Living “Off Grid” – Portion two

Living “off grid” indicates you are not connected to a utility firm power line, the electrical grid. You need to create your own electrical power to meet your requirements. This can be a challenging and rewarding experience!

Refrigerator/freezer:

Refrigeration is the next greatest electrical require, 8% of annual power use. Despite the fact that several off grid houses use propane powered refrigerator/freezers, common in the RV industry, we advocate extremely efficient electric refrigerator/freezers.

They use much less energy overall, don’t rely on a non renewable fossil fuel, and are much more maintenance free. Super effective DC models are obtainable, some can be expensive. But really efficient brand name AC models are offered if you ask for them. They are priced comparably to standard household models.

Cooking:

In an all electric residence the cooking range is a huge electrical load, 6% of annual power use.

An off grid house ought to use a propane cooking range/oven. Select a model with a piezo ignitor (which sparks to ignite the flame when you turn the knob), or a pilot light (less desirable simply because it utilizes propane constantly – despite the fact that a tiny quantity), or use matches to start off. Do not use models with “glow bars” to ignite the flame. They use huge amounts of electricity constantly.

A microwave can be powered easily by an RE program, but choose a small model (900 or 1,000 watt) with out a digital clock (which uses power all the time.) A toaster oven is also beneficial for modest cooking tasks but is a fairly large electrical load.

For the more adventerous, a solar oven can bake or boil foods on sunny days, utilizes no electricity, and does not add cooking heat to the home in summer. Solar ovens are portable and easily utilized on any sunny day, summer or winter.

Washing and drying clothes:

Clothes washing and drying accounts for roughly 5% of annual power use. Shop meticulously for an power efficient and water conserving washing machine (front loaders are typically greatest.)

You will not only have to power the washing machine with your RE method, but will most likely pump water from a properly with the RE program too. How much water the washing machine utilizes can have an effect on the size of your pump and RE method.

Saving “gray water” (waste water from washing machine, sinks, and shower) to irrigate landscaping will let this water do double duty and minimize the water you will want to pump from your properly for irrigation.

Check with your nearby Well being Department about a gray water technique, separate from the “black water” (waste water from toilets) method.

An electric clothes dryer is too big an electrical load for an RE technique. Decide on a propane heated clothes dryer with an electric tumbler motor. And make very best feasible use of a “solar clothes dryer” – a good old fashioned clothes line.

Retractable clothes lines can be installed below a porch overhang, in a utility space, or in a garage and enable pre-drying clothes in any weather. They retract when not in use to be out of the way. Use your propane clothes dryer to fluff line dried clothes, or to dry clothes in damp weather when required.

Lighting:

Home lighting accounts for about 4% of annual energy use. Incorporate natural day lighting in your passive solar design to keep away from the need to have to use lights in the course of the day.

Use skylights (sparingly to stay away from excessive power loss in winter and acquire in summer) or “solar tubes” to bring daylight to interior spaces

with no windows. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs, turn off lights when not required, and use timers, motion sensors, and photo cells to control indoor and outdoor lights.

Other:

The several other modest electrical appliances in a modern property use about 7% of annual energy use. Take a mental stroll by means of your house and take into account all the other power using devices you have. Eradicate, or reduce the time of use, of as a lot of devices as achievable.

Turn off your computer and accessories when they are not becoming used. A switched surge suppressor outlet strip works well. It is a myth that such equipment can be damaged by turning it off and on

regularly. Turn off appliances when you are not utilizing them.

Remove “phantom loads” – such as clocks, cordless phones, “instant on” TVs and stereos, “wall cube” transformers that plug into outlets – all consume power constantly, even when turned “off”! Unplug them or use a switched outlet strip or power cord switch to insure they are disconnected.

These loads can needlessly consume your beneficial renewable power if left on when not necessary. Use an appliance power meter, such as a Kill A Watt meter, to test your appliances and phantom loads. Know how considerably power you are making use of so you can make informed decisions about your energy use.

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