Living Off the Grid- Solar System

Is it possible to live a normal life completely off the grid with a solar electricity system with a generator backup?

Yes, it certainly is. And if you get the right system for your needs, you will rarely need to use your backup generator at all. You do need to pay more attention to the appliances you buy and how you use electricity in your home, but neither of these two things are bad things. It is good to be aware of how much power you use, learn to reduce your usage and stop being mindlessly wasteful.

We bought our property knowing that it was not connected to the mains power system, but fell in love with its location and the sheer beauty of the landscape (Mistake number one in house hunting, apparently!) We knew we would probably end up living off the grid with a solar power system (which we were a little excited about actually), but made the usual enquiries to our local electricity company, asking the cost of connection to their grid. After finding out that it was going to cost around $80,000 to get a mains power line to our property ( yes, a loud "WTF" was said to the poor electric company man on the phone before I regained my composure and corrected myself and said "I see...interesting...thanks for your time but I think I shall respectfully decline."...or something to that effect!) And then knowing that after coughing up such an indecent amount of cash, we would still be billed by the electric company every 3 months for our electricity usage, we found the decision to go solar much easier!

The old system that was at the property when we bought it- designed and built by the previous homeowner for weekend use- was insufficient to supply us with our power needs. How was I to run my espresso machine?  Made out of old typewriter parts and wooden spoons and held together with sticky tape and string, the old system was a relic from a bygone solar power era, long surpassed by modern technology. It was actually of little more use than a bicycle attached to a dynamo.

Here is the old system that came with the farm

The old system was adequate for short term use and brief visits to the property but no good as a long term system. The batteries were inadequate and antiquated and the panels were old and inefficient. The system was 7 years old and many advancements in solar energy had been made since it was installed! The old system would predictably run out of power at around 8pm- 9pm, and so off to bed we would go as it was too late to start the generator and disturb our neighbours across the river. This became a problem very quickly, especially when it meant missing an episode of Boardwalk Empire, again! We were dilly dallying about what to do about the power situation, when a freak storm blew our shed away and forced our hand. Even God or whatever the greater powers that be are, gets tired of watching fools struggle with indecision! In one afternoon we urgently needed a new power system, and we urgently needed a new shed to house our power system. A quick call to the insurance company made it easy to push ahead with the new efficient solar system and make our own energy from the sun. 

The original solar system shed after the big blow.

We called in Switched On Solar to come and give us a quote to build us a system that would allow us to live like people who are connected to the grid, instead of hill billies who were making power by getting beavers to run around in a hamster wheel. We wanted to have all the conveniences of modern life, so we knew our new system would be an amazing salute to modern ingenuity. We called a local shed erector to give us a quote for a new shed, twice the size of the old one and built tough to withstand the high winds we get here at certain times of the year. "This no be cheap", we thought! And it wasn't cheap! The shed cost $ 23,000- half of it covered by insurance. The new solar system cost us $22,000 and needs one more upgrade to allow us to run air conditioners- we need 6 more panels and 12 more batteries.Surprisingly, the cost of the shed was more of a shock than the cost of the solar power system!

The new system as it stands today, before the final upgrade- designed and built by Switched on Solar- Note the difference.......

The new system runs nearly all of our appliances, including the microwave, toaster, espresso machine, TV, computer, laptops, lights, overhead fans,  fridge, washing machine and all the charging requirements of all the small stuff like phones and iPads. In the course of an average day, we use lighting in 2 rooms for 2- 3 hours, TV for 3 hours, desk top computer for 1 -2 hours, 420 litre Electrolux fridge for 24 hours, front loading LG washing machine for 1 hour, toaster for 5 minutes, microwave for 5-10 minutes, charge our phones, laptop and ipad. this usage does not drop the battery charge level below 80%, even in winter, so we do not have to use the generator. It does not run the clothes dryer for more than an hour or so without dropping the batteries charge status to below 80%.  It does not run the iron for more than 15 minutes without the generator automatically kicking in. It also would be unable to run a split system air conditioner for most of the night, but it would power the air conditioners during the day while the panels were making power. However, it gets so hot here, we want a split system that we can run at night and so require extra solar panels and extra batteries, which we will put in place before next summer. The current system requires us to use the generator to iron clothes (to use the iron for more than 10 minutes, that is- we can iron a shirt or one outfit without using the generator, but we can not iron several items of clothing). We cannot dry clothes in the dryer for more than an hour without dropping the battery charge levels below 80%. But we never dry clothes in the dryer anyway, so that does not bother us. We use the generator for less than 2 hours per week, most weeks not at all, and the cost of the fuel is very small.  So factor in the cost of the system and shed- $45,000 minus $12,000 from the insurance payout $33,000- and if we were to pay $2,000  per year for electricity (as we did when we were connected to the mains power), we would pay the system off in 16 years. The batteries have a life expectancy of at least 25 years so we should be getting free power for 10 years. Plus, of course, if we had decided to connect to the main power grid, the power company was going to charge us around $80,000 to get the lines to our property! So we have saved money, will save money in the future and are self reliant and green with our power supply- which actually feels really good! Plus, as our town experiences many power outages from the mains electrical system, we no longer have to worry about that and are never without power. We are the only light on the hill during blackouts- and the only ones watching TV or listening to some tunes. The upkeep of the system is minimal, actually there is none of which to speak- keep the dust off the panels and terminals and keep rodents away from the cables, run the generator once a month to keep it in good order, basically! The gel batteries do not require any maintenance, unlike the old style batteries and the panels are super efficient and will last forever but will no doubt be surpassed technologically within a few years! Solar power systems are getting more efficient and cheaper every year and are well worth considering, especially as  mains power bills keep getting more expensive.

We have found that our solar system meets our needs, gives us independence from the electricity companies and is a modern and green technology that we feel good about using.

The new shed built after the old shed blew away in the wind one stormy night. Insurance paid for half of it- unfortunately, not all of it! Gives some nice under cover area for the tractor and lawn mower and rabbits. But one day, in the sunny future, it will be my art studio when it is enclosed!