Quote:
Originally Posted by Formula260SS
I'm one of the last four lots on Rattlesnake without power, it's got it pluses and minuses. We have a propane fridge, water heater and stove using @ 225lbs of propane each season, the water heater uses more than anything. For power we have a Honda 2000eu Inverter generator, handles all our needs, is quiet and sips fuel, I bet we use 5-7 gallons of gas each summer as we use it quite a bit. The spring and fall is when I wish we had power when the sun goes down early. We use a Sunmar compost toilet, much better than the propane burn toilets
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We're on Rattlesnake also - LOVE the islands!!! I've heard it said "Once an islander, always an islander".
But, back to the question at hand - Forumla260SS, I'm sure you and/or your powerless neighbors have already thought about this, but it would seem practical if you have an agreeable nearby neighbor a few cottages away who has power to their lot, for you to have another service drop delivered to that property, as close to you (and your powerless compatriots) as possible.
You would have to construct an outdoor service panel acceptable to the CO-OP, but this is no big deal at all. Ok, now you have your own power source and you need to deliver the power to your (and your fellows) cottages.
This can be accomplished using one of several methods.
Method 1) If you can dig down the requisite number of inches (I think it's 18, but check) and bury some schedule 80 PVC, you can run an appropriately sized 3 conductor with ground to your buildings, install a sub-panel over there, etc. That's one way.
Method 2) You might be able to run overhead using your own infrastructure, but do more research into this.
Method 3) You could use DC - 24V or even 48V, although the wire losses will need to be factored into the equation. The higher the voltage, the better.
Lots of possibilities there with DC - charge up some local (to your cottage) storage batts, and use an inverter. Base your DC calculations on the average power drain.
If you can run 240VAC, you really only need about 20 to 30 amperes to run everything you need. Right now, I have a temporary situation where my cottage is running off a 30A 240 line, and we are electric everything -stove, hot water, pumps, septic pump, etc. No problems whatsover as long as you don't try to run everything at once.
If using inverters, there are some good 240V inverters that run off 24V and 48V, and this would be a very good inverter situation, if that's what you have to use.
Of course, the ultimate solution would be to have the Co-op extend the system to your properties, but forgetting that for a moment (I'm assuming they have been recalcitrant about extending the system), if you have an agreeable neighbor who will allow you to put up a "campsite" type of service drop on or near the property line (or even onto the edge of your property if the drop wire won't be too long), you *can* do something that will work. Not the ideal, but definitely much better than nothing at all.