Solar Power Shed Project

[billbill1]

Great project Rob, everything is falling into place. Send some of that excess power out my way. Very nice view also, I'm sure you can hardly wait to be there everyday to enjoy it. You could always mount a one room AC unit in the shed if more cooling was needed. It would be cheap to run, that's for sure.

 

[patrick_g]

Rob, That is really good news regarding the pusher fan. That just solved a bunch of potential problems in one stroke. Given the volume of air moved by a radiator fan like that you should not have much cooling problem due to the generator running. With the separation you have between electronics and batts and between batts and generator the radiation from the engine will probably never be a problem either.

Oh, the batt to electronic seperation distance??? Never get the electronics too close to lead acid batts as the best laid plans of mice and men... Can you say corrosive atmosphere?

Without the genny on how many amp hours do you have at 240 vac or how many at 120vac when taken out at say 20 and 40 amps respectively. What sort of surge rating do yo have at 240 and 120? Sometimes an inverter will provide running current for a motor driven device like an air compressor but has trouble with the starting surge.

I'm guessing that if it is needed that you can run the generator all day to support the contractor compressor and such.

About that view... You didn't miss out on the old real estate addage about how the three most iomportant attirbutes to a residence are location, location, and location.

I know that the power station is just a first step, a fraction of the total building process (darned expensive little building on a $/sq ft basis) but it must sure feel good to have it behind you as it is a confirmation of REAL PROGRESS. I know I was somewhat aprehensive for quite a while on my house project as it was the first house I ever designed and I would never have enough $ to do it again so it had to be GOOD ENOUGH the first time.

You are in for lots of opportunities over the next several months. No matter how well thought out a large project may be if it is a one of a kind instead of a cookie cutter "the contreactor built 10 of these last year" design, you will have a series of little decisions to make that will help transform a lot of STUFF (expensive stuff) into a home. It is going to be quite a ride. This time two years from now you should wake up grinning ear to ear every morning.

Take the time required to do it right and get it the way you want it. There will be plenty of pressure to hurry up and get moved in. Resist that and get it the way you want it. Don't let anyone or anything put you in the position of being able to regret at your leisure what you decided in haste.

It took us about 3 years to get moved in and it was the tortures of H--L waiting and waiting but it was absobloominlutely worth the wait.

Best of luck to you in the coming months.

Patrick

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Rob,
Very nice and congrats ! In post #198 that tree looks pretty hacked up by the solar panels, are you planning on eventually taking the rest of it down?

Anyways thanks for all the pics and running a very interesting post !

 

[Timber]

Omg Rob that view from your compound is so beautiful. It looks cold up there now or at least Mrs 3rrl looks cold that morning LOL.

 

[RavensRoost]

Rob, looks great! Welcome to the world of off-grid living. Wish I had even half of your PV array capacity!

For those that are interested, Prescott is correctly pronounced "press kit".

RavensRoost

 

[3RRL]

Thanks guys,
Location,location,location is what choosing your homesite is all about. Now, this happens to be the best view on the entire 27 acres. And from the front, as you are driving into the property, there is a huge abutment of rocks jutting out from the plateau behind it where the house will sit.

If you look carefully you can see the large rock structure on this overcast day. They are about in the middle of the photo. This is up a hillside and will be what you see when you drive in. Our home will be built behind those rocks.



This is a view of the rocks from the homesite plateau.



The house will sit up pretty close to those rocks with the 10' decks overhanging them....going to about the middle of the top of the rocks. Our view from the main floor and decks will be 360°. Views will range from the valley, the river below, the mountains and hills all around. We will have a great view of our parcel as you can see almost every part of it from there.

My biggest challenge will be to strategically locate the 1/2 acre pond so it gets run-off from the gullies and culverts, yet place it so it's in view or partially in view from the home. I don't want it too close by though, as the wildlife might be spooked by Loretta running the lathe or mill? ???
Rob-

 

[3RRL]

I don't know if this will come out very good, it is a layout of the house.



Also, here is a view in the Spring for comparison of Blossom Peak.

 

[3RRL]

We have had about 10" of rain so far, but 3-½" in one night. So that was a lot of water to shed. I'm going to cut drains around the shed and grade some of the slope out to reduce the erosion.

The temperatures are predicted to be about 22° this coming weekend! We keep warm by wearing wool thermal long johns and wool pants, shirts, sweaters and jackets. I get a lot of that stuff from military surplus stores so it is very rugged and inexpensive. Our bedrolls are on top of inflatable mattresses covered with wool blankets and sheets. Then we have wool comforters and usually only need one blanket on top when it gets that cold. So sleeping in the tents is no problem.

Here's Wes dressed for a cold day.



And playing with his rope near his tree house.

 

[3RRL]

I also have an 80,000 BTU propane heater for the REALLY cold days. We've used it twice before but not yet this Winter so far.



Usually we just chill out ... since we have no choice.




Otherwise we light a campfire and sit around it until we turn in.

 

[3RRL]

The rain is the real bummer because although we have ponchos to screw around hiking and working, you can't help but get wet. Here it is howling and pouring down.



Then there is no place to really get dry. So then we hang around under the plastic rain tarps until it clears up.



You can imagine having to wash up and brush your teeth etc. with freezing water. It gives you a headache it's so cold. Like a brain freeze when eating ice cream too fast.