littleharbor2
Solar Addict
That's gotta be frustrating.
Do You Ever Regret Going Off Grid?
- Thread starter Solarcabin Channel
- Start date
We are all electric in our manufactured home. We increased our electrical efficiancy first. Our old bill this time of year would be around the $200 /month. Now about $120-$130. Adding smart switches so can turn things off to get rid of parasitic draw. Anyway we have decreased our usage so that a single Outback 8048A should handle our usage no problem. Lots of people here with great ideas on how to become more efficiant without having to give anything up. In keeping with the thread we are not off grid. Yet. Heading that way asatwwlm. (As soon as the wife will let me.)
Unfortunately I don't have a grid to fall back on. I've trimmed down everything to a minimum. Turned off the fridge, etc. I average around 70 W in the daytime, and completely turned off at night.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Wow! impressive.
My inverter idle is nearly that much - each.
Spoiled with my grid connection remaining available as needed Nov - Dec and week or two in January, then the solar is good again.
pollenface
Solar Addict
My own regret is being on a budget
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
There is a great deal of truth to Conservation is far cheaper than Generation & Storage. I use on average between 3.5-4.0 kWh per day year round and I live up near Algonquin Park Ontario, remote & rural.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Yeah I was too, until I smashed that darn budget into a thousand pieces...now a few other aspects of my life are on a budget instead!
Cuemaker
New Member
I went into my solar project with a little different perspective.
I'm asked a lot by friends & family; how long will it take to pay for itself?
I don't care if it ever pays for itself with saving from the power company.
My goal is to be able to operate my house on solar when I get too old to work.
While I'm working & able to build a big enough power grid to do the job & all paid for is good enough for us.
After we retire a ZERO electric bill will go a long way stretching that monthly check!
I'm asked a lot by friends & family; how long will it take to pay for itself?
I don't care if it ever pays for itself with saving from the power company.
My goal is to be able to operate my house on solar when I get too old to work.
While I'm working & able to build a big enough power grid to do the job & all paid for is good enough for us.
After we retire a ZERO electric bill will go a long way stretching that monthly check!
But I have wondered, do they create, atleast some, themselves?
Is this including inverter consumption?
Ain't it the truth. ?
Love this... agreed ?. Mine was paid for & then some the moment I switched it on vs just the initial cost to connect to grid ($55k). Everything else is icing for the next 20 years...especially in a retirement, semi-retirement & fixed scenario. In my mind, better to pay upfront than to have a lifetime of indentured servitude. ?
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Since there is a little light on the switch, yes it does. I haven't checked to see if even that goes out when turned off. Good question.
Yes. A Victron Phoenix 24/375 99% of the time. I specifically got it because of the very low idle power of just 6.1W. And a 3kW Sungold inverter when I need more power. That one is approx 70 W idle power.
But it is not fair to compare me with other people because I live in very unusual conditions. I live alone in a small cabin that's only 35 m2 in size. In the winter time, I only run the ceiling lights (10 W), the heat circulation pump (7 W) my computer (40 W?), my phone (2W?). The total is usually between 55 W and 70 W on my power meter. Then the well water pump for 20 seconds every two hours or so. I don't live this way by choice, but because we have so little sunlight up here in the winter, and I can't afford to expand my current system right now. Summer is the total opposite. Then I have extreme amounts of surplus energy.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Haha, the way I have been reading posts here the last few weeks, it might actually be true!Headline:
"DIY Solar Forum consumes 60% of Swedish man's total energy"
LFP batteries coming from China soon (Luyuan) very soon. Then I can up my daily energy budget substantially. It will still be modest to most people though.
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
ROFLMAO, much like Bjorn, I live in a self-designed, self-built, hyper efficient "small home". Now the efficiency is a tad "extreme" some might say as my walls & roof have Solid Foam Insulation and yes, I got carried away. But here's the rub, I use between 3.5-4.0 kWh per day, year round, and it is only 120VAC, no 240VAC Split-Phase here (yet). By end of Feb, I will have 1680AH/43kWh battery bank (10 days full reserve).
My Samlex EVO Inverter has a No Load Standby of 5W (suspended state), or 8W in power save mode (active) and only 25W consumption when inverting, otherwise 11W consumption if ON - Inverteing but Idle. I never bother with Eco or Powersave modes.
My Samlex EVO Inverter has a No Load Standby of 5W (suspended state), or 8W in power save mode (active) and only 25W consumption when inverting, otherwise 11W consumption if ON - Inverteing but Idle. I never bother with Eco or Powersave modes.
OffGridForGood
Catch, make or grow everything you can.
Nice! I have been a total DIY-battery builder addict since my first one. Nothing wrong with a modest system, do what makes sense for you, and your situation.Haha, the way I have been reading posts here the last few weeks, it might actually be true!
LFP batteries coming from China soon (Luyuan) very soon. Then I can up my daily energy budget substantially. It will still be modest to most people though.
you guys are inspirational, I only wish I had the guts to cut my utility-cord...but then wow, November!
My business and home both rely on my system, and if I didn't have the utilty to charge up the ESS during Nov-Dec I would be using a generator, at high cost (fuel and environmental) plus now we have one EV, so better for me and the climate to use Ontario Hydro, they are mostly non-carbon.
I think the three of us are all on wood heating fuel - I cut the propane cord nearly 20-years ago!.
More Solar Panels in 2024 for me, I will try to get to the level of indepenance you guys have. Will take time.
