Feast or Famine, The off grid solar dilemma.

[SamDeleted]

my spring has 80 ft of Head by the time the water gets down to my tank and fixture manifold..I figured out that was high enough to give me about 35 to 40 psi …I didn’t know the math as some of you do but I knew it felt right when using it…thanks for validating my sence of feel.

Have you go a hydro turbine on it ?

 

[JeepHammer]

Up here in the sticks , we call it “ Head” ….as in Head pressure”
my spring has 80 ft of Head by the time the water gets down to my tank and fixture manifold..I figured out that was high enough to give me about 35 to 40 psi …I didn’t know the math as some of you do but I knew it felt right when using it…thanks for validating my sence of feel.

volumes of water or “ width of water “ can assist in gpm of flow at a given pressure.depending on opening area , but highth of water determines preasure ..
A very old Raccoon taught me this years ago, so I KNOW it’s so…. He wouldn’t lie to me..

I WISH I had running water.
24/7/365 power.

I tried wind, just didn't have enough volume to do any real production.

The only time wind worked for me was during storms when sun was shy.

 

[billt1827]

If you want to calculate how much height of water to psi simply use .434psi/ft. Ex. 10ft is 4.34psi By and large you want about 25psi to operate toilets and provide a reasonable flow rate from fixtures. This equates to 57.6 ft elevation above outlet point.

It's easier in metric. 10m head = 1bar.

 

[JRH]

Have you go a hydro turbine on it ?

Nawww most folks up here frown on anything other than baseball caps or farmer hats….?…

 

[Mattb4]

It's easier in metric. 10m head = 1bar.

Nah, nothing is easier in metric. Bars are where you go when you need a drink.

 

[JRH]

Nah, nothing is easier in metric. Bars are where you go when you need a drink.

metric bites…….it’s un American ..yea .yea… that’s it … …the devils work..

 

[Crowz]

I WISH I had running water.
24/7/365 power.

I tried wind, just didn't have enough volume to do any real production.

The only time wind worked for me was during storms when sun was shy.

I was just about to try hydro at the old house when I bought the new house.

I had a very small stream that ran thru the property with a 600 foot distance off the mountain. It was a small drop total but 600 foot distance it would of traveled inside the pipe. I was looking forward to the experiment. After all of the stuff I saw online hydro looked very promising.

 

[Rocksnsalt]

Is it realistic to just do without during difficult times? People did get by without electricity at all and not that long ago.

And a lot of people didn’t have running water - or toilets that flush to a sewer or septic system not that long ago.
Many on earth still don’t.

Neither of those situations is ideal or desirable to most though…
And more so if you’ve had.

 

[JRH]

And a lot of people didn’t have running water - or toilets that flush to a sewer or septic system not that long ago.
Many on earth still don’t.

Neither of those situations is ideal or desirable to most though…
And moreso if you’ve had.

The best teacher in life of what you really need to have is to have nothing…

 

[time2roll]

And a lot of people didn’t have running water - or toilets that flush to a sewer or septic system not that long ago.
Many on earth still don’t.

Neither of those situations is ideal or desirable to most though…
And moreso if you’ve had.

Yes that is part of my point. And with a battery of water the toilet flushes, no electric needed. Having electric is not always the end all solution.
Yes the convenience of the bidet heater may not function for a few days.

Same for heat as a wall furnace that many use today needs no electric.

 

[Rocksnsalt]

Ok let us all know when you disconnect your on or off grid power, water, and start using a hole in the ground for your bathroom. Oh and don’t forget the internet.
?

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

6 years in on solar and I am totally at the feast stage. even in the winter. I have been trying to figure out a dump load into a really large water heater. as in the several thousand gallon type. but still trying to figure out a controller that i can use to trigger a relqay with. i want one that runs on either 48dc or 120ac. one that I can read the battery voltage with and hen it gets to 54.4 volts turn on the water heating elements. let it run until the voltage drops to say 54dc and shut off the elements. i have the tank and insulation figured out as well as what to use the hot water for. just have not figured out the control circuits. I am not good with things like raspberry PI or the other offerings, though several members wee willing to do the coding portion. its just not my style unfortunately. i would nearly need a person to hand walk me through that. where as if i find the right voltage reading controller it would be easy with a magnetic switch. i did find a voltage reading relay just have not had the chance to test it out. maybe this is the year.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

hey I have a Xantrex SW+5548 sitting idle (my last inverter) and am pondering to keep or sell

keep as a backup.. some things never die.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Sounds like we had similar careers prior to civilian life.

yeah its ankles and back for me... my knees somehow managed to survive the abuse. one or two too many shocks on the back and the VA is pathetic these days.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

What do you consider a real winter?

-13c on average...-23c on bad days.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Wife and I are still not decided on our next stove. We have an induction countertop unit we use some now and it works GREAT. Heats very fast and isn't a power hog like the electric eyes on the stove we have right now.

So its either gas or induction topped stove next just haven't decided yet.

propane whirlpool... only big energy is using the oven it uses a hot element that sucks some juice...

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

My home base, including heat-pump hot water is significantly higher than 5-6kwh/day. The hot water alone is 150kwh/month (summer) to 200kwh/month (winter) which is (175kwh / 30days) is 5.8kwh/day. Running around 15-20kwh/day for a range of nice things.

The only regular heat/cool option I have is a high efficiency, forced-air, heat-pump for 2600sq ft, 1997 construction, pretty good insulation and I'm in a Zone 4 climate. Got estimates for wood burning stove but between city permits and house design (no good place for stove or exhaust) it was getting into $10-15K level. In a full disaster, the plan is to use kersone + propane for minimum temps (to keep house functional) and hang out in the trailer for full warmth

Here's the heat pump kwhs by month over the last couple of years..... As you say, heat is the main issue. With 14kwh PV array I've been as low as only 300kwh of useable power in December when I need at least 1500kwh to maintain a 70-74F modern level of living.
View attachment 150389
8 months are perfectly doable. It's Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb that are difficult and would need 250-300 panels (instead of 48) to get enough solar for December.

my mind is boggled at how much power some people use. (not bad mouthing) how many square feet? I am at 900 square feet and get by on 6400 watts of solar and 40kwH of battery bank. thats with all led lights. A fridge, a freezer and a sewage pump, are all on 24-7. shop and other aemneties are off and on as needed. but no bigscreen and interent is a cell phone wifihotspot into the TV etc. washer is a japanese 4kg unit, but no dryer at this time. hot water is on demand propane, as is stove and oven. i have 1600 on a west facing wall so I don't eally figure that in except for dead of winter for a total of 8k

 

[JeepHammer]

yeah its ankles and back for me... my knees somehow managed to survive the abuse. one or two too many shocks on the back and the VA is pathetic these days.

Don't get me started on the VA...

The VA wouldn't do my back surgery, said "No GUARINTEE Of Medical Improvment".

So I begged & borrowed until I could afford it myself, got my legs about 60% back, got out of the wheelchair, and they cut my disability rating.

I must have looked a damn fool digging from a wheelchair...

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Don't get me started on the VA...

The VA wouldn't do my back surgery, said "No GUARINTEE Of Medical Improvment".

So I begged & borrowed until I could afford it myself, got my legs about 60% back, got out of the wheelchair, and they cut my disability rating.

I must have looked a damn fool digging from a wheelchair...

Yokosuka VA office is a bunch of contractors that suck up to officers... they try to pawn off the rest of us down to Okinawa to get us to drop our claims... pretty shitty, I am lucky to have Japanese insurance which is actually better than what USNH Yokosuka offers... but it still sucks.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

I have found a larger battery bank while running smaller PV array actually works best.

The larger battery bank gets the system thru the lean periods of cloudy days, non existent PV. It's unusual to get 4 straight days without some yield.

When the sun is shining, the "excess" generated is for recharging the larger bank. Once you have a bank that can cover 4 or 5 days of minimum loads (no electric dryer-we use one, no dishwasher), then it makes it much easier. It is simple loads management.

I have yet to run my battery bank down below 30%.


Like I said, 4 to 5 days in reserve from the battery bank will get a system thru low periods of yield.

i am currently at 4-5 days of battery with no/poor solar at my skimpy use... but once i retire completely I am sure things will change.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

one thing I will add, i heat with wood, and dry most 90% of our clothes hung over the wood stove... it dries them fast, but we have had one or two accidents of shit falling off of a hanger and getting melted onto the wood stove... clothes pins have fixed that issue but it is a concern.

 

[JeepHammer]

i am currently at 4-5 days of battery with no/poor solar at my skimpy use... but once i retire completely I am sure things will change.

Try that with lead/acid...

I'm Lithium for a reason. They don't care if you don't ever get them to 100% SOC and last longer/less danger if you leave some head room.

I'm WAY over battery now and adding more. (Got a deal on cells)

Weather fronts here never last for more than 3 days, and we always have several good days afterwards, so let the gain charge after the fronts... I'd recommend 3 days minimum to anyone.

Figures now that panel prices per Watt came down after I paneled up for lead/acid (100% SOC every day, even in winter) batteries that just don't care came along... and of course they are the expensive part...

Mr. Murphy's law strictly enforced at my place, I think the bastard is hiding in the weeds around here...

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Ah the Ghosts of countertop cookers past. The waffle maker, deep fat fryer and electric griddle saw much use in their time but eventually were tossed out as no longer fitting my diet or household population of 1. More dubious use cookers such as the hard boiled egg maker, Brat cooker, the rather odd clam shell toasted cheese sandwich thingy, and some weird others that elude my mind at the moment, have also come and gone.

Those are just the plug in cookers, I am not counting all the other stuff like coffee makers, blenders, slicers (it slices, it dices, it even juliennes) that populate the countertop, drawers and storage areas.

ETA: I forgot the crock pot. It has not been tossed out but it has faded into the rarely used category.

Try that with lead/acid...

I'm Lithium for a reason. They don't care if you don't ever get them to 100% SOC and last longer/less danger if you leave some head room.

I'm WAY over battery now and adding more. (Got a deal on cells)

Weather fronts here never last for more than 3 days, and we always have several good days afterwards, so let the gain charge after the fronts... I'd recommend 3 days minimum to anyone.

Figures now that panel prices per Watt came down after I paneled up for lead/acid (100% SOC every day, even in winter) batteries that just don't care came along... and of course they are the expensive part...

Mr. Murphy's law strictly enforced at my place, I think the bastard is hiding in the weeds around here...

yeah I was up paneling due to my AGM bank dyeing then switched to lifepo4. with lithium my system is overpaneled as the batteries charge up to almost full without slowing down... then at the last minute they slow down so I get to full charge even on slow production days.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Ah the Ghosts of countertop cookers past. ETA: I forgot the crock pot. It has not been tossed out but it has faded into the rarely used category.

no no no.. the crockpot is essential in the summer when I am not running a wood stove... so much tasty goodness....

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Puny little foreigners with their puny little cars and homes.

Ha ha ha F350 Turbo Diesel Dualie.... in Japan Godzilla Cometh.