| So you want to look into Solar. | | | | hand pump attached to the kitchen sink. We had |
| I have been living off grid at my cottage since | | | | a toilet in the bathroom, but you had to pour |
| 1994. I can tell you that there is no finer way to | | | | water down it to flush (better than an outhouse!). |
| be than off-grid. No inflated bills. Nothing. | | | | Gradually, I added more solar and now, my |
| Where my cottage is located is in a remote area | | | | cottage has full power ... all off grid. You do not |
| from power. The power company wanted over | | | | have to start with a full-scale solar project. I didn't. |
| $2,000 just to engineer a power solution to my | | | | I started small. |
| cottage. When I asked them what that meant, | | | | I have a 12v water pump that pumps water up |
| they told me it was basically an administration and | | | | 180 feet to a water tower. This feeds the |
| design charge. What I would receive was a | | | | cottage water via gravity. |
| blueprint and a high-level cost estimate to | | | | I have low wattage lights throughout the cottage |
| implement their design. | | | | and all outlets are 120 volts. |
| I told them to hold off and asked some more | | | | You would never know we are off-grid if you |
| questions. Bottom line was they would charge $50 | | | | visited. |
| a metre to run power cables to my cottage. The | | | | We enjoy all the luxuries of city power - without |
| closest power was over 1,000 metres away. | | | | all bills though. |
| Simple math told me it would cost over $50,000 | | | | I can tell you, it was easy to do. I recommend |
| to have them run power to my cottage. A little | | | | everyone do it. I recommend you also do this, or |
| too pricey for me. | | | | at least a portion of this kind of setup to your |
| Back then, this neat little concept of solar power | | | | home. Especially for your lights. Then, if the power |
| was starting up. There was very little information | | | | goes out, you will be the only house around with |
| available, but I knew that solar was the way to | | | | power. |
| go. | | | | Solar is cheap. It is quiet (unlike my noisy |
| I bought myself some deep cycle batteries and | | | | generator, cottage neighbours). It is hassle free |
| one solar panel. The purpose was to charge the | | | | and anyone can do it. It is virtually maintenance |
| batteries for my boat. | | | | free. |
| I had no power at all for my cottage. We had a | | | | |