Generating Island Electricity

[Ed Williams]

We have recently purchased property on an island without outside electric power. The previous owner used a gasoline generator for 110 volt AC and several 12 volt batteries for 12 volt DC. For small appliances and some lights, small inverters were used to convert the DC to AC and decrease the operating time of the generator. I am trying to research the possibility of using a large capacity inverter and a bank of batteries to operate most if not all of the electric appliances and lights. Does anyone have any setup like this on an island or elsewhere? Can you direct me to some sources of information and vendors who are familiar with the various equipment and switches that would be needed. Thank you for your response.

[skimmer]

Powering a generator to charge batteries and then go through an inverter is very inefficient.

Use batteries and an inverter if you can charge the batteries with solar or wind or such...

If you have a generator -- just power the camp with the generator using the AC from the generator.

The camp is so small it does not require that much power... we have have a 3600W generator that powers the whole camp.

[SteveS]

We use a 12 volt PV system with 400 amp hours of battery storage. It consists of (2) 125 watt solar panels, (4) 6-volt golf cart batteries, and some charge control & distribution. It easily keeps up with all of our 12 volt lighting needs, charging the laptop, and so on. We love the 12 volt lighting because it is silent, much cooler than kerosene lights in our camp, and there is no fuel to carry. I use 120 volt fixtures with 12 volt bulbs in them. We were happy with Vermont Solar, the vendor we purchased the components from.

Our refrigerator and hot water heater are propane, and I do have a gas generator that I use a few times a year for power tools.




Vt. Solar (http://www.vermontsolar.com/)

[Janie]

Ed,

Did you purchase the property on Diamond Island? Excellent views! Hope you find all the information you need and best of luck!

Best,
Jane

[Hemlock Point Islander]

We use propane plumbed throughout our camp with Humphrey propane light fixtures, gas refrigerator,jotul gas fireplace with thermostat(no electric required),and a 4 burner gas stove with oven. The Humphrey lights are equivalent to 75 watt bulbs. For construction projects we use a 4000 watt generator. Lehmans non electric catalog is full of ideas.

Two 100 lb propane tanks which can be bought at Home Depot and filled at any propane fill place last us all summer and for a couple of weekends in the winter. I have a black iron pipe run to the dock to reduce the handling of the tanks.BTW the tanks float when full of propane.

Good luck with your project!!!

[Ed Williams]

Thank you Steve S., Skimmer and Hemlock Post Islander for the interesting information and observations. Hi Janie; Thanks for the best wishes, we are on Gansey Island.

[JackL]

If you are on Ganzy Island, your neighbor has a generator. Talk to him. We can hardly hear it across the lake near Orton Shores.