I have a question: I live in a very isolated and unpopulated rural area.  Our electrical lines were put in forty years ago and, though they seem to be failing now, will probably not be replaced.  It has gotten to the point where no one around here even bothers to reset the clocks anymore, and I am looking into alternative energy sources for my home, as are several other people.  Here is the problem that I see coming in the future:  our municipal water supply consists of a 10,000 gallon tank that is filled by an electric pump that takes water from a nearby spring.  If we lose power for any length of time, the water is depleted very quickly, as it is used for homes, gardens, and livestock.  I have been told that solar energy alone would not fill the tank as fast as the water can be used, and a propane generator might be quickly stolen, besides being cost-prohibitive if it is the only source of power available for the pump.  Any ideas?

Jennifer - 30 August 2008 04:18 PM

I have a question: I live in a very isolated and unpopulated rural area.  Our electrical lines were put in forty years ago and, though they seem to be failing now, will probably not be replaced.  It has gotten to the point where no one around here even bothers to reset the clocks anymore, and I am looking into alternative energy sources for my home, as are several other people.  Here is the problem that I see coming in the future:  our municipal water supply consists of a 10,000 gallon tank that is filled by an electric pump that takes water from a nearby spring.  If we lose power for any length of time, the water is depleted very quickly, as it is used for homes, gardens, and livestock.  I have been told that solar energy alone would not fill the tank as fast as the water can be used, and a propane generator might be quickly stolen, besides being cost-prohibitive if it is the only source of power available for the pump.  Any ideas?

How about a wind turbine?  This used to be the way rural areas got water out of the ground anyway (wind mills).  I have not looked into cost, but I know they can produce lots of energy.

Thanks, knockitoff, for the idea… It might work, especially if we can find a way to combine it with solar.  Propane is always such a reliable, easy solution that it is easy to forget sometimes that there are other options.

Jennifer - 30 August 2008 08:40 PM

Thanks, knockitoff, for the idea… It might work, especially if we can find a way to combine it with solar.  Propane is always such a reliable, easy solution that it is easy to forget sometimes that there are other options.

I have been looking at a number of alternative energy options and I think the best way to make alternatives work is to diversify.  We do not really want all of our energy needs being met by a single source.  And we need to look at what works well for the areas where we live.

I guess I really am an engineer because I know there is no silver bullet. :)

You know, until now, I have never thought about utilities in my entire life.  I have always been a city girl, and all I ever knew was that as long as I keep paying the bill, the lights will stay on.  But what happens if they don’t?  If your ATM card didn’t work, how long could you survive on the food in your pantry?  How much gas is in your car?  What if law enforcement types were not able to communicate with each other, and where would you get water?  It’s a little scary to think about how much we depend on people we don’t even know for our safety and survival, and assume without knowing that the infrastructure is in good repair and that people are doing their jobs correctly.  Maybe when the Chinese start mass-producing solar panels, it will bring the price down enough to make it a feasible option for more people, and I am starting to think that every house should be equipped with some type of rooftop-water capture system and cistern.

Jennifer - 31 August 2008 09:41 AM

You know, until now, I have never thought about utilities in my entire life.  I have always been a city girl, and all I ever knew was that as long as I keep paying the bill, the lights will stay on.  But what happens if they don’t?  If your ATM card didn’t work, how long could you survive on the food in your pantry?  How much gas is in your car?  What if law enforcement types were not able to communicate with each other, and where would you get water?  It’s a little scary to think about how much we depend on people we don’t even know for our safety and survival, and assume without knowing that the infrastructure is in good repair and that people are doing their jobs correctly.  Maybe when the Chinese start mass-producing solar panels, it will bring the price down enough to make it a feasible option for more people, and I am starting to think that every house should be equipped with some type of rooftop-water capture system and cistern.

I couldn’t agree more.  I still know how to garden and can produce.  I have been researching rain barrels to water my garden.  And the cistern is a good idea too.  I like solar, but it is not all that sunny where I live.  I like wind a lot.  I am wondering how difficult it would be to convert a generator to run on bio diesel made from used cooking oil.  You don’t have to do any conversion to run this fuel in your diesel car.

I love your idea of using the old cooking oil.  It always feels like such a waste to throw it out, but so far, it’s not good for much else besides cooking.  I wish I knew more about mechanics...I even have an extra working gasoline engine that I could experiment with if I knew how. :-( As for your garden, it sounds like you get plenty ot rain where you are, so one possibility would be to take the water from the roof to fill an elevated tank, then run a drip line from the tank through the different rows of your garden.  If your tank is big enough, it would water continuously, and still be refilled often enough that you would never have to think about watering again.  I am planning to do something similar with the garden that I have not yet built, but instead of a tank, will run it through my hot tub.  I will run the water through a coiled black pipe to heat it, then send it in one side and out the other (I need the constant water exchange because I am allergic to chlorine).  After it goes out, I will let it drip through open air to cool it and build the garden on a downward slope so that I can lay a soaker hose across it.  Actually, I don’t know why no one does it, but you can heat water for no cost at all if you put it through a length of black pipe on your roof.  Even in the winter, it would still be hot, and in the summer, you would have to mix it with cold water to make it usable.

Jennifer - 31 August 2008 04:09 PM

I love your idea of using the old cooking oil.  It always feels like such a waste to throw it out, but so far, it’s not good for much else besides cooking.  I wish I knew more about mechanics...I even have an extra working gasoline engine that I could experiment with if I knew how. :-(

For the bio diesel to work, you need a diesel engine, but you do not have to make any modifications to it.  And making the bio diesel is really easy.  They sell kits (http://www.freedomfuelamerica.com/index.asp).

I know I’m a bit late here but in far west Texas, wind and solar are your best bets.  You’ve got a good chance that one or both is working pretty much 24 hours a day.  The assets can also be tied down, are not easy to break down into component pieces and hauled off and need minimal human interaction..  When not used to pump water, you can feed your local grid… The capital cost is much higher than biodiesel, but the opex is way way better....

Hi,Any further updates on this thread? Hope to see more replies one of these days,especially feedbacks from the thread starter. Seems like this thread has been inactive for such a long time. Think topic should be closed.

Regards,
farrahlewis101
http://prettravaux.net

Can try to use wind and solar energy, such resources are very low cost

your article is very wonderful,looking forwand you next post what you said is so perfect,and give me great help,i am agree with you ,thank you very much especially if we can find a way to combine it with solar.  Propane is always such a reliable, easy solution that it is easy to forget sometimes that there are other options.

thank you!