Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

SI - Site Forums : Silicon Investor - Legacy Interface Discussion (2004-2011) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Done, gone. who wrote (2645)	11/24/2004 11:40:24 AM
From: SI Bob	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6035

We're always going to be grid-connected because our peak demands can be more than an alternative energy solution can handle. For example, it takes 5Kw to light my workshop. And that's before running things like the lift, welder, etc. We've got a pair of extremely efficient HVAC units for the house but even as efficient as they are, when we lose power in the summer, we have to turn off the pool pump because the genny can barely run the AC and lights but not with the pool pump adding to the load. I'm a hard-core alt-energy afficionado and if I can ever manage to pull off retirement or even a decent amount of spare time and money, I'll be tinkering with it a lot. My racing trailer is a small start in that direction. 8 deep-cycle batteries and a 3k inverter. All that remains is a 315-watt solar panel to (hopefully) keep the batteries topped off. Should be enough, as infrequently as the power in that trailer gets used. I'm also still in the middle of a years-long project to raise the dam on our spring- and creek-fed lake another 8 feet and use it to get hydro-electric power for the workshop. We've done the math and with enough batteries and a large enough inverter, it can handle the lighting needs of the workshop, completely independent of the grid. We'd still need the grid for the other big loads. I was also mentioning to the wife this morning my plan to get at least one 400-watt wind genny to put at the north end of the workshop when funds and time permit. We've got lots of potential here for micro-hydro, wind, and solar, and I'm really looking forward to having the funds and time to start putting them to work. But batteries are expensive in the quantity needed, good inverters are very expensive, and solar panels are still absolutely ridiculous. We've got one of those big circular things farmers use to put hay in for their cattle to eat it without trampling it and have started turning it into a big water wheel. Though this won't be the most efficient way to do hydro-electric, the plan is to use it as a water wheel being fed by about 12' head height of water running through an 8" pipe and gear it up enough to spin a 5Kw generator we've got here with a blowed-up engine. The idea is to spin it up to 4k rpm (no-load) and always keep just enough load on it to keep it at 3600 rpm, send it up to the workshop at 220 volts, and charge batteries there that'll run an inverter for the lights. We want to go this route not only because efficiency isn't an issue since it's all free except the fuel I'm burning in building up the dam, but also because it's a decent distance to the workshop, so we need to go high-voltage to keep the amperage low. And a 24-volt Pelton-impeller hydro generator is quite expensive. A lot more than we'll spend on axles, sprockets, and chains to step the water wheel's speed up enough to spin the 5k generator.