Solar Experts

[Boss .300 winmag]

Fred, what are you using for refrigeration?

Rtic cooler and a block of ice!

I'm surprised you don't have a propane powered fridge...

I do like following along on your threads about your place and what your doing 

What happens when you can’t get propane?🤔

[Whitpirate]

125 gallon bottle can be loaded in a pickup and would run the average propane fridge for several months.

[Boss .300 winmag]

125 gallon bottle can be loaded in a pickup and would run the average propane fridge for several months.

1-2 years how many gallons?

Long term survival mode.

[Whitpirate]

I'd hazard with a good shaded protected spot for storage you could put 5 125lb bottles aside for a year or more... or build yourself an offloading system and fill a 500 gallon tank yourself if delivery isn't available.  If delivery is available.  I'd put a 1200 gallon tank on (that I owned so I can determine when I want a fill and by whom) the property and go from there.  I know of lots of folks that run everything on 1200 gallons a year.

[Stein]

If you can't refrigerate for 2 years, I would think a pickup load of salt would be an alternative.

A typical 12 cubic foot propane refrigerator consumes an average 1.5 lbs. of propane per day

So, per year that would be about 550 pounds.  Divide that by 4.2 should give about 130 gallons per year in that scenario.

https://homesteady.com/info-12182501-much-propane-propane-refrigerator-use.html

[Boss .300 winmag]

I'd hazard with a good shaded protected spot for storage you could put 5 125lb bottles aside for a year or more... or build yourself an offloading system and fill a 500 gallon tank yourself if delivery isn't available.  If delivery is available.  I'd put a 1200 gallon tank on (that I owned so I can determine when I want a fill and by whom) the property and go from there.  I know of lots of folks that run everything on 1200 gallons a year.

 

[Rainier10]

I'd hazard with a good shaded protected spot for storage you could put 5 125lb bottles aside for a year or more... or build yourself an offloading system and fill a 500 gallon tank yourself if delivery isn't available.  If delivery is available.  I'd put a 1200 gallon tank on (that I owned so I can determine when I want a fill and by whom) the property and go from there.  I know of lots of folks that run everything on 1200 gallons a year.

I have a 1,000 gallon tank.  I run two refrigerators, two wall furnaces, a generator as needed, BBQ, cooktop and oven all year long.  I fill it up every September and it lasts all year.  It normally takes 480 gallons to top it off when they fill it. I should add that I am only there three weekends a month, sometimes two weekends but we are there throughout the year.  When the snow hits I have a snocat for access.

[ribka]

I ran a 1000 gal tank and had a frost free propane fridge. The full size are pretty expensive. You can find good deals on the web for scratch and dent models and save up to 50 per cent

Some of the new high efficiency fridges and freezers aren't bad on solar. I know a few that run them off the grid.

[Wanderer]

I don't know if this really applies to your situation but I just read this blog about someone living in his RV completely reliant on solar.  He's got a lot of opinions of how to set up solar.

https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-rv-battery-charging-puzzle-2/

[j_h_nimrod]

We ran a few different systems over the years with combinations of solar, hydro, generator, and propane working together. If you are running the 4000w generator ~5hrs a day, it should keep a battery or two topped up with the addition of solar to trickle it all day you should be good for your current needs.

90w for the CPAP over say an average of 8 hours you are looking at 810 watts.  Add in the inverter operational loss you are looking at about 80 amp hours needed just for the CPAP. 

To keep it simple and fairly inexpensive, I would opt for a 300w panel setup, good charge controller, inverter >2000w (true sine as noted), and a bank of 4-6v AGM or conventional deep cycle batteries. Probably ~$5000 give or take on quality. Put in a few dedicated receptacles for inverter power, or add a switch that automatically or manually switches from inverter to generator.

I’ll second the propane fridge    Worth it!  Get a dual, parallel fuel system unit so you can run it entirely on 12v or entirely propane. Some systems need 12v to run the propane which is more efficient and common now, but the older pilot lit propane systems are much more trustworthy IMO.

[Machias]

I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone for their inputs.  Really been torn over this the past couple of years.  We started this endeavor fully committed to going full solar, not because we are trying to save the planet or any of that BS, but because we knew going in what the cost was going to be to bring power in and we are in a spot perfect for solar.  The plan was to start the house build last year in the spring.  But that is when we started applying for a construction loan and found out after being rejected by dozens of places that you cannot get a construction loan for a home that is off the grid.  Pretty frustrating.  Then we finally decided, ok, we'll bite the bullet and bring the power in...which I'm pretty sure we will do this summer.  In the meantime I am just trying to find a small system to support the nighttime use of the CPAP.  Thanks again!!

[JKEEN33]

I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone for their inputs.  Really been torn over this the past couple of years.  We started this endeavor fully committed to going full solar, not because we are trying to save the planet or any of that BS, but because we knew going in what the cost was going to be to bring power in and we are in a spot perfect for solar.  The plan was to start the house build last year in the spring.  But that is when we started applying for a construction loan and found out after being rejected by dozens of places that you cannot get a construction loan for a home that is off the grid.  Pretty frustrating.  Then we finally decided, ok, we'll bite the bullet and bring the power in...which I'm pretty sure we will do this summer.  In the meantime I am just trying to find a small system to support the nighttime use of the CPAP.  Thanks again!!

Easiest thing is a DC adapter chord for your cpap. You can get them for about 35.00 on Amazon and then a clip on female adapter that goes to a battery. Just recharge the battery when running the generator. Other option is run an inverter off of a battery and recharge the same as above. I’ve done both and prefer the dc adapter and run straight off the battery.

[ribka]

Based off living off grid 15 years I would pay to have power brought in. More difficult to get mortgages, loans, insurance and resale value etc. Plus its expensive and pain to deal with. My home owners insurance went up tenfold after sold house because located in a fire area ( surrounded by trees). My agent told me very difficult now to get insurance if live in a remote forested area. This was due, according to agent, to all of the insurance claims from the California fire a few years ago.

I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone for their inputs.  Really been torn over this the past couple of years.  We started this endeavor fully committed to going full solar, not because we are trying to save the planet or any of that BS, but because we knew going in what the cost was going to be to bring power in and we are in a spot perfect for solar.  The plan was to start the house build last year in the spring.  But that is when we started applying for a construction loan and found out after being rejected by dozens of places that you cannot get a construction loan for a home that is off the grid.  Pretty frustrating.  Then we finally decided, ok, we'll bite the bullet and bring the power in...which I'm pretty sure we will do this summer.  In the meantime I am just trying to find a small system to support the nighttime use of the CPAP.  Thanks again!!

[Russ McDonald]

I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone for their inputs.  Really been torn over this the past couple of years.  We started this endeavor fully committed to going full solar, not because we are trying to save the planet or any of that BS, but because we knew going in what the cost was going to be to bring power in and we are in a spot perfect for solar.  The plan was to start the house build last year in the spring.  But that is when we started applying for a construction loan and found out after being rejected by dozens of places that you cannot get a construction loan for a home that is off the grid.  Pretty frustrating.  Then we finally decided, ok, we'll bite the bullet and bring the power in...which I'm pretty sure we will do this summer.  In the meantime I am just trying to find a small system to support the nighttime use of the CPAP.  Thanks again!!

https://www.harborfreight.com/100-watt-solar-panel-kit-63585.html Try this for just your CPAP

[Machias]

I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone for their inputs.  Really been torn over this the past couple of years.  We started this endeavor fully committed to going full solar, not because we are trying to save the planet or any of that BS, but because we knew going in what the cost was going to be to bring power in and we are in a spot perfect for solar.  The plan was to start the house build last year in the spring.  But that is when we started applying for a construction loan and found out after being rejected by dozens of places that you cannot get a construction loan for a home that is off the grid.  Pretty frustrating.  Then we finally decided, ok, we'll bite the bullet and bring the power in...which I'm pretty sure we will do this summer.  In the meantime I am just trying to find a small system to support the nighttime use of the CPAP.  Thanks again!!

Easiest thing is a DC adapter chord for your cpap. You can get them for about 35.00 on Amazon and then a clip on female adapter that goes to a battery. Just recharge the battery when running the generator. Other option is run an inverter off of a battery and recharge the same as above. I’ve done both and prefer the dc adapter and run straight off the battery.

Got my DC cord yesterday in the mail from Amazon!!