Who turned the sun off?

Who turned the sun off?

by | Nov 29, 2015 | renewable energy

Weeks like the one we’ve just had are an off-gridder’s nightmare. After some lovely cold autumnal days, it is now seven days since we saw anything approaching sunshine, and output from our solar PV is negligible, to put it kindly. It is weather like this...
Preparing for winter

Preparing for winter

by | Nov 4, 2015 | off grid

In our world turned upside down by changing climate, we began the year with a cold, wet ‘summer’, and have ended it with a warm sunny autumn. Strolling around in a t-shirt in November is definitely not normal here in Northern Ireland, but we (and our...
Energy independence

Energy independence

by | Oct 7, 2015 | renewable energy

For those who can’t already claim some form of payment for generating their own energy, or who will face vastly reduced incentives from 2016, there would seem to be few reasons to invest in renewable energy such as solar PV.  Recent coverage of the Tesla home...
I’m no expert, but….

I’m no expert, but….

by | Aug 31, 2015 | renewable energy

So twice this week I’ve had conversations with people who said something along the lines of “Well I’m no expert but really solar isn’t much good here in Northern Ireland because unless its really sunny they don’t work and its never really...
Power station progress

Power station progress

by | Nov 18, 2014 | renewable energy

  A bit of early evening winter sun means we get to catch a few last volts before it gets dark. There’s now 1.5kW of PV up on the roof, which suffers a bit from shading late in the day – just one of several issues to work around. We’re setting...
Off grid

Off grid

by | Apr 9, 2013 | off grid, smallholding, the farm

  It isn’t a huge amount of solar, but it’s enough to allow us to manage almost entirely without the mains grid.  (The washing machine is too much for this system).  We have, in theory, enough power to keep us going for 5 days in the event of it being...

What works?

by | Sep 20, 2012 | buildings

Having just stumbled outside at 4am in the cold and sheeting rain to rummage around in the log pile, so that I can get the range re-lit and make a cup of tea, I can reflect not only on the joys of early parenthood, but on how handy modern conveniences such as electric...

Lots of progress

by | Jul 26, 2012 | buildings

It’s amazing how a couple of days without rain make such a difference – suddenly we are making great progress. More of the fruit bushes are making their way down to the field, and out of pots, (at last, we’ve been carting them around for an age), and...