| Home Power 69 Beebe Road Knox, NY, 12023 |
This is our home. Before we installed our windmill and photo voltaic
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 Falk, (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.
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 Falk, (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.
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.
Here's another view of the two racks of photo voltaic
panels.
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 in
our 1500 watt counter top electric oven.
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 in
our 1500 watt counter top electric oven.
This is a not too lovely view of the battery box in our
basement. We have twelve 6 volt lead acid batteries
(Deka ProMaster 8L16 190 min 350 AH)
which are wired in 3 groups of 4 to make a 24 volt system.
basement. We have twelve 6 volt lead acid batteries
(Deka ProMaster 8L16 190 min 350 AH)
which are wired in 3 groups of 4 to make a 24 volt system.
This is the right 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 efficient. It
runs on 24 volt DC current directly
from our batteries.
refrigerator which is very efficient. It
runs on 24 volt DC current directly
from our batteries.
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.
To address our heating needs, we installed a Tulikivi Masonry Stove in our
living room which practically replaces our propane hotwater baseboard
heat. The open design of our house allows air to circulate well. The
Tulikivi was purchased from and installed by Mountain Flame from
Arkville, NY. One good fire every 12 hours makes the Tulikivi warm enough
to keep the house comfortable on average winter days. A fire burns clean
and hot for about 1 1/2 hours, and then the fire goes out, the flue is shut,
and the stove radiates warmth into the house until the next fire.
living room which practically replaces our propane hotwater baseboard
heat. The open design of our house allows air to circulate well. The
Tulikivi was purchased from and installed by Mountain Flame from
Arkville, NY. One good fire every 12 hours makes the Tulikivi warm enough
to keep the house comfortable on average winter days. A fire burns clean
and hot for about 1 1/2 hours, and then the fire goes out, the flue is shut,
and the stove radiates warmth into the house until the next fire.
In the fall of 2011, Sundog Solar installed a VELUX hot water
system for us. On a cold, windy, but sunny day, the glycol in the
panels will be over 140 degrees, and the water in the exchange tank
in the house will be over 120 degrees.
system for us. On a cold, windy, but sunny day, the glycol in the
panels will be over 140 degrees, and the water in the exchange tank
in the house will be over 120 degrees.
Two solar hot water panels outside our
house on a 9 x 12 foot rack
house on a 9 x 12 foot rack
Glycol pressure relief tank.
Meters showing the
temperatures of the glycol
outside and the water inside
and a digital readout which
provides a variety of
information.
temperatures of the glycol
outside and the water inside
and a digital readout which
provides a variety of
information.
The indoor heat exchange
tank showing the control
panel on the left and the
pressure tank above and to
the right.
tank showing the control
panel on the left and the
pressure tank above and to
the right.
Glycol circulates through a coil in the hot water tank
to heat the water, which never comes in contact
with the glycol. This pre-heated water is then fed
into our propane hot water heater. On a sunny
day, no propane is needed to make the water warm
enough to use.
to heat the water, which never comes in contact
with the glycol. This pre-heated water is then fed
into our propane hot water heater. On a sunny
day, no propane is needed to make the water warm
enough to use.