New member from Michigan
- Thread starter julied
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #12
Thanks so much for the warm welcome. I'm located between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, in the country, on a hill LOL. We use the solar panels in conjunction with the wind turbine. On days when there's sun AND wind its a good day on the farm. We use an electric water heater for our "dump load". It pre-heats our well water before it goes to the gas water heater. You need a "dump load" to take the excess energy we produce from the w.t/solar so the battery bank doesn't overload. I'm certainly not a guru when it comes to the electrical end of this. My husband is an electrician so he's the "official" guru. 
We are still hooked up to the grid because the electrical equipment they require is extremely expensive. So, we have seperate recepticals for the R.E. system at each item we chose to run. When were producing R.E. power we are able to run the woodstove blower, a fan, t.v., a couple of lights, the freezer on a REALLY good day. By NO MEANS the whole house. P.S. i posted a picture in the wind power forum.
We are still hooked up to the grid because the electrical equipment they require is extremely expensive. So, we have seperate recepticals for the R.E. system at each item we chose to run. When were producing R.E. power we are able to run the woodstove blower, a fan, t.v., a couple of lights, the freezer on a REALLY good day. By NO MEANS the whole house. P.S. i posted a picture in the wind power forum.
TanksHill
Super Self-Sufficient
I find the whole dump load thing very interesting. So obviously you are not on a net meter and feeding back into the grid. How many batteries do you have?
I am trying to wrap my head around this whole solar concept.
Grand rapids huh??? My Mom's sisters and brothers are there. I have never been myself.
gina
I am trying to wrap my head around this whole solar concept.
Grand rapids huh??? My Mom's sisters and brothers are there. I have never been myself.
gina
hildymarie
Sustainable Newbie
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2009
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Count us in as 2 more Michiganders. We arent too high tech on our selfsufficiencyness but we have gotten to do much more for ourselves.
We are taking the garden seriously, and this year was our first year for raising meat chickens and we raised 2 piggers for ourselves and our daughter and her husband. It has been a real learning experience and we look forward to doing it again. We also plan on doing dual purpose chickens so we can do both eggs and chickens. This is just the beginning. We would really like to eventually raise much of our own feed also. We'll see.
We are constantly learning and doing more.
We are taking the garden seriously, and this year was our first year for raising meat chickens and we raised 2 piggers for ourselves and our daughter and her husband. It has been a real learning experience and we look forward to doing it again. We also plan on doing dual purpose chickens so we can do both eggs and chickens. This is just the beginning. We would really like to eventually raise much of our own feed also. We'll see.
We are constantly learning and doing more.
Lady Henevere
Lovin' The Homestead
Welcome! 
dragonlaurel
Improvising a more SS life
Welcome! Looks like lots of us want to learn more about solar and the turbines. We're pretty willing to help if you have questions about any thing too.
