I really do have to sit down and finish that book. But let me just take this opportunity to say how much I love my going-on-a-year-old electrical system. It’s tiny; two 170-watt panels and two 186-amp six-volt batteries, a 4500-watt inverter scavenged from an RV. But it works so delightfully well, given my modest needs.
The past two days have been terrible, solar-power wise. Yesterday’s morning cloud cover caught me napping, and I had to finish an article and have been enjoying an ebook I’d never read before so the laptop and modem ran pretty much non-stop through all my waking hours yesterday and the day before. Today until just now I gave the system a break, but today has heavy cloud cover so I wasn’t expecting much from the panels. Even so, right about one in the afternoon the charge controller indicator started blinking, which means it’s done bulk-charging the batteries. That is outstanding. If I were using 12-volt batteries I don’t believe I’d hesitate to add a third to the system. Since I’ve got six-volt batteries I’d have to add two, and that would probably not be outstanding anymore. But when/if I replace these, I’m going to shoot for bigger batteries. Then, after seeing how long it takes the panels to charge them, I might even risk the purchase of a small refrigerator.
On sunny days, the panels will easily keep up with a full load requirement from the cabin: I can run my toys and still charge the batteries. On a day like today, or of course at night, if I’m using the ‘pooter or using an electric appliance in the kitchen it’s running pretty much solely on the batteries. But I can do that well into the wee hours if I want to without apparently stressing the batteries at all. This is such a massive improvement from the Lair’s first attempt at a power system, I can barely express it. It’s been going since September, and I’m still wondrously in love.
A couple of months ago I grew so bold as to bring home a cheap electric mixer, which speeds up baking a lot, and so far I’ve had no reason to regret it. I’m becoming positively decadent.
Hell, you’ve still got room for two more panels up top still.
Just think of the possibilities!
Excellent you’re still working on the book – I seem to remember you mentioning that the book is a little short. Please consider adding some factoids about plumbing and sewage for your humble home.
Yes, *pokepoke* about the book! WRM and I (well, more me really) are awaiting the finished version with grabby hands, cackling “Gimme, gimme!” lol.
I am seriously hankering to cut out my stupid, idiotic, dumb, greedy (did I mention stupid??) electricity-monopoly-government. Grrr.
Plans are moving forward with my rocket-mass-stove/heater for the “backyard porch entertainment” 😀