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When you see threads relating to solar energy and off grid setups, the most common question that seems to come up is something like this-
"How much power would I need to run XX?"
The first thing we need to look at is what we can do to REDUCE electrical needs.
The biggest "draws" in most conventional houses are the electric water heater, the electric stove and the electric heat. Any time you use electricity to produce heat, whether it's for a hot shower or a blow dryer after it, expect it to use a lot of electricity.
Getting these systems off of conventional AC is the best way you can reduce your needs and thereby reduce the cost of your AE system. Even with the decrease in price on solar over the last couple years, it's still foolish to attempt to run an electric water heater, stove or central heat with AC.
So what to do?
Options for the water heater include an LP gas water heater or solar. For most folks the easiest change out route would likely be an LP gas water heater. The other reason to go this route is because you'll likely be looking at a gas stove also.
For the stove/oven your choices include LP gas and wood. To keep things more to what we were used to- and help resale value of the house if we ever did sell (something to always consider), we went with a standard LP stove that for the most part looks just like a conventional electric stove.
The stove and water heater both work off the same tank. We have went almost 3 years between fill ups.
If you buy LP gas, BUY not lease your tank. The gas company will want to tell you it's cheaper to lease (fleece?) and it will be initially. However the catch with that is when you lease the tank from them, you can only buy gas from them. So you end up getting charged $.20 to as much as $.50 MORE per gallon because you can't shop around. In other words, Feral Gas won't fill a tank that has an ABC Gas sticker on it.
Also, at $10-20. a month to "lease" a few years will pay for the tank. Further, when you lease it's just like having power lines come on to your property, you have given a "right of way" and they legally can have 24/7 access to your property. Avoid that if you can.
Finally is the heating situation. We went with wood for heat and as a backup for cooking. Initially we bought two wood stoves thinking that we would need them both. But for the size of the house, the one stove in the living room heats the whole house well.
These are different than a conventional fireplace wherein most of your heat goes up the chimney.
The changes I mentioned above can be either done retroactively to your existing house without too much problems, or they can be incorporated into new construction.
With these changes in place, you CAN live quite comfortably off of 1,600 watts of solar in a good sun area. We lived on 1,600 watts for a decade like this.
It's just like with our finances, if we reduce the needs (expenses) we have less we have to bring in (income) to come out ahead.
Good luck!
Lowdown3
"How much power would I need to run XX?"
The first thing we need to look at is what we can do to REDUCE electrical needs.
The biggest "draws" in most conventional houses are the electric water heater, the electric stove and the electric heat. Any time you use electricity to produce heat, whether it's for a hot shower or a blow dryer after it, expect it to use a lot of electricity.
Getting these systems off of conventional AC is the best way you can reduce your needs and thereby reduce the cost of your AE system. Even with the decrease in price on solar over the last couple years, it's still foolish to attempt to run an electric water heater, stove or central heat with AC.
So what to do?
Options for the water heater include an LP gas water heater or solar. For most folks the easiest change out route would likely be an LP gas water heater. The other reason to go this route is because you'll likely be looking at a gas stove also.
For the stove/oven your choices include LP gas and wood. To keep things more to what we were used to- and help resale value of the house if we ever did sell (something to always consider), we went with a standard LP stove that for the most part looks just like a conventional electric stove.
The stove and water heater both work off the same tank. We have went almost 3 years between fill ups.
If you buy LP gas, BUY not lease your tank. The gas company will want to tell you it's cheaper to lease (fleece?) and it will be initially. However the catch with that is when you lease the tank from them, you can only buy gas from them. So you end up getting charged $.20 to as much as $.50 MORE per gallon because you can't shop around. In other words, Feral Gas won't fill a tank that has an ABC Gas sticker on it.
Also, at $10-20. a month to "lease" a few years will pay for the tank. Further, when you lease it's just like having power lines come on to your property, you have given a "right of way" and they legally can have 24/7 access to your property. Avoid that if you can.
Finally is the heating situation. We went with wood for heat and as a backup for cooking. Initially we bought two wood stoves thinking that we would need them both. But for the size of the house, the one stove in the living room heats the whole house well.
These are different than a conventional fireplace wherein most of your heat goes up the chimney.
The changes I mentioned above can be either done retroactively to your existing house without too much problems, or they can be incorporated into new construction.
With these changes in place, you CAN live quite comfortably off of 1,600 watts of solar in a good sun area. We lived on 1,600 watts for a decade like this.
It's just like with our finances, if we reduce the needs (expenses) we have less we have to bring in (income) to come out ahead.
Good luck!
Lowdown3
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