Going off the grid...Does anyone use solar for energy in their home?

[homeandbarnbasics]

I am really starting to get into Solar. I am building my new coop to be all solar and will soon start on a new barn that will be solar powered. I really started getting into solar when I was in teh Army stationed in New Mexico. I did alot of backwoods camping in my RV and hated to disturb the peace with a generator so I installed solar cells on the camper. Worked great. My best resource in this venture has been a company called Back Woods Solar http://www.backwoodssolar.com/ they sell all the stuff you need to go "off the grid" and have a very knowledgable staff too.

One day I am gonna build a home for me and the DW to retire in and it will definatly be all solar.

 

[karanleaf]

Chickymama my husband had converted our barn to solar 3 years ago and is working on doing the same for our chicken coop and duck shed. We have plans to be solar and wind generated when we build our new house. There are many many links out there. Just put in a search on solar panels and you will be flooded. I will ask him which ones were his favs and get back with you. good luck. it sure helped lower our elec bill coverting the barn.

 

[smom1976]

we are looking into not off grid but reducing our electricity needed..

here is a list of gov incentives..
http://www.power-save1200.com/incentives.html

here in florida it is almost free..

we are looking into the 3 kw system..

we made a call and should be getting a packet in the mail soon.. aparently the rebate cycle starts in july so we would need to hurry..

 

[chickymama25]

Thanks karanleaf and smom1976, I appreciate those tips. I think this would be a great little project for my DH to do. I know our chickies would love a snug as a bug warm shed this winter...

 

[d.k]

*My brother and family did it for almost 2 years when the shed that held the meter to the house they were renting burned down because of mice. Bro switched the lights out to 12v, got propane appliances, w/d, w/h/, fridge and ran the rest off 2 generators that he made in-ground vaults for to cut noise. They had very little solar. Not enough sun in NoCali in the woods.

 

[chickiebaby]

hey, smom1976, thank you for that awesome link . . .

 

[PurpleChicken]

Most of the facts have been covered here.

Photovoltaic solar (making electricity from sunlight) is not very cost effective.
Every year it gets a little better, but not by much.

Thermal solar panels are a lot less expensive and produce a great deal of heat.
If reducing your carbon footprint is part of your goal then heating with solar
and burning less coal should be second on your list. First should be conservation.

It's a common misconception that using less electricity will reduce carbon emissions.
The real reason our state governments are giving incentives for solar and other
"green" energies is because most of the national grid is maxed out.

My next home will not be off the grid but won't need the grid either.

 

[jorgey]

I've always wanted to go totally off of the grid. Stand alone solar or a solar wind combo. I have looked into it a lot the last few years, and unfortunately it would cost me around $50,000 to $60,000 to do it. I'd probably be long gone before I could ever pay that off.

 

[smom1976]

Quote:
no prob.. I thought it was great too..

 

[karanleaf]

Just got home from the ball game

So I started Picking DH's brain here are the sites he first suggest to check

otherpower.com , homepower.com, solar4power.com, solarcooking.org But he says go to Mother Earth News and Home Power are the best places to start. There are lots of info out there and ways to do this without spending thousands $$$ I hope you have good luck with it I will try to post photos (as soon as I learn how to just getting into working of this site). of our solar powered barn and then the coop & duck shed when it gets set up. let me know how the study goes.