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Off-Grid solar 101
Off-Grid solar 101
Going Off-Grid for electricity can be one of the biggest challenges you can face and also one of the most expensive.
After doing a Geoff Lawton Permaculture design course in 2013 I learnt the secret to taking my family’s home off-grid in the city which I had been wanting to do for years and was constantly told I couldn’t.
You can see our Off-Grid house in Sydney in this video.
There is also the other element to going Off-Grid and doing it in a permaculture way.
For us doing it with low embodied energy products, using solar panels that would pay back their environmental footprint not just the bank account. Batteries that would last a very long time and also be choice that would make a difference for our children was very hard to get to the bottom of and talk to guys who could answer any of these questions.
Most sales guys just want to sell you a 6.6kw solar system because that’s the best payback period financially for most countries. I remember one guy giving us a quote and asking “ are you one of these greenie types?” You think maybe growing all your own food and the garden tour he got 1st would have quietly helped him answer that question in his own head.
Going Off-Grid for electricity and taking responsibility for your own power is one of the most rewarding things that you can do in my opinion. 3rd to growing your own food and harvesting your own water.
I created this Video to help people understand the basics of Off-Grid Solar and help you get your head around Off-Grid and how different it is to Grid tied systems.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Battery Technologies for Off-Grid Living
BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES FOR OFF-GRID LIVING
There are so many battery technologies out in the marketplace, and it is highly likely between me writing this and you reading it there will be another new fandangled world’s best battery that has hit the market.
What Elon Musk has done with Tesla is to create a market awareness of wanting to install home battery storage and reduce our impact on the environment from burning fossil fuels. This has been fantastic for raising the level of awareness.
As any good permaculture teacher will tell you “It all depends on the situation.”
My experience with batteries is that all the technologies have a place and purpose; it’s about choosing what’s right for you and your situation.
It’s about choosing the right tool for the job and understanding the capabilities of that device. Not choosing the correct tool for the job can end up with a broken machine!
This week I got the inside on the Tesla power wall training I attended about installing home battery storage from the distributor of Tesla powerwall in Australia. It was a fascinating look on what can be done with the technology and it’s limitations.
The three top batteries sold around the world for battery storage are Lithium, Lead Acid, and Nickel-Iron Cells. Australia is currently the largest installer of nickel-iron cells around the world for stand alone solar applications.
Let’s start with the number one selling battery worldwide the Lead Acid Battery.
Lead Acid Batteries
Lead Acid cells have been the biggest selling batteries for home energy storage as they have been the most cost efficient and simple cell to use. Being the battery of choice for cars has helped bring down the cost of production.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
