Whats the Number of Solar Panels I Require to Be Totally Off the Grid?
If you are going solar voltaic (the panels) you are not getting away from electricity. Solar voltaic is expensive. Each watt is costly with the battery requirements and initial panel costs. The payback time is lengthy. If you are using wood for heat please consider using high efficiency wood stoves. While wood is cheap (relatively, if you have acreage) the carbon put into the air is significant so you will want to squeeze out as many calories as you can from the wood. Conservation and insulation give the biggest bang for the buck. Motors are your biggest use of electricity. Refrigeration, air conditioning, washer/dryers are the big users in households. If one is really handy one can build their own absorption (solar/butane/diesel) freezer. Dryer – use the sun and finish with 5 minuets in the dryer to break the stiff effect on the clothes of the clothesline. Switch your lighting from incandescent to alternatives. These are some alternatives that will give you a faster return on your mon
