My energy system
After trying for many months to find a solar company that would work with my unique project we were very lucky to connect with PV2 (PV Squared, otherwise known as Pioneer Valley Photovoltaic) in Greenfield, MA. They installed a wonderful, high powered solar energy system that has seen me across the continent in style. I have six panels on my roof that generate 1800 watts of power, and two lithium batteries that can store 6800 watts. This means I can easily run all my lights, my computer, my electric refrigerator-freezer, AND a dishwasher, crockpot, electric kettle, and toaster oven-- not all at the same time, but often enough to cook and clean.
There isn't enough power to heat water electrically, so I did end up going with an on demand propane water heater, but my propane is stored in its own separate, ventilated compartment, and the water heater is in another one, on the other side of the Vehicle, both completely sealed off from the interior where I breathe.
There isn't enough power to heat water electrically, so I did end up going with an on demand propane water heater, but my propane is stored in its own separate, ventilated compartment, and the water heater is in another one, on the other side of the Vehicle, both completely sealed off from the interior where I breathe.
Making Sparks: Some of the ideas I explored and didn't use
Evacuated tube solar water heating collectors are far more efficient than solar panels for heating water, and even more so for heating and cooling air. But they are also far too fragile to mount on a moving vehicle. We're still looking for a local company that will design a system for my mobile home. Most of them won't. I will have solar panels covering my whole roof, and a bank of batteries in a special compartment at the back of the Vehicle. I'll be installing both DC and AC wiring, so that I can run both types of appliances, and plug my battery bank into the grid when I need extra juice.
Electrical Health & Safety
Specially configured and shielded wiring.
EMF shielded wiring and metal conduits allow for a fully wired home without exposure to electromagnetic frequencies that are harmful to our health. Michael Neuert is an electrical engineer and EMF consultant in California who I've worked with in the past. We've worked out a plan to eliminate or greatly reduce EMFs in the Vehicle, and my cell will be for outdoor use only. When I have internet, I'll use that for calling people. Speaking of internet, I still have a lot to learn and I plan to learn it from Technomadia, but in terms of EMF and other harmful fields, I'll be turning off the built in wifi in my computer, and using an external wifi adapter which will be mounted on the outside of the Vehicle, and connected to my computer with an EMF shielded cable. LessEMF is a company specializing in products to educate the public about EMF hazards, detect them and protect us from them, including many kind of shielding materials.