future generations may as you say go back to the stone age, without the skills and the knowledge mankind will just get dumber and dumber, but immediately post SHTF we will revert to a pre industrial age.
I don’t imagine AC is your biggest energy guzzler like it is here. I would love to have my central unit on solar but will be ok with just a window unit for the master bedroom. Another thing I’m planning to compliment the solar is to install the propane water heater that I got a while back. I’m considering making a solar water pre heater for the hot water as well. I have 4 large pieces of tempered glass that with one I’m definitely going to use to warm the pool up with. I will do a separate thread for that project.
That knowledge and expertise took centuries to develop. Like the process for making Toledo Steel, or Damascus Steel - things that took centuries to develop - that knowledge has been lost to posterity. Even with all our modern technology, we still have not been able to duplicate them.
I have a little window a.c. unit for the fur shed. It hasn't been hot enough in the house yet to need a.c. Until last week we were still using the wood stove.
Not just to keep it from freezing but have it automatically drain the system with a thermostat in case I forget to do it manually.
I'm all for making everything as automatic as possible. I like the concept of being able to kick back and not worry about anything.
Wouldn’t propane fill that need? Between it being the longest lasting fuel That needs no additives and the fact that it doesn't dirty up your oil like gas or diesel makes it my favorite fuel. I know you said you already invested in diesel tanks though.
Let me toss my 2 cents worth in now...off grid energy production is expensive - no2 ways around that. #1. The first thing you should do is to find ways to minimize your need for electricity. As someone mentioned, heating a house with electricity generated by PV cells is a waste - scratch that off the list. Do you have a clothes dryer? I have not used one in 20 years. You can scratch that off the list. Hot water can be done with propane and a good solar pre-heater. Scratch that one off the list. Dish washer?? Really? I have a washing machine that is not automatic, but only requires a 300 watt motor to use it - overall electricity is proportionally lower, as is water usage. I could not do without a/c but if you landscape carefully, you will need less and less electricity to cool your house. The nice thing about a/c is that while you use more electricity to cool a house down on hot days, you also generate more electricity on those hot days. You generate the electricity for the a/c but you don't have to store it because it is used automatically...but then you might have to store some for the night. And how well insulated is your home? Do you have a way to change all ceiling lighting into 5v or 12v or some other form of dc? saves electricity. So, number 1, you reduce your need. #2. You change the time you need electricity. If you are home all day, you can do the wash while the sun is shining. The more tasks you do while the sun is shining, the smaller the battery pack you will need. Prepare all of your food during the day. Charge all of the batteries during the day. #3, related to #2 - is there some other form of energy you can use? I am going to set up a weather station on my property because the wind is very strong and consistent after dusk. If I can get a windmill to create the energy for tasks that I MUST do at night, that means I don't need a battery pack for that - or at least, not a very big one.
Actually I am looking at going with propane for the well pump generator. That way I can get 1 bulk tank to run the generator and the heater inside the pump house. I'm just having a hard time finding a generator that fits my needs. It has to be a minium of 8,000 watts and electric start, needs a 50 amp breaker and auto choke or fuel injected. So far I haven't found one yet that has all those features. Without internet it's hard to research generators.
No doubt, reducing your consumption is just as important as the production of electricity. Unless your loaded with disposable income. Everyone in your household needs to be on board with being aware of how to minimize use which is likely going to be an issue for me here...
I was able to utilize the space under the stairwell for my batteries for this first setup. It was actually pretty good but I’m liking the idea of its own place outside of the house for the next battery bank. My front porch is about 4 feet off the ground and I think I will make a small room under it for the next part.
My fridge is a large side by side and is an energy guzzler pulling 10amps. The chest freezer only pulls 5amps. Those are the two main things I wanted to run. I actually have a 2nd chest freezer too but it will stay hooked up to the grid for now. Both chest freezers are about 4’ wide and 3 ft tall. One holds meats and cheese and the vegetables go in the older one. Once I get a handle on the average use of my battery capacity I will add some lighting circuits and maybe a couple other receptacles as I can. All the lighting has been converted to LED for a long time now So it dosent pull much at all. once I finish with installing the three separate systems I should be able to run everything except the central heat and air. I will stay connected to the grid for that, and even though I will use the solar for day to day on everything else it’s mostly just for having energy security.
