Connecting Windpower to the house

[(unknown)]

Hi ,please some Ideas and help if possible.I have a small Beach house in Ecuador.The Light Bill can come to 80.-$ a month without anybody living there??

Have 2 Windmills (Ameteks 40 and 50 VDC,good wind and a small Battery bank.

Is it possible to use the existing wiring of the house and use only 12 Volt DC Lighting and for Refer and TV use a Coverter without instaling new Wires in the House.I know it sounds easy,but could there be problems that I have not come across yet.Electricity is not my strong point,paying a lot of money for nothing sure is.Any help or hints would be greatly appreciated.

[LEXX]

It entirely depends on the set-up of your electrical panel and circuitry in the walls, you should be able to but if you could give some details and pictures of all exposed wiring it would be then possible to help you, also, do you know if your wiring for plugs is interconnect4ed with the lighting??  Any details will help.

LEXX

[(unknown)]

Thanks for your input,the house is in Ecuador and I am in California.Have no Idea as to what I got there,will be there in 1 month and check it out.Get back to you,Thanks again

[domwild]

I see two problems:

If you find that the 12VDC lights are very dim, then the reason is that the 240VAC copper wiring is not big enough and has a lot of resistance. So you may have to rewire the lights for 12VDC with thicker cabling. But get an electrician otherwise madre de dios, muerte!

If you want to stick to 240VAC for the fridge, then you better get an electrician because you will want to switch from grid to your setup and back again and I would not advise that you build such a cutover system.

When a fridge is working it is a compressor working against thin pipes, so there is a lot of back pressure against the compressor. To switch a formerly running fridge on grid power to batteries and inverter requires that you wait until the back pressure has equalised. Wait until the hissing stops in the fridge, the hissing noise is the injection of the liquid refrigerant into the evaporator, that is the place where it is winter!

This waiting avoids a very high surge demand on your inverter, which may just pop a fuse.

Muchos problemas por usted!

[wooferhound]

What is pulling so much power that it costs $80 a month while not occupied. I would turn off the hot water heater, change your security lighting to flourescents, limit your heating and cooling when not there, and other conservation measures.

[picmacmillan]

i was also wondering if you're not there, you can't run a wind genny as it has to be monitored...maybe his bill is high for the smae reason as mine in canada...they charge you the fees each month for delivery of the electricity etc. not your actual useage.another coorporate money grab...do you want biggie fries with that?..pickster

[wdyasq]

.they charge you the fees each month for delivery of the electricity etc. not your actual useage.another coorporate money grab.

Well - In my part of the country, Texas, the electric companies are required to supply electricity, if requested.  There is not a peremium for distance from existing lines.  They do charge for -expected peak draw- what one might use and there is a -demand meter- on businesses and one is charged for the peak draw.  When one is on such meters they develop techniques such as not running the air-compressor when the bandsaw is running or get an additional $50 or more tacked on your bill.  Of course if one has employees, employees never seem to mind spending your money.

I will ask if any of those in business would like to service a client miles outside of their normal, profitable range for the same cost as those in densly populated areas.  Or run a towing business and be required to charge the same for towing a large truck as a car.  Yet these similar practices are common in supplying telephone, electricity sewage services in populated areas.  

One of the amazing things to me is how folks claim to be independent thinkers, have the ability to build their own habitats, complain about taxes and still complain about not getting socialistic wealth redistribution by the government.  In my mind, it just isn't consistant.

Companies should have a right to charge for services.  And, the consumer should have the right to refuse.  I don't believe finance companies should be able to refuse to finance unless homes are grid connected, but it is happening.  I've looked over my birth certificate and nowhere have I found this life was going to be fair or folks would treat one honestly.

Ron

[(unknown)]

Hello and thanks for your input.In my house there is no water-heater ,no Airconition.when I am not there everything is turned off.There is a good chance that the Electric Co.is ripping me of(pretty comon practice in the land of OZ)This is one of the reason I would like to get self sufficient.I only spend about 5 month out of the year there.

[(unknown)]

Hi,there is a flat rate of about 6.-$ a month whether you use power or not.That is not the problem,I think the Electric Co.is cheating me.When not there all Power is off.That is why I was thnking of using Wind Gens.When not there the Generator comes down until the next time.By the Way,I used to live in Vancouver for several years(in another Lifetime)

[LEXX]

Where are you from pic?  I'm here in Alberta and they do the same thing, yet you go across the BC border and the electicity is 1/3 the price per KW and no service fees!!  I live in an apartment that in BC would cost 20.00 every 2 months costs 65.00 every month....privatization my ass.

LEXX

[pyrocasto]

Well what you could do is flip the main breaker. Either the meter will show you have used no power and you can hold them against it, or they change it and you'll have to get them for fraud I believe. If the main breaker is off you should be using 0 power and you bill should be $6 a month.

[(unknown)]

Hi,originaly I am from Germany.Lived in Vancouver for 3 years,in the Summer-Seasons I worked as a Chef at the Pasper-Park Lodge(In those Day,s late 50,s there was only summer season)Lived in LA,Calif. for 15 years and then moved to Ecuador for about 20 years.Now Back in California and spend about 3 month here and 3 month there.Thats retirement for you.As to my electric Bill there I am sur I am getting ripped off,but if you think you can complain and get any reaction you are wrong.Banana Repuplic and all that.

Regards Heinz.drop me a line sometimes at:heinzneidl@hotmail.com

[LEXX]

Probably a good idea in most countries but I would think that in a place like equador you would just be shooting yourself in the foot.  They probably see that the bill is going to california and just tack on an american surcharge.  Try t0 hold them to it with litigation and things might turn nasty.

LEXX

[(unknown)]

Hey woof

its been awhile but I finaly am getting back to you.When I say the Electric Co. charges me 80.-$ a month when I am not there ,they are stealing me blind.There is nothing conected in the house.Dont even have a waterheater.Thats why I am getting Solar and Wind Power.Will be getting back to my house in Ecuador in Jan. and start installing what I have so far.Would you be able to help with a hookup Diagram(I dont know anything about Electricity.

mmulzer