Suncatchers

                                                    Erecting the Suniva panels last summer


Right around the time the power bills arrive in the mail I can almost hear a collective groan floating on the wind. Electricity is getting kinda pricey these days and heaven knows we are all hooked. It's not a luxury, it's a necessity, at least in the world we live in. Just look how inconvenient, and sometimes, like in the dead of winter, how life threatening a power outage can be. The grid is holding people ransom. But it doesn't have to, especially now. Here's my eclectic electric story.

When we first moved to rural Alberta from British Columbia in 1974 we were young, energetic, had a 6 week old baby boy, and were fairly broke. We had already lived without the "essential" conveniences for two years - running water, electricity, bathroom - and continued to do so for the next ten. For us it was an adventure, a learning process, a time for gradual improvements - and then there was that money thing. But in 1984 we decided to put an 18' X 18' addition onto our 25' X 25' log home and "go modern", so we checked into the possibility of getting power into our place. The closest commercial power lines were 2 miles away. We were expected to buy the poles and clear the land to get it in, at a cost of about $14,000, a fair sized sum in those days. We had always been interested in alternative energy, and this chunk of cash caused us to take a harder look at solar electricity, Comparatively, it was looking pretty good, both in the cash outlay and the ease of installation.

In 1985 our first solar system consisted of a small inverter, a set of 8 deep cycle golf cart batteries, two kinds of wiring, AC and DC outlets, 8 used 32 watt Arco solar panels, and an old John Deer crank up combine generator for back-up. Nearly all our lighting was, and still is, DC. Electrical appliances, which in 1985 consisted of a toaster, an iron, and an 8" AC/DC colour TV, ran off the inverter. Our largest electrical draw was the well pump which we operated manually to save power, i.e. we had two - 100 gallon water tanks upstairs, plugged the well pump in when they needed filling, and had a 12 volt RV water pump to provide water pressure when we turned on the taps. Our toilet functioned on gravity flow and was so slow to refill that many a guest approached me and whispered quietly in my ear, "I think there's something wrong with your toilet, it doesn't seem to be refilling." We used this system for water up until 2001 when we decided our then improved solar system could handle the more frequent electrical draw required to operate a pressure tank, the standard county way of pressurizing water from a well.

That first  generator was a prehistoric machine with a magneto and a radiator that leaked. Starting it in winter was more than a chore, it was a task created to test the mettle of a man. Sometimes it took over half an hour of cranking, cursing, and sweating in sub-zero temperatures to get it going.  Needless to say the first improvement we made to our electrical system was a new gas generator which we soon converted to propane.

In 1992 we purchased 8 new 48 watt Siemens solar panels and a Honda EX5D silent diesel generator. In 1999 we purchased 4 -120 watt Kyocera panels. We also traded our original inverter for farm labour, bought a Trace 4024 true sine wave inverter and changed the system from 12 to 24 volts. In 2003 we bought 4 huge (about 300 lbs each) - 6 volt batteries. In 2012 these were replaced with 12 - 2 volt batteries giving us a 1350 hour battery bank. In 2013 we traded the original Arco panels for labour to erect 3 new 265 watt Suniva solar panels. Our original silent diesel has been replaced as well.

We have changed slowly (over 30 years!) from just enough for lights and water to a fully modern home with all the electric appliances I ever want, big screen satellite TV, microwave, Internet, front load washer, small kitchen appliances, pressurized water from our well, and we have a fully serviced farm shop and lights in the barn. The entire system, with the exception of annual generator maintenance and oil changes, is automatic and mainly maintenance free. We have been changing the angle of the solar panels twice yearly, but since the 265 watt panels went up we get so much power coming in during summer that we are considering leaving the panels permanently in the winter position, which in our northern location is pretty straight up to catch the sun sliding along the southern horizon. This position also aids in snow elimination but, because our panels are on our roof, we do sometimes have to take a snow rake to them. Our generator runs every 2 or 3 days in the dark of winter. It has run only 5 times since the first of February, and we don't expect that it will need to run at all from now (May 1) until about late October.

Solar electric systems have changed drastically since our first installation, and the price per watt has come down a lot. Those original, used, Arco 32 watt panels were $400 each. Our new 265 watt panels were also $400 each. From $12.50 per watt to $1.50 per watt - quite a change! Newer inverters are reasonably priced, simple to install and easy to understand. There are all kinds of safety measures in place. The weakest link in a solar electric system is the batteries. Battery technology hasn't changed much for a very long time. People supplementing grid power with solar do not require a battery bank.

Solar electric does have some self imposed good sense limitations. Any large often used appliance that heats should be a gas appliance, not electric. Electric stoves, hot water heaters, clothes dryers, electric heaters and yes, even fridges use copious quantities of electricity. I use a solar dryer (clothes line) in warmer seasons, and room humidifier (clothes drying rack) in winter. We use a combination of wood and propane gas for heat, have a full size propane fridge, propane cook stove and a propane tankless hot water heater. (Natural gas is not available where we live.) Our second fridge, which keeps our beer cold enough to turn the beer can mountains blue but never freezes, is a dumbwaiter into our cellar. We purchased a highly efficient and super insulated freezer from Denmark and keep it in the shop where it is always cool. These "concessions" to solar living do not cause us any inconvenience. On the contrary, when the power goes out in our neighborhood we just smile. Ours is always on.

If you are building a new home where electricity is not easily available; if you already have electricity and want to lower your electric bill; if you want secure power during power outages, brown-outs; if you are thinking of the environment; if you are tired of being held at ransom by the power companies - solar suncatchers (panels) may be just the thing for you. I think it's the "new" modern.