Electricity to…….going off grid

[dave77]

How much is your average power bill? Unless it's quite high it would take you a long time to recoup $60k to $100k. Even if you had a very long power outage how likely are you to have more than one. With your ability to store propane (80% of 4000 gals isn't it) I would think a whole house generator would be the way to go but that's just my opinion.

It would be nice to be off the grid full time with solar or wind but unless you switched over to electric heat you're still dependent on propane deliveries.

[Sir Henry]

How much is your average power bill? Unless it's quite high it would take you a long time to recoup $60k to $100k. Even if you had a very long power outage how likely are you to have more than one. With your ability to store propane (80% of 4000 gals isn't it) I would think a whole house generator would be the way to go but that's just my opinion.

It would be nice to be off the grid full time with solar or wind but unless you switched over to electric heat you're still dependent on propane deliveries.

Mathematically you are correct about the cost vs savings. The big unknown is future electrical demand against supply.

And yes I’m 80% of 4,000 gallons of propane. I will break even on the cost of the tanks in about 15 year at today’s prices. I’m gambling in the future propane will cost a lot more which will lessen the time.

A big part of my reasoning is I have the money to do the battery/solar/turban setup and might as well spend it. If I die with the money in the bank then what was the point of having it.

[dave77]

Have you checked into staying on the grid and selling any of your excess power back to the electric company, also keeps you going if by chance there is a period of not enough sun/wind to keep your batteries charged up.

I take it you're going to keep your propane heat no matter what?

[Sir Henry]

Yes I would actually stay on the grid and sell back any excess. And yes I’m staying with propane because it’s the cheapest form of heat other than wood which isn’t that much cheaper.

One big driver for me to do this is political. The state is dictating to the power companies to provide electric charging stations for cars while the local power company is saying to expect rolling brownouts. Several coal power plants were torn down with the federal government providing wind and solar grants. Then the federal government withdrew the funding.

[dave77]

Don't know if affected you much when you were over on the west side of WA but our local PUD is required to purchase a certain percentage of our power from wind and solar sources even though we have surplus power from our dams. Many states don't consider Hydropower a renewable power source.

https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-h ... nergy.html

[Sir Henry]

Don't know if affected you much when you were over on the west side of WA but our local PUD is required to purchase a certain percentage of our power from wind and solar sources even though we have surplus power from our dams. Many states don't consider Hydropower a renewable power source.

https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-h ... nergy.html

I believe the top two hydro power producers are in Washington. Here in Wisconsin we don’t have nearly the water resources even though there is water everywhere. Water to produce electricity needs to fall and Wisconsin is too level.

[Sir Henry]

The trencher is coming Saturday so I should have power to the tractor shed by next week. They will also trench to the top of the hill and lay the line. I’ve contacted a neighbor to bulldoze the road and it might also be done in a few days. Then everything will sit over the winter till it’s warm enough to pour concrete. A month later I’ll be having a metal garage that’s 30’x72’ and a lean-to that’s 12’ wide and 36’ long installed.

This is the view from directly in front of the RVport and the road will go straight in front of it for about 100 yards.

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[Sir Henry]

I hung some party lights down by Alice this morning. I’m still scheduled to have the trenching done Saturday and the wires hooked up on Monday. These party lights are the same as I have on the house and garage.

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[Hatchdog]

Someday I’m going to make a road trip to Timms Hill WI just to drive past your place in the dark!

[Sir Henry]

Someday I’m going to make a road trip to Timms Hill WI just to drive past your place in the dark!

Stop and have coffee. It’s still only a dime.

A neighbor just stopped by and told me my RVport really looks nice from the road. We walked around and I showed him my propane tanks, we went inside the RV then walked up the hill where the garage is going. Everyone is telling me I’m doing a good job fixing the place. Actually I’m not fixing it but rather completing it.