gerardplauche
Well-known member
Do any of you use solar or wind energy on your farms? How is it working for you?
"Green" Energy
- Thread starter gerardplauche
- Start date
john250
Well-known member
gerardplauche":oiji61sx said:
Here, the sun don't shine and the wind don't blow.
We have lots of cloudy weather. And the weather is not windy, by wind farm requirements.
We are thinking about generating some ethanol. Corn, yeast, copper, etc.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
The solar battery chargers are excellent. Put one on the tractor, on the backhoe, and on the Caterpillar. The batteries stay hot. No need to use the jumper cables ever. They were a gift and they are great.
I have a small inverter (converts 12 vdc to 120 A/C). You can run box fans, lights (and those flourescent bulbs don't consume much juice) and even an ice cream maker. I have thought of getting some deep cycle batteries and hooking them to a solar charger just for the inverter. That would be expensive and it would also just be a luxury item. For now I can power the inverter off of the truck batteries in emergencies. We use the inverter to power pallet scales as part of a sideline buisness (patio stone sales). Now that I have it, I use it for lots of other things too.
I have studied wind power generation for years but have never partaken. It is just a fascination. Prices have dropped and technology has improved through the years.
I have a small inverter (converts 12 vdc to 120 A/C). You can run box fans, lights (and those flourescent bulbs don't consume much juice) and even an ice cream maker. I have thought of getting some deep cycle batteries and hooking them to a solar charger just for the inverter. That would be expensive and it would also just be a luxury item. For now I can power the inverter off of the truck batteries in emergencies. We use the inverter to power pallet scales as part of a sideline buisness (patio stone sales). Now that I have it, I use it for lots of other things too.
I have studied wind power generation for years but have never partaken. It is just a fascination. Prices have dropped and technology has improved through the years.
OP
OP
gerardplauche
Well-known member
You're right about prices starting to drop. Solar panels are now beginning to be affordable, but wind energy prices are still too far out there.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
gerardplauche":m7e52l9k said:
I am seriously thinking of those solar panels as gifts for birthdays, Christmas and the like. Likely I would have never bought one and never known the value had I not received them as gifts.
