how to build your home power system?

[Steve Spence]

Impossible to tell what your needs are without knowing what your current or
planned consumption is.

--
Steve Spence
Renewable energy and sustainable living
http://www.green-trust.org
Donate $30 or more to Green Trust, and receive
a copy of Joshua Tickell's "From the Fryer to
the Fuel Tank", the premier documentary of
biodiesel and vegetable oil powered diesels.

 

[LowImpact]

I have a small cabin in Maine which I would love to power with a
windgenerator system. I think I would need 18-24 1100 amp hour batts and a
3-4000 watt wind turbine. It must run in 10mph wind and be very flexible as
far as mounting rigs. Also I would like everything to have at least a 5 year
warranty.
Thanks
Keith

 

[LowImpact]

20 mins north west of Brunswick. I have a pro to wire it up just need to
hunt componits.

 

[Bob Adkins]

I have a small cabin in Maine which I would love to power with a
windgenerator system. I think I would need 18-24 1100 amp hour batts and a
3-4000 watt wind turbine. It must run in 10mph wind and be very flexible as
far as mounting rigs. Also I would like everything to have at least a 5 year
warranty.

You'll need a generator or solar panels or both to keep you going in the
summer.

If your power requirements are meager, you should consider solar. It's a lot
less hassle and maintenance than wind. But Maine, sheesh. Not much sun there
in winter!

Bob

Remove "kins" from address to reply.

 

[Bughunter]

Ok, thing one: what kind of batteries? How often are you going to be
there? Constantly, or seasonally? My point being that if you subject
some nice lead acid batteries to -40 when you get one of our nice
Canadian breezes, you might find them paperweights in the spring ;-).
There are, however, some batteries that are ok at that temperature for
long periods, NiCads, for instance, from companies like AlCad, will
run at -40, not happily, not well, but they will run; mine did last
winter ;-).

<snipped>

I have four Exide 220 amp-hour golf cart batteries in northern NH not far
from the Canadian border. We saw more than a few days last year at -50F.
This year, the lowest was about 39F below zero.

I get maybe one trip between October and April when I can give the bank a
good charge in mid-winter. I just did that last week. Otherwise, the
batteries sit out there in a uninsulated wooden box, usually nearly covered
in snow, and getting no other charge all winter.

They are in their fourth year, and no problems. They are still going strong.
As long as a lead acid has a good charge on it, it will not freeze. I have
to say that I have never tried to USE them at those extreme cold
temperatures. I suspect they might be a tad sluggish.

 

['Captain' Kirk DeHaan]

<snipped>

I have four Exide 220 amp-hour golf cart batteries in northern NH not far
from the Canadian border. We saw more than a few days last year at -50F.
This year, the lowest was about 39F below zero.

I get maybe one trip between October and April when I can give the bank a
good charge in mid-winter. I just did that last week. Otherwise, the
batteries sit out there in a uninsulated wooden box, usually nearly covered
in snow, and getting no other charge all winter.

Being that the shed is covered in snow it probably maintained a temp
near freezing as snow is a good insulator. I'm in N. Idaho, and
granted it doesn't get that cold here, the ground will not freeze if
we get a layer of snow down before the cold temps set in.

They are in their fourth year, and no problems. They are still going strong.
As long as a lead acid has a good charge on it, it will not freeze. I have
to say that I have never tried to USE them at those extreme cold
temperatures. I suspect they might be a tad sluggish.

Kirk

"Moe, Larry, the cheese!", Curly

www.sandpoint.net/captkirk
www.stormyacres.com

 

[Bughunter]

snipped>

Being that the shed is covered in snow it probably maintained a temp
near freezing as snow is a good insulator. I'm in N. Idaho, and
granted it doesn't get that cold here, the ground will not freeze if
we get a layer of snow down before the cold temps set in.

<snipped>

Right, the snow covers the sides and provides some measure of insulation on
the sides.
The top is dark brown and the sun will warm that some during the day.

But the top normally is free of snow because there is a little roof about 3
feet over the
top of the battery box (kind of looks like a wishing well). The roof keeps
the rain of my
portable generator which sits on top of the battery box (open sides) in the
warmer months.

It still gets damn cold in the battery box. I keep a gallon of distilled
water in with the batteries and it is always frozen like a rock.

The first couple years, I expected the batteries to be junk by spring. But,
they have survived some pretty severe winters. Golf cart batteries are
rugged little beasts.

All it takes is a bit of a breeze to make -50F feel pretty chilly.

 

[LowImpact]

I will be living full time there starting this coming winter. I would like
to have alot of over kill as I stated earlier. I would also like to have the
piece of mind knowing everything is under warranty for the first 5+ years.

 

[Ecnerwal]

I tell ya one thing: this is the LAST winter that I don't heat my
battery box! Loosing that much capacity is a real bummer! I'm thinking
a hydraunic recirculation loop, as propane heaters or electric ones
don't strike me as a great idea ;-).

If you have any excess capacity, electric heaters (turned on only when
the capacity is excess) make plenty of sense - if the box is well
insulated, the batteries should hold heat for a long time. But what
probably makes more sense, if you are not stuck on bedrock, is to dig
down into the dirt 5-8 feet, follow plans for building a freestanding
cold cellar (most of which already have vents, etc) and keep the
batteries warm in winter and cool in summer without having to expend any
additional energy doing so. IMHO.