When it comes out in conversation that we are a bunch of kids living in the woods with no electricity, you can't help but feel people are judging you. Then storm season rolls around and everyone is dreary eyed, hungry, and stressed out, hell we didn't even know the power went out!
Although I love the warm glow of candle light, and although my LED latern has never let me down, I can't deny, as it starts to get dark around 5, A little electricity would be nice. I have been toying with a couple ideas, solar panels, waterwheel, 12 volt house, 24 volt converted to 110 house, what do I do? This weekend I hit the car battery jackpot!
A couple weeks ago I was working at the bike shop when I was asked if I wanted to be part of "energy action day" a day of presentations and workshops at the school with topics ranging from insulating your home, to selling electricity back to the grid. My job was to offer free bike tune ups to promote people to cycle more, needless to say, on a cold, windy, rainy day, I didn't do many tune-ups. What I did end up doing, was spending six hours conversing with the group on pender informally known as "the off grid eco hippies" say what you will about them, They sure had a lot of good information for me.
Not only did I receive two offers of help to build an effective water wheel, I was given a great deal on a big solar panel, and someone offered to come wire my house so I don't do something stupid (oh I also got a part time leather working apprenticeship out of the deal). Digging out a couple of old deep cycle boat batteries I got from the free store, I am not starting the plans to wire up my house.
Being a tiny space I only need four or five things, Lights, for reading, cooking, and doing dishes, A power plug for my computer, and maybe if I am feeling extra deserving, I'll get a car stereo installed and blast the shit out of my favorite punk songs.
Although I love the warm glow of candle light, and although my LED latern has never let me down, I can't deny, as it starts to get dark around 5, A little electricity would be nice. I have been toying with a couple ideas, solar panels, waterwheel, 12 volt house, 24 volt converted to 110 house, what do I do? This weekend I hit the car battery jackpot!
A couple weeks ago I was working at the bike shop when I was asked if I wanted to be part of "energy action day" a day of presentations and workshops at the school with topics ranging from insulating your home, to selling electricity back to the grid. My job was to offer free bike tune ups to promote people to cycle more, needless to say, on a cold, windy, rainy day, I didn't do many tune-ups. What I did end up doing, was spending six hours conversing with the group on pender informally known as "the off grid eco hippies" say what you will about them, They sure had a lot of good information for me.
Not only did I receive two offers of help to build an effective water wheel, I was given a great deal on a big solar panel, and someone offered to come wire my house so I don't do something stupid (oh I also got a part time leather working apprenticeship out of the deal). Digging out a couple of old deep cycle boat batteries I got from the free store, I am not starting the plans to wire up my house.
Being a tiny space I only need four or five things, Lights, for reading, cooking, and doing dishes, A power plug for my computer, and maybe if I am feeling extra deserving, I'll get a car stereo installed and blast the shit out of my favorite punk songs.
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