Solar on a Budget... or am I chasing a unicorn?

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This spring, I will be putting in solar power for my water system up at my acreage. I will post pictures and progress regarding the pumpage, treatment and pressure sub-systems when I start. I plan only only two systems being solar powered, the water and the refrigeration. Everything else will be on grid power. At least that's the plan for now anyway
Everything in steps., now I am putting in a new steel and goat panel fence. It should be complete next Saturday

We are looking at putting in 3 different smaller type solar systems. One for a pump to draw water from the lake to pump it up to the house into large containers. How are you going to do your system?
 
Solar panels wear out. Batteries wear out. Solar is not a viable long term power solution. It is a very expensive short to medium term power solution.

They do DH. The problem is, if the grid goes down, what else is a family going to do? I don’t see a longer solution than solar...unless you have enough water flow for mini hydro...but it is in the same boat as solar, right? We have propane, but it will eventually run out before solar. Especially if one keeps backup parts.

I guess I’m just hoping that the slower change to being totally without power will allow our group time to adjust and therefore save lives.
 
Let's just say it's cheaper than solar, LOL!
Here are the FEMA plans he talks about:
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a208249.pdf


Great idea DH!! I’ve found a company that makes them. Ex military guy. Not cheap, but certainly not outrageous. This would be a great addition to my preps! :) With it I don’t have to be so worried about getting 2 or 3 of backups for solar system. Amgoing to make it smaller too.

https://www.tacticalwoodgas.com/online-store
Even on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee
 
Solar panels wear out. Batteries wear out. Solar is not a viable long term power solution. It is a very expensive short to medium term power solution.
Solar panels will easily last a lifetime, barring damage from wind, trees, etc. yes they can loose 10 to 15% of their efficiency but otherwise should be a one time purchase. Batteries are the weakest link in solar. Hopefully there will be enough improvements and drop in price over the next ten years to help out. The cost of a solar system isn’t even close to being comparable to grid power though. The only thing I can say for it is the security of having power when the grid is down. We lost power for three days from the recent storm and barely noticed. Ran the generator twice a day for the air and hot water, and the solar ran everything in between.
 
David, it looks like the neighbor didn't contribute? He's going to regret not dropping some $$$ and clearing his side of the fence some day. I have parts of my fence that neighbors shared the cost and had their side cleared, others where they refused and nothing was cleared on their side, and yet others where I use that fence & they ate the full costs. But what I spent decades ago was a fraction of what fencing costs today. I think to fence the entire perimeter would cost more than I paid for the land!
 
He isn't running Livestock nor has any plans to ever do so has no need of fencing. His profit is logging. My fence is a little more expensive than most as you could tell by the conc filled steel posts but everything included it ran me about $7.5/ft for steel posts, goat fencing and and upper and lower run of barbed wire. I had removed that thread post because I had meant to put it in our PMs.... and yes it is expensive which is why I am doing 1000 ft at a time :)
 
We are looking at putting in 3 different smaller type solar systems. One for a pump to draw water from the lake to pump it up to the house into large containers. How are you going to do your system?

Just saw this. I am doing essentially the same thing only off a pond instead of a lake. I am sure you have had you lake water tested. I am looking at buying this for getting my water up the hill and to our travel trailer areas:

https://shop.rpssolarpumps.com/collections/livestock/products/rps-400-solar-well-pump-kit
Then uphill the trail (800 ft away and 30 ft vertical) I will dump it at an atmospheric tank (after running it through prefilters, prob 50 mic then a 20 mic):

https://www.plastic-mart.com/product/12917/1200-gallon-plastic-water-tank-tlv01200dg
I don't have anything set in stone after that, but from the tank it will be drawn by a separate solar powered pump system to place it under pressure. That is the point where it will be treated like a house water filtration system on well water and forcing the water through a series of filters and UV treatment. I want the iron and magnesium out of the water (not dangerous but the only two metals not within potable water parameters). One of the filters I am looking at is

https://www.springwellwater.com/product/well-water/whole-house-iron-filter/
But I need to do MUCH MORE research on this final stage and consultation with experts on the final treatment package. Being a licensed engineer, I full well know I don't know shit LOL. The goal is to have house water that is purer than city tap water

For anyone looking at treating surface water, make sure you control the entire drainage basin or the catchment is a large public body (like a lake) so you can be reasonably assured there will be no chemical or biological contamination. I control the entire 30 acres whose runoff feeds this pond.
 
Just saw this. I am doing essentially the same thing only off a pond instead of a lake. I am sure you have had you lake water tested. I am looking at buying this for getting my water up the hill and to our travel trailer areas:

https://shop.rpssolarpumps.com/collections/livestock/products/rps-400-solar-well-pump-kit
Then uphill the trail (800 ft away and 30 ft vertical) I will dump it at an atmospheric tank (after running it through prefilters, prob 50 mic then a 20 mic):

https://www.plastic-mart.com/product/12917/1200-gallon-plastic-water-tank-tlv01200dg
I don't have anything set in stone after that, but from the tank it will be drawn by a separate solar powered pump system to place it under pressure. That is the point where it will be treated like a house water filtration system on well water and forcing the water through a series of filters and UV treatment. I want the iron and magnesium out of the water (not dangerous but the only two metals not within potable water parameters). One of the filters I am looking at is

https://www.springwellwater.com/product/well-water/whole-house-iron-filter/
But I need to do MUCH MORE research on this final stage and consultation with experts on the final treatment package. Being a licensed engineer, I full well know I don't know shit LOL. The goal is to have house water that is purer than city tap water

For anyone looking at treating surface water, make sure you control the entire drainage basin or the catchment is a large public body (like a lake) so you can be reasonably assured there will be no chemical or biological contamination. I control the entire 30 acres whose runoff feeds this pond.

This is solid advice! Will read this and discuss with hubby. Since the new pump and such has not been even opened yet, I might switch to what you are installing. We are talking about doing the exact same system to get water in case of a grid down long term situation! Please share any other advice or insight you have going forward! When are you installing yours?

We have control of this small lake and the sources, several of them, are underground springs. Do you think that is safe? I did take some of the water to our local cooperative extension a few years ago. It showed no problems and it does taste good after being run through a filter.
 
Pump the water into a storage tank 10 ft up. Attic, elevated platform, etc. Gravity feed will give you all the pressure you need. Good luck getting the iron out of the water. Read up on that... they sell an iron filter for inline (like a water softner) in the $1-2k range and it uses 50-100 gallons per day to back-flush.
 
Pump the water into a storage tank 10 ft up. Attic, elevated platform, etc. Gravity feed will give you all the pressure you need. Good luck getting the iron out of the water. Read up on that... they sell an iron filter for inline (like a water softner) in the $1-2k range and it uses 50-100 gallons per day to back-flush.

My elevation to the storage tanks is 400 ft from the water on a 25-30 degree incline, then 30 ft straight up to platform.
 
This is solid advice! Will read this and discuss with hubby. Since the new pump and such has not been even opened yet, I might switch to what you are installing. We are talking about doing the exact same system to get water in case of a grid down long term situation! Please share any other advice or insight you have going forward! When are you installing yours?

Probably in about 6-9 months. I am having the pathway from the trailer location to the pond mulched out December 3 and 4. I need it cleared for the plumber to trench the 1.5" PEX water line to the tank.I have meeting scheduled with the plumber and electrician at that time. This is a no battery required system to get the water to the tank, I really like that. Oversize your tank so you wont ever need to draw water from the lake at night. I am doing the conc slab design for that tank later this week.

Also the actual well pump in this system has to be both anchored and floated in some manner to secure it's location from an x.y.z standpoint. I am thinking of encasing the pump in 6"slotted well pipe but I'll know more after I talk to my plumber and some water well guys down here. One of the benefits of being in civil development your entire life is having construction contacts

Naturally the pressure system will need batteries.but I think this is a cost effective way to get water to the tank. When I get a little further down the road, I will ship you my drawings on the pump encasement and the concrete slab for the tank for your reference.
 
Pump the water into a storage tank 10 ft up. Attic, elevated platform, etc. Gravity feed will give you all the pressure you need. Good luck getting the iron out of the water. Read up on that... they sell an iron filter for inline (like a water softner) in the $1-2k range and it uses 50-100 gallons per day to back-flush.

I agree iron is going to be the challenge, but I am stubborn on this point. There is an old saying in my field when a client asks "can it be done?" and the answer is "virtually anything can be done, it's just a function of cost"
I expect to dump around 2.5K on the filter and treatment portion of this system alone. The maintenance parameters are no chemical treatment. Filter replacement, ok, but no needed chemicals.

I will keep you guys updated on this so you can see my failures and successes
 
My elevation to the storage tanks is 400 ft from the water on a 25-30 degree incline, then 30 ft straight up to platform.

Then this is probably all you need, If you are pumping into a non pressure tank, the only head loss is the elevation (30+vertical incline) and the pipe friction (3). BUT write an email to these guys, They answered my questions immediately and agreed with my sizing the system (I intentionally oversized it, I could do it with a smaller set up) Make sure you tell them if you plan on putting any in line pre-filters before the tank, you will have head loss there also.

https://shop.rpssolarpumps.com/collections/under-2000/products/rps-200-solar-well-pump-kit
 
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Then this is probably all you need, If you are pumping into a non pressure tank, the only head loss is the elevation (30+vertical incline) and the pipe friction (3). BUT write an email to these guys, They answered my questions immediately and agreed with my sizing the system (I intentionally oversized it, I could do it with a smaller set up) Make sure you tell them if you plan on putting any in line pre-filters before the tank, you will have head loss there also.

https://shop.rpssolarpumps.com/collections/under-2000/products/rps-200-solar-well-pump-kit

I really appreciate the advice! Will write to them and see if what they say.
 
My daughter's finance works for a company that sells and installs off grid solar systems. Yesterday I talked with the owner (also my daughters boyfriends cousin) what I need for a generator at my pump house. He's doing some research and will put together a bid for what he thinks will work. He's willing to make the 275 mile trip to our place to evaluate our system and offer suggestions, when I offered to let him hunt elk on our property. Plus he wants to trade beef for any equipment that I decide to buy.
 
We have a small solar setup on our garage roof that charges car batteries, 3 can be done at a time. Carrying in a car battery and using an inverter with it is an easy way to use things when the power goes out. Solar set up was about $300. And then we bought the car batteries. And good to use when the propane runs out, but that'll be awhile. The generac runs on propane.
 

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