Stand Alone Systems (Off Grid)
An Off Grid system, is as the name indicates, is primarily for areas where mains 230v electricity is either not available, or not needed. As an example, an Off Grid system may be installed at a remote farm location where it is simply uneconomic to pay out thousands of pounds just to install a cable, followed closely by ongoing electrity bills.
In this scenario, it makes so much more sense to use that money to install a self sufficient power system and be free from electricity bills!
Break Free!
To be independant of the Grid you will need, as well as either wind turbine or solar PV array, a suitably sized bank of batteries, a charge controller to charge the batteries from the microgenerator and a suitably sized 230v inverter.
The 230v Inverter will convert the either 12volt or 24volt battery voltage into 230v AC. We can supply a range of combination charge controllers & inverter units. Made by the international company Mastervolt, these units are designed for daily use year in year out.
Basic systems will simply use small battery charge controllers coupled onto some 12v car
batteries, which then run a small 230v 1kW inverter. This will provide power for lights and, say, a TV or radio for a few hours, or just lights for a much longer time... When Off Grid its all about being aware of your resources and not wasting them.
How to Live Off Grid Book
We have a few copies left of the recently released How to Live Off Grid by Nick Rosen. A great introduction to the whole concept and follows the his story of meeting loads of people around the UK and their strategies and ways of living without mains water, power, gas, sewage, etc... With care and good design lots of us can be free of ongoing monthly unility bills... Buy this book and find out what the alternatives are. .. £10 + £2.50 P&P from us, or see us at Quest Mind Body & Spirit Show, Newton Abbott in July.
email: enquiries@chrisrudge.co.uk