This is an old photo of me installing a new header on a water turbine. The old header was made from galvanized pipe and was very restrictive as well as ugly. Turbine output increased from 350-400 watts to over 800 watts by simply changing the header. Wish I was still that young. It has been … Read more
You will make a lot of mistakes in the beginning of your “off grid” adventures and your batteries will pay the price whether they are deluxe and expensive models or decent quality and cost effective. If your solar installer/designer tries to sell you a “high end” (and very expensive) battery bank for your first energy … Read more
In the developed world we have become accustomed to having unlimited electricity. We turn on a light switch and a light turns on. We leave the light on for two weeks straight and the light stays on for two weeks straight. Even if we do leave a light bulb running for two weeks it affects … Read more
Using a 120 volt or 120/240 volt single phase generator to charge your batteries is very common, inexpensive to purchase and horribly expensive to operate. Expect to pay anywhere from $2.50 to $5.00 per kWh when using a single generator to operate your home and charge your batteries. If you are going to use a … Read more
A phantom load is anything that burns electricity even when the item is turned off or providing no real benefit. As of 2013 there are many, many consumer electronics that are phantom loads. Phantom loads seem to be quite controversial these days. You have the tree hugger on one side that claims phantom loads are … Read more
If you don’t have access to clean water in your off grid home, nothing else will matter. Some will be fortunate enough to have crystal clear and potable water directly from a spring or well but most of us will need some type of water filter or purification system. The problem is most of the … Read more