|
| Author |
Message |
jbos333
Member
|
# Posted: 11 Dec 2010 07:51am
Reply
Hi all. I have posted in general forum about a small (not tiny) cabin I intend to build soon. I already have 200a grid service to a pole barn on the land. My build site for the cabin, however, is too far away to run a full feeder (1000 ft. along the road frontage but maybe 500ish feet directly from my pole barn across my land).
I can easily enough run another service in from the road for the cabin, it will probably run me around 4000-4500. I don't like the idea of having to pay another meter minimum, though. And, I love the idea of having my own power.
I am in the western ny area. My site has great southern exposure for pv panels. But winter sun may not be enough?
So, I was wondering if this crazy idea sounds feasible. I could maybe put together a smallish pv setup for lights, etc. and run a feeder from my pole barn that would be good for about 40-50 amps to run a fridge and maybe a microwave and possibly hook that up in a way that could supplement the batteries in the winter?
Kind of a hybrid setup, I guess. So let me know what y'all think.
|
|
Rob_O
|
# Posted: 11 Dec 2010 05:18pm
Reply
The cost/watt for solar power is just too high for your idea to be practical when you are connecting to grid power anyway.
50A service will run most everything you could want in a small home. You will need to run 4/0 cable to keep the voltage drop acceptable on that long a run but the extra cost of wire is much less than a few solar panels
|
|
jbos333
Member
|
# Posted: 11 Dec 2010 08:41pm
Reply
Thanks for the reply, Rob_O. I knew a full blown solar setup would be cost-prohibitive....I took my current electric use at "home" and figured it would cost about 30k to duplicate, parts only. Just wanted to see if I could have some of each. I might even bite the bullet and just run the new service and suffer with 2 meters....it would be almost the same amount of 4/0 either way anyway, might as well have 200a available at the cabin site. I was just trying to look ahead a little; I'm sure electric rates are going to go up sooner or later.
|
|
hebegbz
Member
|
# Posted: 11 Dec 2010 10:59pm
Reply
My 10k diesel genset costs $1 per hour to run.
5 hours a day keeps everything cold/frozen, and charges 5 deep cycle batteries, as well as running a dehumidifier/air conditioner.
You will need a genset if the power goes out anyway. Why not spend the money on a generator and some diesel instead of a hookup.
I have been living on my Kohler genset for two years+ with no problems.
|
|
jbos333
Member
|
# Posted: 12 Dec 2010 03:43pm
Reply
hebegbz, I will have to look into a diesel generator.....another possibility!
Do you have yours setup to startup automatically?
|
|
islandguy
Member
|
# Posted: 12 Dec 2010 07:15pm
Reply
We use a rather odd dual system. we run a single closed cell 12 v battery to run the cabin lights and pump. The battery will run the whole cabin for a whole weekend in the summer, and a full day in the winter, including showers, dishes, and reading lights in the evening. The battery simply comes home with us each time, and its brought to the cabin fully charged each time.
My family own a larger cabin about 300 feet from ours, so I wired a single 115v circuit to run a tv set, and a battery charger set at about 8 amps. We have a 15 amp extension cord hardwired in our cabin, which we can run to a metal box 100 feet away containing a second 100 cord, ect, until we plug into the main cabin. When we are plugged in, we can run our cabin continuously from the cord charging the 12 v system for long weekends and 1-2 week vacations. It only takes about 5-10 minutes to run the cord if we need to, but, as mentioned, we often run only the battery for 2-3 days at a time. A second battery would give us up to a week in summertime, and longer still if we added even an inexpensive solar panel. We are also considering simply going with the full 115 volt service eventually, but for now, our system works very well.
|
|
hebegbz
Member
|
# Posted: 13 Dec 2010 01:24pm
Reply
jbos333: No, I run it for an hour in the AM so I can make toast, and read the newspaper online while I sip some coffee.
Then we run it for 4 hours in the evening while we cook dinner and watch a little TV.
I am a fanatic about maintaining my equipment and having it start by it's self without being able to check everything first worries me.
|
|
|
