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1. You live "off the grid". For those unaware that there even is a grid, tell us: what is "the grid", and why in your opinion is it a good idea to live off of it?

The "grid" is composed of commercial power lines that deliver electricity across the world, our country and into our homes.This grid is fed mainly by coal-burning power plants (heavy polluters), not to mention nuclear reactors and enormous hydroelectric dams. By choosing to live off the grid, people generate enough electricity to power usually a single-family home through alternative, non-polluting sources such as solar, wind and small hydro systems. Because of two major news stories last year, we are very glad to be "off the grid". One news item was the blackouts occurring in California. The irony to us is that if most homes in California had a few solar panels on the roof, there would be plenty of energy for everyone because any excess could be deposited back onto the grid for everyone's consumption. The second news story was that the local power company initiated rate hikes throughout the summer billing some customers double what they had paid the month before. Since we do not have any power lines connecting our home to "the grid" we do not have the option of selling excess power back to the power company. Selling excess power back to the power company is a viable option for many homeowners who invest in alternative energy and are already hooked up to the grid. (Photo: The Dudley home)

2. What were the biggest challenges you faced in terms of deciding how to get off the grid? Did your geography play a large part in figuring out what type of structure you should build? Were there alternatives or did you pick the only type available?

When we were estimating the costs of building our home, the local power company told us it would cost $23,000 to run electricity to our property, that's $3,500 per power pole for 7+ poles (one every 500 feet b/c we're in a high wind area) . That cost did not include the monthly power bill we would be expected to pay each month. We researched alternative energy and for $15,500 were able to purchase one wind turbine (see photo below right), a solar tracker (see photo on left), several solar panels, an inverter and batteries. We also purchased a back-up generator that runs on gasoline. We have several propane appliances - water heater, dryer, refrigerator, furnace and stove. The configuration options are endless, depending on how much you have budgeted for your system. We added panels and batteries to our system about 6 months after the initial purchase.

3. What sort of sacrifices do you have to make with your current setup? Is there anything you don't get to have or do which living "on" the grid would allow?

I don't think we have to live with sacrifices - we are just more aware of how we manage, CONSERVE and utilize our electricity. We are living off a battery pack and during the day those batteries are re-charged with sunlight and wind. We usually have sun or wind or both every day of the year. At times when we have a lot of company (high water usage with showers, dishes, etc.), we have to run the generator. Usually, I just have to pay attention to not running the vacuum at the same time the dishwasher is running, or wait to do laundry until after running the dishwasher. Basically, spread household chores throughout the day on Saturdays and Sundays. We have battery operated alarm clocks and turn everything OFF when we are not using it - stereos, televisions, lights, etc. If we had a conventional refrigerator it would be the biggest "draw" on the system and we would need to purchase more batteries and more solar panels to accommodate such a power-hungry appliance. Thus, the propane refrigerator which is smaller, but highly efficient. Our neighbor who also owns a solar home, has double the batteries and panels we do and has a full-size, electric refrigerator.

4. Do you know of any resources for people looking to follow your lead either in terms of great books ('The Straw Bale House' comes to mind), classes, or websites?

We have a wonderful local sustainable energy nonprofit group called Sunrise. The officers of this organization are a wonderful group of people committed to educating as many Nevadans as possible about the benefits of alternative energy. There are local groups like this throughout the country. The national, parent organization of many of these groups is the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) which distributes a bi-monthly magazine called Solar Today. Anyone can access a plethora of information on the Internet by searching under Alternative Energy or any other related topic. We would also recommend finding a local alternative energy distributor for purchasing a system. Local is better in case adjustments need to be made at the time of installation, or if service calls are necessary. We've had one service call in three years, but Dave does all of the system maintenance himself. System maintenance includes keeping the battery terminals clean, making sure the dionized water level in the batteries remains constant, performing oil changes on the generator and doing maintenance battery charging through the generator. There are some more expensive batteries or battery accessories on the market that keep the terminals clean and maintain constant water levels so the homeowner doesn't have to worry about performing these tasks.

5. Might you be able to describe the basic configuration which keeps your house up and running in terms of how many solar panels are needed, and how complicated the wiring is, etc.

The wiring of an alternative energy house is no different than any other home. Here are the details of the system: * Twelve 75-watt mounted on a sun tracker, which is a device that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, and four 120-watt solar panels mounted on the roof. The total solar system produces 13.8 amps, or 1380 watts (the twelve 75-watt panels produce 900 watts or 9 amps; and the four 120-watt panels produce 480 watts or 4.8 amps) * One wind turbine generating 400 watts per hour or 4 amps any time the wind is blowing 25 mph or more. The wind turbine generates some electricity any time the wind is blowing 7 mph to 45 mph. * A battery bank in our garage that stores 650 kilowatts. (see photo below left)* The inverter is the "brain" of the whole set up. (see photo below right) The DC electricity produced by the solar panels and wind turbine runs through the inverter and is stored in the batteries. The inverter then "inverts" the DC electricity to AC when it is drawn into the house for use. Our house is 2,400 square feet which includes a full basement. We have one wind turbine and 16 solar panels - 12 on the tracker and four on the roof. The more panels and batteries we can afford to install, the less we have to run the generator. Right now, we don't have to run the generator unless we have company staying with us for a few days. Since our well is more than 750 feet deep, the well pump is the biggest draw on the system at 22 amps. We have it connected to a step-up transformer that converts 110 volts to 220 volts.

6. Do you have any suggestions for those thinking of doing what you've done: what to do differently or what not to do at all.

If someone lives in a high wind area, I would suggest going with the solar roof panels and not with the tracker. Our tracker got damaged in a huge windstorm last January and had to be replaced through a homeowners insurance claim. Other people in our valley live near some springs and use a form of small-scale hydroelectricity - many types of alternative energy are available depending on the natural environment around your house.

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