Part 1: Lessons from temporarily returning to the grid (by Phoenix)
Hi, Phoenix here after some much-needed self-care. A few months ago, I went to a week-long work conference and stayed in a hotel. It was weird being back on the grid,…
Category: Energy
Preparing for winter (by Phoenix)
Hi, Phoenix here. With winter fast approaching, I’ve been thinking about the tasks we need to do on the homestead to prepare for winter….
Part 7: Photovoltaic systems–Optimal solar panel angles (by K)
Hi, K here revisiting solar panels from our previous series on photovoltaic systems. Recently, I noticed several systems set up, some by professional installers, with the solar panels at angles that are too steep for this latitude…
Part 6: Photovoltaic systems–types of inverters (by K)
Hi there, K again. So, we’ve talked about solar panels, controllers and batteries. Let’s discuss the last part of the puzzle–how to convert the D.C. power from the batteries to something useful for your home…
Part 5: Photovoltaic systems–types of batteries continued (by K)
Hi there, K again. In this post, I want to continue talking about types of batteries. For a solar system, you want deep cycle batteries.
Part 4: Photovoltaic systems–types of batteries (by K)
K here. Over the last few posts we’ve talked about different components of a photovoltaic system, specifically panels and controllers. In this post, I want to talk about batteries.
Part 3: Photovoltaic systems–types of solar controllers continued (by K)
Hi, K again. In the last blog post, I introduced solar controllers and talked about the power width module (PWM) type of controller. In this post, I’ll continue the discussion by describing the MPPT type of controller and the difference between the two types…
Part 2: Photovoltaic systems–types of solar controllers (by K)
Hi there, K again continuing our conversation on photovoltaic systems. In this blog post, I want to talk about solar controllers…
Part 1: Photovoltaic systems–types of solar panels (by K)
Hi there, K again. In this series of blog posts, I want to talk about photovoltaic systems–their components, different types available on the market, and real life limitations on their use if you want them to last…
Part 3: Possible solutions for your sustainable living–large appliances (By K)
In previous posts, I talked about ways to save money and electricity in small ways while still living on the grid. Updating large appliances can lead to…