Hi, I've got a bit more time so writing a bit more, I already have a 14ha site with all we need, I've started on the first cabin to demonstrate we have real building skills and to use in videos to promote what we're doing. We're trying to build something more like a campus for research and development of such projects as the mini power utility. What I'm thinking is to give people a rent-to-buy option so if things don't work out I have the option to buy them back out and we have pretty strict rules about introducing new people to the group. We only want to get people involved if they have something to offer the project, be that a large or small input, they just need to on board with the plan and have a positive mentality. If it was just something more like a regular housing association I'd expect childish bickering, anyway curious what your experience was.
Miniature power utility for small off grid community
I'm building a small off grid community with some other likeminded people and we're considering how to build a power supply consisting of solar, batteries and a small scale pumped hydro system. Has anyone seen anything like this done anywhere? We want to power people's cabins and have some EV charging points. One challenge is how to bill everyone based on the fact some will use very little and some will use a lot. I don't want there to be a profit motive but also there must be an incentive to keep the system well maintained, a stock of spares, redundancy and ability to scale. Thoughts anyone?
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don't you have a girlfriend?The type of people running away from society will form a dysfunctional one. If it's functional, it'll be what they ran from. In other words, they are a pack of idiots that want to sponge their share away from others, but not call it "welfare".
I didn't contradict myself. Nor am I trolling - I simply am not well conversant in neoneanderthal.
You don't understand the social implications that make this a success or fail. The technology and financials are super easy. The part you don't understand is well understood by "the lefties".
"owning the libs" by becoming one? 😂
also since you seem insistent on having a discussion please define what you mean by societyThe type of people running away from society will form a dysfunctional one. If it's functional, it'll be what they ran from. In other words, they are a pack of idiots that want to sponge their share away from others, but not call it "welfare".
I didn't contradict myself. Nor am I trolling - I simply am not well conversant in neoneanderthal.
You don't understand the social implications that make this a success or fail. The technology and financials are super easy. The part you don't understand is well understood by "the lefties".
"owning the libs" by becoming one? 😂
Building a cabin to demo skills? WTF...did you just make landfall with the Mayflower?
I'm sorry...a cabin or two or three with an outside shitter forms a "campus"??? For "research"? Going to invent fire and the wheel with this great braintrust?
😂
Are you also planning to make your own toilet paper or are you the preppers responsible for The Great TP Shortage of 2020?
Anyway, be sure to have a lot of meetings and form committees on all this.
I've had my fun. Carry on...
I'm sorry...a cabin or two or three with an outside shitter forms a "campus"??? For "research"? Going to invent fire and the wheel with this great braintrust?
😂
Are you also planning to make your own toilet paper or are you the preppers responsible for The Great TP Shortage of 2020?
Anyway, be sure to have a lot of meetings and form committees on all this.
I've had my fun. Carry on...
how is that fun?Building a cabin to demo skills? WTF...did you just make landfall with the Mayflower?
I'm sorry...a cabin or two or three with an outside shitter forms a "campus"??? For "research"? Going to invent fire and the wheel with this great braintrust?
😂
Are you also planning to make your own toilet paper or are you the preppers responsible for The Great TP Shortage of 2020?
Anyway, be sure to have a lot of meetings and form committees on all this.
I've had my fun. Carry on...
Hate to point this out, BUT, this is a forum mostly interested in creating mobile high power dissipation systems, aka "cars" with some emphasis on rapid recharge. Home solar, while somewhat similar, isn't a focus, nor even a point of expertise.
If you have a damaged tesla and want to shove those electronics into your '58 Rambler, we're your people. Hanging solar panels and those related house subsystems, not much at all although we probably have people that do that. In the 15 years I have been here, it didn't come up much.
BTW: Remy and Brian, or others, while annoyingly correct and sometimes exasperating, are good people to heed the advice of, you know, BTDT lived through that.
If you have a damaged tesla and want to shove those electronics into your '58 Rambler, we're your people. Hanging solar panels and those related house subsystems, not much at all although we probably have people that do that. In the 15 years I have been here, it didn't come up much.
BTW: Remy and Brian, or others, while annoyingly correct and sometimes exasperating, are good people to heed the advice of, you know, BTDT lived through that.
correct in what sense?Hate to point this out, BUT, this is a forum mostly interested in creating mobile high power dissipation systems, aka "cars" with some emphasis on rapid recharge. Home solar, while somewhat similar, isn't a focus, nor even a point of expertise.
If you have a damaged tesla and want to shove those electronics into your '58 Rambler, we're your people. Hanging solar panels and those related house subsystems, not much at all although we probably have people that do that. In the 15 years I have been here, it didn't come up much.
BTW: Remy and Brian, or others, while annoyingly correct and sometimes exasperating, are good people to heed the advice of, you know, BTDT lived through that.
You're being pedantic.
Think of hell freezing over when we're wrong. That order of magnitude of "correct".
Though being corrected is always welcome - that's a learning experience.
Think of hell freezing over when we're wrong. That order of magnitude of "correct".
Though being corrected is always welcome - that's a learning experience.
No, you're just rude and offensiveYou're being pedantic.
Think of hell freezing over when we're wrong. That order of magnitude of "correct".
Though being corrected is always welcome - that's a learning experience.
One more thing. This society getaway commune of yours. It'll have internet, of course?
😂
😂
sure, but you're making a lot of assumptions, i'm pro technology not antiOne more thing. This society getaway commune of yours. It'll have internet, of course?
😂
OK, Electric Edward, to answer the questions you posed to me, the "social unrest" was simply the inability of people to share power systems, and in the broader sense that seems to apply to this forum also. Some are apparently nearly infallibly "correct" and others think that you're asking all the wrong questions. I don't know if I'm a "lib lefty" or an "always righty" but I try to help where I can. How are snarky comments helpful in what is otherwise a serious discussion? Does being "correct" help anyone other than the commentator?
Your idea of a campus to work out the physical and societal implications of a micro-grid is far more focussed than the back-to-the-land aspirations and shared land ethos of the community to which I briefly belonged. It sounds like the conceptual and financial buy-in will be somewhat stronger, which is more than I can say for our groups loose concept of "off-Grid". When some folks decided that they wanted unlimited power access, despite being offered interest-free loans for upgrades along with free technical assisstance and maintenance, the lure of the Grid and the gradual demise of their PV/wind systems seemed inevitable. But eventually some decided to upgrade their systems into hybrids to make more use of PV and more modern controllers, back-up batteries, etc. while stii using Grid power for really large loads.
And, as more of these people buy electric vehicles, their cars/trucks themselves become back-up power for Grid brown-outs and black-outs. The current Grid is stuggling to deal with loads as it stands, so any distributed renewable sources will either be required to supply their own energy storage or the price of Grid power will have to increase dramatically to cover investments in Grid-scale battery storage. Electric cars will increasingly become this storage.
Your idea of a campus to work out the physical and societal implications of a micro-grid is far more focussed than the back-to-the-land aspirations and shared land ethos of the community to which I briefly belonged. It sounds like the conceptual and financial buy-in will be somewhat stronger, which is more than I can say for our groups loose concept of "off-Grid". When some folks decided that they wanted unlimited power access, despite being offered interest-free loans for upgrades along with free technical assisstance and maintenance, the lure of the Grid and the gradual demise of their PV/wind systems seemed inevitable. But eventually some decided to upgrade their systems into hybrids to make more use of PV and more modern controllers, back-up batteries, etc. while stii using Grid power for really large loads.
And, as more of these people buy electric vehicles, their cars/trucks themselves become back-up power for Grid brown-outs and black-outs. The current Grid is stuggling to deal with loads as it stands, so any distributed renewable sources will either be required to supply their own energy storage or the price of Grid power will have to increase dramatically to cover investments in Grid-scale battery storage. Electric cars will increasingly become this storage.
Thanks very much for that, what I'm considering is metering people's power and the total amount they use from the start determines their share in the micro grid, also they will pay a monthly fee (also linked to usage) into the project that will go to building a stock of spares and backup systems. Aside from that I plan to be totally discriminatory about the people who can join the project in the first place and other members will be able to buy out their property and request they leave if they can't be nice. I think this is a big deal because typically housing projects like this are just about profit and this is more about building a community where we share the things that there are real benefits to sharing like security, grid power, friendly/serious neighbors. I'm getting a lot of interest because we've made it very clear that it's not some kind of hippy commune and we'll control who lives here. It's a shame about these basement dwelling trolls on this forum, I'm surprised they tolerate it. I really appreciate your feedback, have you got any ideas about a better forum I could use to discuss my system? I have a bunch of technical questions too.OK, Electric Edward, to answer the questions you posed to me, the "social unrest" was simply the inability of people to share power systems, and in the broader sense that seems to apply to this forum also. Some are apparently nearly infallibly "correct" and others think that you're asking all the wrong questions. I don't know if I'm a "lib lefty" or an "always righty" but I try to help where I can. How are snarky comments helpful in what is otherwise a serious discussion? Does being "correct" help anyone other than the commentator?
Your idea of a campus to work out the physical and societal implications of a micro-grid is far more focussed than the back-to-the-land aspirations and shared land ethos of the community to which I briefly belonged. It sounds like the conceptual and financial buy-in will be somewhat stronger, which is more than I can say for our groups loose concept of "off-Grid". When some folks decided that they wanted unlimited power access, despite being offered interest-free loans for upgrades along with free technical assisstance and maintenance, the lure of the Grid and the gradual demise of their PV/wind systems seemed inevitable. But eventually some decided to upgrade their systems into hybrids to make more use of PV and more modern controllers, back-up batteries, etc. while stii using Grid power for really large loads.
And, as more of these people buy electric vehicles, their cars/trucks themselves become back-up power for Grid brown-outs and black-outs. The current Grid is stuggling to deal with loads as it stands, so any distributed renewable sources will either be required to supply their own energy storage or the price of Grid power will have to increase dramatically to cover investments in Grid-scale battery storage. Electric cars will increasingly become this storage.
Tyranny of the majority when it comes to property rights after someone has vested an interest?
Unless you form your own country, you are still subject to the public legal system and statutes.
Either it's a freeforall where you live or you are an awfully naive basement dweller.
Unless you form your own country, you are still subject to the public legal system and statutes.
Either it's a freeforall where you live or you are an awfully naive basement dweller.
That's why it's critical to only sign up nice people and consider what constitutes de-facto power, I've done a lot of business based on my word and made vastly more than I've lost. Things only ever end up in court if you make business with arseholes, which I don't.Tyranny of the majority when it comes to property rights after someone has vested an interest?
Unless you form your own country, you are still subject to the public legal system and statutes.
Either it's a freeforall where you live or you are an awfully naive basement dweller.
While I'm sure there is a forum somewhere to better serve your needs for further discussion I'm unaware of it. In terms of technical support your best bet is probably to find a local installer who's willing to help. While they may not have experience in desiging exactly what you have in mind it's not a big stretch to do so when you have practical, hands-on knowledge of renewable systems.
https://secondlifestorage.com/index.php There are several people working on large systems 400VDC to 230 single phase and three phase systems. but BobD advise about finding someone local is an great idea
later floyd
later floyd
I've got good contacts for setting everything up and supporting it, I know quite a lot already. I'm running a small system myself already and I've managed to fault find that ok when there's been the odd issue. The thing is there are clearly huge economies of scale so it's great if you can get a shared system to work politically.https://secondlifestorage.com/index.php There are several people working on large systems 400VDC to 230 single phase and three phase systems. but BobD advise about finding someone local is an great idea
later floyd
Nice people having their property taken from them by other nice people that outvote them and expropriate their property simply because they don't want a barking pet dog around.
Condo and Homeowner Associations are breeding grounds for disputes and lawsuits, despite rules being spelled out clearly.
Condo and Homeowner Associations are breeding grounds for disputes and lawsuits, despite rules being spelled out clearly.
Yes, I agree but only if you don't control the type of people who live on them. Also I'm guessing you're in the USA where you have a horribly toxic litigation mentality. I'm pretty sure we can pin people to contracts that give them no option but mediation in the event of a dispute. We'll see. You sound deeply cynical as a person to be honest. It also matters a lot to make things very clear to people from the start, if things are not what they expect then for sure we'll have issues. Also we'll have 1-3 year trial periods.Nice people having their property taken from them by other nice people that outvote them and expropriate their property simply because they don't want a barking pet dog around.
Condo and Homeowner Associations are breeding grounds for disputes and lawsuits, despite rules being spelled out clearly.
21 - 40 of 41 Posts
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