On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:36:52 +0100, "Anthony R. Gold"
wrote:

On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:52:43 -0700 (PDT), John Nagelson
wrote:

Hello, I am considering taking a house 'off grid', and would be
grateful for help with some of the following questions:

1) how easy is it to run an generator fuelled by PARAFFIN(known in the
US as 'kerosene', i.e. '28sec', the type of oil used in most oil-
powered domestic heating systems in the UK)?

Not hard, just consider cost to buy and maintain, the storage of fuel and
the noise of the engine to you and to your neighbours.

Only with a steam engine or a gas turbine (?!)

2) how easy is it to get hold of, and run, a generator fuelled by
SOLID FUEL, e.g. coal or wood or both?

That sounds VERY hard, requiring a boiler and steam turbine. Leave that to
the public utilities.

A steam piston engine would work, if you could get hold of (or make)
one.

3) how easy is it to run a generator fuelled by DIESEL? And surely if
you do, you don't have to pay petrol-station prices? Is there a legal
way to avoid paying the excise?

Diesel and kerosene are essentially the same but with different tax rates.

No they're not. You're thinking of DERV (white diesel) and gas oil
(red diesel). The latter carries no fuel duty and can be legally used
in a generator, though I don't know how difficult it is for an
ordinary joe to get hold of. I expect marine suppliers have it.

4) what about running an oil-fuelled generator on cheapo COOKING OIL?
Is this practicable? Is it legal?

I guess legal but smelly (assuming you mean used oil) with the same noise
issues as fuel oil but also problems with moisture contamination and
corrosion, securing a reliable source and performing whatever filtering and
purification are needed. It may also have problems of solidifying in cold
weather.

You could mix it with diesel in a diesel generator, or use it to fire
a steam engine.

You never asked about LPG/propane which is another possibility. I run a
40kW LPG generator with automatic transfer just as a backup during power
failures in a place where the power does fail all too regularly.

All the same, hardly cheaper than electricity off the grid.

If the OP wants to save money on his electric bill, it's best to do it
by avoiding electric space and water heating, electric cooking, air
conditioning, appliances on standby, battery chargers on all the time,
replace incandescent lamps with fluorescents - IOW all the standard
economy measures.

--
Max Demian