From: muratlanne@gmail.com   
      
   "Scottish Scientist"  wrote in message   
   news:f6f692c8-09ce-48ba-8392-166ca3136470@googlegroups.com...   
   > On Sunday, 7 July 2019 15:26:01 UTC+1, Jim Wilkins  wrote:   
   > -----------------------   
   >>   
   >> For decades I've averaged 120 KWH per month, 4 KWH per day, unless   
   >> the   
   >> weather is very hot or I have a large machining and arc welding   
   >> project like building the sawmill in progress. I pay attention to   
   >> electricity consumption but I don't suffer for it.   
   >>   
   >> So far this summer my A/C has cost $1.93 according to a Kill-A-Watt   
   >> P4460. The compact Magic Chef refrigerator's P4460 reports $2.09 a   
   >> month.   
   >>   
   >> "So it takes a lot more investment than you might think to go   
   >> off-grid   
   >> and still enjoy the same electricity as someone on the grid."   
   >>   
   >> When I decided to try solar that calculation prompted me to monitor   
   >> my   
   >> consumption and see how much was really necessary. The electric   
   >> clothes dryer jumped out as a large waste easily replaced with a   
   >> clothesline. I replaced >200W desktops with 35W laptops, mainly to   
   >> reduce UPS cost. A smaller fridge and no separate freezer saved   
   >> over   
   >> $20 a month.  A weather station that shows indoor and outdoor   
   >> temperature and humidity tells when to open the windows at night   
   >> instead of running the A/C. I use 3% = 1F to mentally estimate if   
   >> blowing in cooler but higher RH outside air will help or hurt   
   >> indoor   
   >> comfort. It's not exact but easy and close enough over the narrow   
   >> range where the answer isn't obvious.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > So, on the one hand you say -   
   >> I pay USD $0.18 per KWH for grid power.   
   > - which suggests you are on the grid.   
   >   
   > On the other hand, you say -   
   >   
   >> emergency power outages which can   
   >> last a week here in summer hurricane and winter ice storm country.   
   > and   
   >> stand-alone systems like I built   
   >   
   > - which suggest that occasionally you are forced to go off-grid, but   
   > mostly are on the grid.   
   >   
   > Then you tell me you are only using an average of 4KWh a day, which   
   > is a tiny amount of juice for someone on the grid.   
   >   
   > I live very modestly in the inner city and consume 15KWh a day.   
   >   
   > Cutting usage down to 4KWh a day while you are forced off-grid   
   > because of power outages is understandable. Why invest in a huge   
   > off-grid generation capacity if it is only going to be used for a   
   > few weeks a year?   
   >   
   > But why would anyone want to cut their usage down to 4KWh a day   
   > while they are ON the grid and could have 40KWh a day no problem?   
   >   
      
   My house has a 240V, 200A electric heat service capable of 48 KW, or   
   1152 KWH per day. My arc/TIG welder or plasma cutter can use close to   
   half of its capacity.   
      
   The solar system is only 500W max, hardly a huge investment of $0.99   
   per Watt panels. In tests on clear days it recharged a night's use and   
   went on float by 10AM.   
      
   I switch from grid power to the sine inverter whenever a thunderstorm   
   threatens, like yesterday, mainly because of the 50' steel antenna   
   mast, although the only lightning strike here so far hit a utility   
   pole and came in on the phone line.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)