five year plan

[beepipes]

We are on a limited income, so things have to be taken piecemeal, and I have come up with a 5 year plan to get self-sufficient with energy. We live in a hollow, which abbreviates the hours of sunlight and does odd things to the wind. However, behind the house is a hill top that looks suitable for energy collection. The problem being the hill is so far away that the only way to get power to the house would be running AC from the inverter to the house.

Here's the basic approach:

1. Clear and improve the hill top.
   
2. Build a shed for the batteries, charge controller, inverter and other associated hardware.
   
3. Run and bury a cable from that location to the house with the capacity to carry the AC power required.
   
4. Inverter
   
5. Solar array
   
6. Connect to the grid and house
   
7. Charge controller
   
8. Batteries
   
9. Windmill and associated gear to feed into charge controller.
   
   

I realize I have a lot to learn, and this approach may change as work progresses. Much of it would not be possible if we didn't have a sawmill, letting us make timbers and boards from the wooded land we live on. Also, we have no welding capabilities, and the thought of spending a lot of cash for an appliance that will suck so much current from the power system doesn't really appeal to me, neither does the hassle and danger of keeping bottled gas. I came across a few sites where people have built welders using small gas engines, alternators and bull rectifiers. This looks like the way to go.

Our location is not particularly good for wind, but Ewing brought up a good point - when the solar isn't working because of weather, the front bringing bad weather is usually accompanied by winds. Might not be worth the investment in a store-bought mill, but the ones I've seen constructed here bring it within reach.

Right now, my hands are full with clearing and building. Gives me time to continue reading and learning. Would appreciate any suggestions on further reading, books and diaries, etc. on this site.

Thanks to the folks at ForceField and OtherPower for putting up this great resource, and you folks for putting so much information on-line. I've barely scratched the surface.

[Countryboy]

If you are planning on being grid-tied, you can eliminate the need for batteries and charge controllers.  You will only have use for these in a grid-tie application when the grid is down.

[wil]

beepipes,

"an appliance that will suck so much current from the power system"

If you are considering purchaseing a welding machine, purchase a portable.  They have their own engines and work pretty well. I've used portable welding machines for years from quite small to very big.. I think the big ones were 600 amp welders.

You wouldn't need a 600 amp welder so don't worry about onw of those. A smaller portable welding machine would be the perfect thing for any of the welding you would perform on one of these machines.

Wil

[elvin1949]

Don't forget

you can weld with batteries.

later

elvin

[beepipes]

Ya, that's why they're towards the end. The goal is to eventually become independent of the grid. Would be dandy to sell surplus back to the grid - if I can't store it, it would be a waste. But when the grid goes down, I want to remain up and running.

[beepipes]

Been looking. Cost is more of a concern for a portable. I think I could lash one together for less. Found a few links that got me to thinking about it - always thought this sort of gear was out of reach. Here's a link to what I had in mind:

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~weinfurt/gaswelder.html

I think it is simple enough that I could put together something like that. There was another one out there to build a TIG welder, a little more complicated than my needs. I saw the pieces on the forum here about welding with batteries - caught my attention. Still, the power for the batteries has to come from somewhere...

What I see is something a little more rugged than the one in the above link - larger wheels and a broader wheelbase so it can be towed with the truck for work in the hollow and the ATV for work in other locations around the property.

The biggest need for welding right now is to make a skid trailer for fishing logs out of the other hollow and bringing them back to the sawmill. Also, when there are storms that bring trees down, it just kills me to see all the potential lumber going to waste. Within five or ten miles of the house I could skid back thousands of board feet and probably make a lot of neighbors happy in the process. The trailer is simple, and between the scrap metal I have lying around and the fruits of the local salvage yards, it's a low cost alternative to the price of store bought trailers. The sawmill manufacturers make reasonably priced ones - still out of my price range. The best ones, used by arborists (sp? - tree guys) seem to go at a premium.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Homesteading_and_Self_Reliance/1985_September_October/An_All_Purpose_
Straddle_Wheeled_Hauler

Well, that's where my head's at, at the moment.

[bigdan]

I think I would move the Windmill a bit up the list, wind is so much more cost effective and If you like to play in salvage yards so much more fun, Dc motors, ac induction motors,wire, all kinds of good cool stuff cheap,sometimes free if you remove it.

[BigBreaker]

With that biomass resource you should make a wood gasifier / generator combo.

[beepipes]

I think you're right. The more reading I do, the more interesting it sounds.

Regards,

Pat