dpb wrote:
wrote:
...
If I can ever afford it, I'm going to setup solar panels and wind
generators, and tell the elec co to shove it.
Chuckle...
And there's the bottom line -- you can't do it for less, even for a
minimal amount such as a single dwelling.
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Not if you insist on using electricity as the only way of storing and
moving energy. For people who want to live 'off the grid', the answer is
to minimize how much electricity you need, and do as much as possible
via other means. Passive solar, ground thermal, big south windows and
Sola tubes for as much 'free' lighting as possible, windmill and water
tower to minimize the need for well pump and water heater, etc, etc.
Once you get over the front-end costs and the effort to recreate 1930s
tech, you can get by with very little 110/220.
It does take a lot more work on a daily basis to exist that way. All
that low-tech stuff takes a lot of upkeep. That is the reason
electricity caught on so fast- it is so damn convenient.
--
aem sends...