Hi from Canada.

Discussion in 'New Member Introductions' started by electrodacus, Mar 21, 2015.


  1. electrodacus

    electrodacus Monkey

    Hi All,
    My very first post here. I recently moved OffGrid will be two years since we did that this spring.
    My reasons for moving OffGrid are multiple one of the most important is reducing spendings and having more time for my hobbies.
    I'm and Electrical Engineer and love producing and storing my own energy.
    I lived in Europe before moving to Canada so I have more of that high efficiency low power usage mentality.
    The house will be a passive house as soon as I can get the PV panel array for electric heating.
    Even if we moved here the house is still under construction there are so many things to do and so little time when you want to do everything your self.
    Here is a video with our small somehow unusually constructed house. It was my design since I did not like the typical frame wall and did not afford ICF. The short video shows how the house is build from foundation to roof but there are no detailed explanations and had no time to do the more detailed videos as of now but if you have any questions about that I will be happy to answer.


    Regards,
    Dacian.
     
  2. hamsurvivor

    hamsurvivor Monkey

    Welcome! I'm new here as well! Very welcoming community. You have a very nice setup can't wait to see what you can do when it's all done!
     
  3. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Nicely done, and welcome to the forum.
     
  4. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    Welcome. Looks like a great project
     
  5. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    I submit,we will be picking your brain. Looking forward to reading your posts and watching the off grid home progress! Welcome!!
     
  6. electrodacus

    electrodacus Monkey

    A few replays already. Thanks.
    Not sure what will you be interested in the most.
    I was thinking on posting something about solar energy since that is probably what I know best.
    But I can talk some other subjects also.
    My house heating will also be with solar PV panels and energy needed to heat my house is also relatively small about 1000kWh / month in the worst winter month based on my calculations and also based on observations with the currently temporary propane heating.
     
  7. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    Had a chance to watch your video. The walls look great!
     
  8. electrodacus

    electrodacus Monkey

    Most think those walls are expensive but they are not much more than 2x6 frame and OSB (the OSB is expensive and personally I do not like the smell probably not that great for health).
    For my small house size the difference was bout $1000 in materials but is true there is also quite a bit more work.
     
  9. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Sir, I question your Units, used in describing the Electrical Solar Heating requirements of your residence. 1000KWh per month is a MegaWatt Hour per month. That seems to be a Lot of Power.....
    Or 33.3 KWh per day... That is a Very Significant amount of Solar Generated Power... Just wondering...
    And WELCOME to the Monkey Tree, from another Off-Grider.....
     
  10. electrodacus

    electrodacus Monkey

    Thanks for the question.
    The house is about 65sqm (700sqft) and extremely well insulated but is also in a realy cold climate Saskatchewan Canada.
    1000kWh/month for heating is quite a low number. Is sunny here even in winter so luckily I do not need that much solar PV about 7 to 9kW array will heat the house.
    Solar PV is at around 80 cent/Watt at the moment so including ground mount and wires + the resistive heat elements that I will emended in the concrete floor (there are 14 cubic meters of concrete floor that acts as a thermal battery able to store about 10kWh/ degree Celsius) With a 10C variation 100kWh and that is good enough to deal with a few cloudy days.
    I will also need to design an build what I call a Digital MPPT to control the heating no battery is required for the heating part.
    Estimated cost of solar PV for heating including all things needed is about 10K$ and should last for at least 25 years this will translate in $400/year amortisation cost way better than about way better than $1300 / heating season that I pay now with the temporary propane heating. (I use those small 20lb barbecue propane tanks about 29$ each this winter) I need about 10 in the worst month and about 45 for the entire winter and each contains the equivalent of 100kWh of energy.
    An average house here is 2000sqft so 3x larger and 3x less insulated since is usually done at the minimum legal requirement will use almost 10x the amount of heating or about 10MWh in peak month. They normally use natural gas that is just around 3 cent/kWh so they end up paying about what I pay now since those barbecue propane tanks are way more expensive at 29 cent/kWh.
     
  11. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    For scale, I generate 2412.2MWh in a 24 hour period at wind speeds of ~16 m/s :)
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2015
  12. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    Welcome to the monkey and thanks for sharing this video. Never say walls built that way. Question- did you put insulation all the way up? I have never seen attic insulation done like that. I always thought you needed a bit of airflow.
     
  13. Sapper John

    Sapper John Analog Monkey in a Digital World

    Welcome!
     
  14. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Dacian, like @BTPost, I also question your 1000 kilowatthours per month, it is not at all reasonable. Now, tell me it's actually 1000 watthours, and I'm on board.
     
  15. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    Welcome also
    Math of PV to heat translation is off .
    If that house is as close to the water that I saw in the Vid , I would of sand packed or hoe packed the foundation area .. SACKS is a bog of land \
    I'm on 7 foot of sand , then 1' of soil . @ 8' deeper its clay called hardpan then 12' white sand . then ~~~well you know the rest.
    Your on bog ?
    Sorry , but as i see it .
     
  16. electrodacus

    electrodacus Monkey

    Yes average thermal insulation is R70 so I needed to fill all that space. That roof space is completely isolated from inside and on top there is a space for air ventilation under the steel so it gets cooled in summer.
    Usually people here use shingles directly on the OSB on the roof then have some ventilation under the OSB.
     
  17. electrodacus

    electrodacus Monkey

    Not sure why you think 1000kWh/month is that much for heating in winter. That is for peak month usually around January when average temperature here for that month is about -17C with temp during the day often in the -20 to -30C and even -40C during night.
    That electricity is for heating no other fuel will be used. (The propane is just temporary before I have that large PV array).
    For all the electronics, computers, LED lights, small refrigerator, some DC pumps and some electric cooking I use about 80kWh/month.
     
  18. electrodacus

    electrodacus Monkey

    The math on PV is correct for my location. I already have 720W PV array and I can produce with that worst case in Deceber usually around 65kWh and the rest of the months above 80kWh.
    I have already two year using that PV array and I know what to expect. I will write a more detailed explanation of my system in the OffGrid part of the forum.
    As for the water. You seen probably a temporary lake that forms in spring after the snow melts before the ground is unfrozen. That lake is about 2m (6ft) lower than the house.
    The soil there is made out of gravel and only a top soil of less than 30cm (1ft) so water will not stay there.
    I never had water even close to foundation in the two years since I moved here and there is no chance for that.
    On the down side the land is not great for gardening but I will manage.
    You can see how the soil is if you look in the video at the hole I made for the wind turbine tower it took me forever to dig that with just gravel and some larger stones.
     
  19. electrodacus

    electrodacus Monkey

    Last edited: Mar 22, 2015
  20. Mindgrinder

    Mindgrinder Karma Pirate Ninja|RIP 12-25-2017

    No shortage of potash and peat moss in your province to amend your dirt with.
    Pity though that you proabably cant get a free loads of wood chips easily.

    Welcome to SM....careful...you are surrounded by angry well armed 'mericans.

    MG in BC.
     
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