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| NEWSLETTER # 31,
SEPTEMBER 2003 |
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THE LITTLE SYSTEM THAT GREW
Back in 1989, we visited a Canadian bookstore in Paris France while we were living there for six months. We found a renewable energy book written by Energy Probe in the 1970's. George read it a dozen times, and proceeded to spend our last year of university reading anything he could get his hands on (not to mention trying to convince me to go off-grid in the house we were to build the following year). We sized our future system using the sizing chart in the NRCan publication Photovoltaics: A Buyer's Guide. We quickly realized that the amount of electricity you want to use directly relates to the cost of the system. We reworked the chart many times and managed to design a system to power the loads we felt were absolutely necessary. We decided that three 51W Kyocera photovoltaic (PV) panels, four 220Ahr golf cart batteries, 30A charge controller, and a 600W modified sine wave (MSW) inverter would be adequate. The total cost of this equipment in 1992 was $2400 - in 2003 the cost would be closer to $1500. With this equipment we ran a few compact fluorescents, small 12V TV/VCR, 12V Shurflo water pump (still working 11 years later), kitchen mixer, battery drill charger, 2A vacuum, sewing machine, food processor and blender. The panels were fixed to the south side of our house. George made two thermosyphon solar hot water panels that supplied ample hot water on sunny summer days, but little in the spring and fall. You guessed it-cold showers three months a year. In the winter, water circulated through a water jacket (not to be confused with a water tank) in our 1940's Beach cook stove (rescued from a neighbour's field and is improving with age). The water was extremely hot and was thermosyphoned into an insulated tank upstairs. This stove is still the only source of heat in our house. After two years of buying a block of ice every three days for a small cooler, we decided a fridge was in order. To run the 12 cu.ft. manual defrost Danby (great fridge), we installed a 600W Whisper wind generator on a 30-foot pull-up tower. Power output turned out to be inadequate. Having no fuel-fired generator, we had to act. We raised the wind generator to 75 feet and now had power to spare. We spent hours mesmerized by the wonderful sight and sound of the wind generator; and often opened the skylight above our bed to have the soothing sound lull us to sleep. We can see the wind generator about a mile from home and it's a most welcome sight. To reduce consumption, the fridge was insulated and the back vented to the outside. Before this, we experimented with running well water through a car radiator. It proved adequate, but the small detail of uncontrolled humidity killed the project. Original ideas can be great, but don't forget the little details. The little inverter could barely run the new fridge, but succeeded for four years until they both died. Fridges like big inverters and inverters don't like being overloaded, so size accordingly. A good rule of thumb is to oversize your inverter from the beginning, because you will always end up needing more power in the future. Most of the other components, however, can be added to gradually. We purchased a Trace DR1512 next and it has run anything we plug into it including table saws, 6hp shop vacs and even a thickness planer. It sometimes puts up a fuss, but keeps doing it. Over the years as our loads have increased, we've purchased more PV panels one at a time. Our biggest improvement came when we mounted the panels (now ten-for a total of 650W) on a manual tracking structure high above our garage. We sold the wind generator to a friend as the wooden blades were chewed up by hail. Turn off a wind generator at the first hint of hail. The new wind generator was also a 600W Whisper, but now had much improved blades and a wonderful control center and metering system. In order to boost solar output, we purchased an MPPT solar charge converter from Solar Converters in Guelph. It's a truly magic box that results in an increased solar output of 10% in the summer and 40% in the dead of winter. George's father patiently managed to semi-automate the tracker (having only to be reset each night) by coupling a 60V gear head motor that runs directly off a small 12V panel and is geared down through some bicycle wheels and gears to track the sun in a clock like fashion. It rotates continuously at half the speed of the hour hand of the clock. The output of the MSW inverter caused many quirky problems most notably with electronics. The last straw was the difficulty we had in running our newly purchased Fridgidaire front-loading washing machine. Most of the quirks of the MSW inverters can be overcome, but we decided to purchase an 1800W Statpower Prosine (pure sine wave) inverter. This allowed us to reserve the bigger, tougher and less expensive DR for the shop. Primarily for looks, we purchased a stainless Conserv (formerly Vestfrost) fridge. It gave us a fairly large freezer, but uses slightly more power than our modified and insulated Danby, which was smaller and had a tiny freezer. We plan to remotely locate the compressor away from the cabinet, but have not yet done so. We burn 5 gallons of diesel a year in our single cylinder Lister Petter (soon to be run off veggie diesel) coupled to a car alternator. We could easily do without the generator, but tend to get lazier the bigger and better our system gets. We should all remember that it's a lot easier to conserve energy than it is to make it. Our second set of golf cart batteries lasted again only three years. Our answer to this problem was the scrounging of a set of six very used 400lb Varta batteries. They have close to 2000 Ahrs of storage. These are roughly 5 times the size of the old golf carts. I have an energy pulser on them and over the last 5 years they have been improving in capacity, despite being 17 years old. We now run lots of lights, breadmaker, Conserv fridge, 12V TV/VCR and water pump, hot water circulation pump to heat the radiant floor in the addition, train set, 12V car stereo, food processor, pasta maker, blender, ceiling fans (all night in humid weather), outdoor lights, LED Christmas lights, grain grinder, computer and printer, washing machine, 10 Amp vacuum cleaner and many large power tools. We now have a Cadillac of a system, but it was sure fun starting out with a Pinto. We don't think we would be as intrigued and impressed with renewable energy without the bumps along the road. We have recently acquired two 1970's Swiss Elektro 6.5 kW windgenerators and two 110-foot towers. They will provide us with over 60 kWh/day. We have never consumed more than 5 kWh/day. We will soon heat our 3500 square foot home with electricity as well as being able to have an electric clothes dryer, a dishwasher and an electric stove. We could even have air conditioning, but would never want it. Good things come to those who are patient!!! In the end, no equipment has worn out due to proper use. Any faults can be attributed to overloading, and all of our equipment is still being used in some fashion. As your system grows, very little becomes redundant.
QUOTABLES...We need a new way of thinking if mankind is to survive and move to higher levels." Albert Einstein
When 50,000,000 people suddenly find themselves without one of the necessities of modern life, then it isn't time for those few unaffected to boast about their foresight. But it sure is a major incentive to encourage those affected to take steps towards eventual energy independence! CFRE is in its 8th year of informing, teaching and, hopefully, inspiring people to take advantage of nature's power to produce clean and safe electricity. We are sure that a good number of our members has already been active in taking our advice and information to install at least some form of solar, wind or microhydro system. The beauty of these systems is that you can start small, maybe with one or two solar panels, or one small wind turbine and then add to it as your finances permit. A great example is George and Kim's write-up "The Little System That Grew", on this page. It expanded as the family grew and as the quest for more comfort could be addressed. How many people affected by The Blackout wished that they had some kind of a back up system - separate from the grid. Sure, some had gas- or diesel-driven generators. If they were lucky those units would start after a long lay-up, but then, once the fuel ran out and gas stations still out of power in a prolonged outage they certainly were no help. In comparison a small solar powered emergency system like the "Nomad 1500" has got enough power to run almost all of your household appliances like your refrigerator, your microwave oven, your lights, your home security system, radio, laptop, computer and printer and an 8 inch electric fan. It costs less than your average sized gas-powered generator and it is portable, too. With the sunny days we had the battery would be recharged in daytime and would keep a unit operational as long as needed, without noise, without smelly exhaust! Camp stoves, barbeques, solar ovens could heat meals if used conservatively. With interest rates at the lowest point in decades, to invest in small systems would be a smart move. This big, sudden Blackout just reminded us that all the conventional systems like the long distance transmission wires are showing their age the same as conventional energy generators like nuclear and coal fired plants. The big decision needs to be imminently addressed: Are we, as tax-payers, willing to authorize the Governments - both, federally and provincially, to invest more billions of our money into new, or upgraded nuclear and fossil fired generating stations, with all the billions we already carry in debt, which our generation will pass on to our children and grandchildren, together with the resulting nuclear waste and air pollution. Or, are we enlightened enough to start with whole hearted energy conservation measures to save money and invest those funds using the new technology that enables local distributed generation without reliance on long distance transmission wires?
The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association presents HARVEST THE WINDA 3 hour seminar for farmers and rural community members who want to know more about renewable energy opportunities and how to get involved. Wednesday Nov 19th, Woodford Hall in Meaford, 6-9 pm
Overview of Agenda Introduction: OSEA Current Ontario Energy Market status Developing Green Power - 3 options:
Experienced renewable energy professionals will introduce you to various options within the new energy regime of Ontario and give you the information you need to get started. The cost of the workshop is $30, a resource kit is included, coffee and snacks will be provided. For more information contact OSEA at 416-9977-4441, or e-mail info@ontario-sea.org I caught a dream walking today
- Text and Lyrics by Gary Bastin, CFRE member
We will email a simple survey form. PLEASE TAKE THE 2 OR 3 MINUTES TO FILL IT OUT, AFTER READING OUR NEWSLETTER, AND EMAIL IT BACK TO US!! Your comments would be a great help and would give us the initiative to carry on and to expand our work. On special request we just list our membership fees here again - the lowest fees of an incorporated non-profit organization of our size!
3 year general membership $ 30 Sustaining member 1 year $ 25 Life membership $ 300 Memberships are not eligible for charitable receipts, but donations made out to the CITIZENS' CLEARINGHOUSE FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT (acronym CCWM) with the note ‘Donation CFRE' and sent to our office will be promptly receipted. SPOTLIGHT ON...Great Lakes United As a member organization of Great Lakes United, the international coalition of over 170 organizations to help protect and restore the Great Lakes' eco-system, CFRE contributed to the Citizens' Agenda For Action to protect the water and the environment. Seven sections were addressed in regard to restoration and the protection:
CFRE helped to put together the Green Energy Action Agenda. We just have enough space in this newsletter to print the introduction. To view the whole introduction or to view the whole Action Agenda, please go to the website www.glu.org .
GREEN ENERGY The generation, distribution and use of energy heavily impacts the Great Lakes ecosystem. Coal-burning power plants poison the region's fish with mercury, contribute to the acid rain that make inland lakes unable to support life, and pose significant health threats to basin residents. In Ontario alone, an estimated 1,900 people per year die prematurely from exposure to smog-related pollutants from fuel burning and vehicle exhaust, and an estimated $9.9 billion is spent each year on smog-related health bills. Approximately sixty nuclear reactors on the shores of the Great Lakes and immediately upwind in Illinois and Minnesota perpetuate the region's unsolved problem of radioactive waste and threaten catastrophe if a major malfunction at any one facility occurs. A sustainable energy future lies with a system of decentralized and locally controlled energy services, a diversified base of renewable power sources, use of alternative fuels and vehicle technologies, and maximized efficiencies and conservation. NOTABLES - World Council For Renewable Energy (WCRE) At the invitation of the World Council For Renewable Energy (WCRE) our organization has become a member of this newly formed non-government, non-profit organization which acts as the global voice for Renewable Energy. WCRE is an independent, non-government organization, unique in being solely committed to renewable energy worldwide which responds to the need of an adequate representation of decentralized and small Renewable Energy organizations, consumers and producers.
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