Offgrid Living.

[GKQ]

I built solat hot water system for our house, over PV, as we can use the excess heat to heat the pool in summer and house ( water to air exchanger ) in winter.
PV is next on the list. I have been looking at micro inverters built into the panels, they convert straight to 230/240V AC. So you can use a battery charging system 240V-what every you need and then an inverter to back up for the house power.
Really good website www.builditsolar.com, covers everything about solar. Also if you want to subscribe www.homepower.com very handy magazine.

Graham

 

[Muppet]

Lg are making lithium polimer battery's for the domestic market, 3ah , 6ah and a 10ah all can be piggy backed , ,
I'm looking to go off grid with a refurb build,
Solar, dc/ac inverter to sunny boy island , ac/dc inverter to battery bank,
solar thermal water,

think dc/ac inverters are still expensive , but will be coming down in price according to a supplier we use ,

There's going to be massive increase in battery storage in the next few years according to my boss,
we are about to start installing huge battery storage units on industrial units ,

As for your water, harvest rain 12 v pump through an RO system , then through a uv steriliser, will kill all water Bourne nasty,

 

[julianf]

For the rare occasions (sic) when the Sun fails to make an appearance I have a 15KVA PTO generator which can provide a 63 amp 240V supply plus I also have a small 3kva Honda generator.

Large battery banks are expensive, so you may find yourself needing a low output, long running engine more than you would like.

I would think that, obviously depending on your specific requirements, both of those generators may be less than ideal. I suspect that youll never need 15kva for normal every day living (and if you do, managing off-grid may be hard! : ) and the 3kva will probably not last long if you have to use it for large periods of time.


Lister CS engines seem to be the tool of choice, and you are in the right part of the world to get one for less money than others may have to pay.
You could run a PMA to your inverter (if you have the correct one) to your battery bank, or, if you dont need a decent wave form, just use a cheap AC. Or if you want to hash somthing together cheaply, a standard AC generator, to a UPS that both has batteries (for short term overload) and will regenerate the sine wave. Its inefficient, but its fairly quick and cheap.

(the lister CS unit will run on veg oil too, so cheaper than diesel)

This sort of stuff is all over the Navitron forum.... : )

 

[gaz1]

theres more models than the esse, aga rayburns

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aga-Raybu...637170?hash=item3d37f263b2:g:fKMAAOSw3utY69wR

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rayburn-S...997315?hash=item237feb8703:g:pvkAAOSwux5YQDPw

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aga-solid...299235?hash=item4d575e9963:g:nP4AAOSwfVpYngDd

they are really heavy as made of cast iron

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stanley-s...929604?hash=item3d37d85584:g:9WEAAOSw4CFY3Awe

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aga-raybu...305961?hash=item4660890fe9:g:n2oAAOSwOVpXYxu-

however there is other alternatives that you can use or build yourself even i could build one there easy when you look at there design

one thing the the old systems are except for the moment as they burn clean once at temperature

 

[gaz1]

 

[Fintray]

As Julianf said have a look at the Navitron forum as quite a number of people on there are off grid in the uk:
https://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php

 

[addjunkie]

As for your water, harvest rain 12 v pump through an RO system , then through a uv steriliser, will kill all water Bourne nasty,

Not sure this would be particularly viable as ro plant need high pressure pumps. Besides doesnt rain water normally just come from the reservoir with out going through an ro plant. Yes there are the yachtie systems but they are rediculously expensive and membranes have quite a short life unless you really look after them. Ro plants are really only any good for a continuous process they dont like being stopped and started. Id have thought a uv sterilizer would be enough for rain water.

Were on a spring with filters and all still alive.

 

[julianf]

theres more models than the esse, aga rayburns

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aga-Raybu...637170?hash=item3d37f263b2:g:fKMAAOSw3utY69wR

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rayburn-S...997315?hash=item237feb8703:g:pvkAAOSwux5YQDPw

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aga-solid...299235?hash=item4d575e9963:g:nP4AAOSwfVpYngDd

they are really heavy as made of cast iron

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stanley-s...929604?hash=item3d37d85584:g:9WEAAOSw4CFY3Awe

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aga-raybu...305961?hash=item4660890fe9:g:n2oAAOSwOVpXYxu-

however there is other alternatives that you can use or build yourself even i could build one there easy when you look at there design

one thing the the old systems are except for the moment as they burn clean once at temperature

I know you were just posting examples, rather than suggestions, but I feel in important to point out the madness of a lot of those eBay prices!

Our Rayburn MF was £20. It's the one that Ive posted photos of here before.

I like the design of some of the ease stoves, but the rayburns are way more plentiful on the 2nd hand market.

 

[julianf]

Posted more than once before - £20 rayburn.

Its not perfect - theres some chipping round the firebox etc. but its not bad.

I think that if youre someone who wants to give out credit card numbers over the phone, then rayburns (etc) are crazy money, but if youre more along the lines of "ive got a trailer and an engine crane, and ill pick it up the day after tomorrow" then they become a lot cheaper.

The unit below is about 360kg. People say things like "a couple of strong men" but, realistically, without equipment (even if its only planks and rollers) they dont move about.

 

[gaz1]

you can also make your own stove as well if you understand how they are designed to work and how to make it into a storage heater as well there is cheaper ways to do so than buying those types of heaters they are expensive and heavy as explained above

but you can buy bargains but older damaged ones are expensive to repair

 

[Gwil]

Cant you do both???

You can dump with a 12v DC immersion heater. Same size/thread etc.

Don't forget considerable copper loss at 12v DC. Over any distance always invert to AC- inverters are very efficient these days, then you can use much smaller wiring and usually cheaper components.

 

[KemppiFrog]

Hi Gwil, when I lived in your neck of the woods, I was off grid for several years. First time, just used pressure lanterns and gas fridge & cooker. Second time shared a Lister 3KVA Start-O-Matic with the next house. We only used it in the evenings or for laundry, gas fridge/freezer and gas cooking. Later I used solar water and had batteries for muzac and lights. Things have moved on since then and I would be looking into PV with storage for lighting and a genny for grunty stuff like welding or machining.
Way back then, had a 12/230v TV. So, when grid finally arrived, one could still run a cable out to the car if it rained/stork hit the wires/EDP wanted to work on something, all of which was frequent.
BTW, gas fridges work very well.

 

[Gwil]

+1 to the gas fridge. But via an inverter an ac fridge works here with a few solar panels. Some cold block thingies act as a holding plate in the freezer overnight when there's no solar power.

I'm on grid now but we lived on our boat for many years- low energy lights, cheap solar and efficient inverters have transformed comfort levels off grid these days. Just avoid the kind of women who need hair curlers.

Best avoided anyhow in my view....

 

[sardine]

Change your lights to LED will save shed loads of power.

What about a wood fired hot water boiler ?

 

[julianf]

Change your lights to LED will save shed loads of power.

What about a wood fired hot water boiler ?

You dont need somthing that looks different to do that job - our rayburn does all the domestic hot water here (and would do the rads too, if i ever get around to plumbing them in!)


We have a 300ltr thermal store (which is small in thermal sore terms) - potable water is heated as it passes through the store - i can fill the kettle from the hot tap without any concerns.

 

[8ob]

Just avoid the kind of women who need hair curlers.

Best avoided anyhow in my view....

Especially if the curlers have gone in after the blue rinse

Bob

 

[KemppiFrog]

Change your lights to LED will save shed loads of power.

What about a wood fired hot water boiler ?

Had a gas fired one like that. Fired it up as soon as I opened my eyes, then, by the time I had had a cuppa a listened to the world service news, there was enough hot water for a shower and washing up, so turned it off. Called a 'Fury' heater and made by a US co.

On the farm, water was by a bucket chain in a 30mt well, stored in an open tank of 25 cu.mt, then pumped around by a petrol/parrafin pump which also filled the roof tank. After the well ran dry, we had a bore hole drilled a further 25mts and dropped a shaft drive pump in with a Lister 2 cylinder engine. That gave pressure water all over at 75 cu.mt/hr. Hand starting was fun, as you were cranking the whole thing including the pump & 50mt shaft. We never bothered to filter or even test the water. It was quite hard, so decalcifying the gas water heater was a regular chore. (not the type above)

 

[Rig Pig]

Is a mains hookup out of the question? The cost of solar panels, batteries and inverters and the inconvenience would tempt me to think about it.

 

[Shox Dr]

Is a mains hookup out of the question? The cost of solar panels, batteries and inverters and the inconvenience would tempt me to think about it.

Doesn't that defeat the object

 

[Rig Pig]

Doesn't that defeat the object

It depends on the reason for being off grid, I spend half my life off grid and it's unpleasant when the lights go out. Especially when you're in the shower!