HOW TO BE PREPARED THE NEXT TIME THE POWER GRID GOES DOWN
BY CHARLES W. MOORE
© 1998 Charles W. Moore
The catastrophic freezing rainstorm that battered Quebec, eastern Ontario,
New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia demonstrated how pathetically dependent most
of us are on the all-too-fragile electric power grid. Some people vow never
to let this sort of misery befall them again, and are seeking ways to become
more energy self-sufficient--at least in emergencies.
There are basically four alternatives for back-up electric power generation:
gas powered, solar (photovoltaic or PV), wind, or water turbine. Gas-powered
generators, the easiest, quickest solution, are available at your local
hardware store, and their operation is pretty straightforward. They are also
noisy, smelly, and require transport and storage of a flammable fuel--about
$30.00 worth per day to light and heat the average home. For more elegant
modes of alternative power, read on.
Kim MacMullin and George Wright of Metcalfe, Ontario, have been completely
off the grid for ten years. Their electric power system includes a wind
generator, five solar PV panels, six golf cart batteries located in the
basement, an inverter, and a regulator. The inverter converts 12 volt direct
current produced by the wind/solar devices into standard 60 cycle 110 volt
alternating current. They have ample power to run a refrigerator, washing
machine, TV, VCR, microwave, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, and two Macintosh
computers, but no deep freezer or electric clothes dryer. They cook and heat
water with propane, and their home is wood heated.
Kim and George liked alternative power so much, they started a company,
Metcalfe Wind Electric, to sell domestic solar, wind, and hydroelectric
generating equipment by mail order. Kim invites people living or traveling
in the Ottawa area (Metcalfe is 20 minutes south of the capital) to visit
her farm and see alternative energy in action.
For more information or to order a 100 page wind and solar design catalogue,
contact: Metcalfe Wind Electric, 2696 9th Line Rd., Metcalfe ON K0A 2P0,
Phone (613) 821-0807.
Kim MacMullin also recommends Home Power Magazine (Box 520, Ashland OR
97520, U.S.A., (916) 475-0830), U.S.$15.00 per year for 6 issues) as one of
the best sources of information on domestic alternative energy. "We only
wish that Home Power had existed when we implemented our own system," she
says. "It would have saved us years of research."
For supplemental or emergency systems, solar is the most practical
proposition for most home and cottage owners. A solar electrical system can
be as simple as one photovoltaic panel, a few fuses and switches, and a
couple of 6 volt lead-acid golf-cart batteries. This rudimentary setup is
sufficient to power modest lighting (halogen or full-spectrum fluorescent
are recommended for efficiency) and one or two small electronic devices such
as radios, laptop computers, or TVs. However, if you need electricity to
pump water, as most rural residents do, you want a wind-powered generator.
Solar hot-water systems can supplement what is usually one of the most
energy-hungry appliances in the home--the hot water heater. Some solar
hot-water systems utilize electric pumps and switchgear, while others work
by convection alone, using the sun's heat to circulate a water/alcohol
mixture back and forth from the (usually) rooftop collector to the hot water
heat exchanger.
Of course, if the weather turns overcast for days (or weeks) on end, solar
energy is not a practical source of power. For users still hooked up to
utility power, less-than-ideal solar weather is mainly an inconvenience. For
homes fully-dependent on alternative power sources, it's wise to have some
redundancy. Wind generators are a good compliment to solar power systems,
since in dark weather the wind usually blows.
"Wind generators range from 300 watts to well over 20 kilowatts," says Kim
MacMullin. In cost, "generally they range from $3 per watt for smaller ones
to less than $1 per watt for the larger ones. When compared to solar at $8
per watt, wind comes out ahead." Typical electric space heaters use 1,000 to
1,500 watts.
It's not difficult to get a domestic solar power system working in sunny
Arizona or California, but, it's a different story for those of us who live
in a more northerly, overcast climate. An excellent resource for people
interested in solar energy techniques appropriate to sunshine-challenged
areas is:
The Sunshine Revolution; Harald N. Rostvik, Sun-Lab Publishers, 1992; 188
pp., ISBN 82-91052-03-4; (U.S.) $49.95 postpaid, Item No. 80190, Real Goods
Trading Corp., 966 Mazzoni St., Ukiah CA 95482 1-800-762-7325 (works
toll-free in Canada)
The best-written book on wind power generation, says Kim MacMullin, is Wind
Power For Home and Business; (Renewable Energy for the 1990s and Beyond);
Paul Gipe, 1993, 413 pp. ISBN 0-930031-64-4, $48 from Metcalfe Wind
Electric, (see address above) who stock other books on alternative energy as
well.
Another alternative energy resource nuanced for Canadian conditions is the
Independent Energy Guide-Electrical Power for Home, Boat, & RV, by
P.E.I.-based author Kevin Jeffrey. The book is available for $27.95 + $3.00
shipping from Avalon House Publishing, RR1 Belfast, PEI COA 1AO, Phone/Fax:
902-659-2790, or email: kjeffrey@isn.net
If you have a source of running water near your home, small hydroelectric
generating plants are available. Contact Metcalfe Wind Electric at the
address above, or Harris Hydroelectric hydro-power turbines for home use
(U.S.)$695 and up) 632 Swanton Rd., Davenport CA 95017, (408) 425-7652.
Harris units can work with heads as shallow as 10 feet.
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