CONTENTS
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Foreword Introduction OTG From Before There Was Electricity STEP 1: Choosing The OTG Lifestyle OTG, Battery Backup, or Grid-Tied? The Energy Budget The Low-Hanging Fruit (Conservation) System Sizing for the OTG Lifestyle Planning Your Site Inverters. The Brains of Your System Solar Panel Basics Batteries Generators DIY or Contract? Building Process for the System Electricity Basics Infrastructure Commissioning Off-The-Grid Systems Living With Your Energy System The Pre-Fab Alternative Epilogue
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FOREWORD BY PROFESSOR GREG STARK TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY I’ve had the pleasure of working with Hoss Boyd as a valued Capstone Course Client bringing renewable energy projects to our senior capstone students at Texas A&M allowing them to apply their coursework to solving real world problems. Karena Reese is a former Capstone student, and it was a pleasure watching her progress through the two-semester Senior Capstone course sequence from student engineer to graduate engineer as well as come back as a client after she graduated and interact with a student team. Having spent the past 41 years of my career working in the energy industry as an engineer, the advances in new technologies and how they are applied have been both amazing and fun to participate in. I remember stories from my grandparents and other relatives living in rural areas prior to the 1930’s across the US talking about their off-grid systems from the era before the grid was a thing. While many of those systems were wind and battery based, the premise was the same; finding a way to have the convenience and lifestyle benefits afforded by electricity where it wasn’t readily available. Solar and other renewables combined with today’s electronic control systems have provided today’s potential off-grid users more options than ever existed in the past to develop a custom system to meet their off-grid needs. One of the first Off-The-Grid projects I was involved in was working with various agricultural, regulatory, and utility groups to develop i
demonstration projects utilizing solar water pumping as a source of drinking water for livestock in large remote areas away from the grid. Ag producers were always disheartened when appropriate land existed to run their livestock on that didn’t have available water and line extension costs of the grid to get power there were cost prohibitive to serve one small water pump. As the various stakeholders talked and discussed various options to figure out the problem, we did what most people do; talked to anyone who had dabbled in the idea to find out what worked well, what didn’t work, and maybe most importantly, what worked in certain situations but not others. Most of us understand the quote and why “experience is the best teacher.” I’ve been lucky in my career to be able to talk to and listen to people with real world experiences in Off-The-Grid applications as I’ve traveled the country. Their experiences help us understand the advantages and disadvantages of most any device or technology and how they work or how the unexpected might occur. I will share a couple of my “aha moment” interesting take aways from listening to many different Off-The-Grid stories: - Nobody I’ve met really seems that enthusiastic to go up on an icy gabled roof and remove several inches or more of snow off the solar panels after an ice storm or blizzard. Or as it was put to me as an under-statement by the owner; solar doesn’t really work that well under 14 inches of snow. (Hopefully the wind blows during the storm to keep the panels pretty much snow free, right?…but not always.) - Don’t build your solar array directly across the road from a neighbor who likes to shoot his gun at old barbecue grills loaded with Tannerite to blow them up on the 4th of July. Some of the grill remains flew across the road and went through the solar array. (Yes…this one is from Texas but nobody would argue if you said it could happen in Arkansas too!) This document has been compiled by the authors to provide a wealth of both technical and practical considerations to think about when installing Off-The-Grid systems. I know the authors hope you find it useful in going through the consideration of various options you have and their advantages and disadvantages to optimize a system that works best for you.
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INTRODUCTION First of all, there is nothing more boring than the typical “How-To” book. You might say this is more of a “What-to-Expect” Guide, or put another way, “What You Didn’t Know That You Didn’t Know About Going Off The Grid”. We hope this Guide is not only useful but also entertaining. At the very least, it should be interesting considering the background of the authors. Kerena (the Aggie) is an engineering graduate of Texas A&M University. Prior to graduation, she was a member of a Senior Engineering Capstone Team under the Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAEN) Department. Her team’s project was one sponsored by TeraVolt Energy that involved the design of a large-scale Battery Energy Storage System. Hoss (the Arkie) is the Founder, President, and CEO of TeraVolt Energy, an established Texas-based commercial solar, energy storage, and manufactured energy system company. Hoss is originally from the Ozarks of rural Northwest Arkansas. In true Arkie fashion, he received his initial training in electricity by experimentation.
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Hoss’ Early Interest in Electricity Stock Photo Both Hoss and Kerena are recognized solar and energy storage experts with a lifetime of experience and knowledge on solar and energy storage between them. (You can learn more about TeraVolt Energy on the company website at http://tvnrg.com). Texas Aggies are world famous for having creative ways of getting things accomplished. Although they are often the brunt of jokes that are mostly untrue but funny on rare occasions, Texas A&M Engineers are among the top problem solvers in the world. Arkies are also famous for their creativity as well as their work ethic---plus their uncanny way of saying in a thousand words what could be said in ten or less. When the answers to your Off-TheGrid questions are finally published here, you can be assured that Hoss’ lifetime of experience and knowledge on the subject has been thoroughly fact checked, clarified, and condensed by Kerena.
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CHAPTER 1 OTG FROM BEFORE THERE WAS ELECTRICITY The early settlers to the American territories had to be totally selfsufficient. The practice in the day, since there was much more land than there were people to live on it, was to clear a place for a log cabin plus enough additional land to start their agricultural enterprises. The trees they cut down went into building their log cabins. They would hunt wild game and grow their own food. After years of clearing the land and wearing out the soil from crops, the settlers would move into another forested area and start the process all over again.
Early American Log Cabin Stock Photo
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KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD The Cabin was always a priority. Winters were harsh and storms frequent, so protection from the environment had to come first. They built their cabins using whatever was available on their farms. The spaces between the logs were filled with clay, the floors were bare earth, and the roofs were made of either straw or they made of split wooden shake shingles. Their doors might have been split logs that hinged with leather straps or just animal skins draped across the opening. Heat in the winter and cooking was from a handmade fireplace fueled by wood cut on their farms. The cabins were usually within walking distance of a running stream as their water source. It was a very simple lifestyle that demanded a full-time effort just to make sure there was wood for the fire, food for the table, and water to drink. All of their work had to be finished while the sun was shining since the only other light they had was from homemade candles. Hand making goods such as clothing, soap, bedding, and other necessities contributed to the very labor-intensive lifestyle. Hoss’ Grandfather and his family had moved to Oklahoma in the late 1800s where he met and later eloped with the woman who would later give him four children and celebrate over 50 years of marriage with him. Since that part of Oklahoma had few trees, the homesite was dug out of the side of a hill with a roof over the top made of live grass. Like the cabins of the early settlers, it also had an earthen floor. It may or may not be true, but story has it one of the cows was eating grass from the roof and fell through into the house.
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Dugout home Open Source Much later on, Hoss’ grandparents moved to the Arkansas Ozarks and bought an 80-acre homestead (with a tin roof too high for the cows to graze on). The house was a small wooden structure with four rooms. There was no running water, no bathroom, and no central heat or air. They got their water from a well with a hand pump, their cooking was done over a wood cook stove, their bathroom was an outhouse, and heat came from a rock fireplace. However, unlike Hoss’ grandpa’s parents’, the house did have electricity. It wasn’t much, but they did have a few pull-chain lights and a plug-in for their radio. From the time Hoss was a toddler until he was five, he lived with his grandparents. His bed had a feather mattress and pillow, and his bed covers were handmade quilts that a local women made from discarded clothing. In the summertime, it could get very hot and humid in Arkansas, so the house was cooled by opening all the windows and doors. Screens over the windows and screen doors kept the animals and insects from coming in (for the most part). Electricity was used for lighting and (as mentioned earlier) to power the radio. Literally everything else was hand powered. If the need required electricity, they simply did without. This included refrigeration for stored food. In back of the house was a two-level rock building used for storing canned goods and smoking meat. The lower level was below ground a few feet and what wasn’t below ground had earth several feet thick against the outside walls. This system used the natural and stable ground temperature to 3
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD keep the food cool in the summer and prevent the food from freezing in the winter. The constant cool temperature along with the tightly sealed jars would keep the food from spoiling. The upstairs room was used for curing, smoking, and storing meat. Each year, they would kill and butcher one of the hogs for smoked meat and sausage. Milk came fresh from the cow, and eggs from the chickens that roamed the homestead. When a hen outlived its usefulness. It would be killed and cooked on the same day. The rest came from the garden, trees, or berry patches.
Hoss’ Early Home on Grandpa Miller’s Farm Photo Courtesy of Hoss Their lifestyle was simple like the early settlers, and like the early settlers, theirs was not an easy life. But they had all of their needs met. For those of us who want to have the simple Off-The-Grid (OTG) lifestyle, there is much to be learned from our rural predecessors. But we don’t have to live in a totally austere environment---we can enjoy the simplicity of living OTG without giving up all of the creature comforts that electricity gives us. Today, it is possible to “cut the cord” from the utility company, be totally selfsufficient, and have electricity, too. This is made possible by limiting the use of electricity either by conservation measures, or by using acceptable alternative methods of getting things done. Kerena and Hoss share how this is possible. 4
THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE The Aggie Methods of living OTG Kerena As Hoss’s stories, as well as all histories of mankind will tell, most of offthe-grid living has been done by necessity. That’s not quite the case for the generation I’ve grown up in. My siblings are Millennials and I’ve supposedly just missed the cut, grouped in instead with Generation Z. This generation can hardly remember a time without cell phones; let alone lights or refrigeration. I do believe resource conservation and the likes of an off-thegrid, homesteading lifestyle are lived by choice now. We have access to electricity and convenience as far as our wallets will stretch, but some of us have opted into the “zero waste” trend, relearning habits and survival skills of past generations for sake of environmental consciousness, cost savings, and self-reliance. Lucky for us, information is at our fingertips thanks to the internet, making it possible to learn a new old way of life, despite how the ancestors who last lived it may be gone.
Luffa seeds for a vine-like plant with edible pods Photo Courtesy of Kerena For me, an off-the-grid lifestyle isn’t so much about reverting back to colonial days, but rather finding a balance in order to be self-sustaining, respectful of the environment, and still participate in the greater society of modern civilization. I don’t have a personal backstory of log cabins or hunting and gathering. The bulk of my homesteading experience lies ahead. And in so doing, I have not only the opportunity to relearn how to live, but the luxury of choice in what conveniences I am willing to give up vs what 5
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD privileges of modern day I don’t want to waste. I am all for composting and home gardening and herbal remedies. I find myself increasingly bothered by a plague of consumerism. However, a hot shower and the joy of Christmas lights are some things I’ve decided not to live without. This energy guide is not only for your benefit, but mine too. You don’t have to follow the letter to the t (although, for electrical wiring and technical works, it’d be safest not to get creative), but rather keep the tips and tricks in the back of your mind as you move through your daily life, or as in my case of early adulthood, plan for a lifestyle ahead. I think the greatest change needed for an off-the-grid lifestyle isn’t the knowledge or the material goods, but habits. We make choices every day that are either conducive or undermining of the life we want to live. A reusable grocery bag will save plastic from landfills; thoughtful use of daylight will save kWh of electricity at night; a nutritious diet will save your body unnecessary stress.
Stock Photo I don’t believe that to live off-the-grid you have to tally up sacrifices and live in poverty. If you are smart about it (which hopefully you will be after reading this guide), you can live a life of conservation that leaves more time, more money, and more effort to put towards things you really care about. And in doing so, you will have a fresh perspective, a more intimate relationship with yourself and your surroundings, and lead a life of enrichment and abundance.
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The dried pods can be used in place of sponges Stock Photo
Chamomile and honey for a home remedy Photo Courtesy of Kerena
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THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE The Arkie Methods of living OTG Hoss I was 15 when I moved in with my Aunt and Uncle on their 90-acre farm in Northwest Arkansas. Sylvia was the oldest of Grandpa and Grandma’s children. By the time my mother came along (the youngest), my Aunt had already married my Uncle and had left home. I talk more about my Aunt because my Uncle was partially crippled and had early stages of dementia when I arrived on the scene. My Aunt pretty much raised me and taught me the value of hard work. They were from the Great Depression generation and like so many others who struggled through that era, they had developed frugal habits that they never gave up. My job was to do all the heavy lifting, which meant by the time chores were done, it was dark. In the evenings, I still had to do schoolwork, but I couldn’t do that without “burning” the lights and using electricity. My Uncle was a fanatic about turning out the lights to save electricity. In retrospect, that wasn’t such a bad idea---so long as you don’t need the illumination. To this day, I will go behind people to turn off lights that they had left on after leaving a room. You’d be amazed how something so trivial could actually make an impact on your electrical usage. Energy conservation is the easiest way to cut the electric bill, and you don’t have to be miserly in how you save electricity---just frugal.
Photo Courtesy of Hoss Our main use of electricity on the farm was for the milking machine, the milk cooler, the well pump, a refrigerator, a freezer, lights (for the few times we used them), and we had moved up from the one plug-in for a radio to one for the radio and another for the television (plus a few others). Our heat 9
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD came from propane and our water from the well with an electric pump. But for the most part, we relied heavily on manual labor for most of what we had to do. There was very little that came from the store: a few groceries, hardware, and cattle feed. Everything else was raised or made on the farm. Our garden was tilled by “Hoss power”. The garden was about an acre and supplied most of our food. We at least had a little farm tractor to prep the garden, but all the planting and weeding was done by hand. I believe the garden tools---like the hoes, rakes, push tiller (two handles and no motor), and other implements were relics of the Great Depression (I came to the farm in the 1960’s). The first week of gardening, I broke every single handle on the place. My Aunt and Uncle did buy new handles, but the rusty metal parts of the implements were repaired and kept. Practically nothing was thrown away. If there happened to be a spare nut or bolt from times past, they would end up in the “junk” drawer. That’s where we went to find anything to fix everything. Plus, we had plenty of bailing wire rolled up on fence posts just about everywhere. NOTE: I keep forgetting that some terms like “baling wire” may be foreign to a lot of folks. For the unenlightened, hay used to be compressed and mechanically formed into tight units about three feet long and eighteen inches wide and high. In the early days of mechanical hay baling, the bales were held together with a pair of bare steel wires (baling wire) applied by the machine before the bales were ejected. The wire was replaced by baling twine, which was a very coarse and cheaper hemp cord. As the wire-tied bales were fed to the cattle in the fields, the Arkie farmers would roll up the wire and hang them on the nearest fence post. Our fences were over thirty years old and were made of split oak posts and barbed wire. We had what locals called an “old widow fence"---one that was propped up with other older posts and fastened together with baling wire (as was common on farms where the widows without the help of a strong husband tried to keep their fences up and the cows in.) Some of the farm essentials were flashlight batteries and candles because the power would go out every time it stormed. If we heard thunder, we made sure these essentials were close by. My Uncle had this habit of counting the times power would go out in a storm. He told me that for some unknown reason, if the power went off, it would shortly come back on until after the third outage, then the “lights” would stay off. Later I found out that the substations had carousels with three huge fuses in each unit feeding the distribution lines. When a fuse blew (usually from a lightning strike), the carousel would rotate to the next fuse. After three times, a lineman had to come out (when he got around to it) to replace the fuses. Until that happened, we were literally in the dark. Rural electric lines were mostly bare wire strung through trees and on leaning poles; lightning strikes and downed 10
THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE power lines were frequent. I don’t know for sure, but that fuse system may still be in use today. Like Grandpa and Grandma, we had chickens for eggs and meat, cows for milk and meat, and of course, the garden. My Aunt was a wizard when it came to preserving and preparing food. She baked, cooked, canned, and pickled. Meat and other hard-to-can items went into the freezer. The freezer was a chest-type so that the food would stay frozen when the power went out. You could almost guess the age of the freezer by the layers of white paper-wrapped packages. Of the years I lived on the farm, I never saw the bottom. I was convinced that somewhere on the bottom was the first hen ever dressed out on the place. NOTE: Poultry has a total shelf life of four hours at room temperature and about one year in a freezer at temps below zero. By the time the chicken is killed, defeathered, and dressed out, about thirty minutes of those four hours at room temperature have been used up. For the frozen chicken, it really didn’t matter much to us that it had exceeded its shelf life---we never got down to those over a year old anyway. Besides, the old frozen food worked well to keep the "good" food on the top layer frozen when the power went off. Our well was in a small building that had once been a smoke house, but after my Aunt and Uncle got their freezer, the smoke house became storage. The well pump was in a three-foot by four-foot compartment. The walls of the compartment were lined with old newspapers and rags for insulation. The pipes were also wrapped with rags. This was supplemented with a single 100-watt light bulb to keep the well from freezing in the winter. The well was very limited in how much water it could produce. If we used too much water at one time, it could take a day or two for the well to recharge. Water conservation was a very big deal for us---not a drop was wasted. That included when it came time to wash clothes (we did wash ours occasionally along with bathing). Clothes washing was, by necessity, saved for sunny days. The old ringer-type washer was operated outside and was filled from buckets (that was a step up from Grandma’s washboard---a wood framed affair with a sheet of rippled metal to scrub the cloths across). The wash was dried on the clotheslines---our lines were under trees that birds roosted in, so I often wore polka-dot shirts. We also had a rain barrel to collect water for general uses.
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KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD I could go on-and-on (that’s what Arkies do), but the single most important thing to get from all of this is that living OTG doesn’t mean living without electricity. It means you use electricity as a way to improve your lifestyle---but not to be depended on for having a lifestyle.
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CHAPTER 2 STEP 1: CHOOSING THE OTG LIFESTYLE In the 1800’s, the far majority of Americans came from the farm. That was before cars, electricity, and in most places, indoor plumbing. Since then, there has been a steady migration from the country to the cities, and today, there are very few of us who can relate to a farming lifestyle. Ask children in the 19th Century where milk came from and they would say “from cows”; in the early 1900’s, the answer would be “from the milkman”; during the Great Depression of the late 1920’s to early 1930’s, they’d say “What is milk?”; later in the 20th Century, the answer would be “from the store shelf”; now the answer would probably be “from almond trees or soybeans”! Hoss is one of those blessed few who enjoyed the independence that came with living in the country. The work was tiring, seemingly never ending, and often brutal; but the rewards were immense. Food was healthy, natural, and plentiful, with plenty coming from cows, chickens, and the garden. At night, one would go to sleep to the sounds of bull frogs croaking, crickets chirping, and an occasional cow calling her calf. The food raised on the farm tasted better than that off-the-shelf because it was picked when it was at its best and not picked green for long-term storage, then artificially ripened. Modern plumbing today comes through PVC pipe but on the farm where Hoss grew up, clean unpolluted water came straight from the ground in an iron pipe. The water might have been a little tinted from the rust, but the flavor of that fresh pumped cold well water was better than any bottled water on the shelf today. Life was slower and a lot simpler. It did have its challenges---it was not an easy life, but the independence, freedom and high quality of life made the hard work well worth the effort.
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The Rat Race Stock Photo In modern times, people are trapped into what is termed “the Rat Race”. Today looks the same as yesterday, and the day before---tomorrow will look just like today. Meals that were once made in an oven in the kitchen are now popped into a toaster or a microwave, or you wait in long lines at a fast-food restaurant. Everybody is in a hurry. They weave in and out of traffic just to find themselves eventually moving at a snail’s pace. On the positive side, there are very few recorded fatal accidents that occur at speeds below five miles an hour! No matter where you go, you end up in long lines waiting. When you finally get home, you realize as you prepare for a much-deserved rest that you forgot something you needed from the store! We find ourselves trapped in a lifestyle that we don’t like and don’t see a way out of. Many of us must live near our work, and that has typically been in the city. But since the pandemic of 2020, we have found that we can work from home, and that home can be anywhere we choose. We have gotten a taste of living (almost) Off-The-Grid. But we have become spoiled; as time moves forward, the trend will probably be to get workers back into the physical workplace. If and when that occurs there will need to be some soul searching about how important a job in the city might actually be. At this point, let’s make a point of clarification. WORKING FROM HOME IS ONLY PART OF LIVING THE OFF-THE-GRID 14
THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE LIFESTYLE. Living OTG goes far beyond that. It means being selfsufficient, but that does not mean you must give up modern conveniences. The secrets to living well Off-The Grid are to reallocate your time from that wasted on the highways and in long lines at stores, and to find alternative ways to make a “living” that also gives you a “life”. It may mean looking at alternative career choices that would be compatible with a work-at-home occupation or giving up some modern conveniences. Downsizing might be an option, but a better option might be “right-sizing”. Right-sizing is deciding on the lifestyle you want, then getting all elements of that lifestyle in its proper size and order.
Congested Neighborhoods Photo Courtesy of TeraVolt Energy On the very bottom level, try to imagine an absolute bare bones existence. What would that look like? Shelter would be small since large homes would be harder to keep warm in the winter. Forget about staying cool in the summer since there would be no air conditioning---or electricity to run it. Without electricity, there would not be any television or internet, so evening entertainment would be limited to reading; however, the rooms would be dimly lit at night without modern electric lighting, so reading would not be easy. What about water? It would need to come from a well, rain collection, or from a stream (after filtering out the solids and boiling). There would be no electric pump to give pressurized indoor plumbing, so you’d have a hand pump (if water came from a well), an outhouse, and a lot of buckets. Do you notice the common theme that appears in the “bare bones” lifestyle? NO ELECTRICITY!!! 15
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD The entire theme of this book is about using electricity you produce OffThe-Grid (OTG) for something a lot better than a bare-bones existence. The point is you can live well as a minimalist when you have energy produced OTG. The Arkie and the Aggie share their thoughts on what that lifestyle would be for them. NOTE: When we refer to living “Off-The-Grid”, we mean having a home without a connection to the utility power grid. When we talk about living “Off-Grid” we’re referring to a hermit’s lifestyle without computers, internet, or phones.
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THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE The Aggie OTG Lifestyle Kerena As I’ve contemplated living Off-The-Grid, I see it as just another adaptation, and people tend to be very adaptive with the right motivation. So, that’s where I’ll start. What are my motivations to live Off-The-Grid? An easy answer is for the environment. An OTG lifestyle is conscientious of the environment. Conservation of resources and mindfulness of all you spend your time, energy, and electricity on is the only way to survive. There is a certain kind of intuition gained from working with the environment. To produce electricity using solar panels, you must learn about the sun and the effects of other weather conditions. To grow your own food, you must learn about the earth and the intricacies of crops you choose to plant. To be self-sustaining, you can’t be a floating island of a modern person ignorant to the world around you. The environment surrounding you and your home will either kill you or keep you alive, and I believe that is a two-way relationship you build with the land you live on. Abusing or misusing the land will strip it of its life (nutrients in the soil, water above and below ground, game to hunt, etc.) and then you, the person, are starved all the same. On the contrary, if you develop an understanding and respect for your surroundings, life will be bountiful. From fruit trees, to bush berries, maybe fish or deer, clean water and fresh air… if you care for the Earth, she will care for you. Another reason for my living Off-The-Grid is for the rich experience. If this is my only time on Earth, I want to make the most of it. This modern western culture of hustle and bustle – sacrificing time and passion for the sake of unsatisfactory paychecks – is uninspired to me. Taking a moment, or a day, or longer to sit with yourself and ask questions about your lifestyle would reveal a lot of truth: “When am I happiest?” “Where am I at peace?” “What gets me excited to live?” “How do I feel the most fulfilled and achieved in life?” I think so many people, in America especially, have been taught and told to follow the beaten path of work, eat, sleep, repeat. Some lucky folks have found a passion or cause that feels personal enough to dedicate their free 17
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD time to, but I read in another book that all of your time is free. And with that basic principle in mind, I ask, how do I spend my time? Sometimes it’s easier to know what you don’t want before knowing what you do want. In the later part of my college experience, I faced a dilemma of having the ability and soon-to-come degree to be an engineer, yet not the desire for the workstyle. I say “workstyle” in contrast of “lifestyle”, but in deeper truth, they are the same to me. To work as an employed, financially well-off engineer would satisfy my parents’ hope for me and would catalog my name in success. However, I could not shake the dreadful image of being chained to an office desk, staring at a computer for 8, 9, 10+ hours a day, then driving home too dulled and exhausted to enjoy any other part of life. Furthermore, I have come to learn that success means different things to different people, and while I do still value money as a token of success, there are so many other aspects unobtainable by the full-time employee lifestyle.
Living Off-The-Grid Photo Courtesy of Kerena A rich existence does not only mean wealth to me, but rich in experience more primarily. Living OTG, knowing where food and water come from, being part of the process from farm to table, and indulging in every moment of seeding, tending, harvesting, and preparing food to eat is a rich existence to me. I’d rather hear birds chirp and whistle in the morning than traffic 18
THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE noise and engine rumble coming from the streets. I’d rather see blue skies and starry nights than city smog and never-ending light pollution.
Living Off-The-Grid Photo Courtesy of Kerena One of my greatest motivating factors of living Off-The-Grid is to make it a life of my own. I’m sure a lot of people can relate to feeling like they don’t belong or don’t quite fit in somehow. Escaping a city scene to live OTG would allow me the privilege of building a life perfectly suited to my personal taste. I will grow the food I like to cook and eat. I will perform chores and work on my own schedule. I will spend time exactly how I am inclined to do so, not by standard convention or because a boss told me to. A happy life is one in which I am honest about my values and I actively live according to them. Living OTG means I answer to myself, and I am rewarded in ways indescribable outside of experience. The life I build living Off-The-Grid is an oasis where I am free to live and thrive. Something else to note about adapting to a change of lifestyle is the sacrifice of certain luxuries leading to unexpected pleasures. There is a natural rhythm to the planet and therefore in ourselves. It’s easy to ignore or lose the beat when integrating into a larger society, but when all your power comes from energy produced by the sun, the cyclic turn of night and day and changing weather patterns of seasons become more obvious. Gratitude for 19
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD good weather is no longer a flashing thought or passing comment, but noticeable in the lights turning on in your home, or in hot water to run a bath, or a working stove to cook your meals. When all your electricity is solarproduced, you realize how important a sunny sky is, and learn quickly to appreciate it.
Living Off-The-Grid Photo Courtesy of Kerena
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THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE The Arkie OTG Lifestyle Hoss There’s a lot I miss about living on the farm. But there’s a lot more I’ve grown accustomed to from being in the city. My compromise was to move to a small town, but since my small town was discovered, it’s now a city that has outgrown its small-town pace. One of our mayors encouraged people to move here for the slower pace. What that really meant was that you now sit in traffic for a long time like everywhere else. There was not much we needed outside of the farm, but we were not Off-The-Grid; the farm was powered from the electric COOP’s electricity lines. My Aunt and Uncle had both endured the Great Depression in Oklahoma, and never lost their frugal habits. They threw nothing away and things we used with electricity were few; we conserved everywhere we could: - Lights were used sparingly in the barn and the 5-room house - Water was conserved to limit how often the well pump ran - The milking machine was a necessity but was only used twice a day for a couple of hours at a time - The milk cooler was also a necessity and keeping the lid down kept the hot air out - Wintertime heat was from the electric cookstove in the kitchen, the propane heater in the big room with a fan motor, and a rarely used bathroom propane space heater - There were also a few plug-ins to power the refrigerator, freezer, television, radio, sewing machine, vacuum cleaner and a few other odds-andends, with the discretionary items used only a few hours a week. As I mentioned earlier, grandma and grandpa were almost totally OTG--they had a couple of lights and a few plug-ins, but no electric well pump, no refrigerator, or much else. I once heard Grandpa say to my grandma in their later years, “Ma, when we first got married, we didn’t have nuthin.” And Grandma replied, “Yep, and it appears we have most of it left!” All they had to do to cut the utility company cord was to go back to oil lamps and candles. My grandmother was almost totally blind, so she didn’t even need the candles. My idea of the ideal would be to find a 90-acre farm like the one I grew up on in Arkansas. The house would be small, cozy, and comfortable; a few big trees in the yard for shade; a fireplace for heat (and a propane stove for a backup); and basic electrical lights and appliances. But unlike the farm of my 21
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD younger days, I would go totally Off-The-Grid with solar panels, batteries, and a generator backup.
The Old Barn Photo Courtesy of Hoss The house would be well sealed and insulated to conserve heat in the winter, and oriented to take advantage of cool breezes in the summer. A deep basement would also help with natural cooling as well as providing a place for food storage. Something I thought was an interesting concept for houses I saw in Alaska, was the wells were drilled in the basements (before the structure was built) so that plumbing would not freeze in the winter. After what we went through during the deep freeze a few winters ago here in Texas, having a well in the basement makes a lot of sense. Everything that needed electricity to operate would be energy efficient. For example, LED lighting would illuminate the home and many electric devices would be sacrificed for manual ones---the electric razor would definitely be the first to go! I would probably keep the computers and the internet, but considering how many commercials you can waste your time watching TV, I would limit television time to watching movies from a DVD library (if you don’t have your own movie collection, get a public library card and borrow theirs). I find it interesting that so many people are more concerned about what covers the walls of their homes (the look and feel), than what’s behind the sheetrock. If you live in the south, you probably don’t need a home built to Arctic standards, but there are a lot of great ideas that have come from those who build their homes in the cold climates (another topic for another book). 22
THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE I required our house that I built in Texas to have a steep roof. It cost about $3500 more at the time for a few extra feet of lumber. We also put ceramic tile on most of the ground floor. What I hadn’t expected from just those two slightly more expensive options was the huge savings we had in both our winter and summer energy bills. While our neighbors were spending on average $700-$900 a month on gas and electricity, we were spending around $275. The high roof kept the summer heat away from the living envelope, while the tile was kept cool from the ground temperature of the concrete pad underneath. I wanted a basement, but we built on solid rock, and the basement would have cost more than the rest of the house. I also would have liked thicker walls with more insulation, but foolishly, I let the framing contractor talk me out of it (you don’t need it in Texas, he said, because electricity for HVAC was cheap---it ain’t any more!). The next house will have thicker walls and hopefully a basement. I’ll share a few ideas later on about simple things we can do to reduce our energy use. So why is energy conservation important? Because when you go Off-The-Grid, you only have the energy you have stored,---when it’s gone, you are down for the count. The beauty of adopting energy conservation habits is you don’t need to be OTG to experience the benefits of saving energy. And you don’t need to live like a hermit to be Off-The-Grid and self-sustaining.
The Old Farm House Photo Courtesy of Hoss The next Chapter will dig a little deeper into going totally OTG, staying on the Grid with Battery Backup, or staying Grid-Tied with just solar to reduce energy costs.
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CHAPTER 3 OTG, BATTERY BACKUP, OR GRID-TIED? Off-The-Grid, Grid-Tied with Battery Backup, or Grid-Tied---Which type of system should you choose? Are there other alternatives? Each type of system has its benefits and challenges. The OTG system liberates you from utility company bills and keeps the lights on when everyone else may be in the dark, but it is more expensive up front and requires active management of your limited energy supply. The Grid-Tied with Battery Backup is the middle-of-the road for cost (since you need fewer batteries), keeps the lights on when the power is down, but still makes you dependent upon the utility company, even though not to the extent of the Grid-Tied System. The GridTied System is the least expensive but leaves you at the mercy of the power company on how you can use your electricity. It also leaves you without power when the grid goes down. This Chapter will help you choose the system that is the best fit for your energy needs considering your budget. We’ll look at the systems in order starting with the least expensive, then the Aggie and Arkie will share how they would approach this decision from their perspectives. The Grid-Tied System This is the basic starting point for all solar (Photovoltaic/PV) systems, and it is the simplest and least expensive. Today, you’ll find a lot of help with these types of systems since they are the most common and they can be installed without a whole lot of technical expertise (that’s probably why so many solar companies specialize in this type of system). Something to remember when we get into the higher-end systems is that all three types must have many of the same key component items found in the basic GridTied system. The most important item common for all systems is the 25
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD “Synchronous” inverter. It’s called “Synchronous” because it “synchronizes” with the utility grid. It’s not important to know how it works, but what is important is that it meshes with the rhythm of the grid so both will work in harmony. The inverter is the brains of any PV system. It knows when the sun comes up and goes down; it knows when the grid goes down; and it knows when something is wrong with the system.
Example of a Simple Grid-Tied System Photo Courtesy of TeraVolt Energy Also common to all PV systems are of course, the solar panels. They can be mounted on the rooftop, ground-mounted on posts, or designed into a structure such as a carport. Like inverters, not a lot of skill is needed to handle solar panels, but there are some precautions that are absolutely necessary. Solar panels now are much lower cost than when solar first became popular, but dropping one is still an expensive event. It takes some manpower to mount them, especially on rooftops. There are also some technical aspects that are important. For example, what direction should they face; or how many panels should I connect together and how? And of course, the most important question to consider: How many solar panels do I need? This guide won’t explicitly say how many panels you may need, because each persons’ needs and wants are different. In later chapters, you will be brought through the process of defining these needs and come to a 26
THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE conclusion on your own about how much electricity is required to satisfy your lifestyle.
Grid-Tied Solar Can Reduce Electricity Costs Photo Courtesy of TeraVolt Energy As for the inverters, monitoring is highly recommended. Most inverters come equipped with communications capability where the system can be monitored remotely from the internet. This option is a small simple box with ports for one or more inverters and an internet port. Some inverters now handle the communications internally with either an add-on board or factory installed comm components. In cases where the internet is not available, another option is remote onsite monitoring through a radio transmitter and receiver. The receiver is typically a small desktop screen.
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Radio Equipped Inverter (See Antenna Attached to Bottom of Inverter) Photo Courtesy of TeraVolt Energy Inverters normally come with production on-screen read-outs as well as status lights. You’ll know if the system is operating by a green light, and you’ll know how well its working from information displayed on its screen. It will also give you error codes when something is wrong that helps with troubleshooting (with the help of a solar professional). The remainder of the items in the Grid-Tied System are mostly electrical. There are some of you who may not be electricians but have the skills to install equipment. *****A VERY IMPORTANT WORD OF CAUTION***** PV SYSTEMS ARE ELECTRICIAL. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INSTALL A PV SYSTEM IF YOU ARE NOT PROPERLY TRAINED. The National Electrical Code has an important definition, and it’s the “Qualified Individual”. A “Qualified Individual is a person who has received training in, and has demonstrated skills and knowledge in the construction and operation of electrical equipment and installations. The person must also be well aware of the hazards involved. 28
THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE IF YOU ARE NOT A QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL, THEN HIRE ONE!
Grid-Tied Solar Components Photo Courtesy of TeraVolt Energy LABEL A B C D E F G H
DESCRIPTION Utility Company Revenue Meter Main Service Electrical Panel Solar DC Source Circuits from Solar Panels Grid-Tied Inverter Utility Company Solar Production Meter AC Disconnect Switch DC Disconnect Switch Redundant System Ground
This is an example of a configuration required by some (but not all) utility companies. Each electrical utility has its own construction standards which should include how they want any PV (or Distributed Generation) system to be built. System designs can also vary from one solar installation company to another, as can installation quality! One of the goals of this book is to give the non-professional a guide to help them know they are getting the system they need. There are ways for the Do-It-Yourselfer to be involved in building a PV project, but all PV systems have aspects of danger, are technically complicated, or just plain hard work. If you are determined to be a solar “DIYer”, a little training is a good idea. Otherwise, it’s a really good idea to know enough about the equipment and installation process that you know 29
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD what the solar professional is doing. It might also help you separate the “Professional” from the “UN-Professional”. The Grid-Tied PV System with Battery Backup This is the next level of PV installations both in cost and complexity. The first thing you will notice is that these systems are just Grid-Tied systems with the addition of batteries and special inverters (in addition to the “GridTied” inverters).
The Grid Tied System With Battery Backup Photo Courtesy of TeraVolt Energy The brain of this system is the “Asynchronous” inverter (the yellow enclosures in the photo above). These inverters are installed between the utility company and the PV system. Here’s the piece of the puzzle that confuses many who do not understand why their standard Grid-Tied system will not operate when the power goes down, but the sun is shining. It’s a very good question, because it is technically possible for manufacturers to design Grid-Tied inverters that can continue to operate when the power goes off in the daytime. The reason Grid-Tied inverters shut down when the power goes off is because it is required by the National Electrical Code and utility companies so that in an outage, linemen won’t get injured (or killed) by solar-produced electricity backfeeding into the high voltage power lines. So, if the Grid-Tied inverters shut down when the power goes off, how can we use our solar energy? The solution is the “Asynchronous” inverter. When 30
THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE the utility company power is working, the Asynchronous inverter senses this and allows the Grid-Tied inverter to do its job. But when the power goes down, the Asynchronous inverter automatically disconnects itself from the utility company to prevent any dangerous backfeed, and then assumes the role of the utility company by telling the Grid-tied inverter it can continue to produce electricity. In other words, the Asynchronous inverter simulates the utility grid. While in the backup mode, the solar-produced electricity only serves the internal loads, while in normal operations, excess electricity can flow back into the grid. In the backup mode, the solar panels must produce enough energy to cover all the demand for electricity, which includes charging the batteries in addition to powering the homestead circuits. The Asynchronous Inverter can charge the batteries from any available electricity source (solar panels, generators, the utility grid, etc). Battery power is only used to supply needed electricity when there is no grid-source power, no PV production, and no need for generator use (meaning the batteries have juice and don’t need recharging from the generator). The Asychronous Inverter interprets all of this and commands the batteries to start discharging. These are amazing pieces of equipment, but they are also both complicated and expensive. Moreover, an older Asynchronous Inverter may only produce 120 volts or be too small to handle electric loads. This is a problem resolved by adding more inverters, which in-turn increases complexity and cost. There are ways to lower the costs as is discussed in later chapters. Also included in the guide are considerations of various types of batteries and how to size a battery system. The Battery Backup system shown above and in the diagram below is at the high-end of complexity. It includes a Grid-Tied inverter to convert Direct Current (DC) from solar panels to Alternating Current (AC). It also has a Grid-Tied inverter for a wind generator. There are four “Asynchronous” Inverters to give the owner 200 amps of capacity (enough power for most average sized homes) and 240 volts AC (which would be needed for some air conditioning systems, ovens, dryers, etc).
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Battery Backup System Equipment Photo Courtesy of TeraVolt Energy Label A B C D E F G
Description Load Panel Grid-Tied Synchronous Inverter Battery Backup Asynchronous Inverter (4 shown) Wind Inverter (May not be needed for other systems) Utility Company Interconnection Line Panel Battery Bank Battery String Combiner (May not be needed for other systems)
In recent years, battery backup systems are becoming more commonplace. There are also lower cost options that combine the asynchronous and synchronous functions into a single inverter. This not only simplifies a system, but also lowers costs. At the time of this writing, one of the Asynchronous Inverters shown above costs more than two synchronous ones, and two Asynchronous Inverters are required for 240 volts. There’s a backstory as to how Hoss’ company was hired to build the battery backup system shown above. The owner had originally hired what turned out to be an “UN-Professional” company to build a battery backup system. The installer never got the system working and closed their company shortly after the attempted installation and after collecting their fee. Since 32
THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE the owner was unfamiliar with how a system should operate (he does now), he just assumed the system was doing its job backing up his building. Hoss’ company made every effort to use any working existing equipment, which included the batteries. There was a much better approach the other installer should have taken for the batteries, but a good work-around was installing a battery string combiner as a temporary way to reuse the existing batteries. When the batteries eventually had to be replaced, the combiner was removed and the 12-volt batteries replaced with 48-bolt SimpliPHI™ Lithium-Ion batteries. Modern Lithium-Ion 24- or 48-volt batteries are the equivalent of a complete string in a single case, so there isn’t a need for a string combiner. Notice in the diagram how the Asynchronous Inverters are central to the system. This particular system has a Master unit (one of the four yellow inverters) that does the thinking for three Slaves. There are multiple ways to configure these to meet the energy needs of the facility, and the arrangements vary from one manufacturer to the next. The Off-The-Grid System This system is the most expensive, most complicated, and requires the most oversight of all the systems. Like the Grid-Tied with Battery Backup, this system begins with the Synchronous grid-tied equipment and is identical in every respect to the battery backup system---except it must have enough solar, batteries, or other sources of energy to supply electricity every single day rain or shine / night or day. That is the primary reason the Off-TheGrid system is the most expensive. The Off-The-Grid system is the preferred one of ultimate energy independence. Although it is the option with the highest up-front investment, there are actually situations where this is not only the least cost approach in the long-run, IT MAY BE THE ONLY APPROACH! The further away you get from the grid or other types of energy (such as propane), the more practical the Off-The-Grid system becomes. This is the ideal system for a cabin in the middle of the wilderness. With rising energy costs, some believe converting their house in town to Off-The-Grid is a good thing to do. The rude awakening comes when you realize you must give up most of the installed electrical conveniences to make the system affordable. It is much better to start with an affordable Grid-Tied system with Battery Backup, and work backwards. In the early stages of building out your system, you may only have a few absolutely essential circuits backed up. Then over time, by adding energy conservation features to your home, illuminating or down-sizing high electrical using equipment (like electric ovens), and adding more solar panels and batteries, you can work 33
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD towards an affordable-sized Off-The-Grid power system. Details about the Off-The-Grid system are covered in the latter chapters, and is well worth investigating. EXAMPLE STEPS TO CONVERTING AN EXISTING GRIDTIED HOME TO OFF-THE-GRID STEP DESCRIPTION 1 Identify and list everything that uses electricity 2 Decide which items on the list are absolutely essential 3 Have a Qualified Electrician install an “Essential Circuits” breaker panel and move essential circuits into it Have a Qualified Solar Installation Professional install a Grid4 Tied PV system with Battery Backup that’s connected to the Essential Circuit Breaker Panel (The Essential Circuit Breaker Panel should be connected so that it will be the only circuit panel powered when the utility grid goes down) 5 Make energy conservation improvements over time 6 Add more batteries, solar panels, and inverters over time Add the remaining circuits to the battery backup system and 7 add a load reduction disconnect that will allow only the Essential Circuits Panel to operate when the batteries get below a safety level 8 Add a backup generator (either after or before Step 7) 9 Cut the cord with the utility company 10 You are now Energy Independent
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THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE What Kind of System Would the Aggie Choose? Kerena The system I am designing for myself is a little different than most. The property I would have completely Off-The-Grid is a second home to my primary residence. This house, located in the colder climate of Colorado, would not be occupied full-time year-round, but for weekend to week(s) spans every few months. The house is not so close to a city, nor tied to a main utility grid. The system would be responsible for powering a water collection/filtration system, and a sewage system (likely to be a septic sewage system) along with standard electric loads built into a house. Since the house is not tied to a grid, excess energy produced by PV panels during weeks of unoccupancy would have nowhere to backfeed. This presents a unique aspect to system design, because I don’t want to “waste” energy, which really means investing more money into equipment not being used half the time. To remedy this, I propose a large battery bank with enough kWh storage to cover an entire week-long stay on its own. To account for periods without occupancy, the solar array would be much smaller than expected so as to recharge the batteries over the course of a month or more while people are away. A backup generator would be included in the event the batteries run out of power and the fewer number of solar panels can’t keep up with active loads. The house itself would be energy efficient with enough flat roof space to mount a small PV array facing south. A wood-burning fireplace would save on electric heating. Tall windows would limit the use of electric lighting during the day. Other electrical loads to cover include oven, clothes washer, plumbing and water heating, etc. A refillable propane tank would be used for stovetop cooking as a more efficient alternative to electric stovetops. It is important to consider the effects of a colder, drier climate on an OTG system for a site such as this one. I’d need to ensure the batteries remain within operating temperatures, the solar panels aren’t covered with snow or debris, and the generator doesn’t freeze up. An interesting fact about PV panels is that (within operating parameters) the colder the temperature, the higher their efficiency. So, if the panels are tested and rated at a nominal temperature higher than the operating temperature at the house, the panels will actually produce more energy than advertised. With this in mind, it’s important to account for higher voltage coming into the inverters than the 35
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD label value. The batteries would be kept in an insulated structure separate from the house along with the inverters and generator. Climate control HVAC is an option as well as electric heating blankets to warm the batteries. Communications technology built into inverters allows me to remote monitor the entire system online or from a phone app. If the system fails even when I’m not there, I’ll know and can work a fix ahead of time so as not to be blindsided upon my next arrival.
Kerena’s Future Homesite Photo Courtesy of Kerena
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THE AGGIE ‘n ARKIE™ OTG ENERGY GUIDE What Kind of System Would the Arkie Choose? Hoss This is a very difficult one for me. When we first moved to Texas, I wanted the freedom and independence of living in the country, but not so remote that we would be far from such things as medical facilities, school for our son who was still in high school, and places to shop. So, we found what we believed to be the ideal. In 1994, we found a new subdivision outside the city and purchased one of their one-acre tracts. Ten or twenty acres would have been great, but the best things about our acre were that we were as far back in the subdivision as we could get, and the lot was covered with trees--including two very old oaks. We had a large heavily treed ranch on one side and another large, forested area on the other, so eventually we would only have one neighbor on each side and none behind us. Over the years, with the growth of our community, the sounds of crickets chirping at night were eventually drowned out by the sounds of traffic and construction. It was a rude awakening when the nearby city annexed us without our approval. The most recent imposition was the utility company putting power lines directly behind us. Despite the negatives, there have actually been some positive things to come out of those circumstances. We still enjoy a great deal of privacy from the open spaces behind us, and our subdivision is now built-out with nice homes, large landscaped yards, and good neighbors. When you look back on those who lived on the farms in early America, neighbors were a very important aspect of survival. In many communities, that sense of fellowship and dependence on neighbors has been lost. That's especially true when large numbers of people are crammed into a smaller area. My wife and I are truly blessed to have good friends who we can greet on a first name basis and rely on in an emergency. Finally, not all of the growth has been bad. We now have medical facilities, restaurants, drug stores, gas stations, and a large grocery store within a mile or so of our home. We actually may have the best of both worlds---so I guess we’ll stay on our little acre a little bit longer. That brings up our challenge for a renewable energy system. We don’t want to cut down our forest to remove shading that would impact solar panels, but we have a high roof and can probably get ten or more kW of solar panels above the shading. The plan is to make some changes to our electrical circuits before we install the solar. We can place the most important circuits (lights, refrigerator, receptacles, microwave, air handlers, and possibly the clothes washer) on their own breaker panel. That breaker panel would be on 37
KERENA REESE AND HOSS BOYD solar with a battery and generator backup system. Although going off the grid would be ideal, it would cost as much as the house is worth to build a large enough system. The battery backup system is the next best alternative. First, however, we had to have a roof replacement (which we recently accomplished) and are now making energy conservation improvements to our home. We have added extra insulation to the attic, replaced our two central air conditioning systems with low-energy ones with zone heating and cooling, and are replacing lights with low-energy LEDs. Still left to do is replacing windows with those that are airtight and better insulated; installing such things as power louvers in our attic gables that can be opened or closed so we can have the attic cooled in the summer but cut out drafts in the winter; and adding other energy saving features. These kinds of improvements will take some time since the best (and most economical) time for many of the improvements is as the old items wear out. We have already developed energy saving habits such as lighting only the rooms we are in and adjusting the temperatures, so we do not use heat or air conditioning as much. (We wear heavier garments in the winter and just sweat in the summer!) What I’ve found is that it is very difficult to go off-the-grid in an existing home---especially a large one. It is far more practical to gradually make energy-saving improvements first, then build a smaller system afterwards to dramatically reduce energy dependence at a lower cost. The ultimate alternative for us is to find that ideal 20–100-acre place in the country that is close enough to a small town for the essentials, but far enough away from the city bureaucracy that we wouldn’t need to worry about annexation. I would design the home from the ground up to be suitable as an Off-TheGrid dwelling and put a lot of thought into what that homestead would look like. In my military days, I was a Titan II ICBM Missile Commander and always thought it would be interesting to convert an old, decommissioned missile silo to an underground habitat. Apparently, you can actually buy these sites around the country. I’m pretty certain my wife wouldn’t like the industrial feel of concrete and steel or no windows (it could get really dark if the lights went out). The next best alternative would be to find a property with a hill that could be excavated. The primary living areas would be below grade into the back side of the hill, with a walk-out terrace. The other three sides would be solid masonry retaining walls against the earthen hill. An upper level on top of the hill with a much smaller footprint would house the main entrance, garage, and some living space. The primary uses of that upper level would be as a platform for the solar panels, create natural ventilation, capture rainwater, and to collect sunlight for lighting and winter heat. The well and pump, water filtering for the rainwater collection system, inverters, and batteries would be housed on the lower level. 38
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The Titan II Missile Complex Stock Photo It is so much easier to plan your future home around the Off-The-Grid lifestyle you are wanting, and create a homestead package from the ground up, than it is to integrate an OTG system into an existing home. As you go through the chapters in this book, you’ll find a few ideas that might help or inspire you in doing this.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS Kerena Reese, Engineer and Freelance Writer Graduate of Texas A&M University Kerena has a Bachelors degree from the Biological and Agricultural Engineering department of Texas A&M University. Her studies cover a wide range of principles including electrical engineering, economics, and a number of other design and research application. The specifics of classwork material doesn't matter so much as how it has shaped the way she interprets the world. She is trained to understand processes and how things work together. Disciplines of mathematics and science definitely come in handy, but the greater advantage of such a degree comes with the ability to think through, analyze, and process information to best suit the goal of any focused effort or project. Aside from a technical background, Kerena is a creative. She is passionate and meticulous; eager to learn and explore new modes of thinking and experiencing life. Off-grid energy is just a first step to off-grid living in her eyes. Tied to a mindset of environmental consciousness, she is also interested in permaculture and a lower waste lifestyle. For some, solar energy is simply a means to lower city electric bills, but for Kerena, it is a way to get out of the city entirely. Her ideal picture of an OTG lifestyle is one that is connected and harmonious with nature. She wishes to be a steward of the land, friend to wildlife, and an inspiration to people lost in a haze of modern consumerism and social dysfunction. Finding a balance between a civilized and technologically advanced society and a traditional, somewhat spiritual, way of interacting with the natural world and its resources is the ultimate goal of her ambition. As for her writing and career accomplishments, this is only the beginning.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS James A. “Hoss” Boyd, LtCol, USAF (Retired)
News Fairs as an Off-The-Grid Energy expert.
Hoss is the President and CEO of TeraVolt Energy, an established commercial solar, energy storage, and manufactured energy system company that has been in continuous operation (including predecessor companies) since 2002. He is a sought-after writer and speaker, with many articles and books in publication. He also is a regular contributor to the Mother Earth News Magazine and speaker to the Mother Earth
He was born in Bentonville, Arkansas; has a Bachelors Degree in Animal Science from the University of Arkansas and a Master’s Degree in Operations Management, also from the University of Arkansas. Additionally, he has over 40 years of management and leadership experience in both the private and public sectors. His electrical career began in high school as an apprentice electrician and continued throughout his college years to follow. Hoss served the Air Force (Active Duty and Reserves) in Logistics, as a Titan II ICBM Launch Officer, an Acquisition Logistics Officer, and as a Program Management Officer. He retired from the military in 2003 with 30 years of combined Active and Reserve Air Force service. Hoss is considered a leading expert in the commercial solar energy industry, with a number of articles published in national magazines. In addition, he has served as a subject matter expert to ERCOT (Energy Reliability Council of Texas) and to CPS Energy, one of the largest municipally owned electric utility companies in the United States. He is a life member of the Future
Farmers of America and holder of the American Farmer Degree. In October 2010, he was awarded the Certified PV Professional Installer national certification by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). At that time only one of less than ten Texas licensed Master Electricians who received this national solar certification (approximately 30 holds both credentials today out of 17,738 Texas licensed Master Electricians).