Green energy buffs living Off the Grid

Frank Cornelissen, lord of all the solar panels he surveys.

By Lyle Griffiths 

Up on the heights of Martinborough, Frank and Lisa Cornelissen have built their new home. Wanting to conserve energy and be as self-reliant as possible, they have installed solar panels, a wind turbine and created a battery storage area in a separate building.

“To begin with we didn’t know where to start,” says Frank. “We knew it was going to cost us $27,000 to link up to the transformer up at the top of the hill and then of course there would be charges for the power. We decided to pursue other options.

“We investigated solar panels and decided to purchase 12 x 315-watt Photovoltaic solar panels which could be ground-mounted. They could also be shifted if necessary.

“Our initial plan was to place them facing the Northeast to capture the most sunlight. But large trees on our boundary shaded the panels until 10:00 a.m. in winter.

“Eventually we realised that to gain the maximum amount of sunlight we would have to position the panels for both midwinter and mid-summer sun on the shortest and longest days. The panels are now set to latitude 40 degrees, but we have accepted the fact that there will always be some shading.

“The other dimension we had to consider was the angle at which to position the panels.

“Having tested the system, we have since installed another 11 panels each producing 400 Watts.”

The DC electricity generated by the panels is then sent to an Inverter Conversion unit which is housed with the batteries. This stores electricity in the batteries and converts to AC electricity to use in the house.

“Our wind machine automatically switches on if it is windy and provides us with a backup if it is not sunny. The best thing about the windmill is that it can continue to operate day and night if it is windy.

“The one consideration we had to plan for is if on the shortest day we have neither sun nor wind then we will not be generating any electricity. Battery storage works but in dire straits we have a generator for emergencies.

“Going green with energy has changed the way we operate. We know how much energy is consumed by our fridge, oven and dishwasher as well as powering the filtration plant and pumps for our water tank, and a septic system. 

“We know the best time to turn them on. We charge the electric car on a sunny day. At this stage we do have gas heating for hot water and a wood burner in the lounge which keeps us cosy in winter.

“The technology is changing rapidly,” said Frank. “There has been a 60% price drop in the cost of new panels. We have lead carbon batteries now but will upgrade to lithium ion phosphate soonish.”

Old lead carbon batteries can be resold on Trade me or sold for scrap for $35.00.

“It (living off grid) does have other advantages aside from saving money,” laughs Frank. “Last year when the whole of Martinborough was in blackout due to a major power outage, we were one of the only houses in town with the lights on.”