Thread: Off the Grid, a possibility

The other day I was in Masters, a large hardware chain store and saw a back-up piston powered generator that runs on LPG. I don't see any reason besides longevity why it couldn't be run permanently and cheaply being gas.

We have friends with a solar powered house off the grid in the hills behind Coffs. Going solar was cheaper than getting the power on, as they are a bit isolated. I think it cost about $30k from memory, minus a subsidy. They say it works great and they never run short of power and anything they drain at night is replaced by mid-morning.
I have also seen some examples of people adding a small wind generator, which is particularly useful at night when it is often windy, but with no solar of course.
While replacing batteries in 15 years or so might be pricey, they will have saved by not having any power bills for 15 years, so they might still come out ahead.
And the cost of solar gear is falling rapidly, so it should be a lot cheaper in 15 years.
Renewable energy has the great advantage of nil operating costs, apart from occasional checks to ensure its all OK, so why would you go for generators, which are costly to run and more likely to break down?
I see the Sunshine Coast Council has just bought 49 hectares near Coolum for a $23m solar farm. A 50 page business case by the council's CEO said the project could stack up financially by lowering the council's power bill. Sounds like a good idea in theory and it will be interesting to see how it works out. Good to see governments taking a forward-thinking approach.


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