[Greenbuilding] Solar electric configuration details

[Stephen Collette]

Hello,

My thoughts are regarding your off grid idea is that you need to  
reduce your consumption first. You have mentioned that you are moving  
and that the new place would be more energy efficient. This is key  
and will keep far more money in your pocket than trying to size a  
system to an inefficient building. You must reduce every single load  
everywhere. Especially phantom loads. Kill-A-Watt meters are great  
for this. Since you freezer is the biggest hog, and something you  
would like to keep running, consider a more efficient one if  
possible. That fridge/freezer insulation thread that went around last  
week would be a good idea for this.

Cheap inverters may not let you run your nice stereo (to hear what is  
going on after the power went out) or your computer. Surprisingly  
more and more appliances are coming with little micro chips in them  
to do weird and crazy things. Micro chips and square waves are not  
friends.

If you are on a well, switch to a DC pump as it will be more  
efficient than regular AC and will keep giving you water after the  
lights go out.

  The Outback are great products. Friends of mine are RE  
professionals www.generationsolar.com and they like them a lot. My  
understanding is the charge controller will do what you need to keep  
them topped up, regardless of where the power comes from.

If you are going to that effort, why not put some solar hot water up  
there as well. Payback is far less even here in southern Ontario.

Oh yeah, and I'm jealous. Good luck with it.

Stephen

Stephen Collette B.B.E.C
Principal

Your Healthy House
Indoor Environmental Inspections & Building Consulting
www.yourhealthyhouse.ca
stephen at yourhealthyhouse.ca
705.652.5159