What It's Like

Would you be able to live in a solar-powered home? The answer to that question is a bit complicated. I would sum it up this way - if your needs are great, you’ll need a large system to make you happy. If you’re prepared to be frugal with the energy use, say by hanging your clothes on the line and converting most of the loads to propane, then you’ll do well with a much smaller system. Either way there are accommodations to make.

With our setup life is pretty normal if a little different. The house is wired conventionally. It looks just like any other inside, with the exception of the power-system equipment installed in the garage. We can never forget that it's an off-grid home though, because the system wouldn't work if we were careless. If you’ve read the previous sections you know that the house is well equipped. But we have to use common sense. Anything that isn’t being used gets turned off. If the battery charge is partly depleted then we leave the clothes washing, dishwashing, etc. either until the next day or until the generator is being run. There are switches on some of the appliances to minimize idle draw, so an extra step is required when using those appliances. If the house is cooling off then the procedure is to put on a sweater rather than run to the thermostat. If the hot-water supply is down then we have to consider putting off that hot bath until the next day, otherwise there might not be any hot water for the coming days if they're also cloudy. After a while I found myself able to predict fairly closely what the overnight energy use was. And I got a good feel for how much energy  the system can supply on any given day based on the cloud cover and wind. So most mornings I know the status of the system before I even look at the meter. If I feel that the system status is such that any deficit will not be recovered by the following day, then I start the generator and run it for whatever time I think will put things back in balance. Starting the generator is as easy as walking up to it and flipping the switch, although even that function can be automated if desired. Fueling the generator is also painless, we use a marine tank with a quick disconnect fitting. The tank can be rolled to the car and slid inside. It’s one extra step to fill it up when needed at the same time the car gets re-fueled. We're down to filling that tank up a couple times a year though since we sometimes go for many months without needing the generator. It's required about perhaps 20 days per year, usually about three hours of running each time. The normal daily (usually overnight) discharge of the batteries varies between about 0 and 300 Ah, but tends to run about 120Ah. Normal production from the PV and wind generators combined, which we're generally able to use fully, varies between about 10 and 20 kWh.

I’m sure you get the overall idea, there's no real suffering, but no chance to forget that things are different here. And that leads to the next topic.

Running Your Own Power Company

In the past, those who utilized these power systems tended to be tinkerers, often by necessity. But now that the hardware has matured enough to be more user-friendly, it’s much easier to get into the game. So it seems like more people who are completely unfamiliar with the technology are setting up shop. There’s nothing wrong with that, in fact we didn’t know a thing about the stuff when we started either. I think that any person with common sense can handle the hardware, although those who have an inkling about Ohm’s law will have a head start. Perhaps the hardware will soon be able to phone the factory, allowing remote diagnosis and correction of problems. Until then, how can you assess your own ability to learn this stuff? Think of it this way, if you’ve never set the clock on your VCR because you found it a bother, then you won’t find this hardware any easier. But if you do decide to take the plunge, be sure to include a proper system-monitoring device and plan on spending some time learning to use it. Otherwise, motivated or not, you may never really understand your system. There's plenty of help available, including dozens of excellent web sites. And just about any question you might ask will get an answer before long on one of the many forums.

I should also mention that many of my comments don't apply to grid-connected systems. Such systems are much simpler, some don't even use storage batteries. Owners of such systems may only need enough knowledge to call a contractor to arrange the installation.

Sunday Drivers and Other Visitors

When purchasing this land we knew to expect some eyesores on nearby properties, so we weren't surprised when it happened. Some people think nothing of putting unlimited piles of junk on display. Since there's another privately owned section just below us in our view shed, there's the potential for even more visual blight. Our solution was to site our house so that we can’t see that section. This means that even though our building can be seen from some thirty miles away, once you get within about two miles it disappears from view until you get right up close. Some Sunday drivers therefore don’t see it until they’re in our front yard. They drive right past all the signs thinking that no one knows they’re trespassing, and then are shocked when they end up on our doorstep. Usually they tear off once they realize their mistake. I’ve chased a few down to find out what they’re up to. They tend to be embarrassed, defensive, and defiant, but seldom apologetic.

We used to keep the gate open most of the time in case of unexpected (welcome) visitors, which didn't help with the problem. But one day while we were away a couple on horseback rode around the closed gate and all the signs, and helped themselves to a tour of our project. I got to talk to them later, and they were two of the most ignorant people I’ve ever met. Now we generally keep the gate closed even when we're home.

The other pain in the butt we have to suffer are the so-called "hunters". There are just enough deer in the area to rationalize a limited archery-only hunt. By putting in a road we've made it easy for camo-dressed characters, who rarely leave their vehicles, to get up the mountain. Now, stalking a deer in this open country would be pretty difficult and time consuming even if you were willing to work at it. So if you don’t intend to get out of your truck, how are you going to kill a deer with a bow and arrow? Easy, if no one’s looking you just use the rifle you’re also carrying (legal for small game of course), and presto, you’re "hunting". When I’ve had a chance to talk to them I used to explain that there are damn few deer here, and that it would be nice to keep them. In so many other areas the deer have been effectively wiped out. But one guy told me that he’d be happy to kill the very last one and that he hoped to get the chance to do it. So now I just tell them that if I hear any shooting I’ll be down to check it out. This takes all the fun out of it for them. Still, these pea-brains ignore the no-trespassing, no-hunting signs in addition to throwing their empties out the window while "hunting".

It cracks us up to read about the "wilderness experience" of hunting. To some people this seems to mean riding down a graded road in a pickup, munching on fast food, drinking beer and looking for an easy shot. I know it’s not like this everywhere, most hunters are allegedly good people. But you couldn't prove that by us since we seem to be in a location that invites the worst types. Fortunately, it’s only for a few weeks each year, and the problem has lessened considerably as word gets around about the grump up the hill.  ;-)

What all this adds up to is that at some times of the year freeloaders are putting a lot more wear and tear on the road than we do. It's especially grating to have to pick up their trash. So keep our experience in mind if you're looking at purchasing vacant land. It’s just a fact of life that many have no respect for private property. You may need fencing and signs in areas where you would least expect it.

Back:  Solar power (page 4 of 4)       Next:  More livability (page 2 of 2)