How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid

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jacob
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How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid

Post by jacob »

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2016/05/ ... tment.html

Likely not worthwhile from an economical standpoint, but worthwhile as a lifestyle exercise. Kinda like cold showers.

Riggerjack
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Re: How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid

Post by Riggerjack »

Is an Erector set the ideal construction material among European apartment dwellers?

It didn't look like it was up for a real wind, but it probably won't blow away.

A small amount of power, and 12v light, car stereo, can go a long way to making an off grid cabin more livable, though. My sister did this, 20+ years ago. Propane refrigerator, wood heat and cooking. It'd be easier now.

BRUTE
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Re: How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid

Post by BRUTE »


7Wannabe5
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Re: How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid

Post by 7Wannabe5 »

@BRUTE: Interesting link. I have found that my practices are drifting more in that direction since I have become responsible only for myself. For instance, I sometimes buy new used clothes in bulk at the Everything is $1 Salvation Army Thrift Store rather than going to the laundromat. Also, I seem to naturally be inclined towards cooking 6 nights/week if there are 4 people who will eat what I cook, but only 2 nights/week if it is just me and there is a $4 for 2 lb tray of healthy Bengali buffet located on my corner and my new BF is an affluent foodie who thinks restaurant serving sizes are perfect for 2 people to split. Of course, I am also growing my own Manchurian apricots and arugula, and I occasionally construct and decorate items of clothing from scratch utilizing sharpened sticks of metal, so...

Anyways, it is true that although the money economy and the energy/resource economy do have significant overlap, it is definitely not the case that financial frugality and energy/resource conservation always work in tandem. Does it take less energy to manufacture 20 t-shirts in China and have them shipped to me through Amazon, or transport myself the 8 miles to the thrift center to buy pre-washed in bulk used clothing, or transport myself the .5 mile to the laundromat and use their industrial machines, or wash in the tub myself and hang to dry? It seems to me that that last option would have to be the least energy intensive, so I compromise between hand-washing/air dry and hitting the thrift center because this maximizes my fashion/utility while minimizing my labor/expense/energy use. Since I color coordinated (gray neutral, hot pink accent) my wardrobe a number of years ago, and my figure is tall and proportionate, it is very easy and inexpensive for me to always have cute "new" outfits to wear utilizing this practice. For some of us, "kedging" towards health/fitness through fashion is just as important as "kedging" towards health/fitness through sports (blech) for other people. I think I am saving way more than enough on monthly expenditures fashion/cosmetics/salons vs. the average American woman,for the same level of quality, to fund the long term investment in a breast lift for my 60th birthday. Of course, that's the sort of thing that affluent BFs are frequently willing to throw down cash for even if they only got you on a verbal-contract-lease, so it's like win-win-win for me.

vexed87
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Re: How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid

Post by vexed87 »

I'm impressed with what was achieved with a simple DC setup, and in an apartment of all places. Almost entirely all off grind for 400 euros too. Wow!

Also, a great article for understanding the drawbacks of solar, I wish all those harping on about solar being the next big thing would read up on the realities of operating such systems. Its clear there are technical hurdles to leap in terms of a DC setup, it's interesting though, I hadn't considered just a DC supply.

Regardless, sooner or later we will have to get used to relying less on grid energy and concerns about operating printers and second screens or other such conveniences will be the least of our concerns, rather as the article suggests we will have to start to design our lifestyles to intentionally require a lot less energy or at least some alternative sources for the things we can't live without.

Energy will be a major consideration for my next (and hopefully last) house move, I'll be quite likely to replicate this sort of setup should I have a few hundred pounds left over after renovations.

sky
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Re: How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid

Post by sky »

I have built and run several off-grid 12V solar systems in a sailboat, camper van and have a lightweight system for camping. Because of the characteristics of lead-acid batteries, it is usually better to oversize the battery bank compared to what you actually use. This means that one large battery bank is a better choice than multiple small banks, although with proper design the smaller banks could work. I like USB powered stuff (camera, phone, tablet, router and piratebox) and use two DC converters with 8 outlets in my camper van. My current system is 200W of solar panels on the roof of the van, with 315 amp-hours of battery. My batteries are marine deep discharge from Menards, which are not as good as Trojan T105RE's but are only +/- $80.
My goal with a solar system is not to have to think about it at all, which means I try to oversize the capacity compared to the power I use. I run a piratebox TL-MR3020 as a cheap file sharing method between my devices, which I hope to upgrade to a real Samba system when my pi zero comes in. I charge tablets, phones and cameras. I run a roof vent fan when needed. My "pc" is a television which came with the van with a raspberry pi 3B velcro'ed to the back. The television is a 120V model so it runs over an inverter, which is not ideal but it works. I also charge a laptop over an inverter.

Here are a few low cost products that have worked for me:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291214704965?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-Meter- ... 70515.html

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-Two- ... 52213.html

http://www.solar-electric.com/inverters ... s-20l.html

http://www.amazon.com/Go-Power-GP-175-1 ... ge_o08_s00

jacob
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Re: How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid

Post by jacob »

@sky - How have you fared on battery replacement? In case you didn't know, but you probably do, marine batteries are designed to provide both deep cycle and starting amps capability and so they're typically more expensive than a deep cycle only battery.

sky
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Re: How to Get Your Apartment Off the Grid

Post by sky »

My marine batteries on my boat lasted about 10 years, they were WalMart marine batteries, intended for electric trolling motors. Last fall I got a set of three Marine Deep Cycle batteries from Menards for about $85, which are doing fine but are only a few months old.

I would like to have four Trojan T105RE batteries, which are about $130 to $150 each.

The key to battery longevity is to never let them run down very far. I start shutting off the load at 12.4V. An equalizing charge function on the charge controller is also important.

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