Advice The Home Improvement/Automation Thread

[Domon]

id be curious about a CAES (compressed air) system if i did solar. Use your excess power to charge up a compressed air tank, which then is released to spin a turbine and provide power when you need it.

If i had good elevation, a water pump system to store potential energy higher up would be good too.

 

[Valve1138]

ehh, technically you get to keep like 3kw's of it, recurring. You dont have infinite storage.

That’s fine.

My well pump will have plenty of power.

 

[nukes]

So what's my initial investment?

 

[nukes]

Same. I came in about $2k North of that, with a guaranteed output that put me about 5¢ below prevailing rates per KWH in my area, so I jumped at it.

That's decent. Gotta open a dialogue with the wife about this.

 

[HipHugHer]

So what's my initial investment?

Gonna be area specific. Your state and probably city and/or power company gonna have all kinds different regs and incentives and cost structures.

Jeha or others be of more help with actual equipment needs and costs.


I know a guy who DIY'd his place but that's out in BFE where there pretty much are no regs. Literally off-grid as in there are no power lines going out there. If you're gonna go that route you'll also need at least 10 years worth of freeze-dried food and a pallet of ammunition. Oh and some working knowledge of electricity.

He has a generator or two for emergencies buy they get run more for routine maintenance than they do to make needed power. More often the system will bleed a little off to ground when it's overproducing.

 

[Domon]

Gonna be area specific. Your state and probably city and/or power company gonna have all kinds different regs and incentives and cost structures.

Jeha or others be of more help with actual equipment needs and costs.


I know a guy who DIY'd his place but that's out in BFE where there pretty much are no regs. Literally off-grid as in there are no power lines going out there. If you're gonna go that route you'll also need at least 10 years worth of freeze-dried food and a pallet of ammunition. Oh and some working knowledge of electricity.

He has a generator or two for emergencies buy they get run more for routine maintenance than they do to make needed power. More often the system will bleed a little off to ground when it's overproducing.

off grid aint apolocypse. You can still drive into town to get supplies.

 

[HipHugHer]

off grid aint apolocypse. You can still drive into town to get supplies.

Twas in jest.

In his case everything does need to be self regulating though as there is no grid to feed the extra back in to.

 

[Jehannum]

ehh, technically you get to keep like 3kw's of it, recurring. You dont have infinite storage.

He should pump water up the hill on his property, I bet he's got more than 3KW worth of hill slope with a ghetto-rigged turbine through an auto alternator.

 

[Valve1138]

He should pump water up the hill on his property, I bet he's got more than 3KW worth of hill slope with a ghetto-rigged turbine through an auto alternator.

Unfortunately not a big enough hill.

And the flow in the creek isn't large or steady enough to bother with either.

 

[Valve1138]

off grid aint apolocypse. You can still drive into town to get supplies.

Only if the town still exists!

/aliens

 

[Mr. Argumentor]

Unfortunately not a big enough hill.

And the flow in the creek isn't large or steady enough to bother with either.

You should dam it so you get a constant amount

 

[Valve1138]

You should dam it so you get a constant amount

Can't, the state has a big say in it, it feeds several streams for state parks near us.

 

[fly]

Fly's just mad that I don't believe the made up bullshit he spouts about cryptocurrencies. He and I disagree on a fundamental level about lots of things, but generally I just let it go in favor of poking with a stick every once in a while.

As do I, hence the suggestion again that you start mining.

 

[fly]

So the Arduino project that @gee helped me build to control my garage door with our SmartShit appears to have died. The contact sensor that determines if the the door is open or closed just flaps constantly.

I don't look forward to trying to solder again, so I may have @APRIL give it a try.

 

[Valve1138]

So the Arduino project that @gee helped me build to control my garage door with our SmartShit appears to have died. The contact sensor that determines if the the door is open or closed just flaps constantly.

I don't look forward to trying to solder again, so I may have @APRIL give it a try.

Just buy an off-the-shelf product.

 

[fly]

Just buy an off-the-shelf product.

That's no fun. Besides, they're like $80 or something and I don't really care *that* much.

 

[Valve1138]

That's no fun. Besides, they're like $80 or something and I don't really care *that* much.

Then have nothing you cheap bastard!

 

[fly]

Then have nothing you cheap bastard!

No, I think its pretty cool to roll my own. I mean, technically @gee did it, but I still claim it.

 

[Darth Handsome]

I roll my own too, six to eight times a day

 

[Jehannum]

So the Arduino project that @gee helped me build to control my garage door with our SmartShit appears to have died. The contact sensor that determines if the the door is open or closed just flaps constantly.

I don't look forward to trying to solder again, so I may have @APRIL give it a try.

@APRIL hasn't had much luck with other things flapping constantly, so I think you're probably out of luck.