I've got a question for you two - and EVERYBODY - about something.
Unless you live in an apartment, where it would be impossible to do, instead of having 'emergency backup' - why not tell your power company to go shove - and live totally unhooked from them full time? Forget the 'sell the excess back' game. You can use it all.
Yes, major bucks. BUT - if you're already in your final retirement place/etc, there's no reason to not. If you're not yet there -
everything in the system you can take with you and hook back up - and your house is already wired for it.
It would have cost us over $40K to have power brought to the property line. The system we have cost somewhere just under $20K (dont recall exact). But, here's what it does, every day:
220 well pump (160'), 81gal pressure tank fills 4 or 5 times a day (flush, showers, watering outside etc)
Ref/freezer
Microwave, toasters, hot plates, crockpot (got one going now), Tom's Keurig (lol)
W/D
A/C
Lights, tv, comp systems, radios, music all day...
Vacuum, HairDryer,
Shop tools & cordless tool chargers
Big battery chargers
(Tom runs welder off the shop gen)
This place is just like an all-electric home, and we use
lots of wattage. The only difference
* is instead of a main feed coming in to the breaker box from a utility company - the feed comes in from the battery bank (through the inverter, etc) which is replenished by the sun, even on overcast days.
I'm not bragging, or saying my way is better, so put a sock in that thought.
I'm just wondering, is doing this something any of you have really considered or looked in to?
All thoughts welcome, thanks!
*****
*We heat with the wood stove, and have a propane range in the kitchen. When the propane HW tank needs replacing, we're going to switch to elec HW - and may do the same for the range at some point. Not having to mess with propane would be a blessing too.