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Thread: "guesstimate" of simple system

  1. #1
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    "guesstimate" of simple system

    Looking for some very general costs on what it might be to get some minimal power to operate say a fridge, freezer, stove (? Energy pig I know), and such by solar power. I know it can be a skys the limit thing but someone here likely has done it reasonable and right w/o securing a mortgage to do so. lol

    Just playing around with numbers here - the bride would like some rough ideas as to what we might need to budget for. Helps us in getting a time frame or general window ahead.
    Any recs on reading mats - the fuser screen is hard on my eyes for days on end here. I love books.....something about the feel of them
    Thanks for any and all info

  2. #2
    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
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    Answer: How big is a ball of string?

    Get a subscription to "Home Power" magazine. The beauty of alternative power is that you can start off as cheaply as you have to and add on. There is more than one way to power a stove and solar power is not it. Lights, computers, even a clothes washer are certain candidates and there are ways to solar power the fridge and freezer also. Living off grid is a process but it is doable and it is fun. We did it for years.

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    Yeah the neat thing about solar Panels it's one of the few things that have gotten way cheaper the bad part is batteries have doubled in price

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    Thanks - will pick up the Home Power sub soon as I can locate it then.
    I been hearing the cost per watt has really been dropping. Didn't realize the battery thing was up and up

    We have the ability to access a power line - at a $18K cost to get it just to building site. That's kinda why I was searching for a rough guesstimate - the closest neighbor down the way is having a long line run in to their place next month and it might be more cost effective for him-us if we piggybacked in with him. So I was just looking at attempting to get a feel which way was the way to go cost wise.
    nothing in life is cheap --- just looking for ways to make this dream happen sooner as the age thing is being felt. lol

  5. #5
    LHBA Member loghousenut's Avatar
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    Gonna live there forever? It is much easier to sell a property that is connected to power lines. There are plenty of folks who are looking for a place to live that is remote enough to have no power. There are many more people who are willing to put their life's savings into a home that will accommodate a toaster.

    My point is that if you are selling and moving on in 5 years, the extra $20,000 or so for grid power will probably seem like chump change to the folks who want to sell their place in San Jose to buy your little chunk of paradise. If you are building a home to die in you oughta power it however you want to and love it for your own reasons.

    In the real world $18,000 is not a rare cost to run power from the main road to the nearest corner of a remote piece of ground. It is not the end of the spending either.

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    LHBA Member rocklock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LogLover View Post
    the closest neighbor down the way is having a long line run in to their place next month
    I believe the power company will want to use the same line if possible. I used my neighbors line (rather the power company owns the line and spliced into their own line.) and I paid a prorated cost of the line to the splice, which part was returned to my neighbor, plus the cost of a transformer and concrete pad, plus the cost of installation. Total was about 5K. I only own the line leading to the transformer, the rest is owned by the power company.
    Dave
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    LHBA Member rreidnauer's Avatar
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    You say "stove" LogLover. Do you mean electric range with an off-grid solar application? If so, huge problem. Anything which heats with electric is too hungry to justify cost of equipment needed to power it.

    If you want a real scare, dig up your electric bills and find the Kwhs for every month last year, and your location. I'll work up a a cost sheet for your current consumption. I think I've shocked a few people in the past. (Never even got a thank you from one person I worked up the numbers for)
    All my bad forum habits I learned from LHN

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    Okay - so now I will have to re-sell the bride on this being a relative "low cost" affair. Maybe if I can find free logs, free labor and free everything else .... lol
    In this area power outages are fairly common in the winter and sometimes srping during storms. Somein area have said they've been down 2-3 weeks a year as the utility companies in northern MN get sent to more populated areas to the south when storms hit. I still think (chaaaaching) solar will have a place in this whole thing - as a backup if nothing else. Maybe I'll bite the dust and get it put in to lot and then work thru a cheaper "emergency" solar back up. The area is not viable for wind nor water options.
    There's so stinkin' much material to read on solar ..... if only I was mega wealthy I'd hire all out and sip a cold one in the background

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    LHBA Member edkemper's Avatar
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    Loglover,

    The cost of a back-up generator would likely be far cheaper for those times when the power goes down. Just a thought.
    edkemper

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    Yea by about a factor of five

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