That is a rather extended temporary visit!
Check out the solar sites. I haven't done it myself but I've been reading that it is getting much easier to DIY it. Of course, if you're going to connect it back into the city grid they aren't going to let anyone but a pro play on that but some places they will set up an alternating system that allows you to feed solar that you aren't using back into the grid for a deduction on your bill so it would make it even a better deal in the long run.
You know, solar is a really fail-safe addition as a power source. Once it's set up you'd have to do something pretty traumatic to the system for it to need much maintenance or repair. The only thing that we do to ours is to watch the battery fluids. If you hook up to the grid you don't need your own batteries so that isn't even an issue. It's that original cost that makes people pause.
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Hooking back to the grid sounds like a mixed blessing. No batteries but if you lose power, you're right where you started. (I guess we still have the generator.) Plus I'm sure you've got to be inspected by, and answer to, TEH AUTHORITIES.
Some years ago I read an article about using electric cars as battery reservoirs for excess solar power generation. As you mentioned, uncollected power just winds up getting wasted - why not dump it into a vehicle? It sounded like a pretty clever idea to me.
Not bad. If really stuck you could plug your car into your household grid. Without batteries you can't store energy but you can still use it while it is being generated can't you? for example, If you want to run your dryer or cook during the day when your solar is active it would work even if your home doesn't have the supplemental grid energy? We don't have any option to plug into the town grid so I've never looked into the method power sharing takes.
Wow - you guys are really completely disconnected?
We're 4 miles from the end of the power/phone grid. It's pretty rough terrain and they don't see the benefit of bringing it out this far for just 4 families. After a bunch of time and effort and a lot of arguing we got the trash pickup truck to make those extra 4 miles (but they still refuse to do it in the middle of winter even though we are able to get our roads plowed.... another frustrating non-story!) Doug spent a couple years trying to legally force telephone through but it was pretty much a wasted effort.
That's some serious independence, though. You and Doug should be really proud of your set-up!