Jon C's posts

Hi Toni.  I also live rural, and this is my thought on the sujbect:  Wood and paper products release Co2 during decomposition anyway.  Its the reverse process of growing the tree which takes in Co2 and releases oxygen.  Burning only accelerates this process which will occur naturally anyway. The difference is the particulate contamination from burning, but I think most of this settles out as ash and returns to the soil.  Considering the other by-products of fuel combustion in an automobile, your's was a very good question, and leads one to ponder this tradeoff. I will probably continue to burn my paper trash.  Smiles :-)

Hi Randall.  Perhaps I am missing something here, but as I understand it, you are planning on using an inverter to convert the 12vDC to 120AC in order to use smaller wire gauge and reduce your IR losses on the 300 foot run.  Wouldn't a heavier wire gauge be cheaper than a separate inverter to accomplish this?  It seems to me that the inverter would be better used at the main battery bank to supply your cabin with AC power. (there is also a loss of efficiency through the inverter which would detract from your power transfer)

Speaking on a positive note, I appreciate this forum.  The people at the alternative energy store are knowledgable, helpful, and try to answer questions and concerns in a responsible manner.  I learn much about alternative energy from the technical posts here, but learn nothing from negative "he said, she said" postings, and character bashing. As with any store, if you are dissatisfied with the performance of a product, then spend a bit more and upgrade to something that will work for you.  If you are dissatisfied with a store, then don't shop there anymore.  All things are variable and you generally get what you pay for. It is all about the choices we make.  This alternative energy field is fascinating, productive, and deserves some consideration.  Hopefully, people can learn to work together towards this goal.  I have found the store's service to be excellent, and the prices reasonable.  (and, that is just my opinion) :-)

Daisy, speaking as a homeowner who has done this kind of installation, this seems to be a somewhat loose and variable criteria, depending of what area you live in.  The installation must be in compliance with local building and electrical codes, which can be found by doing a search of your state and local laws. A licensed contractor is generally familiar with these codes, but a do-it-yourselfer, needs to research this and perhaps get a permit, or an inspector to certify the installation. As an example, in this area, a wind turbine must have a set-back distance from structures and roadways, and a height restriction, depending on the power rating of the turbine, and have a noise characteristic which is not offensive to neighbors, and no lighting or lighting in compliance with FAA rules. There are many variables in local and state codes, so what is good for one, may not be good for all.

Hi Malae, in response to your question, i can describe how my wind turbine works to charge a battery.  The wind generator has a group of windings on a rotor(moving part), and a group of permanent magnets on a stator(stationary part).  The blades  turn the rotor in this magnetic field and generate a three phase AC voltage that is sent down a three conductor wire to a charge controller.  The charge controller rectifies the AC voltage to a DC voltage, which is then used to charge a bank of batteries.  A microprocessor in the controller monitors the output voltage and shuts down the turbine at a preset full charge voltage for the batteries. I think that a hydro generator works much the same, just uses water instead of wind to turn the rotor, but i have no specific knowledge of the hydro variety of generator.

Hi Jerimiah, I am also new to alternative energy, but have some techinical background.  I am assuming that you have a charge controller for use with your solar panel and proposed battery?  The inverter that i am using, is compatible with either lead acid or nicad batteries (not sure all can be programmed for this), so it is important that your charge controller/inverter can recognize the battery type that you will be using.  I am thinking that there is a wide variety of batteries on the market that would fit your capacity need, and its just a matter of finding one that fits your budget. Good luck. Smiles.

I live in the midwest also, Mike.  You might start by searching for a dealer of alternative energy in your area, and ask for a site evaluation.  This is what i did, and now have a system for backup power.