[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vtsnowedin', '8')) It would be easier to lead people to the promised land if you owned some of it. And when you got there a wind generator on a 100 ft tower might ease things a bit. I'd say pv solar too but your in AK so maybe not. The taxes and penaltys bite. We left a small one in to avoid paying them but switched it to all Tbills for the time being. Anything issued by the US government may be just toilet paper soon so are you sure you have enough ammo?

[pedalling_faster]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', 'T')he downside of this is that if I do it I'll have to pay attention to the market and use up a lot of mental energy deciding what to bet on.

[patience]

Car batteries won't get it. In a deep cycle application they will die quickly. Put some $ into some good deep cycle batteries, and a good charge controller. Get this up and running NOW, or you'll be sorely disappointed when you find out there are a lot of missing/dysfunctional parts. The system needs to have all its' parts sized to suit each other, or it doesn't work for crap. Way up north, the batteries can freeze outdoors (and burst open), so find a warmer place for them, and VENT the hydrogen gas evolved when charging. Lots to know about this to be functional on an enduring basis. Learn your loads, and size your system to suit, to keep the battery discharge level to less than 50% discharge at worst, 20% if you want long battery life.

You could put 2k to $5k in this easily, to get a modest sized system going. I spent about $12k just for parts, and it is a very minimal system for our useage--freezer, fridge, communications, and lights, with an occasional fan in summer.

edit to add: Here's a link to FAQ's about batteries. This site has a forum for newbies and advanced practioners:
Deep cycle batteries

[Cid_Yama]

Patience is correct.

Getting off the grid, getting a well, installing wood stoves, having your property totally paid off, these are what you should have first.

Guaranteed return on every mortgage payment you no longer make, the electic, water, and gas bills you no longer pay.

Also the peace of mind from knowing you are covered when it all falls apart.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cid_Yama', '
')Guaranteed return on every mortgage payment you no longer make, the electic, water, and gas bills you no longer pay.

[cephalotus]

-I- would invest in renewable energies, so I would participiate in a solar power plant, in wind power plants and maybe in biomass power plants.

That's good for the economy, it is good for the environment, it will give you a good ROI in good times and it will hold or even rise its value in a peak oil scanario.
It is not good in a doom scanrio but in taht case your money has gone away in almost any scenario...

[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('patience', 'C')ar batteries won't get it. In a deep cycle application they will die quickly. Put some $ into some good deep cycle batteries, and a good charge controller. Get this up and running NOW, or you'll be sorely disappointed when you find out there are a lot of missing/dysfunctional parts. The system needs to have all its' parts sized to suit each other, or it doesn't work for crap. Way up north, the batteries can freeze outdoors (and burst open), so find a warmer place for them, and VENT the hydrogen gas evolved when charging. Lots to know about this to be functional on an enduring basis. Learn your loads, and size your system to suit, to keep the battery discharge level to less than 50% discharge at worst, 20% if you want long battery life.

You could put 2k to $5k in this easily, to get a modest sized system going. I spent about $12k just for parts, and it is a very minimal system for our useage--freezer, fridge, communications, and lights, with an occasional fan in summer.

edit to add: Here's a link to FAQ's about batteries. This site has a forum for newbies and advanced practioners:
Deep cycle batteries

[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cid_Yama', 'P')atience is correct.

Getting off the grid, getting a well, installing wood stoves, having your property totally paid off, these are what you should have first.

Guaranteed return on every mortgage payment you no longer make, the electic, water, and gas bills you no longer pay.

Also the peace of mind from knowing you are covered when it all falls apart.

[davep]

I'd certainly put a few thousand in crude options ('I'll finally have the cash for this at the end of the month). I'm currently fixated on December 2013, at 150 dollars. It'll cost you 1710 dollars for an option to buy 1000 barrels.

Here they are

That way you don't have to worry about your bets on a continuous basis. Just trust that supply will be lower than it is now in five years' time. You could sell them earlier if the price goes crazy. It's a hedge against inflation too.

[patience]

RE,

Yes, good point about overcapacity on batteries. I've done that with a couple car batteries for 3 years now, running my wireless internet/phone setup. Low draw, and lots of excess capacity in the batteries will make it live a long time, since you are keeping the %discharge very low. And they don't use much water, either, so maintenance is less of a chore. For what you are doing, it should work just fine.