Interested in starting a project... Know nothing.

Re: Interested in starting a project... Know nothing.

my answers in bold.

RaistlinsLegacy wrote: »

Well I'll start with some background information.

I live in Cincinnati Ohio, currently I am a student and Northern Kentucky University. This is my final year of school (graduating with a Bachelors in Entrepreneurship this Spring) and I am contemplating starting a project, to live off the grid and to cut down all my costs when i leave college.

it is nice to keep costs down if possible and being a new graduate i'm sure your student loans and such will be a pain to you for some time. this is an expensive endeavor with the initial investment to produce your own power.

My family (Parents, a brother and his family) live on a farm (about 24 acres). Solar power is definitely an option, when the sun isn't shining then it's almost always windy/storming so a combination of Solar/Wind is very plausible here.

there is a problem finding quality wind generators and their maintenance will be high being parts move and wear out. most are staying solar. i am also to assume you will build your place on the same property while living in the home with all of the family so correct me if i'm wrong?

I am contemplating building a small house, maybe 30ftX20ft. My needs are simple, I am an outdoors guy. Basically my needs run as far as Window AC, Refrigerator, Freezer, Microwave, Lighting, a small television, and plumbing.

you might wish to consider building a larger place you could expand into if you intend to stay longterm with a spouse and maybe new additions to the family. a small utility room for some stuff like the breaker panels, electronics, batteries, etc. would also be nice. you didn't mention the type of heat you'll use or how you intend for hot water.

where would be a good starting point to learn what system i will need? what special needs does an Off-Grid system require?

here is a good place to start getting ideas from us and many of the posts here and as mentioned homepower mag is good too. this takes much planning just like one would for building the home. bill outlined well for you some steps to take.

I have recently helped a brother build a log house (attached to the power grid) So I understand basic construction, but i am completely at a loss when it comes to power and electricity.

now is the time to learn. just as your brother probably had to follow some construction guidelines to make the place safe and so you will too. you will just have a bit more complexity because of the nature of the rules that govern solar and wind installs for electrical production. even though you indicate it will be a standalone system, it should be wired and handled just as a utility tied home would be and then additional for the needs a solar/wind system entails. with that much land, maybe hydro power is possible too, but i know your area is pretty flat so maybe not.

any tips, sources anything? I would appreciate it a lot!

read read read. ask any questions that come to your mind after some reading. all this so you learn to do. we may not have all of your answers for you and ultimately we can make suggestions, but you have the final say and it is your investment to make.

Re: Interested in starting a project... Know nothing.

you can do lng, but allow for solar thermal and a fireplace. propane is another option too and many here like to use that for their fridges. i think propane will jump out of site in cost along with many fossil fuels down the road. you've got some time to think about much of this and i'm sure the options are starting to register with you now making you think. good.

the building should have very good insulation in the walls and ceiling. i'm not sure what they recommend for this general part of the country nowadays, but i can guarantee it's over r20 for the walls and more for the ceiling. i like the urethane foam boards with reflective foil as they pack excellent insulative quality in a smaller thickness at around r7 or r8 per inch and fiberglass needs far too much area and can degrade with moisture present. a big investment will be your windows. i believe that the fiberglass triple pane with reflective coating is your best bet. many may say use argon and double pane, but the argon leaks out over time and double pane by nature is only so insulative making it sensible in conjunction with the high r values you seek to put in everywhere else in the house. if you elect to have passive solar heating towards the areas the sun will exist during the winter (south +/-) then do away with the reflective coating in those windows as this allows the heat to enter. shutters are an option for windows without a reflective coating.

oh, i almost forgot that with a well insulated airtight place (especially one with a fireplace or stove) it may be necessary to bring in fresh air. this air will need to be preheated and can be done with a heat exchanger type of a deal. brock had brought this to my attention a ways back as he did it due to his having an indoor pool i believe and we discussed it for a few posts, but he may wish to say about it again here.
many of these things are also addressed in home power magazine too (not just about pvs) and it is possible to buy up many of the past issues and have them on disks.