I’m not into solar power anymore but it does have advantages like cost and ease of use compared to other options and some systems are ”plug and play” ridiculously easy these days.
Let’s take a look at some easy to use systems anyone could figure out.
One thing you get to benefit from when living in the wilderness is you don’t need as much power as you would in the city.
So you can plan for less. The summers are cooler when surrounded by trees so you won’t need Air Conditioning. You probably won’t want the lighting in your home as bright or as many bulbs as you would be comfortable with in the city. Though if you wanted it wouldn’t be that hard to manage. Winters would use wood stove for heat and the great outdoors for refrigerating.
Good balance of utilizing the seasons, a skill too many city folks have lost but I know some of you country folks know what I am talking about.
http://offgridhomeplans.com/?p=1070
So let’s assume you need to produce enough electricity to power your satellite internet, computers, TV, fridge and some other small appliances to keep feeling like you're still in touch with society when really you’re not. You will have ample supply with a 10 Kilo Watt system the surplus can be stored in batteries for a rainy day, ahh, did ya hear that, get it..
So anyways, I’ll talk about some pretty cool power storing devices in another post maybe I will link some good posts that Steemers have written about storing power.
I am not going to blab a lot about solar power. I don’t think it is the best option especially if you’re trying to be as green as possible about going off grid. And there is just too much over information online about it that it’s pretty boring now for me and probably most of you.
I don’t like solar power because manufacturing the panels creates so much pollution it pretty counteracts whatever “greenness” you thought you were achieving. From global shipping to harvesting the raw materials from nature to the smog pumped out of the factories, Nasty reason they make them in China and not too many western nations. But don’t worry Trump will fix that too!
There are plenty of greener options I will discuss in future posts. I just need to get his one out of the way.
With a 10 KW system you should be able to power your life especially if your frugal with your consumption. There are many brands, styles types and the panels keep getting better and easier to use. In an end of the world scenario you could make them yourself out of scrap you can find in the junkyard.
They take up a lot of space for the power they produce. Do you really want you wilderness hideout to be covered in solar panels? I think it would take away from the atmosphere of being in the wild but maybe that’s just me. Even if you put them at a different location that’s an area you will need to cut down trees, of course tree will be felled when living in the bush but it doesn’t have to be for this reason. You will need that space for food and fun more so then to keep your house lit up.
Do you want your wilderness paradise looking like this? ‘F’ NO!!
https://www.goodenergysolutions.com/blog/tag/solar-pv/
If you are so inclined to go solar, after all I did create my name based on the stuff; but I’m more into the ultimate power of the sun, physically and spiritually, try checking out these systems. They work have great reviews.
It’s hard to believe it’s cheap with these prices but after 3 years or so, depending your current rates, trouble free at least, you will start getting the savings.
Like this easy to set up kit. Will take time, tools and some muscle.
https://www.gogreensolar.com/products/10000-watt-10kw-diy-solar-install-kit-w-solaredge-inverter
https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/home-solar-system-india-price-15kw.html
Or maybe you want just some lights and the other power you need could come from another source. When living in the wilderness you need to have that “prepared for anything” mentality anyways. I lived in a 3 man tent for 2.5 months in the Canadian wilderness, I do have a good idea what is needed and what can be substituted.
Best home I ever had…. Not haha.
The truth is there are many power options and solar just isn’t cutting it…. yet but it will. I got some cool innovative power makers for you coming soon. Hang in there it’s possible and you won’t have to rely on some greedy corporation to take your money and make you feel incomplete.
You can take control of your destiny and be free of the things that bother you but of course you can go visit them anytime.
Stay tuned I got some cool stuff coming up about power and creating fuel from food scraps that will change your whole perspective on getting off grid and staying connected to the Online world we love so much.
In the meantime if you missed my last post about going off grid. Check it out here.
Can I see the math for this claim?
Sure I can. I try not say things like that without being able to back them up so thank you for calling it out.
I read a bunch of different articles but this one jumps to mind first at the moment. The first paragraph of this article I will quote.
"Fabricating the panels requires caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid, and the process uses water as well as electricity, the production of which emits greenhouse gases. It also creates waste. These problems could undercut solar's ability to fight climate change and reduce environmental toxics."
From this National Geographic article.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2014/11/141111-solar-panel-manufacturing-sustainability-ranking/
I just wanted to point it out to those who thought it was 100% green that it's not.
I do still support it over many other fossil fuel type sources of energy though. Hope this helped. ^^
Thanks for the cite, but it doesn't appear to say that the pollution incurred when manufacturing the panels negates their benefit to the environment. That was the implication in your post that I took issue with.
Well that really depends what the other source was before switching to solar. If your on-grid source was coal per say it then it would make a huge difference. But if that source was perhaps hydro electric or maybe even natural gas then switching to solar might have less of an impact.
I probably should tossed that idea into my article somewhere.
Solar is is good i got another favourite I will write up about some time soon.
My off grid retreat will have solar without a doubt just not a huge set up.
I think the problem of waste has always roots in country's regulations for manufacturers. Focusing on as clean manufacture as possible and strong regulations of production byproduct disposal might make solar industry sustainable. Because chemical obtained as byproducts might be reused for other reactions rather than being freely disposed into the environment. Here is a nice article: https://greentumble.com/the-environmental-footprint-of-the-solar-industry/ about it as well.
Isn't heating your warm water still very effective with solar energy? Also a low cost investment.
SteemOn @solarguy
You put this all together, and if you are paying money for all the parts, then the heatpump water heater and solar panels are cheaper and easier to run.
That said, if the shit hits the fan, I can build a solar powered hot water heater with any metal I find lying around. You build a tank (out of anything that won't melt at 212F) then you have some tubing (black plastic tubing works all by itself in SW USA) and you place it on a heat absorbing surface in a box with a glass cover to keep heat from escaping.
They problems come when you try to add it to a pressurized system. Everything becomes a lot more complicated. And everything has to withstand the pressure and added pressure caused by any trapped steam.
I like the drain back solar hot water heater systems. But those require two pumps and controlling electronics.
What a great comment! Thanks for the insight.
That is true. Solar water heaters use a different tech that uses less power because the heat of the water rises and builds in the pipes. Super hot, scolding ive used it.
Solar power works. Just producing it is pollution.
Sustainable energy for sustainable future...keep up the good work!!!
Thanks man.
Thank you @solarguy! I like these off-grid solutions. But i am personally more interested in on-grid cheaper solutions. In NL where i live power is expensive for crypto mining. Is it possible to build a system which uses solar power during day and switches to on-grid whenever solar power doesn't cut it anymore? And is this feasible/cheaper then just on-grid power?
Yes there is. It's pushing 11pm and i got early work tomorrow. But I promise tomorrow i will link you some ways to reduce ur power consumption in a city while staying on grid.
Have a good night @solarguy. Thank you in advance for posting these things, they have my interest!
One question as I'm writing the post. How much power is your rig using?
For me, the takeaway here is this: I thought, like others, that solar panels were "green." I thought about usage, not what it takes to manufacture them. Good post, Andrew！ Thanks。
Thanks man. If you got a window with direct sunlight got system that might power ur rig.
I thought @solarguy is all for solar power.
Almost all power sorces are solar based. For example, coal and oil are from plants that collected solar emergy millions of years ago. Wind power is generated from the sun heating up the earth.
It's true I was. I got a bunch small solar kits i picked up at a trade show in HK a few years ago.
It's good stuff just there are better options now, cleaner not cheaper.
Thank you for writing and sharing this.
I come from India and have seen those solar power kits. Need to measure their efficiency / and see if we can get them installed in our upcoming house.
As to you living in a tent for so many months...
Damn...
How did that happen?
It was for a job I did. I quit my comfy job in the city of Toronto, which I loved. I was the senior supervisor to Canada's largest daily person to person marketing team. I had over 120 workers below me including 7 team leaders.
I went to plant trees for a season. Most rewarding job I ever did in my life, spiritually and financially. Totally changed my perspective on life and the meaning of hard work.
Check it out here.
https://steemit.com/photography/@solarguy/the-truth-about-tree-planting-in-ontario-s-northern-wilderness-25-unique-photos
God. That's such an experience. One of the best thing I have read here.
Thank you for sharing!
Following you now! :)
Great post @solarguy :)
I thought this was well written and really informative!
I look forward to when you post about other greener alternatives to powering my off-the-grid paradise!