Autonomous sources of electricity for a country house

Power supply systems using autonomous sources are becoming increasingly popular among owners of country houses. It is understandable: the cost of electricity supplied centrally is growing steadily year by year. In addition, the quality of this electricity often leaves much to be desired, and constant power outages in some regions generally preclude the normal use of the benefits of civilization. Then the idea will inevitably arise of having your own power source and not depend on anyone.

There are several ways to provide autonomous power generation at home, but, unfortunately, they are not without their drawbacks. Consider the main ones in more detail.

1. Gasoline or diesel generator set (BSU and DGU).

The advantage of these plants is true autonomy: with proper maintenance and fuel availability, its owner gains complete independence from all the upheavals associated with interruptions in external power supply. He is no longer worried about any changes in the weather. They do not affect the operation of such a power plant.

But at the same time, DGU and BSU were widely used only as backup sources of electricity. The main reason for this is the need to maintain a constant supply of fuel, which is constantly growing in price. Diesel consumption for diesel generator sets is rarely less than 250 grams per kilowatt per hour. Thus, a plant that provides electricity to a country house with electricity consumption of several kilowatts will "eat" about a liter of diesel fuel per hour. With the cost of diesel fuel in the region of 30 rubles, it is obvious that one can easily go broke on such electricity.

Liquid generator sets themselves are also expensive. A single-phase gasoline station with a capacity of 2.7 kW will cost about 30 thousand rubles, and a similar installation with a power of 6.2 kW for a three-phase network will cost 45 thousand rubles.

But to power a large country house you will need a more powerful station. And, for example, a diesel engine with a capacity of 22 kW will cost as much as 600 thousand rubles. (Hereinafter, price data are given at the beginning of 2013).

See also:

Autonomous power supply at home

What to consider when choosing a generator

The correct connection of the generator

ATS automation for generators

2. Solar power station.

Attractive in that solar energy goes to all the "gift." The principle of operation of solar cells is based on the fact that photons of light, when incident on the surface of some semiconductors, cause the breakdown of electrons from their atomic orbits, forming free charge carriers.

In order for the solar battery to produce at least some acceptable power, it must have as large an area as possible. So, a battery of 1 square. m. provides electrical power of about 100 watts, with a voltage of 15-25 volts.

For the operation of household equipment, in addition to the solar battery, you need to install an inverter that converts direct voltage to 220 volts of alternating current, batteries for uninterrupted power supply and a controller that controls the charge of these batteries.

In order for the solar battery to be the main source of electricity, it must have a working surface of at least 10 square meters. At the same time, there are strict requirements for the location of the battery: at a certain angle to the horizon, at a certain distance from a flat surface (roof) and on the south side of the house.

But even under all conditions, a solar-powered station remains a very complex device with low efficiency, high cost and relatively low power. The cost of installing a solar power plant ranges from 120 to 250 thousand rubles for each kilowatt of installed capacity. But power can be increased gradually, adding new modules as funds become available.

Read more about using solar panels as an autonomous source of electricity for a country house here:

How are solar panels arranged and work?

Solar Power For Home

Homemade solar panels and their industrial counterparts

3. Wind generator station.

The first wind turbines were already known in 200 BC. They were the simplest plants designed to grind wheat. Like solar energy, wind power is very attractive for use in a country house. And the principle of operation of wind turbines is similar to the principle of operation of solar power stations. Once again, the installation of batteries, an inverter and a charge controller is required. But wind farms have their own peculiarities.

So, during its operation, a wind turbine creates interference that can affect many communication devices and means, therefore, to install a wind generator, a building-free area with a radius of about 20 meters is needed, which not every country house has.

Before installation, it is necessary to accurately calculate the required power of the generator, taking into account the average wind speed in the region, the peak power consumption in the house and the height of the mast erected for installation. An error in the calculations can lead to the fact that the wind turbine simply can not cope with the functions assigned to it.

Well, the main drawback of wind turbines, like all other autonomous sources of electricity, is their price. An average power wind generator together with its installation will cost the homeowner about three hundred thousand rubles. This amount will pay off, of course, far from immediately.

Read more about the use of wind generators here:

Home wind farm: good or whim?

Wind generators in Russia: how to choose, install and avoid disappointment

Home-made wind generator and its industrial analogues

Alexander Molokov