Running on solar

I’ve got house sitters this winter. All they really have to pay for is heat and electric. I’d have to pay for the Internet and phone, even if I wasn’t there to use it, so they get that free. My mail’s been forwarded to my dad’s this winter. That includes the bills, of course. To limit confusion, I told them I’d pay the electric bill and they could reimburse me later.

The electric bill just came in, and I’m impressed. It’s a tiny bill. Apparently, they’ve been getting by almost completely on my modest sized solar electric system. I thought it would be possible to handle basic needs on just solar, but they’ve proven it.

That’s a pretty impressive feat for dark and cold northern New Hampshire. Power generation is limited. Storage is an issue too. Cold batteries store less power. The battery bank is in a poorly heated basement. In spite of the challenges, they’ve made it work.

Down here in Florida it’s a different story. The small solar panel on the boat is doing a fine job. It’s only 30 watts, but there’s a lot of sunshine in Florida to work with. It’s kept my battery topped off. Solar is easy in Florida.


-Sixbears