1st order of business ... the solar power system! At the very most we will spend $1,000.00 on our solar power kit. It will be expandable just in case we decide to add more panels later but for now, it will run the things we need. We have spent the last year learning ways to conserve energy. We don't have small appliances that need electricity but we do have a fridge & freezer. We have laptops (that can power up off the car charger we have) & a TV (to connect through the computer & internet) that will be unplugged except for about 30 minutes per day ... and we have our internet modem.
Before we buy the solar power kit, we have some questions ... we know how much power we'll use but are wondering if there's any difference between a regular starter or off grid kit and an RV kit. In some cases the RV kit can offer more power for less cost. We'll be consulting with a few people who know more on the subject so I'll fill you in when we find out.
For lighting we plan on using hanging solar lanterns. We'll hang them out in the morning & then bring them in to the house each night. There's 2 for each bed room, 1 at each end of the hall, 1 in each bathroom, 4 in the great room and 2 in the kitchen for dish washing (if they happen to not get done before night falls).
Will it be a chore to haul all those lanterns outside? Sure it will ... but the money we'll save will be put aside for traveling, family fun, sowing in to the Kingdom of God & items for the homestead! We'd been looking & looking for a good price. I hadn't found them for lower than $20.00 each (including shipping) ... until recently. I was FLOORED to see then at $7.95 each .. and even more floored to see what store it was.
Go to that site & do a search for some things. YOu may find what you're looking for.
I understand that people think solar power is expensive ... but really it isn't if you're prepared to conserve & in the event one purchases a large, expensive (and some times wasteful) system ... it eventually pays for itself by cutting out your electric bill & will one day provide you with free energy.
ReplyDeleteI notice your post leads to a web site. I don't endorse the Renewable Energy company you're promoting. That company charges people for information that is actually free through Google searches.
Hopefully you & other people see that you can spend cash and start with a small system ... and little by little, add to the system if needed. It's really only a matter of conserving & weaning the dependence one might have on electricity or being willing to sacrifice some comforts.
OoooooOOoooo!! I am so excited for/jealous of you! LOL I was looking at the pics of your place the other day. I forgot how absolutely breathtakingly beautiful that place is. Keep a pot of water ready on the stove. Ya never know when I'll come rolling in for tea. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou are ALWAYS welcome, my friend!!! I can't wait to see you!!! You just need to tell me what teas to have on hand :)
ReplyDeleteLoretta, You can also find propane lights. If you are going to have a propane refrigerator and/or stove, you will have the propane lines already run anyway. We used two propane lights, one in the kitchen, and one in the living room. They actually give off less light than the wattage stated, but they sure aren't too bad! We also found very tiny oil lamps that we set inside the kitchen sink (in case it got knocked over, so it wouldn't start much of a fire) that we used as night lights. We used battery operated touch lamps in the 'bathroom' at night (it was a porta potty that we dumped in the outhouse in the morning). We got very good at figuring out how to conserve every bit of energy we had! It was a two hour drive over very bad roads to get to a store!
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