System Components

I started this post about four years ago, 
and never finished.  I guess I didn't know much about my system.  Since then have replaced the batteries, fixed a broken turbine (partial replacement) and as you will read below, added more solar panels and a dump load water heater.  Life has been interesting.


This is the original "backyard".  The outdoor wood boiler, back up generator, 8 135 watt solar panels and lp tank = electricity and heat.
 

The outdoor wood boiler is made by Central Boiler.  It is a dual fuel model - will run off of lp or wood.  I think it is over sized for my house - on sunny days, it really isn't utilized at all, the house heats itself naturally, but the pump still runs.  I'm not sure if it is really the answer for an off grid system.  I love the fact that I heat my floors and am using wood instead of lp, but since the pump on the stove runs constantly circulating the water from the tank to the house, it consumes a lot of power over 24 hours.  The short days and long nights of winter - especially cloudy days require the generator much more often.

These is a picture in my utility room of the four pumps that circulate the hot water through the floors.  I put in four zones - one pump for each zone.  Each floor of the house is one zone and the garage is the fourth.  These only circulate the heated water when the thermostat requires heat. 

The solar panels and in the background the small wind turbine.  The Kyocera solar modules have a 20 year warranty.  These supply a little over 1kw of power.  The Whisper 100 has a 5 year warranty.  It is a 900 watt system. 

This is the configuration in the garage, with the battery box underneath.  I keep the garage heated in the winter at about 48-50 degrees Fahrenheit.  The big white pipe is the battery box vent.  These are just vented into the garage, they were supposed to be in the basement and a vent to the outside was installed there.  In this configuration are the transformers, the Outback inverter (2 year warranty) the wind controller and the Outback Mate to the far right.






In 2013 I added another 12 solar panels, 250 watts each and in 2014 another 3 solar panels with the dump load electric water heating system that I have described in another post. This adds another 3.75kw of solar power.  

It's Still Winter!

This morning's view

 I woke up to a shocking reminder that it is February, and it is still winter!  Time to put on the winter clothes and brush the snow off the solar panels.  

I shut off the outdoor wood boiler almost 10 days ago.  We've had almost a week of 60 -70 deg. F temperatures.  Most days were sunny so the house stayed warm and with the dump load water heater,  I had hot water without burning LP.  Life off-grid was smooth sailing.  I could get used to this spring like weather and roll right into summer.

It is still February!  It's been overcast and rainy for a couple of days.  I woke up to house temperatures around 61 deg. F.  and tepid domestic "hot" water.   However, the sun is shining so the water should heat up nicely today. 

1 week ago

It is still February, I keep reminding myself.   It is a little early, but I started pruning grapes during this spring like weather. I remember one year I was pruning in full winter gear on my knees in the snow because the snow was 2-3 foot deep.  

No snow so far this year.  Much of the pruning has been done in a T-shirt and one day, shorts and sandals.  My wool socks made my feet overheat.  

The disadvantage, I got a blister since I wasn't wearing gloves.  My winter hands aren't used to repetitive friction caused by a pruner.  

The high temperature today is 32 deg. F.   The big question is, do I start the wood boiler to warm up the house or do I try to heat the main floor using the dump load hot water.  The forecast calls for a sunny day!  And tomorrow is a bit warmer at 45 deg. F and sun.  As for pruning, maybe I should wait until it warms up.