On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:13:41 -0700 (PDT), RobertL wrote:
On Apr 10, 8:52*am, 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)?

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

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?

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


I'd be amazed if any of these ways of making electriciity was cheaper
than buying it off the grid. I'd also be amazed if any of them was
better for the environment than buying it from the grid. I would
worry about the noise - the continuous humm of even a well silenced
generator is quite wearing for those who live within earshot.

Quite. We have a house that's "on grid" but was "off" for a while a
couple of years ago. To get around the problem we used a 2.5kW petrol
genny.
A back-of-the-enveope calculation at the time showed that the cost of
fuel made our electricity x10 - x14 more expensive than from a commercial
supplier. Although I can't prove it, I am firmly convinced that the
generator was much less efficient than a power station - using any fuel.
It also didn't have any of the scrubbing tech. that commercial power
stations have, or a catalytic convertor - so it emitted a load of
unpleasant stuff into the atmoshpere, apart from the CO2.

There's also the worry about generator failure. If that's your only
source of power, when (not if) it breaks down, or you run out of fuel
than you're stuffed. I would expect that a generator rated for continous
running would be many times more expensive than the ones you get at B&Q.

--
.................................................. .........................
.. never trust a man who, when left alone ...... Pete Lynch .
.. in a room with a tea cosy ...... Marlow, England .
.. doesn't try it on (Billy Connolly) .....................................