Thread: Suburban Kids,buy Large paddock with Know idea.

Originally Posted by Optimark

Matt, congratulations to you and Sally.

I know that you will most likely be flat out, but if you wish, you can visit and have a look at our suburban system and ask a multitude of silly questions.

We have 7.7kW of solar and 20 kWh of batteries, effectively in the longer day time of the year, we are off grid.

What we have would enable you to be self sufficient for almost everything you wish to do, but being where you are you can have a large as you like solar array and the options then are mind boggling.

Mick.

Thanks Mick,

Much appreciated, I’ve been told to look at a system around the 13 kw plus,

But like you pointed out, we have plenty of space to install ground level Solar panels, also the block is 95 percent cleared land so no problem with shadowing the panels.

Cheers Matt.

Originally Posted by Rudyvm

We also recently had our 20 year old standard water heater replaced with a heat pump system for free as a government initiative, works really well and apparently uses around a third of the energy of the old one so would highly recommend.

"The Sanden heat pump system consumes 900watts (less than 1Kw!) of electricity to generate 5 kW of heat (COP = 5*), which equates to 20% of the energy used by a traditional electric system. Therefore, you can save up to 80% of your usual electric hot water energy costs."

We recently installed one of these, works a treat. The unit can be programmed to only run at certain times of day - ours is now set up to only operate between 11am and 3pm when ambient air temperature is generally higher and we have power from solar panels. Essentially.....free hot water.

Originally Posted by Simplicity

The Hot water unit is currently a gas unit, with a couple of Bottles, the oven is also all gas as well.

So there plans to go back to boiling water on the stove[emoji6].

Cheers Matt.

We have an Aldi portable induction cooker, single glass plate, on special again from today.

It can be run at the lowest setting of 300W (milk setting) and it boils water very efficiently. This power draw would be well within the reach of your modest solar panel array even today.

As for your solar panel array, unless I'm very much mistaken, your property is on a flood plain. I would be considering running the panels overhead sort of like a largish carport. This could then give you some much needed shade in the hot months for whatever you decide goes underneath. All cabling needs to be kept above ground and above a certain height, but at least it shouldn't get submerged. If it did get submerged, then you would have more important things to worry about.

A friend on a farm out of Wycheproof has done exactly this and they use it very successfully as a semi shaded summertime outdoor area. Started out as a 5 kWh system but from memory it is now close to 25 kWh, they are completely off grid and running a rather huge wet cell ex Telecom/Telstra group of batteries and their backup generator is an old diesel unit picked up some years ago.

Mick.

Originally Posted by Optimark

We have an Aldi portable induction cooker, single glass plate, on special again from today.

It can be run at the lowest setting of 300W (milk setting) and it boils water very efficiently. This power draw would be well within the reach of your modest solar panel array even today.

As for your solar panel array, unless I'm very much mistaken, your property is on a flood plain. I would be considering running the panels overhead sort of like a largish carport. This could then give you some much needed shade in the hot months for whatever you decide goes underneath. All cabling needs to be kept above ground and above a certain height, but at least it shouldn't get submerged. If it did get submerged, then you would have more important things to worry about.

A friend on a farm out of Wycheproof has done exactly this and they use it very successfully as a semi shaded summertime outdoor area. Started out as a 5 kWh system but from memory it is now close to 25 kWh, they are completely off grid and running a rather huge wet cell ex Telecom/Telstra group of batteries and their backup generator is an old diesel unit picked up some years ago.

Mick.

Mick,

Will definitely look at the Aldi portable induction cooker,

We are on what i would consider the “Hills of Wedderburn” yes Wedderburn has flooded in the past,will it flood in the future, you will have to ask the Gods that I don’t believe in.

But it would take a MASSIVE MASSIVE flood for me too start building an Ark were we have brought.

We may get locked in due to a flood, but would all most not get our feet wet.

Cheers Matt.

There are on gumtree etc very cheap solar panels. I have been told these do not comply with the government rebate scheme so were unable to be installed for grid connected systems. They can be had for as little as $5 each. Obviously there is the inverter, fixings, possible support frames etc etc, but might be worth a look for an off grid application.


As said above solar will sort you in the sunny hours but then you need battery or generator for the rest. From what I have read (and I've read a lot) I suspect for a situation like yours a backup generator, possibly with auto start, is probably the most economic option.


The reason diesel is not universally adopted for cars generators etc is that while it has better fuel economy the price of admission combined with potentially higher maintenance costs erodes the savings. Proper analysis requires details of your particular situation but my suspicion is you won't find much difference in the total cost of ownership and that a petrol unit will do.


So you optimise your solar by scheduling washing machines hot water etc to sunlight hours, have a small battery set to run the fridge etc and run the generator as required to top up.


If I were still right in the head I reckin I could build a spreadsheet with fields to fill that would spit out a configuration, but that's probably beyond me now. Look up tables would yield numbers near enough.

Backup power from a petrol generator is ok but a full time runner is less than ideal. Current fuel prices alone make it a pretty expensive option and even a Honda needs a rest sometimes.
I'd just go solar from the start. We did a cabin recently using 1000L ibc's as bases with a solar panel clip mounted at 25 degrees on the top of each cube frame. As we got more cubes we bought more panels. The cubes cost nothing. We then had plenty of power and plenty of water storage (cubes are interconnected with PVC pipe at the base fittings.) Panels were purchased from a mate who does insurance replacements where total replacement is required even though not all the panels are damaged and the undamaged ones sell for a pittance.
All in all, a low cost set up, easy to add to or extract from and easy to clean.

Matt, this may give you some ideas, it also may dissuade you from thinking about a windmill to generate electricity, but if you build it high enough....

Urban Renewables Solar Panels vs Wind Turbines - YouTube

Rosie is an engineer and for some time specialised in wind energy in Denmark; if I have that correct.

Nevertheless, although she talks fast, the information will give you some real figures and power outputs for a possible wind generator on your new abode.

Mick.

Mick beat me to it, but I'd rather think a wind turbine added into the mix would be interesting.

If you are going down the wind path, you could consider the Savonius drum. Not too expensive. All depends on the wind and elevation of your land (and time available).

Regards
Paul

What is your water situation? Do you have a bore? What about a windmill on a bore? Is there a tank on the bore/ What have you got in the way of rain water storage? Pressure systems/ (You can tell that I am coming from a different direction with these question) What are the fences like? Is there stock on your neighbours places where you share the same fence?

The answers above can lead to some real $$$ being spent and maybe have to be shelled out earlier than later when you move in.

We have been on our 1 acre 4kms from the village. For 40 years. Its a rural estate. Our neighbours have 8 acres and there are 100 acres blocks on the other side of them. I would have liked more land but at the time this is what we could afford. Even though we don't have much dirt the life style is what we were after. We still have "big property" challenges with water and pumps and fences but that is all part of it. We could not pull up stumps and move into town!!! (it would kill us)

I will be looking with interest at your future journey......remember, photos with stories and don't leave anything out All the best to you and Sally

O Sally has always loved the look of the Australian wind mill, she would love one, I would certainly earn some big Brown points on that one.

If maybe it generated some sparks(Electricity).

Cheers Matt.

I have a dream to get out of the city and looked at the area you bought Simplicity.

It looks lovely. Harsh stuff.

Do you have plans for regrowth, vitalisation, mass plantings or such? The ground looks harsh and needs some deep mulching and water retention work.

An excellent challenge.

I have a book on rehabbing forest by an Aussie bloke who knows what's he's on about. I'll see if I can find it again. Here! "Heartwood: The art and science of growing trees for conservation and profit" by Rowan Reid ....

Originally Posted by chambezio

What is your water situation? Do you have a bore? What about a windmill on a bore? Is there a tank on the bore/ What have you got in the way of rain water storage? Pressure systems/ (You can tell that I am coming from a different direction with these question) What are the fences like? Is there stock on your neighbours places where you share the same fence?

The answers above can lead to some real $$$ being spent and maybe have to be shelled out earlier than later when you move in.

We have been on our 1 acre 4kms from the village. For 40 years. Its a rural estate. Our neighbours have 8 acres and there are 100 acres blocks on the other side of them. I would have liked more land but at the time this is what we could afford. Even though we don't have much dirt the life style is what we were after. We still have "big property" challenges with water and pumps and fences but that is all part of it. We could not pull up stumps and move into town!!! (it would kill us)

I will be looking with interest at your future journey......remember, photos with stories and don't leave anything out All the best to you and Sally

HI Chambezio,

Water situation is at present water tanks, but there is town water at the front of the property, we intend once we have moved in too get quotes too have the Town water initially brought up too a garden tap, we will then use the town water if needed to top up the tanks(currently have two galvanised iron tanks but they will be replaced in the future).


The three neighbouring property’s neither are running live stock of any type(Total fence length is 1.3 km i think from memory).

We know we will be giving the bank account a few big hits after we move in an get things going [emoji17].

Cheers Matt.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

I have a dream to get out of the city and looked at the area you bought Simplicity.

It looks lovely. Harsh stuff.

Do you have plans for regrowth, vitalisation, mass plantings or such? The ground looks harsh and needs some deep mulching and water retention work.

An excellent challenge.

I have a book on rehabbing forest by an Aussie bloke who knows what's he's on about. I'll see if I can find it again. Here! "Heartwood: The art and science of growing trees for conservation and profit" by Rowan Reid ....

Hi Pixel,

It’s a lovely part of Victoria, with a large regional Town about 50 minute drive away(Bendigo).

I have thought about re Treeing some of the Property, in native trees.
As currently its about 95 percent cleared.
(Immm how long does Gidgee take too mature[emoji4])
But I would need to clear that idea with someone else.

Not sure if i agree with you on the soil type, i don’t think it would need that much work!!.

Cheers Matt.