The lodge won’t quite look the same next season. That’s because we installed our first solar panel this fall before departing! That’s right, the lodge is now harnessing the power of the sun. This project had been on the wish list for some time.
This panel produces about 240 watts of power. The panel controller will allow a trickle charge into our battery bank all winter to keep them from freezing. This will allow us to get more seasons out of our current batteries reducing some maintenance cost.
The other benefit will be a reduction in diesel fuel use. Our generator won’t have to work quite as hard on sunny days to keep a charge in the batteries. We have the wiring in place to add several panels too. It would take about 28 panels to power the lodge at peak capacity, but adding just a few will provide a meaningful reduction in the need to generate our own power.
Do any of you guys have alternative energy at your own homes? What kinds? What are the pros and cons? Thoughts?