Preparedness for when

nuatha

jk0 wrote: »

I just came across an advert for this system in today's paper.

http://aweenergy.com/midnight_sun.php

As far as I can see, it's basically a battery placed between the solar panels and the inverter, so that you can still use solar power at night or during a power cut.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has any experience of this. Eg. How long before you need to buy a new battery?

Presumably this system only makes sense due to government subsidies. Am I wrong?

UPS batteries have a theoretical 4 year shelf life, I replace at 3 years. I've found that 5% of the batteries fail their 18 month test (manufacturers will replace these under warranty) with another 5% failing between 24 and 30 months (these don't usually get replaced)

UPS batteries aren't a perfect analogy to the midnight sun as these are being partially or completely discharged every night, but are the closest analogy I can think of (and have a reasonable amount of experience of)

westcoastscot wrote: »

moderately depressed over my rapidly worsening hand/wrist function - was struggling today to peel apples for a crumble, and knitting is getting more and more difficult. It's a serious concern to me, as OT's only advice is to purchase frozen/pre-chopped veg, neither of which is available here except for frozen peas/sweetcorn. Going to have to look for a gadget.

I use one of these . The peel has more flesh on than I'd like, I do remember that someone on MSE was dehydrating this and turning it into apple powder, I've been freezing the peel and cores to make apple jelly.

HTH

jk0

nuatha wrote: »

UPS batteries have a theoretical 4 year shelf life, I replace at 3 years. I've found that 5% of the batteries fail their 18 month test (manufacturers will replace these under warranty) with another 5% failing between 24 and 30 months (these don't usually get replaced)

UPS batteries aren't a perfect analogy to the midnight sun as these are being partially or completely discharged every night, but are the closest analogy I can think of (and have a reasonable amount of experience of)

Thanks Nuatha,

I thought as much. It sounds like the midnight sun might cost as much in batteries, as you would spend on the electricity.

westcoastscot

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Bio-Ethanol is cheaper, cleaner burning, and less smelly.

Hi BB was this meant for me? Afraid I don't know what bio-ethanol is, nor where i would get it here.

Finally watched Blackout and was under-impressed - surely folks wouldn't panic in the first few hours? and where were the military? Wouldn't have thought they would wait four days before bringing them in would you?
We were without power for 5 days earlier this year and it was manageable. I did wonder though whilst watching it why they made the programme?

Anyway, time for bed I think

edited to add Nuatha thankyou, thankyou, thankyou! have one on the way. I have a nifty thing that you press down that cores and slices apples, but I need the peel off to make crumble :T
WCS

armyknife

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

It can hardly be a characterisation of what I said, when you stated.

That's an Attribution.

Anyway, back to the matter in hand.

How would you use alternative energy sources, like solar/battery LED, for heating?

It would only have been an attribution if I'd used double quotation marks, instead I used the single inverted commas to highlight the word, I was indicating to you it was a characterisation.

I wasn't suggesting using led lightning for heating, remember I brought up the issue of safety regard the hurricane lamps you and others here were advocating using; I suggested solar/battery powered LED lighting as a safe alternative.
You then brought up paraffin used in the past for heating, when you were talking about how 'benign'* kerosene/paraffin was.


* See I didn't it again.

nuatha

jk0 wrote: »

Thanks Nuatha,

I thought as much. It sounds like the midnight sun might cost as much in batteries, as you would spend on the electricity.

If you had the PV panels already fitted and could predict when the SHTF, then they would keep you going for a couple of years and possibly for 4 or 5 years.
The PVs should give you 20+ years of life, so that would be potentially 7 sets of batteries in the likely lifespan of of the solar panels.
You might be better off looking at charging a jump starter or car battery for some electric supply during the night - though many of the "feed-in" PV panels wont work during a powercut, so wouldn't actually help in a SHTF scenario. (Though I suspect that those limits can be overcome)

nuatha

westcoastscot wrote: »

edited to add Nuatha thankyou, thankyou, thankyou! have one on the way. I have a nifty thing that you press down that cores and slices apples, but I need the peel off to make crumble :T
WCS

You're very welcome, just wish I could offer as simple a solution for your knitting.
The apple peeler will peel spuds, and if used to slice either produces a long spiral (a simple cut along the length to the centre produces slices, if that makes any sense at all).

[Deleted User]

westcoastscot wrote: »

Afraid I don't know what bio-ethanol is, nor where i would get it here.

Bio-Ethanol is an environmentally friendly (made from sugar, corn or similar bio-mass ingredients) denatured alcohol, which can be used in spirit burners (eg. Trangia stoves) and the like.

It is available from B&Q, in 2L bottles for £5, which is about half the price of methylated spirits.

I use it in my home made spirit stoves.

zaxdog

westcoastscot wrote: »

Thanks guys, appreciating your support. Fairly typically for my family who never do things by half, my fantastic rheumy team are finding my arthritis quite challenging, apparently it's "stubbornly aggressive" who'd have guessed?? (need one of those rolly-eyed smilies).

Interesting conversation about alternative fuels/cooking implements/light. We have a multi-fuel stove which we love - we regularly use a dutch oven on it, and also use the kelly kettle on its side in it for water inside. We use the KK in the garden too.

Like Nuatha I have loads of camping stuff from a previous life when I was well and love my trangia. I use meths, however my sons prefer the gas adapter for it - quicker and more efficient apparently at altitudes.

Getting really windy here
WCS

Wind getting up here too (Oban), if you are close to Oban and need help with shopping etc feel free to PM me x

[Deleted User]

armyknife wrote: »

I wasn't suggesting using led lightning for heating

Well, the article you quoted, referred to the fact it "provides heat and light in places that have no electricity".

That pretty much describes most homes, if/when the SHTF.

So, what would you suggest for heating, if/when the SHTF, and gas and electricity are cut off?

[Deleted User]

nuatha wrote: »

You might be better off looking at charging a jump starter or car battery for some electric supply during the night - though many of the "feed-in" PV panels wont work during a powercut, so wouldn't actually help in a SHTF scenario.

One of these would charge a car battery.



Although, a large capacity leisure battery (while quite expensive) might be a better choice, given the regular charge/discharge cycle it would be subjected to.