Comments on: Take your spare room off-grid http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/ Solar power, wind power, water power, inverters, free stuff, Solar panels, Wind turbines, Hydro power, Biomass, Microgeneration, Fuel Cells, Environment, Rainwater, Resilience, Survival, Bushcraft, affordable homes, eco-Architecture, Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:07:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: skeptic http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-62881 skeptic Wed, 25 Apr 2007 19:08:44 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/2007/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-62881 Allright bastards, you censored my post about your naive idea about batteries lasting 40 years. Now I know all that's on your web is crap and you are worthless little nazis. Allright bastards, you censored my post about your naive idea about batteries lasting 40 years. Now I know all that’s on your web is crap and you are worthless little nazis.

]]> By: skeptic http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-56960 skeptic Sat, 21 Apr 2007 15:38:23 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/2007/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-56960 Another thing to factor in that optimistic payback time: The most expensive item, the batteries, won't last 40 years. You'll have to buy another set at least twice in 40 years. Another thing to factor in that optimistic payback time: The most expensive item, the batteries, won’t last 40 years. You’ll have to buy another set at least twice in 40 years.

]]> By: gordondalton http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-22902 gordondalton Sun, 28 Jan 2007 22:32:07 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/2007/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-22902 First time iv see a start to finish exercise on building a renewable system from scratch . I will be saving the page for future reference! First time iv see a start to finish exercise on building a renewable system from scratch . I will be saving the page for future reference!

]]> By: bigvid http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-8100 bigvid Thu, 23 Feb 2006 17:27:53 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/2007/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-8100 I have done a similar thing in an effort to start "going green" I started by getting a UNI-SOLAR US-64 64 watt panel because I just had to get something. I could run a 4" muffin fan and that was neat but then I decided I wanted to be able to charge a battery. I got a deep cycle marine battery and then realized it was already charged so I still had nothing to charge. I decided I could use the 12 volt Malibu lawn lights that the previous owner left at the house as a load so I made a light sensor that works on 12VDC to run the lights and hooked them to my battery. I added a 12VDC Malibu spot to the system to shine on my American flag at night also. I had a working system. My main goal is to get off oil so I am trying hard to make heat. I made a couple of solar air heating boxes. Piped them into the house and garage with 6" flexible insulated heating duct. I put a draft blocker used in dryer and bathroom vent systems in the intake to act like a check valve and stop reverse thermosiphoning at night and a couple of 12VDC fans to suck air through the box and blow it into the basement or garage. I made a little circuit that runs on 12VDC for each of the boxes that compares the temp in the box to the temp in the space to be heated and turns on the fans when the box is hotter than the space using power from the battery. The other day I was sucking 56 degree air off the basement floor into the box outside where it was cold and then back into the house and my output high temp for the day was 88 degrees. The fans do about 100CFM. All powered by the sun. I have provided my website address in case you want to check it out. My next goal is to add a windmill to the system to help charge the battery because it always seems to be windy when it's not sunny. That is all for now. http://home.comcast.net/~bigvid I have done a similar thing in an effort to start “going green” I started by getting a UNI-SOLAR US-64 64 watt panel because I just had to get something. I could run a 4″ muffin fan and that was neat but then I decided I wanted to be able to charge a battery. I got a deep cycle marine battery and then realized it was already charged so I still had nothing to charge. I decided I could use the 12 volt Malibu lawn lights that the previous owner left at the house as a load so I made a light sensor that works on 12VDC to run the lights and hooked them to my battery. I added a 12VDC Malibu spot to the system to shine on my American flag at night also. I had a working system. My main goal is to get off oil so I am trying hard to make heat. I made a couple of solar air heating boxes. Piped them into the house and garage with 6″ flexible insulated heating duct. I put a draft blocker used in dryer and bathroom vent systems in the intake to act like a check valve and stop reverse thermosiphoning at night and a couple of 12VDC fans to suck air through the box and blow it into the basement or garage. I made a little circuit that runs on 12VDC for each of the boxes that compares the temp in the box to the temp in the space to be heated and turns on the fans when the box is hotter than the space using power from the battery. The other day I was sucking 56 degree air off the basement floor into the box outside where it was cold and then back into the house and my output high temp for the day was 88 degrees. The fans do about 100CFM. All powered by the sun. I have provided my website address in case you want to check it out. My next goal is to add a windmill to the system to help charge the battery because it always seems to be windy when it’s not sunny.
That is all for now.
http://home.comcast.net/~bigvid

]]> By: jahs http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-5470 jahs Wed, 20 Jul 2005 13:57:07 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/2007/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-5470 I think your financial calculations are over simplified. You're ignoring the role of interest rates, which are essential to any serious discussion of 'payback times'. This is because you could have taken your $1300, invested it in a savings account or bond and offset the interest payments against your electric bills. In your case, you annually save $0.09 * 365 = $32.85. This corresponds to an interest rate of only 2.5% on your $1300. If you can invest your money at a better rate than this, then you're actually *losing* money by going off-grid. If you're doing this for environmental reasons, you might be better off switching to a 'greener' supplier, something like ecotricity.co.uk, as they can at least benefit from economies of scale. I think your financial calculations are over simplified. You’re ignoring the role of interest rates, which are essential to any serious discussion of ‘payback times’. This is because you could have taken your $1300, invested it in a savings account or bond and offset the interest payments against your electric bills.

In your case, you annually save $0.09 * 365 = $32.85. This corresponds to an interest rate of only 2.5% on your $1300. If you can invest your money at a better rate than this, then you’re actually *losing* money by going off-grid.

If you’re doing this for environmental reasons, you might be better off switching to a ‘greener’ supplier, something like ecotricity.co.uk, as they can at least benefit from economies of scale.

]]> By: rmorley http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-5468 rmorley Mon, 11 Jul 2005 10:07:48 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/2007/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-5468 I am all for getting off-grid but the numbers above are off a bit. Here in St. Louis we pay only 5 cents per KWH so payback is 120 years. I'd like to know what the expected lifetime of the off-grid components is. Which one will fail first? Thanks for a thoughtful article. I am all for getting off-grid but the numbers above are off a bit. Here in St. Louis we pay only 5 cents per KWH so payback is 120 years. I’d like to know what the expected lifetime of the off-grid components is. Which one will fail first?
Thanks for a thoughtful article.

]]> By: nsl http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-5440 nsl Sat, 07 May 2005 08:47:06 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/2007/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-5440 This is a great article. I know my visitors could use this information. Going off-grid can be scary doing it all at once. This is a great article. I know my visitors could use this information. Going off-grid can be scary doing it all at once.

]]> By: Gloria Bloore http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-4864 Gloria Bloore Sun, 20 Feb 2005 17:55:24 +0000 http://www.off-grid.net/2007/03/27/take-one-room-off-grid/#comment-4864 Thank you for giving formulas in language the technologically challenged can understand!! I am going to figure out my household needs asap. Thank you for giving formulas in language the technologically challenged can understand!! I am going to figure out my household needs asap.

]]>