| Home Power 69 Beebe Road Knox, NY, 12023 |
This is our home. Before we installed our Windmill and PV Panels, our
December 2005 electric use was 720 KW, which translates to about 1000
watts being used all of the time. Now we are mostly off the grid, only
hooking up rarely when our batteries get too low. We probably won't hook
up to the grid all summer, but may charge from the grid a couple of times
during the winter months when there isn't much sun. We hired Pam and
Edwin Faulk, (Suntric Systems), of Lyons Falls, NY, to help take us off the
Grid. It is quite windy where we live, and sunny enough, especially during
the summer months. We have had to learn how to live within our electricity
means by installing curly fluorescent and LED bulbs, and turning things off
after ourselves. We don't sell excess current to the grid; we use it to make
hot water.
December 2005 electric use was 720 KW, which translates to about 1000
watts being used all of the time. Now we are mostly off the grid, only
hooking up rarely when our batteries get too low. We probably won't hook
up to the grid all summer, but may charge from the grid a couple of times
during the winter months when there isn't much sun. We hired Pam and
Edwin Faulk, (Suntric Systems), of Lyons Falls, NY, to help take us off the
Grid. It is quite windy where we live, and sunny enough, especially during
the summer months. We have had to learn how to live within our electricity
means by installing curly fluorescent and LED bulbs, and turning things off
after ourselves. We don't sell excess current to the grid; we use it to make
hot water.
On the left is a picture of our two racks of photo voltaic panels. The larger rack on the
left has ten 110 watt panels. The rack on the right has twelve 75 watt panels. This
gives us 2000 watts total from these racks. The racks each have an actuator which
allows us to adjust the tilt of the racks seasonally to maximize their potential. We used
to have automotic tracking eyes and actuators on these racks, but the wind was too
much for them and the tracking technology didn't work that well. We added a few
panels and eliminated the automatic tracking.
left has ten 110 watt panels. The rack on the right has twelve 75 watt panels. This
gives us 2000 watts total from these racks. The racks each have an actuator which
allows us to adjust the tilt of the racks seasonally to maximize their potential. We used
to have automotic tracking eyes and actuators on these racks, but the wind was too
much for them and the tracking technology didn't work that well. We added a few
panels and eliminated the automatic tracking.
Here's another view of the two racks of photo voltaic panels.
The Day the Bergey 1
KW windmill went up
KW windmill went up
On the right is a picture of our Bergey 1 kilowatt
windmill on a 100 foot guyed tower. The current is
rectified in the turbine and comes into the house as 24
volt DC current. A combination of 1 gage and 2 gage
wire brings the high-amp low volt current to the house.
windmill on a 100 foot guyed tower. The current is
rectified in the turbine and comes into the house as 24
volt DC current. A combination of 1 gage and 2 gage
wire brings the high-amp low volt current to the house.
We have had a number of different groups come to
our home to see what our home power looks like.
These are 4th graders from The Berne Knox Westerlo
School.
our home to see what our home power looks like.
These are 4th graders from The Berne Knox Westerlo
School.
This Tri-Metric meter allows us to
monitor the status of our system. We
can see how many volts the batteries
currently have, we can see what our net
amps are at the moment, and we can
see what percent of full the batteries
are. We can make decisions about
whether this is a good day to do laundry
or use the microwave or bake cookies.
monitor the status of our system. We
can see how many volts the batteries
currently have, we can see what our net
amps are at the moment, and we can
see what percent of full the batteries
are. We can make decisions about
whether this is a good day to do laundry
or use the microwave or bake cookies.
This is a not too lovely view of the battery box in our
basement. We have twelve 6 volt lead acid batteries
which are wired in 3 groups of 4 to make a 24 volt system.
basement. We have twelve 6 volt lead acid batteries
which are wired in 3 groups of 4 to make a 24 volt system.
This is the left side of our control panel area in our
basement, right above the battery box. The white
controller serves the Bergey 1 KW windmill. It
decides whether we have enough power already and
may put the brakes on the windmill. Display lights
show whether the windmill is running, whether the
brakes are on, and whether excess power is being
sent to our extra hot water heater.
basement, right above the battery box. The white
controller serves the Bergey 1 KW windmill. It
decides whether we have enough power already and
may put the brakes on the windmill. Display lights
show whether the windmill is running, whether the
brakes are on, and whether excess power is being
sent to our extra hot water heater.
This shows the left side of our control panel. The
inverter is in the middle. It changes 24 Volt DC current
from the batteries into 110 Volt AC household current.
The breaker box on the right sends current to our 24
Volt appliances, the well pump and the refrigerator.
inverter is in the middle. It changes 24 Volt DC current
from the batteries into 110 Volt AC household current.
The breaker box on the right sends current to our 24
Volt appliances, the well pump and the refrigerator.
This is our OutBack Power
Systems "Mate" which allows us
to set parameters in the inverter.
We have set the Mate to take
power from the grid if our
batteries fall below 24 volts. This
would be a very rare event in the
summer when there is lots of
sunlight, but can happen more
often in the winter months.
Systems "Mate" which allows us
to set parameters in the inverter.
We have set the Mate to take
power from the grid if our
batteries fall below 24 volts. This
would be a very rare event in the
summer when there is lots of
sunlight, but can happen more
often in the winter months.
This is our SunFrost 16 Cubic Foot
refrigerator which is very effecient. It
runs on 24 volt DC current directly
from our batteries.
refrigerator which is very effecient. It
runs on 24 volt DC current directly
from our batteries.
The hot water heater on the left is our regular propane heater. The hot water
heater on the right feeds into the propane heater. The heating elements use
24 DC current. The top element takes excess current from our photo voltaic
panels. The bottom element takes excess current from our Bergey Windmill.
We could sell excess electricity to the grid, but at this time we prefer to use it to
make hot water.
heater on the right feeds into the propane heater. The heating elements use
24 DC current. The top element takes excess current from our photo voltaic
panels. The bottom element takes excess current from our Bergey Windmill.
We could sell excess electricity to the grid, but at this time we prefer to use it to
make hot water.
We removed our old 220 volt well
pump and replaced it with a 24 volt
pump which uses less than a quarter
of the electricity.
pump and replaced it with a 24 volt
pump which uses less than a quarter
of the electricity.
We added an extra bladder tank so that the well pump would only have to
come on half as often and provide a larger reserve. This helps to
accommodate our less powerful well pump. We have to be careful about
water use, for example, by not taking showers and doing laundry at the same
time.
come on half as often and provide a larger reserve. This helps to
accommodate our less powerful well pump. We have to be careful about
water use, for example, by not taking showers and doing laundry at the same
time.