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  • From: "maury sheets" <maurysheets AT verizon.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] slightly off topic: solar back-up
  • Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:25:26 -0500

Steve,

 

It is already there, been there and doing that.  My 30 x 96 foot greenhouse is 100 percent solar (active solar).  I’m picking green beans today and have spring mix, basil, carrots, mache, turnips, green garlic and mustards all off solar for heat and electricity for pumps and timers. There is no reason in the world not to use renewable energy be it solar, hydro, wind or methane gas digesters.  Yes there are problems, but what system doesn’t have problems, i.e. like our power grid in this country being out for a week or more from one storm.  Talk to Sora on this list, she has been off-grid solar since the 80’s.

 

Maury Sheets

Woodland Produce

South jersey

 

 

From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of MAsteveINE
Sent: Friday, November 25, 2011 7:27 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] slightly off topic: solar back-up

 

First, I would get a ganerator, before trying to run a water pump and freezer and a fridge

 

off batteries. A generator with a power tool, a compressor, or battery charge/booster

 

can go anywhere on the farm on short notice.

 

 

 

Then if you want a neat little hobby where you can learn all the reasons that

 

solar and wind have a ways further to go before being taken seriously,

 

you can get some solar.

 

OMMV

 

 

MAsteveINE

 

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

I am looking for a starter photovoltaic system that can serve as back-up power for when
the lines go down, as well as reduce our electricity bill. After a freak snow storm last
month here in Massachusetts, we suffered through 4 days without electricity, which meant
no water from the well, and a thawing freezer. I swore I would go right out and buy a
generator as soon as the stores had them back in stock, but now wonder if I could spend a
little more, and run what I need on PV.

Unfortunately our house is mostly in the shade, so roof installation is not a great
option. But we have sunny fields close enough to run wires to. I am hoping there is a 240V
off-the-shelf system that would let me run the well pump, along with the freezer and
fridge (I'd be happy to switch from one to the other as needed, rather than install a
larger panel to run them all simultaneously, in order to keep my costs lower). It would be
nice to be on the grid and sell back power, but again, I am less concerned with this at
the start than with just having a system ready to go when the power goes out.

Does this seem reasonable? Any recommendations on how to get started on this?

  Richard Robinson
  www.nasw.org/users/rrobinson/
  Hopestill Farm
  www.hopestill.com

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