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solar power

Budget solar install

I love seeing how other people do their solar systems, especially those who create and maintain their systems on a shoestring budget, which is how we do things around here.

A quick search on YouTube for solar power netted this video called “Solar Power on a Budget”, sounds like my kind of system. This is a good way for most folk to start out, learning as you go, building and enlarging as needed, replacing what isn’t working with something that works better.

These 4 videos show the transformation from a very simple starter system, so a more expansive system.


https://youtu.be/MksP1SnBr5M


https://youtu.be/GRayQpxpzsg


https://youtu.be/1hjmjQeqyy4


https://youtu.be/AvcgW8uz6js




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Sizing your solar, batteries and inverter

Thanks to Dustin Real for this video just added to our YouTube Channel. His solar power video is a complete solar power primer and explains to people how to size each component of their system; batteries, PV array size, charge controller and inverter.

Its full of really practical tips on what kit to buy when setting up your Solar array, and how much to spend.

Dustin and his wife recently quit their careers, moved to the country, started new jobs and an off-grid life.

They are living in a pole barn, camper/military tent right now while they build their home.

Dustin built a water catchment system and off-grid solar power system so far.

Dustin says: “I am not a solar power guy by trade so much of what I learned was from multiple sources on youtube, rv forums, off-grid forums and trial and error by my brother and I. This video should help people build a small/medium off-grid solar system step by step.”

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Community

Mobile, stealthy, off-grid, vandweller

amv01
I think I got all the descriptive words covered there in the title, I am talking about Brian, also known as AdventureVanMan on YouTube. In his late 30s, single and hard working, he became disillusioned with life as he was living it and decided it was time to make a change.

Brian left his 2 bedroom apartment, sold most of his possessions, bought a cargo van and began living a life that makes him smile. He designed the inside of his cargo van to be simple, almost spartan, but it’s genius is useability and functionality. He lives in town, using a gym membership and friends & family for showering and other bathroom functions, so he doesn’t need a shower or major toilet system, he does have a backup toilet just in case, but doesn’t use it for the most part. All he really needs is a place to sleep and hang out when he’s not working.

Brian, being nowhere near retirement age, still works, so during the week, he stealth parks near where he works to save on fuel and time, on the weekends, he stays closer to the ocean in California, where he can catch a wave when he wants to, or just wake up to a beautiful sunrise glinting off the water.

I really appreciate his solar system setup, he put a lot of thought into it, utilizing the roof of his van to mount a RENOGY 100 Watt solar panel, he is able to tilt it to catch more sun, he uses two 6 volt deep cycle batteries wired together to make a 12 volt system, he uses a small inverter to power his laptop and other goodies, he also has some items hooked up directly to his batteries (12 volt goodies) so he isn’t losing power by converting from 12 volt to 110 watt. Some might deem to call Brian “homeless”, I don’t think that is the case, I feel like he made a reasonable and responsible decision to downsize and simplify his life, he wasn’t forced onto the streets, he chose to live this way.

You can view more about his solar system here:

You can learn more about Brian here
https://adventurevanman.wordpress.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/TrueBypassTheory/




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Community

Solar powered pyramid

Pyramid power

Ever see an off-grid pyramid? Well you are about to. This is the video story of Greg Grant, who began his off-grid existence slow and small.

He didn’t put a lot of money into his project. What he had was land, lots of natural materials, a great bunch of talented and helpful friends, and a unique vision. He chose to make his off-grid home out of short straw-bale walls, but with a steeply pitched, pyramid shaped roof.

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Energy

Utilities enter the Death Spiral

offthegridnews,eric valli, utilitiesElectricity and water rates are set to rise sharply because so many households and business are now generating their own power and managing their own water supply. The Utility company fixed costs are not going to change however many people close their accounts and go it alone. So those costs have to be paid by a shrinking pool of consumers.
Utility executives even have a name for the nightmare scenario which more and more solar panels, or boreholes or wind turbines could create – they call it the “death spiral.”They fear solar’s rapid spread across homes and businesses, combined with the increasing efficiency of modern buildings and appliances, could slowly erode the utilities’ ability to generate profits.

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UK solar homes pass 500,000

Recent data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) shows that nearly 460,000 homes across the UK have solar panels installed, and that does not include off-grid homes, since these do not show up in official stats.

The data was released recently by DECC and published on the website of the Solar Trade Association (STA). It represents a combined peak capacity of 1.3GW, making domestic solar the largest sub-sector of the solar market.

The popularity of solar in the UK has largely resulted from huge subsidies that have now been scaled back. The result of intensive lobbying by the green movement, it has made a few companies super-profits and further enriched some wealthy householders, but done little to decarbonise Britain.

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Energy

Energy from neighbors, not utilities

A new study reported by Northwest Public Radio has found a growing trend for small wind turbines in the USA. These are mostly single turbines in people’s backyards, on farms, or supplementing power for businesses.

Meanwhile in China, Xinhua reported yesterday that the government is forcing power companies to provide consultancy and acceptance for individuals setting up small wind turbines and help connect them to the grid.

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Solar Charge Controllers

If you have a simple off-grid setup with just one panel or even a few solar panels and several batteries, the other vital ingredient is a charge controller that regulates the power going from the panel to the battery and shuts off power input when the batteries are fully charged.

This makes the process of running your own power station almost maintenance free.

When you are starting up its best to buy a medium-priced controller so that you can add a few panels and batteries to the mix before having to upgrade. The HQRP 20A Solar Panel Battery Charge Controller / Regulator 12V / 24V 20 Amp 300W with PWM Type of Charging retails at under $50 on Amazon.

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Grid can’t handle mass solar

Further evidence in favor of Micro-grids and against the so-called Smart Grid.

The runaway take-up of rooftop solar panels in Australia has undermined the electricity supply system, feeding so much power back into the network that it is causing voltage rises that could damage household devices such as computers and televisions. This means we should either rewire every home and every street, to suit the convenience of the big Utility companies, or rethink the way the nation’s energy delivery is organised. What applies to Australia is true elsewhere in the world.

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