12v House

Latest Articles

12v House

Downsizer Forum Index -> Energy Efficiency and Construction/Major Projects

Author

Message

willf

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 14
Location: wales

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 6:54 pm Post subject: 12v House
Is it worth giving up on most 240v appliances and lighting when running a house off a combination of solar and microhydro and just using 12v lighting ie LED and flourescent lights used in campervans a 12v waeco fridge etc? Or is it still better to use an inverter for everything? Thanks Will

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 6:56 pm Post subject:
Interesting question, something we're considering too. Not got anywhere with it yet though Welcome to Downsizer

Monki magic

Joined: 21 Jun 2010
Posts: 161
Location: Stockport

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 7:17 pm Post subject:
Been thinking about this myself. My parents boat is mostly 12v with an inverter for some things. Just think the batteries would take up a lot of room for a house. Although with lipo and LiFe batteries coming down in price all the time it may soon be an option

willf

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 14
Location: wales

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 7:22 pm Post subject:
To qualify the place we are looking at is off grid and getting on is so expensive it is prohibitive... but it does have a small stream! Might be able to manage a phone line which i think is necesary for life nowadays but not power!

willf

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 14
Location: wales

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 7:23 pm Post subject:
Thank you for welcome I've been lurking since 08 and find you an inspiring friendly and educated bunch, a very nice forum i think (having spent time lurking on many!)

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 7:24 pm Post subject:
RichardW is da man for questions like this. If he hasn't noticed your questions in a day or so you could try PMing him.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 7:24 pm Post subject:
YOu can get satellite broadband connection too. Have you read "Living Off Grid" by NIck Rosen?

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 7:25 pm Post subject:

You can do it but there are a few things to think about.

1, 12v cable needs to be thicker much thicker for the same load size so will cost more.
2, most stuff will need individual wire feeds so again increasing costs
3, fusing can be more costly
4, a good 12v fridge costs more much much more than a good 240v one.
5, dc fridges need big cable feeds or they stop working before you get to a sensible battery depth of discharge
6, dep on charge sources you could end up needing lots of dc dc converters to regulate the voltage to a safe level for sensitive equipment. Remember that a 12v battery could be charged at nearly 16v dep on temperature.
7, Do you need a rewire now? if not changing to dc will be an added cost.

We went through this a few years back. As we wanted a modicum of modern living we went with a battery & inverter system. Very hard to get 12v dc washers & dishwashers, fridges & freezer cost scary amounts, no chance of a tumble dryer (only used occasionally but a god send when needed).

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8923
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 7:28 pm Post subject:

willf wrote:

Thank you for welcome I've been lurking since 08 and find you an inspiring friendly and educated bunch, a very nice forum i think (having spent time lurking on many!)

Croeso a ddiolch! Welcome and thanks!

Which bit of Wales might I ask?

I'm in Cwmcarn, Ebbw Valley

willf

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 14
Location: wales

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 7:36 pm Post subject:
Diolch! I'm on Gower at moment just outside Mumbles but looking at place about an hour and a bit north of here, near Llandeilo.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 8:00 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

If he hasn't noticed your questions in a day or so you could try PMing him.

That goes for any other stuff that any one thinks I should reply to too.

I am not spending as much time here as I used too & reading far fewer threads. So PM me if you need me.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 8:03 pm Post subject:

Penny Outskirts wrote:

You can get satellite broadband connection too.

3G is getting much better & loads cheaper than sat internet.

Three have a newer faster dongle. It gives a better signal in marginal areas like ours & in towns give much much faster speeds. We needed a direction antenna with the old dongle to get 1/2mb now without it we get 1mb. When at my mums I can get 10mb.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 11 8:07 pm Post subject:

Monki magic wrote:

Just think the batteries would take up a lot of room for a house.

Although with lipo and LiFe batteries coming down in price all the time it may soon be an option

With a sensible total daily use the battery bank does not need to be huge. Ok a small dedicated room would be ideal so all the kit can be in one space its not essential. My battery is 1.2m wide x 0.4m deep x 1m high aprox.

Ok it weighs 1200kg so moving it take some thought.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Wed Aug 24, 11 5:46 pm Post subject:
I have been considering a partial conversion to 12V: lights in particular. I've often wondered about the plethora of items that run on low voltage anyway and have to go through a transformer... though of course almost none of them are 12 V.

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Energy Efficiency and Construction/Major Projects	All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

View Latest Posts