I built the Lair with a failed electrical system in mind – it was one of the few things I got right from the start.
An off-grid solar power system is like a boat in one sense: It is a hole into which one throws money. I have carefully observed the dealings of several neighbors, and this seems to be an invariable constant. Solar power systems need a lot of upkeep, including occasional large infusions of money.
If you happen to have access to large amounts of money, this is annoying but not a big problem. Like our Dear Leader, you have a pen and a telephone. You can write large checks, and you can call the service guys. Your life is good.
If you’re a penniless hermit living on an economic wing and a prayer (or, really, even if you’re not) I suggest a different approach.
I’m writing this longhand at six in the morning, by the light of Plan B.
Thanks to a generous and remarkable donation I received only yesterday, which is a subject for a later post, I actually have all the money I need to fix my little power system in fine style. But that doesn’t change the fact that the parts I need are 60 or 70 miles away, and I’m here. I have that metaphorical pen, but no telephone.
My usual approach to the problem is to sleep through it – just stay in bed till the sky is light. This particular morning, the boys didn’t cooperate with that. The morning is too far advanced to bother going back to bed, so here I am. Light the fire, start some coffee, and fire up Plan B.
To do it right I had to go out in the cold. Last June it got so hot that the kerosene lamps started outgassing and stinking the place up, so all but one got exiled to the powershed. I emptied and cleaned that one, and used it for nothing but decor. Of course with the failure of my batteries it’s long since refilled, but I never bothered bringing in any others. Live and learn – here’s Joel scuttling around in the cold dark, washing lamps and schlepping kerosene. I do have lots of kerosene.
Here’s a practical aside for anybody choosing to go that route: It turned out there was a problem getting kerosene. It’s not as available as it used to be. Not many people use it for lighting or heating any more. And what’s out there is ridiculously expensive – like $10 a gallon. Cheaper to stock up on flashlight batteries. But just about any town has a little airport, and most of them sell jet fuel. And jet fuel is kerosene. This scribbled post is brought to you through the benefit of jet fuel A. 🙂
I have to admit that most of my neighbors take a completely different approach to Plan B, in the form of gasoline- or propane-powered generators. I’ll further admit that right now I wish I had, too. But I do have reasons for avoiding them for this purpose.
First and most important, I just hate them. For the first year and a half I lived out here, I worked in a small engine shop and spent a lot of time up to my elbows in all the things that can go wrong with cheap (or even not so cheap) small generators. They’re noisy, and I love the quiet.
Which is not to suggest that they’re bad in every case. My neighbors who depend on them have greater power needs than I do, like for pumping water. They also have access to dependable transportation for moving fuel, and they can afford the fuel. And sometimes you need a generator and nothing else will do, like at a construction site.
But they’re still noisy.
So I avoid the damned things, but for other people they’re a practical back-up – NOT alternative – to solar.
I’ve met people who planned to use generators instead of wind or solar. It never ended well for them.
“Two is one, one is none,” goes the clichĂ©. For the management of essential resources, it’s a good rule.
In a pinch you can just use diesel too.
I’m gonna assume that you know all this already,so this is not a lecture,but a co-miseration (is that a word?).
When you moved off grid,you essentially went back in time-gladly,I think.So,it seems to me that you willingly accepted that life would be harder sometimes,in exchange for life being generally happier,and freer.In spite of your hardships,I’m still jealous of those attributes of off-grid life,and I think some of your readers are ,too.Keep calm,and look at the bright side.
On the subject of generators,I know they can be a pain in the ass,but here’s one good trade off-on cloudy days or at night,while your gennie is lighting the cabin,it could be charging the batteries at the same time,for free.
All that’s true, Bill.
I wasn’t really bitching (well, maybe a little.) Just pointing out some of the realities.
I’ve been slowly replacing all the bulbs in my favorite old flashlights with LED bulbs ($2.88 each at WallyWorld). Battery life is measured in days-great for summer power outages when you don’t want the heat. Kerosene or candles are great for winter, when you don’t mind a little extra heat.
Two jobs ago, the work bays were heated with by a salamander that ran on anything kerosene-y…diesel, kerosene, jet fuel A( aren’t some jet fuels a gasoline/kerosene mix?). In winter, we “guess-thinned” diesel fuel with jet fuel for the diesel snow removal equipment.
I second Goober. I use a Knipko-style shop heater and fuel it with diesel laced with a careful amount of gasoline, about a half-cup to the gallon. The same stuff goes in my kero lanterns. It still stinks, but not nearly so bad.
A few years ago, on the ‘Otherpower’ website, I believe, there were plans for making a 12v generator out of a car alternator & a lawn mower type motor. The nice part is that it can top off batteries and/or run directly into a system, w/inverter, or not.
Doesn’t have to run @ 3600 rpm either- just lopes along according to the load, so it’s quieter (& cheaper to run).
Might be worth a check out as Plan B2.
Never thought I’d see the day that Jet A was the cheap alternative! Gonna have to remember that one, thanks…
If you make friends with the mechanics at the airport you can sometimes get JET A for free. A certain amount is drained off for water checks etc. and goes in a waste drum. In some places it costs the company to get it disposed of or re-refined so they will give it away. Lots of aircraft mechanics drive VW Golf diesels, or diesel trucks or something similar and run them on waste JET A (sometimes a bit of tweaking is required, sometimes not.
Have you seen the UVPaqlite products ? Glowstick technology with lifetime use. Recharges from any light source (sun, flashlights, ambiant light) pretty much anything that emits light. I’ve used mine for over a year and am pretty happy with them. For SMALL spaces, works well (think bedroom). Not a heater, simply light source. Have not tried the MatLite, the flatter UV mylar envelopes are great.
It basically gets you around without tripping over stuff you can’t see – I think for off-grid use, definitely has some possibilities.
My forth option for cabin lighting are a couple of kerosene lamps. Number 3 is led lanterns. Cost a few bucks and run almost forever on some D cells. Number 2 are propane lights hard plumbed onto the walls. The best come from French Canada.
Life off-grid – At least is ain’t boring.