Off Grid Energy Sources

[TC-P]

I apologise in advance if not the place to ask. I am trying to decide if I should invest in solar energy. I am also looking at heat pumps, sand battery and having my chiminies fixed for wood burning.

My main concern is that my house is reliant on electric for lighting and operating all home goods whilst my heating is reliant on gas.

I just think I can not put off transitioning off any further. I would like some ideas on pros and cons for each.

Thank you in advance.

 

[888Flux]

Don't dox yourself but the practicality of solar is going to largely depend on a lot of factors like your climate, latitude, and region. Home solar installs all come down to economy of scale. Most of the time unless there are subsidies /incentives in place it isn't worth it.

I would like to mention that home solar is NOT an off-grid energy solution. In most residential setups, it's an adjunct to the existing grid. Solar is great on a small scale and certainly a viable option for something like powering electronics but rarely in most cases works in a whole-home setting as something entirely disconnected to the grid.

I have one of these: https://www.renogy.com/products/400w-lightweight-portable-solar-suitcase and use it for car camping + MPPT to charge a 100 Amp hour battery I use with an inverter. My setup works great, fits into my SUV, but my region has a lot of sun.

Your third option honestly sounds like the most practical. I unfortunately don't know much about wood home heating but there are probably some other people who can give you advice on that.

Also might be helpful to skim through:

Thread 'Power Generation General'

Jul 2, 2024

From generators to solar panels. Powering your home when shit hits the fan is the only way you can keep sneeding during the apocalypse

• Rock Eater
• Replies: 182
• Forum: Self-Sufficiency

Reactions: x 3

 

[SOLDIER OF WALES]

I would like to mention that home solar is NOT an off-grid energy solution. In most residential setups, it's an adjunct to the existing grid. Solar is great on a small scale and certainly a viable option for something like powering electronics but rarely in most cases works in a whole-home setting as something entirely disconnected to the grid.

I'm pretty sure you can get a switch installed to shut yourself off from the grid but it'll cost you like $10-15k (including battery)

 

[PovertySprocket]

Off-grid in a developed setting with by-laws and stuff can be tricky. But you can certainly ween yourself from the grid with a basic solar setup. Wire up a subpanel that will run basic low wattage circuits like lighting and new marked outlets next to the fridge, tv, pc, ect... Some solar charger/controller can take power from the grid to charge your battery setup. Acting like a bridge between your regular home panel to the "solar" sub panel.


Example diagram from a quick search.

You won't run a washer dryer, kitchen stove or welding machine off such a setup. But you'll make the neighborhood jealous everytime there's a shortage and you're mostly unaffected.

 

[Ariel]

We have a solar and 20kwh battery (Alpha-ess, nice balance between price and quality) that is connected to the grid but it has a backup circuit with everything except for the electric oven and AC connected so we can be without the grid indefinitely. Generally unless you have a huge, expensive 3 phase system with multiple batteries and inverters you can’t use anything that consumes a large amount of power without the whole lot getting overloaded and shutting off.
We also have an EV with V2L that could be used as an emergency backup fully off grid if needed.

 

[TC-P]

Thank you for taking the time to give me your views on solar. I apologise for the delay but life got in the way. My first point of call is to get my energy rating to at a minimum B rating. (My country of origin's rating system). Currently I am an E; not good. I have applied to a government grant. Doubt I will get it because I make too much money but does not hurt to try.

Home solar installs all come down to economy of scale. Most of the time unless there are subsidies /incentives in place it isn't worth it.

I would like to mention that home solar is NOT an off-grid energy solution. In most residential setups, it's an adjunct to the existing grid. Solar is great on a small scale and certainly a viable option for something like powering electronics but rarely in most cases works in a whole-home setting as something entirely disconnected to the grid.

I am looking at a government green initiative grant. Will see what happens. From what I understand through research is that you can have a system where you switch between being off grid and tied to the system. If only tied to the grid then if the grid goes down the solar system does not work. But still looking at how that works.

I'm pretty sure you can get a switch installed to shut yourself off from the grid but it'll cost you like $10-15k (including battery)

I think it is possible to be on the grid and have solar off grid as long as you switch between the two. I have also read that one may also be able to be on the grid and have the grid replenish batteries but still looking into that option.

But you can certainly ween yourself from the grid with a basic solar setup. Wire up a subpanel that will run basic low wattage circuits like lighting and new marked outlets next to the fridge, tv, pc, ect... Some solar charger/controller can take power from the grid to charge your battery setup. Acting like a bridge between your regular home panel to the "solar" sub panel.

Thank you for the visual make up of off grid solar system. It was helpful. My thoughts at this time is to see if the grant will help with the start of a system and then scale it up for my needs. Like 888Flux stated I do have to take my country's weather into consideration. But from what I have studied panels now are better with low sunlight situations. Not sure about the actual figures though.

Generally unless you have a huge, expensive 3 phase system with multiple batteries and inverters you can’t use anything that consumes a large amount of power without the whole lot getting overloaded and shutting off.
We also have an EV with V2L that could be used as an emergency backup fully off grid if needed.

Thank you Ariel. Your information has been really beneficial. I was thinking start off small and scale up as I obtain more money.

Overall I am worried about the reliance I have on fossil fuels. I do not believe the Iran situation will be over anytime soon and oil prices will increase. Though where I live we are not dependent upon oil from the Middle East with pressure in the region it will impact everyone and I just want to start mitigating that risk.

Again Thank all of you for your kindness and time. Hope you have a great rest of the week.

 

[drfuzzyballs]

Solar is very expensive so I would only recommend it if you're in a fairly sunny area, technology tends to get less expensive with time so solar will probably be more affordable in 10 years. Batteries are also expensive and have a lifespan of about 10 years so I wouldn't bother with them unless you have frequent power outages.

Now if you live in a cold climate then a wood stove is the cheapest way to heat a home and you can make use of waste materials like scrap wood and junk paper.