Living with Energy from the Sun for 26 Years, what we have learned (update)

It almost feels like sun worship. Watching our garden grow, working, feeding our electricity habit and staying healthy by the sun. 

We live a low energy lifestyle and work in an isolated spot in the interior of British Columbia. Getting away from the geopolitical mess or at least putting a bit of head space from the mess of corruption and manipulation.

We started with two 85 watt panels and two golf cart batteries 25 years ago. Powered our 12 volt tv and a light. Now we run 3 small, independant solar arrays.

The smallest is made up of  a 75 watt panel fixed to our roof, facing south connected to a charge controller. The controller is connected to one 12 volt deep cycle battery. It powers a 12 volt light in the pantry, a 12 volt water pump from our well, a cd, tape player and radio.

A second system is made up of 4 panels (400 watts) mounted on a sun tracker 5 metres high that we built for less than $50. The panels are connected to a 40 amp controller that is connected to 4 x 6 volt deep cycle lead acid batteries. The batteries are connected to a 1750 watt inverter. The system is 20 years old. Two of the panels are 25 years old. The system runs electricity into our cabin and shop. It cost us $5000.

 

500 watts of solar panel

The third system is made up of  5 panels (500 watts) mounted on a sun tracker 3 1/2 metres high we made for less than $100. The panels are connected to two 30 amp controllers that are connected to a 2000 watt inverter.  One controller has a disconnect from the batteries for charging automobile batteries. This system is 2 1/2 years old. The cost was $1600. In the years, since purchasing the last panels 20 years ago, the price of panels and inverters has come down 80%. The price of batteries has risen about 10%.

Sun trackers can provide a 45% increase in power. 

We built this one 20 years ago. It has been modified since then to hold 4 panels vertically.

We live and work here. The trackers are manual. We turn them directly on the sun three or four times a day in the summer. Spring and fall, 2 or 3 times. In the winter they are static. Working with the sun. On dark winter days we run a 3000 watt inverter generator for a few hours, assuring everything stays rock hard in the freezer.

Besides lights, computers and the odd kitchen appliance, we power our shop. Our most demanding machine is the band saw with a 3/4 horse power motor. 

What we have learned to get the most from your solar panels is:

charging batteries and relying on that stored power is not the way to go. Battery technology is inefficient. For us stored power is just enough for lights and computers when there is no sun. When the sun is out we'll work. From March until October we have unlimited power for our needs. We work full time with smaller machines (10 amps and less) when the sun is out. The bigger machines we use intermittently and because of our lighter wiring we run one 3/4 horse machine at a time.When the batteries are charged and there is a 60% sun day the process is a lot more efficient. Solar energy flows through the panels. The batteries act like a conduit. Energy the inefficient batteries will not accept on a full sun day is the energy  we can use up.

After working in the shop, at the end of a day the batteries have as much charge as they had at the beginning of the day. If the day involved lots of heavy use, like using the table saw ripping or milling apple wood with the band saw  etc, all over 15 amps, then we would alternate system. Keeping the batteries charged.

Our shops

 

This power set up could be doubled, tripled, quadrupled... You would just need more. Heavier wiring, more wattage (panels), larger capacity controllers etc....

We help charge the batteries with a generator in the low sun months from November until the middle of February. We need to use a generator for machine power in the winter and on heavy load days in the early spring and fall. We slow our work right down in the winter. It works out.

Having two main systems that are interchangeable has proven to be a great asset in the low sun months. As one system is being used and discharges the other is charging.  

4.6 billion years old. The sun will start a transformation into a red dwarf in 5 billion years. Swallowing the earth, Mars...

Consider, the sun provides enough power in one hour than the planet of people use in one year.

We are fortunate to live and work with the sun. A few panels and batteries have worked for us. What we've paid for our 1000 watt systems, today, you could buy  6 or 7 times as much power.  A system of 5 or 6 thousand watts would pay for itself in 2 or 3 years if not sooner. 

It almost feels like sun worship. Watching our garden grow, working, feeding our electricity habit and staying healthy by the sun. That is the point. The sun. The most eye opening idea we've seen is the fact that the sun will supply everything human kind needs and more, it's staggering how much  more,

 

Regards,

Aki and Scott

www.caribooblades.com

 

 

Solar Power, Engines and Alternators.

The sun is getting higher in the sky. A new season is coming. Looking forward to it for sure.

Aki and I have run our shop and cabin on solar power since 1998.

We are 100% solar powered from March until the middle of October. We work full time making knives and large timber tools.

We designed and installed our system
starting with 4 x 6 volt golf cart batteries, 2 x 85 watt panels and a 1200 watt inverter. The batteries are tough, inexpensive and easy to replace. Twice a year I'll clean them with baking soda and water then top off each cell with distilled water.
I've seen people spend lots of money on batteries. Tough golf cart batteries are the way to go for our shop and lifestyle.

Today we have 422 watts of panel. Four panels, a 40 amp regulator and we have a 1,750 watt inverter and built a 200 watt portable unit as well with 2 golf cart batteries for working around the place.

We built a manual tracker. 4 panels are mounted on top of a 20 foot pole set 2 feet into the ground in a cement housing. As we work we turn the panels to face the sun. Turn and tilt.
This has increased our power by 45%. The manual tracker we designed.The tracker put us at the level of power we are satisfied with and grounded the system well.

An excellent ground is really important. Ground your inverter, batteries and panels.

Trick is to work with the sun.  Use power a lot when it is there in the sky.
At night we use stored power for light, music and small amp tools.

If you have a steady wind a wind generator is the way to go.
It's quite amazing once you begin... Turning on your tools being powered by the sun.

Back up power has always been a concern here this time of year.

Late fall and winter. By the beginning of March we are free again to use as much as we want from the 4.5 billion year-old nuclear power plant in the sky. Although we've come to a spot in our time where we don't need a lot, we do want some.

Besides solar in the winter the first power generation we produced 19 years ago was from a 35 amp 12v alternator I parted from an old wreck left on the land here. Rigged it up to an old 3 1/2 horse lawn mower. Did the job for a while. It was handy to have had it on wheels, kept the throttle on the handle bar but the old motor was pushed down with those 4 dead energy-sucking deep cycle batteries. The small 3 1/2 hp engine drank a surprising amount of gas, began to burn oil then died after a couple of seasons.

We traded for a second hand 10hp honda motor. It was nice. Ran well and was not loud.

Built a frame everything could sit on securely. Rigged a 50 amp alternator up to it from another wreck on our land. It ran well until... we needed more power.

Living off the land. For 1997/98 we lived on $200 a month. We lived on an average
of $400 a month for the next few years. We ate a lot of hares, dandelions, mushrooms and wild onions. It was a little rough but when we look back we realize that starting from there was great. Determined we were and still are.

...We needed more power. We needed the late fall and winter to be power-ready to be able to " exploit" Christmas selling knives and art and cover the spring when we needed time to plant our gardens.

We bought a 150 amp alternator from a trucking outfit and used parts and wiring from the from the
wrecks.

Machined a pulley, adapted the larger alternator to the engine. Started it up. The unit was giving the four 6v deep cycle batteries what they wanted but the 10hp engine was working hard. Wasn't ideal - again it wasn't great on fuel because it was working hard but was better. Bought a small sanding machine a second and slightly larger grinder and a small band saw.

Could not believe we had lived without the new shop machines. More power fell into our lives like a new pair of socks.
We were travelling around the province with handmade knives and edge tools participating and selling at 6 Christmas shows, 2 spring shows and 5 summer and fall shows. Fairs, art and craft and knife shows. We even did a couple of trade shows. The best was the Sto'lo nations Pow Wow in Chilliwack B.C..

Not a second to spare for 6 years.We needed more
power....

Aki and I started to build a reputation for our art,tools and knives. Over half of our sales were repeat customers by 2004.

Crazy thing was that we did not have any time or money. We kept up our garden but that was absolutely the only time we had. All the money we made was for fuel to travel, motels, food, show fees, insurance...

The piston rod broke. The engine was worn out. It was September. Orders had to go out. The Christmas stock had to be started.

We had a '84 Safari van. 4L engine, propane. The rear end was shot from heavy loads, lots of travelling and no maintenance.

Looked at the engine. The air conditioning had been dismantled. With some small adjustments and fudsing with belt size the 150 amp alternator would fit right into the spot the compressor was in.

More power, burned less fuel, burned cleaner and it was quiet. I thought small engines would be more fuel efficient, less impact. The thing was they were working hard. Like when the car companies first put six cylinders in full size pick-ups. They didn't burn less gas and they wore out faster and when the going got tough they have a hard time performing the tasks.

In idle position the alternator still put a demand on the engine but wasn't threatening its life. We had added another solar panel. Our power needs had been met. So what did we do... bought a bigger bandsaw and added a couple more batteries.

When the van was on in the winter we`d pump water, vacuum, charge batteries and the computer and grind steel.

The van lasted 5 winters. It started making sounds, worn sounds. The crank shaft pulley`s centre had shattered and 2 mounting bolts were sheared off. The drive pulley was being ripped off the engine. Holy torque.

In comes our old S-10, 2.8L. The great aspect to this plant was that the crank shaft pulley was a double belt to the alternator. A double pulley. Easy fit. Welded up an adjustment arm to accommodate the size. A couple of attempts at sizing the 2 belts which were different lengths.

It should run for awhile. We shut down our shop for December and January now. By adding one more panel we have the power we need.

Unrealistic some say, every person has their price some say. We don't believe that. Some can't be bought.

How much do we need to get started?

Aki and Scott

A Conversation in 2004

Hi Scott and Aki.

I have been sending The following testimonial to a few people:

"Speaking of beauty... I wanted to pass on a little conversation I’m having with a friend of mine, Scott, who lives in the bush, no hydro.... He makes a living making carving tools, chef and hunting knifes. All made from the sun. He is astounded that we are fighting wars; killing people over energy. Mean while every day huge amounts of energy are delivered free to every home on earth.

From my friend Scott:

When I get up in the morning I race out and face my solar panels to the sun.
I was in the shop all day yesterday, full sun all day. 3 hours straight on the grinder, + 1 hour sanding on my machine, + 1 1/2 hours drilling and reaming on the drill press, then 3 1/2 hours on the computer with the satellite connection (it takes power as well), 2 hours of tv with a light on for three hours and I still have plenty of power stored (in batteries) to email you this morning. It's looking like it's going to be a beautiful sunny day today again. We can't use all the power. Oh ya, the freezer was on for 3 hours yesterday.
You guys could have systems running easily. I don't understand why you don't. A solar array (250 - 300 watts), a regulator, an inverter. Total cost is around $2500 - $3000. That's it.
It is so simple. You can start right now by building a sun tracker, you need to follow the sun. I built one for $35. If anyone tries to tell you that you must have more or says you can't do it for that, they’re full of it.
Ciao,

Scott.

www.caribooblades.com

Summer

Life in the bush during this time of year. I think there is no other place we'd like to be.

There's lots of work to be done and there is lots of living to do.

Skidding out pine beetle killed trees with the

old 1955 Massey - Harris.

After a day of falling and skidding out dead trees.

Our winter supply of cariboo potatoes . We water the potatoes and the wild flowers take off.

The mosquito eaters are more than welcome to tag onto our eaves.