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> Please explain how, in an off-the-grid application, you would recover
> that elecricity from the pumped water ...
I wasn't clear. Sorry. Pumping the water using electricity from solar that you are not using to power the a/c or whatever, is like storing it in a battery, only more efficient.
If you would ordinarily save some electricity in a battery for nighttime use and use the generator to pump water, you would be more efficient by pumping using the solar electricity and using the generator for power at night.
Charging and discharging a battery involves some power loss.
Theoretically, you could pump the water into a tower and run a generator with that, but it would be nuts, so I won't go there.
More efficient still, would be to be ON THE GRID and just buy the friggin' power from the utility and stop being such a weinie about it. It's ironic that people go out to the virgin desert and tear it up and live tens of miles from the grocery store so have to buy hundreds more gallons of gasoline than they otherwise would to "live green" and OFF THE GRID way out in the boonies. Buying electricity from an efficient utility uses less energy than using a generator and produces less pollution. Far less.
> Still, I would find it unlikely that you would even half-power the typical
> home ... with solar.
It doesn't matter. Every kWh you produce with your panels is a kWh that you are not spending any more money on buying it from the utility. That's why I laugh at suburban dwellers who talk about getting "off the grid." If your electricity bill goes from $400/month to $100/month that's like earning an extra $500+ that month from your job.
There are many books available on this topic. Some make sense, some don't.
On the question of noise the Lister diesels run at 600 RPM and, if properly muffled on the intake and exhaust, the loudest sound apparently is the fuel injector pump "clicking". I agree with the idea of hooking up to the grid if economically feasible.
Hi, this thread has been very useful. Can you reply to alemley1@gmail.com to send me the name of an informed realtor? I am looking at early retirement in the area and off grid living sounds a little scary but a lot good for the soul. I am not a very handy person and it is just me and my dogs, but in my experience when you get a concentration of people in an area that are interested in something, part-time help is usually available for actual work and there is an abundance of good advice based on experience. I am anxious to leave now but realistically I need to get my current house ready to sell and get it sold so I hope to spend the next several months educating myself about what is involved in off grid living. I am good company for myself but I don't want to live so far from people and a coffee shop that I feel too isolated. Your ideas, encouragement, and even cautions would be most welcome. Thanks in advance for your help.
Hi, this thread has been very useful. I am looking at early retirement and am very intrigued by off grid solar living. I am not very handy, though. Coming from a desk job and except for the two large dogs, by myself. However, it has been my experience that when you get a concentration of people interested and passionate about something, you can get great experience based advice from them, and might even find some labor for barter or cash. I don't want to be so far from people I get cabin fever, but I am comfortable with my own company, generally. How handy do you have to be to live in an off grid place, and aside from the initial capital investment and mortgage (and extra wear and tear on transportation, it seems) what kind of extra or unexpected expenses do I need to worry about? From my reading, solar panels are still improving all the time, but they are also still expensive to upgrade. practically speaking, and with the climate near Santa Fe in mind, what kind of life expectancy for solar panels are we talking about? longer than average, shorter than average, about what the manufacturer says to expect? thanks in advance for your words of advice, even words of caution. I appreciate all feedback.
Off-grid solar is still expensive electricity. Like ~$.50+/kw-hr when you figure up the life-cycle cost. Batteries are a big expense... generator, inverters and other electronics, installation, etc. And it will require some maintenance. But it's very doable if you cut your use of electricity. Yes, you actually can get by fine on less than 20% of the electricity that an average home uses... at least I know I can.
Would living in the boonies off-grid be a good choice for you? I'd say that if you love isolation and quiet, aren't afraid of the dark, like being self sufficient, and need/want little if any social contact it would be great. You may not be handy now, but you will need to learn how to take care of your stuff. Can't always call someone. If you are poor, that is even more important.
Another thing about being off-grid is water. I'd be fine with catching rain water and having a truck come out occasionally, but most people would want a well. Be sure to check on what that will cost... sometimes it's a lot, and sometimes you just can't find any worthwhile (poor flow and/or poor quality).
Hi, this thread has been very useful. Can you reply to alemley1@gmail.com to send me the name of an informed realtor? I am looking at early retirement in the area and off grid living sounds a little scary but a lot good for the soul. I am not a very handy person and it is just me and my dogs, but in my experience when you get a concentration of people in an area that are interested in something, part-time help is usually available for actual work and there is an abundance of good advice based on experience. I am anxious to leave now but realistically I need to get my current house ready to sell and get it sold so I hope to spend the next several months educating myself about what is involved in off grid living. I am good company for myself but I don't want to live so far from people and a coffee shop that I feel too isolated. Your ideas, encouragement, and even cautions would be most welcome. Thanks in advance for your help.
I am not aware of many "Off The Grid" homes in Madrid... Perhaps a distance from the actual town limits. Just two I can recall, there is a lot of open space around there, and it seems a bit pricey. You might read this thread: Off the Grid you might search on Google.com for: Madrid NM off the grid
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 02-25-2013 at 08:50 PM..
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