This is a very responsible approachA dream of mine for many years well before my love for EV's came about, was an off grid campground. I wanted a place that could be enjoyed by family and friends. The idea was to be remote and far away from the daily grind they might live in today. My goal here is to tell a story through pictures and small captions to explain the process, and where we are at today. 10 pictures per post, so I will break it up into a couple posts. Might not have any response till I get it all out there. I will direct technical questions to @nwdiver.
First. If you don't know, or are not extremely competent around electricity hire an expert. That is what I did. Highly suggested for a solar installation. Second. This forum is filled with many people I respect around electricity, and would define them as experts. Keep in mind this is a FOB (Forward Operating Base). Not a long term setup. Not a complete setup. Some of the setups here are not code. Do not interpret that we intend to leave these items this way.
So after a number of years I found my campground. Really thought about connecting, but saw the price tag. More than a mile, and a monthly fee that was higher than I wanted to pay. So went to Sound of Silence in SD. Wanted to see really two people at the event. One person I wanted to meet was sitting next to me at the first mingle. @nwdiver and I chatted, and the next thing I know he had already had two site visits done, and the plan was ready. Just had to wait till the following year.
Had to do some clearing for some benches for tents and trailers. This area was run over by fire a number of years ago. Also quite a slope.
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Camping to me is solitude, but one of the issues is often power in a remote setting for periods of time. I have solar panels on my Airstream, but not enough to run a well pump, and wanted to avoid the dreaded generator. We had one that ran the well. It was on the first of the things to go. You could hear it over 3/4 of a mile a way when on.
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View attachment 846335If one looks at the front of the well drilling rig there is a drop off into a large ravine. We will talk about that later.
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Septic and well installed. Septic permit took forever with thankfully no engineering. Lot of explaining however. Things take time in small towns. Best thing is you get to talk to people face to face. A rarity these days. Don't be in a rush. Be respectful, take your hat off, and ask nicely. Goes along way.
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Тож із присягою не використовувати генератор, витягувати воду з струмка застаріло. Униз по тому яру на всі 70 футів. Це був кінець колодязя. Отже, гонка тривала, щоб встановити тимчасові 20 панелей і підключити п’єдестал фургону.
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Є Кріс Дізон з Endless Energy. Ви можете знати його як @nwdiver. Це було в 90-х, так що парасолька стала паличкою-виручалочкою. 40 ранку, а потім піч завелася. П’єдестал для автофургону може дозволити заряджати електричні велосипеди та запускати трейлер, а також установку домашнього офісу в наметі Bell і, звичайно, колодязний насос. EV покажу пізніше
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Тому ми втратили одну панель на піддоні. Вони справді відсиділи кілька снігових бур в кінці сезону. Ми врахували це в математику. Дуже вдячний за те, що місцевий сусід доставив усе це до того, як ми переїхали сюди для встановлення.
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Building an off grid Solar Powered (EV charging) Campground
- Thread starter outdoors
- Start date
Welcome back. I know it's been a while. So over the winter cleared some more trees and gathered slash to burn. A somewhat controversial topic is burning. So one looks at the topic of the thread. CAMPGROUND. What would a campground be without fire? Well many things. I have camped and camped. Like sometimes for a month straight as a child. Campfires stink. Yet I get the nostiglaia thing. Plus the risk of burning a national forest up which is my neighbor. I really have to say camp fires aren't my thing. Yet in this case I had to burn the slash piles in the traditional manner. The below ideas aren't really easy for my application. The slope made the transport of items to racking immense. I cannot imagine hauling twigs down the mountain for Bio Charring.
Some new technology that really isn't that new, is being put into application that takes things like slash piles into account for biomass use. For those that don't know what a slash pile is, and the traditional way it is handled here is an attachment. https://www.montana.edu/extension/forestry/publications/pile burning.pdf
So Bio Char as it is called is basically taking it to the point of reduction of mass, yet not full combustion that destroys all the nutrients. I would think of it as not over cooking ones asparagus. Lean Green Burning Machine - Flathead Beacon This process would be good at those that need to thin a property that has been burned slightly that has trees that are no longer living or timber sale ready. Also for those building a home that a creating a defensible fire planed property. Slash piles are created, a CharBoss could come in, and then take those nutrients and put them back into the soil rather than all up in the air.
Racking in a couple weeks. Don't want to slip as make my way down the road. Stay tuned.
Some new technology that really isn't that new, is being put into application that takes things like slash piles into account for biomass use. For those that don't know what a slash pile is, and the traditional way it is handled here is an attachment. https://www.montana.edu/extension/forestry/publications/pile burning.pdf
So Bio Char as it is called is basically taking it to the point of reduction of mass, yet not full combustion that destroys all the nutrients. I would think of it as not over cooking ones asparagus. Lean Green Burning Machine - Flathead Beacon This process would be good at those that need to thin a property that has been burned slightly that has trees that are no longer living or timber sale ready. Also for those building a home that a creating a defensible fire planed property. Slash piles are created, a CharBoss could come in, and then take those nutrients and put them back into the soil rather than all up in the air.
Racking in a couple weeks. Don't want to slip as make my way down the road. Stay tuned.
No. A chipper would not have been an option due to slope. If you look at the previous posts. We would have gladly used lots of power equipment up at this location. Many of the things we did by hand as even if I came in with a dozer and cut switch backs it would not be possible.
Time to lay some wire. Why does the west heat up when I need to do spring time work? Home made wire dispenser. One roll done. 2 to go.
After laying wire a trench had to be dug. No ditch witch here. 2 to 3 hours a day. Work until the sun hits us. Do about 40 feet a day then cover so water doesn't wreck. This is direct burial wire.
Would a smaller flame cap kiln be a viable choice to at least convert some of that biomass into biochar? I've seen some 55 gallon drums converted into them. I think the biomass conversion rate is only around 10% but it's something. Just a thought moving forward. Looking good up there.
Great question. On a positive note I guess this area has burned prior and left less traditional slash.
Neighbors for example:
This would be great for kiln type.
Most of what we had would be more like this again neighbors:
Not so great for kiln.
Basically on side of slope would necessitate chopping to smaller piece as most of ours wasn't traditional slash and a lot of movement up and down. We burn and scatter logs while burning to reduce the heat in concentrated areas. Bummer on the extra carbon, but the soil below was in great shape.
@nwdiver has a link on proper depths for protection from fire for wire. I am sure he will share it.
A little more dirty scattering, but that's why one buys tin cloth pants.
I really like the link I mentioned earlier as a new way, but the contraption is gigantic seems very suited for valley's.
Racking and grounding rods and wire later this week. Mini split in June.
Have you thought about marker posts and/or "caution buried power" tape in the trench 2" above the wire? Speaking from experience, trying to find, or avoid, long buried power lines can take a lot of effort, especially when the run is not a straight line.
I am sure that you know what you are doing, but is that wire deep enough to avoid the local burrowing animals? It wouldn't be here...
We have it temporary tagged, and is now complete. Just showing the best pics from project as it goes. We have a couple line of sight runs that we plan on putting a little nature interpretive trail. Using the signs for historical reference of the runs.
We aren't too concerned with burrowing animals. While present, we are comfortable with risks.
I really wish many could understand the distance and scope of project. Many points I should be harnessed. So many of the normal run solutions go out the window. Moving equipment etc. While possible I guess. Is not realistic not feasible from a cost or carbon impact being greater than the wanted solution.
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I know what it is like to work on steep slopes, and completely agree that all sorts of normal solutions go out the window. Have you ever seen the Swiss "spider" excavators designed to work on 75 degree slopes?
(and he isn't even wearing a seat belt...)
Closer to home, Power-Trac makes some slope tractors good for 45degree slope work.
But your trees make it even more complicated...
All the best,
BG
Closer to home, Power-Trac makes some slope tractors good for 45degree slope work.
But your trees make it even more complicated...
All the best,
BG
So let the panel racking begin. @nwdiver making the slog up the mountain with the panels. Last week was hard with the heat in earlier spring. Now carrying panels up a mountain while slippery.
Spring is here. Love a Mountain Maple starting to show the early leaves, sap on the trees, and some Wolf lichen,spring yarrow, and Oregon Berry. The forest literally came alive over the last week. Each time I see this. I am more at peace with the hard work and aching arms.
Spring is here. Love a Mountain Maple starting to show the early leaves, sap on the trees, and some Wolf lichen,spring yarrow, and Oregon Berry. The forest literally came alive over the last week. Each time I see this. I am more at peace with the hard work and aching arms.
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Panel racking should be complete tomorrow absent any electrical storms. Till then all according to plan.
We have to make sure the system is grounded. Just look it up. NEC code says anything over 50V needs it, and the metal exposed parts on side of a mountain make it a must. So don't forget it.
So as many could guess no luck in getting rods in the ground far from any traditional power source. Well ingenious thinking on @nwdiver. Demolition hammer, and an Eco-Flow battery pack does the trick. I have seen the grounding rods before. Never knew they went in the ground so far. Thought it was like a tent stake. Learn something new every day. Hit a couple rocks, but we got enough in.
This one hit the rock, pounded into itself.
In the end, it is a protected system.
So as many could guess no luck in getting rods in the ground far from any traditional power source. Well ingenious thinking on @nwdiver. Demolition hammer, and an Eco-Flow battery pack does the trick. I have seen the grounding rods before. Never knew they went in the ground so far. Thought it was like a tent stake. Learn something new every day. Hit a couple rocks, but we got enough in.
This one hit the rock, pounded into itself.
In the end, it is a protected system.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
The USFS posted a message for people uncomfortable with fire in the forest...
@nwdiver installing HPWC. He knows the directions, but it is always good to look again.
Just need to finish trenching the wires around camp, and install RV/power pedestals. The pedestals will provide power to the tents or anybody that needs a charge outside of the HPWC.
We are getting into the home stretch. @nwdiver is picking up local solar leads from our solar story which is spreading. This is the first year to really have lots of fun with a little less work.
This is some of the fun.
North Fork of Flathead
Stahl Peak
Larkspur
Bear grass
Yup that's Glacier National Park. Will give you a little rundown tomorrow on our charging process to go to Glacier and make sure that we always come home to a fully charged car.
Just need to finish trenching the wires around camp, and install RV/power pedestals. The pedestals will provide power to the tents or anybody that needs a charge outside of the HPWC.
We are getting into the home stretch. @nwdiver is picking up local solar leads from our solar story which is spreading. This is the first year to really have lots of fun with a little less work.
This is some of the fun.
North Fork of Flathead
Stahl Peak
Larkspur
Bear grass
Yup that's Glacier National Park. Will give you a little rundown tomorrow on our charging process to go to Glacier and make sure that we always come home to a fully charged car.
)
Matt-FL
Member
Sure glad I don't live in Florida. The scariest things we have here are jellies. Sharks must be smarter than 'gators because sharks know that we don't taste good and they mostly leave us alone. I've never been eaten by a shark yet. I did once have a baby goat climb into my kayak, but only the one time.
