The Grid: Getting Off It (Step One - Research)

[hsifeng]

Well kids, I think it is time for me to look into this more seriously. We wanted to wait until we put in the garage (so that the solar panels could go there instead of on the house) but I don’t know if that type of esthetic consideration is realistic anymore. I only hope they can put them on the BACK of the house so that they aren’t so nasty looking in the front.

 

Our friggin electric bill was over $450 in the middle of the summer this year and over $650 in the middle of the summer last year. Nach.

 

I understand there are companies in my area that are doing solar leases as well. Other ‘off grid’ items I would like to look into.

 

1) Home gardening: Seems we might be doing a bit of a ‘community garden’ since we have oodles of yard spacetristinmorgan andsaoirse42 are interested in pitching in.
 

http://www.hgtv.com/gl-wildlife-other/no-work-garden/index.html

http://www.americanprofile.com/article/562.html

 

2) Reclaiming Rainwater: A great way to water your garden, and with a mulched garden it takes even less water!

 

http://www.watercache.com/

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06702.html

Any other great resources folks would like to point me towards?

Comments

[bedpimp.livejournal.com]

I think Black Rock Solar is doing commercial/industrial stuff, but I can pick his brain on technology and vendors, at the very least.

What is our average monthly PG&E bill?

Do we need 3 refrigerators? Perhaps swap one for a big freezer?

I can do an appointment, if you'd like. Any chance we can get the roof over the service porch looked at, too?

Gutters on the roof, filter/reservoir on the service porch. That will give us a bit of water pressure without needing a pump.

[bedpimp.livejournal.com]

The trees on the east side of the house will need to be topped or removed for solar to be really effective. If we could make the plastic roof over the laundry room load bearing it would give us another 15%, give or take.

[hsifeng.livejournal.com]

The cost of that type of tree work is prohibitive (thousands of dollars). Perhaps we should look at a ground installation adjacent to the shed instead.

[hsifeng.livejournal.com]

If we are going to take a fridge out, it would be the kegorator: There is no way we will be able to operate the whole house off of one kitchen fridge, so it is the logical choice to go if something has to. Have you checked with PG&E on the relative costs of electricity for our appliances to see what we would be looking at in savings if we got rid of it ($29/month per one site)?

As for the overall electricity: Based on the last three months that would be $246/month.

Cost on the roof over the porch has the same issues as the cost of topping the trees. We need to look at a possible ground install or what we can get in currently free roof space on the back of the house.

Looking into the sand filtration system is going to take some figuring since we need to all be happy with the location and the concept before we get too far down that road…

[hsifeng.livejournal.com]

Are you out of town this weekend? We need to check this place out for garden/general supply purposes: http://www.restorefresno.org/pages/inventory.html

[bedpimp.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm out of town this weekend. Do you get Monday off? It is Oppression of Indigenous Peoples Day, you know. ;-)

Oh, that's very cool! That's like what happens to the lumber after Burning Man!