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rbwhatever1 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:41 pm We have 4 Bosch 100W panels powering a solar well pump but that's it. We can pump 8,000 gallons a day with deep cycle batteries wired in for 24 hour pumping but I haven't hooked them up. Waiting for zombies and the main house well is all we need for now...

No way I could justify the cost of pulling off the grid completely. We can charge all our LED flashlights, most other "stuff" and run LED lights in the house with the panel charged deep cycle batteries but that's about as far as we went.

How deep is your well? Mines 940 with the pump at 820. Can't imagine using solar for it.

mrvmax wrote: ↑Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:36 pm

jason812 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 13, 2018 10:06 am For wind, expect to put up a 30ft diameter windmill on at least a 100ft tower if you want anything out of it. I doubt many jurisdictions will let you do that but I have the luxury of being in the middle of nowhere.

I don’t think it needs to be 100 foot high but I guess that depends on where you are, the Green Event Center in Friendswood has two wind turbines and they are pretty low. They are not the traditional “pin wheel” or fan shape though, they are vertical axis blades. If you zoom in on the pictures you can see one: https://www.greeneventcenter.com/facility/

There is more wind the higher you go and you need clearance from objects around the turbine or there can be turbulence. Those might work but they probably more for show than performance. There is less to go wrong with vertical turbines though. 100ft gets you into clean air and more wind. If it were me, I would maximize the output anyway I could.

I have looked into this as a way to get off the grid. From what I have discovered, if you want to get off the grid, solar, wind, and batteries are needed. To run a normal home, expect to spend $100k. On top of that, you have to replace and maintain the batteries and if you want the best performance, you have to change a lot of habits and possibly electric devices in your home. Unfortunately it's not as easy as put up some panels and turn the electric meter off. For wind, expect to put up a 30ft diameter windmill on at least a 100ft tower if you want anything out of it. I doubt many jurisdictions will let you do that but I have the luxury of being in the middle of nowhere.

Of course if it were just you and not your family, you could get this done a lot cheaper, I know I could as I could do without certain luxuries in life.