In this article we will look at the issue in detail autonomous power supply at home, cottage or even office. The whole problem of such power supply to a home or any other building is the presence of an alternative type of source, it is obvious - this is the Sun. Since the sun is an inexhaustible source of energy, solar power supply is based precisely on the use of its radiation.

In order for your a private house became autonomous, a solar power plant is needed. A solar kit for your home can be purchased in various capacities, it all depends on your needs - by the way, the price of the kit will also depend on this.

In principle, if you approach the question of how to make an autonomous power supply at home in a short time, then if you have available funds, you can contact any company that sells and installs solar panels. They will calculate everything for you and do it in the shortest possible time - literally in a day or two.

With the help of solar panels, you can provide electricity to the entire house with all communications, and completely abandon the centralized power supply if you use a solar autonomous power plant with a capacity of 5 kW.

Solar Power System

Autonomous solar power supply for a home should consist of the following blocks necessary for this:

• Systems solar panels
• Energy control systems
• Battery pack
• Inverter of suitable power

Now in more detail about all this:

Solar power supply- These are self-contained devices that last for many years, have excellent potential, and are more cost-effective.

Solar Panel System- The energy created by solar panels placed on the roof of a house is direct current, which is not suitable for powering household appliances, and therefore it must be converted to alternating current, such as in a regular outlet.

Energy control system- allows you to find out the amount of energy generated by solar panels and control the full charge of the battery pack. The main criteria for purchasing a particular controller is its power: the amount of input voltage and the current it can withstand.

Battery system- makes it possible to stock up, save, a certain amount direct current depending on the total capacity.

If you want to connect voracious Appliances to alternative sources of power supply, then you need to take care of a large number.

The photo above shows a very powerful battery pack for the home made of gel batteries - 12 pcs. 200 Amp*H. Roughly speaking, the energy reserve will be 24 kW.

Inverter- is essentially a DC (12-24 V) to AC (220 V) converter. The rated (operating) power of the inverter allows you to simultaneously turn on several devices with high consumption, which creates additional comfort.

For home autonomy, an inverter with a rating of 5 kW is perfect. (such as in the photo) when choosing an inverter, it is important that the output be (pure sine wave), this will expand the range of connected sensitive electronics.

As you know, autonomous system power supply must be designed based on careful calculation, since each of the systems described above is dependent on each other. You have to consider a lot of little things, for example: the ratio of solar panels on the roof to the battery pack.

Solar panels must produce enough energy to charge the batteries throughout the day. At the same time, the accumulated energy for autonomy should be enough to last until the morning. In other matters, it is better to entrust the calculation of the power supply system to specialists, because the needs of each home vary significantly.

Autonomous power plants for the home are a very profitable investment, given the constant rise in energy prices, the payback of the systems approximately ranges from 5 to 10 years, depending on the power and the goal.

Autonomous power supply system for the apartment

To solve the problem of autonomous power supply to an apartment, you can use small solar power plants, which can even be placed on the balcony, or large ones, as shown in the photo.

As a backup power supply, a minimum set of equipment is sufficient, which will include an inverter and several batteries.

Autonomous power supply from wind and solar energy at the same time is called hybrid! Such a system is designed to make maximum use of alternative energy in an object that should become completely autonomous.

The system includes a set of solar panels and a wind generator, which makes it possible to obtain energy even in very bad windy weather, when the efficiency of solar panels is minimal.

Autonomous energy sources are designed not only to save on bills, but to ensure independence from force majeure circumstances. In addition, they provide greater versatility for connecting various equipment in the house. Operation of power systems does not require special professional skills.

You can watch a video of autonomous systems here.

If you have any questions about the full or partial power supply of your private home, private house, write in the comments form below - I will be happy to answer as a user with 5 years of experience.

Many amenities in residential and domestic buildings depend on electricity. However, power outages are not uncommon in cities and suburbs. For settlements remote from civilization, the problem is even more urgent - sometimes it is simply impossible to install an electrical network there. In such cases, the issue of independent current generation becomes acute.

Autonomous power supply can provide buildings with energy in the required quantity. In this case, no short circuits occur, voltage stability is maintained, and emergency situations practically do not occur. Connecting such equipment is not as complicated as those dependent on general networks and often pays for itself in a faster time.

Choosing a personal source of electricity - a responsible occupation that requires studying the nuances. This is especially true when the system is made by hand.

There are not many alternative resources, but each of them has its own pros and cons for certain situations.

What types of autonomous power supply systems are there?

All sources of independent electricity are divided into generators, batteries and solar panels.

• Fuel

They operate by burning diesel, gasoline, coal, gas or other substances.

• Fuel-free

Use wind energy to convert into electricity. This also includes hydropower, based on water abstraction, and geothermal sources.

They act by absorbing and storing heat from the sun's rays.

Batteries

They charge themselves from electricity and, in its absence, give away the accumulated reserve.

How to choose for an apartment, house, cottage?

Choosing a suitable autonomous power supply at home is not so difficult if you take into account some parameters.

The first thing you need to rely on is number and nature of systems consuming energy. Typically, the list of such systems includes air conditioning, heating, and pumping water supply from a well. It is also necessary to take into account the number of frequently used household electrical appliances and refrigeration equipment. All of the above requires uninterruptible power supply, which any independent source can provide.

The second stage of selection will be the calculation of the total power. The consumption indicators of each device are added together. The final autonomous power supply for a country house, cottage or apartment should exceed the amount received by 20-30%.

The type of system being planned is also influenced by the role assigned to it: full supply or backup power. Not all sources can supply recycled electricity for a long time without depending on external factors.

The allocated budget will determine the high cost of the system, its manufacturer, or give rise to the idea of ​​making it yourself.

With fuel-free generators, you will have to pay attention to the surrounding landscape and climate.

The ideal option is to choose two alternative recharges at once different types. Then there will be a safety net for all occasions. Experts advise keeping a generator running on combustible fuel (with a supply of fuel itself) and one of the inverters that absorb the natural forces of wind, sun, water or steam. The separate use of batteries is rarely practiced due to the quickly consumed resource and the impossibility of recharging without direct electricity. However, as another backup option, this is quite suitable for an apartment or private house with a centralized network.

Detailed story about the finished kit

Pros and cons of AE sources

Such generators require a considerable supply of fuel, which must be constantly replenished at your own expense. Most often, this type is used for mixed power generation in an uninterrupted mode, when the generator is activated when the main network “falls asleep.” In cases using only a generator, it is required to have at least 2 units of equipment to avoid overloads by alternating switching on.

A good option for combining with other sources, if you don’t mind the bulky size. In micro modifications, only hydraulic turbines exist. All types are considered environmentally friendly, but require connection additional equipment. Wind models are dependent on air flow speed (at least 14 km/h).

The most environmentally friendly way to get . Operating batteries can not only provide any typical building with power, but also generate excess power. In practice, they have a large area, often cover entire roofs or walls for high-quality power and require additional equipment. The entire system can even occupy a separate room of about 5-6 sq.m (not counting the solar panels themselves). Dependent on the landscape climatic conditions, the ratio of the number of cloudy and sunny days.

Solar panels shown in video

Batteries

Suitable for emergency power supply only. They are not able to work for a long time without recharge. Most models are capable of delivering charge only in the presence of an inverter to increase the voltage (for example, from 12 to 220V).

Types of energy and their solutions

Basic sources of autonomous energy supply are renewable. They are safe for people nearby and environment. Each type of energy has its own operating principle and requires equipment of a unique design.

Suitable even for areas with little sun. they take air through turbines installed on 3-6 meter towers with approximately 3 cm in diameter. For urban areas, the height of the tower increases and becomes at least 10 m. Such a long free section is necessary to overcome obstacles from neighboring buildings. For a private home, the installation process is less difficult. The use of a wind turbine may require written permission from the governing authorities. The reasons for this are the noise they produce, their bulky appearance and the ability to interfere with bird migrations.

The concept is feasible for houses with nearby rivers or lakes. The intake is carried out by a single turbine or a group of them (often of large length). The large-scale option is beneficial when used collectively (for example, by an entire village or several neighboring private houses). The microform is suitable for an isolated family living directly on the shore. Scales smaller than dams are not considered environmentally destructive and therefore do not require a permit (exceptions are protected areas and local regulations).

Sun

Solar energy can be obtained in two ways. The first method uses photovoltaic cells. The basis is the principle of absorption of rays by mirrors. The light is refracted at a certain angle and heats the liquid of the system. The second option involves the principle of converting heat into alternating current through photo cells. They can be portable or placed on rooftops.

Solar power is most suitable for arid regions with hot climates, but can be used anywhere. Maximum productivity is achieved by installing the panels at an angle of incidence of sunlight of 20-50 degrees. Does not require operating permits.

Solar solution demonstrated in video

Geothermal energy is obtained after processing steam and hot water at a level below the ground. When reinjected, condensate is used, which makes the source more stable. It is quite difficult to use geothermal reservoirs for a private home. Their operation is limited by the time of complete cooling. For a large scale, the principle is easier to implement - a system of a drill, pumps and a generator will process electricity more productively. A drilling permit may be required.

Biomass

Biomass energy is produced by burning biological material - cake, straw, natural gas, manure, oils, wood, etc. For private houses and summer cottages, this method is acceptable, but not very profitable. Fuel is expensive and needs to be constantly replenished. Gas generators are also not cheap. In addition, the method is characterized by a high level of emissions of sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon footprint into the atmosphere during combustion.

A biomass solution will only become profitable when using waste or secondary sources: propane, humus, methane. Hybrid diesel and gas system – more the best option from an economic point of view.

Profitable or not?

The benefits of autonomous energy supply resources for personal use are evident when only high-quality equipment is installed.

Cheap, flimsy kits can break before they're worth half their cost. If the design, calculations, assembly and installation are carried out according to the rules, the system will demonstrate its pros:

1. absence of any social norms for electricity consumption;
2. safety for systems and devices due to the absence of voltage surges;
3. confidence in the quality and quantity of planned energy;
4. long service life;
5. independence from tariff increases;
6. availability of resources even in case of local accidents at substations.

Despite all the benefits, a repulsive factor may be the need to regularly clean the complex and sometimes replace elements.

Example of a ready-made solution

Making the system yourself

For use inside an apartment or in a country house in emergency situations, you can assemble a battery with your own hands. Several household batteries are combined in parallel, connected to a charger, and an inverter is installed. While the centralized power supply is operating, electricity is stored in batteries plugged into the outlet. When the current disappears, the inverter supplies it to the wiring. Can be used as a portable device.

To create food for an entire house with your own hands on an ongoing or long-term basis will require a more serious approach. Here it is preferable to equip the room as a boiler room, where the base of the equipment will be located. You will need a generator, powerful batteries (several car batteries are possible), boilers, inverters, several solar panels for the chosen system. If you have certain knowledge, such work is worth the candle and will be cheaper than many ready-made installations.

However risk of making a calculation error and connections are also not small.

Conclusion

The problem of autonomous energy supply is relevant for many residential areas without developed infrastructure. In most cases, this approach helps the environment and can save a lot in the long run. Money. The choice of a specific system depends on the needs of the home, available natural resources and planned expenses.

The feasibility of use is determined by personal views, but increases with the reserve role of AE.

One of the most interesting ways to generate electricity is solar panels. Today, the use of solar panel systems for power supply of small objects, such as a private house, has become relevant.

The simplest system consists of the following elements: solar panels, charge controller, batteries and inverter.

Solar panels

A solar battery consists of photocells connected in series and parallel. All photocells are located on a frame made of non-conductive materials.

The photocell consists of two layers of semiconductors with “n” and “p” conductivity. Contacts are soldered to the layers on different sides. When light hits the “n” layer, due to the photoelectric effect, free electrons are formed that cross p-n junction and an EMF potential difference is formed, the magnitude of which depends on many factors, such as intensity solar radiation, photocell area, design, surface temperature. The main material for the manufacture of photocells is silicon.

The potential difference of one photocell is about 0.45-0.47V, which is too small to obtain sufficient power, so the photocells are connected in series, thereby increasing the potential difference, and in parallel, increasing the current.

Solar batteries consist of solar modules, which in turn are composed of photocells.

For example, consider the characteristics of a 12W solar module:

Amount of elements- 36pcs;

Rated power- 12W;

Rated voltage- 12V;

Maximum Power Voltage- 17V;

Open circuit voltage- 21.8V;

Current short circuit - 0.88A;

Maximum power current- 0.71A;

dimensions- 285x425x27;

Square- 0.12m2;

Weight- 1.8kg;

Working temperature - from -50 to +75C.

WITH solar batteries with a nominal voltage of 12V are available with a power range of 12-140W, panels for more high voltage will accordingly have higher power ratings.

Why do you need an increased voltage of 17V if the nominal voltage of the battery is 12V?

According to the operating instructions for widely used lead-acid batteries (AB) of AGM technology, the battery charging voltage is 2.27 V/cell.

A 12V battery contains 6 elements with a rated voltage of 2V, therefore in operating mode it is necessary to maintain a voltage on the battery of at least 6x2.27 = 13.62V.

In accelerated charging mode, the voltage on the element can reach 2.4V/cell, therefore on the battery 6x2.4=14.4V.

Thus, the voltage on the battery to ensure its operating modes can be in the range of 13.62-14.4 V/cell.

A small voltage reserve of 17-14.4 = 2.6 V is necessary to compensate for the voltage drop when the surface of the photocells is heated and the voltage drop caused by the resistance of conductors and contact connections.

If the modules in a solar battery are shaded in a chain of series-connected elements, they stop generating electrical energy, become consumers, i.e. they dissipate electrical energy, heat up and fail.

To prevent this problem, bypass diodes are installed in parallel with each module or part of it. Thus, if at least one cell is shaded, then the entire row goes out of the power supply circuit.

Rechargeable batteries

And rechargeable batteries (AB) are used to accumulate electricity produced by photocells and release it in the dark or when there is a shortage of solar energy.
The most common types of batteries for use in photovoltaic systems are sealed lead-acid batteries made using Absorptive Glass Mat (AGM) technology, as well as Gelled Electrolite (GEL) gel batteries.
A GM - fiberglass separators are used to serve as a reservoir for the electrolyte and separate the plates of opposite sign. The liquid electrolyte in the porous separator is retained due to the capillary effect. All electrolyte in the battery is absorbed into the separator and is absent in the free space inside the tank.
G EL - the electrolyte has a gel-like state due to the addition of silicon compounds. The gel ensures the tightness of the AB, retaining the gases inevitably released during operation in the pores and reliably fixing the material of the plates.
Now let's look at the main advantages and disadvantages of the above types of batteries.

The advantages of GEL batteries are that the cyclic life (number of charge-discharge cycles) is 2-3 times higher than that of AGM batteries, and the self-discharge current is slightly lower.
Disadvantages of GEL batteries - charging current is limited to 0.2C10, gas recombination efficiency is lower than that of AGM batteries, they are demanding on quality chargers, higher cost, lower level of short circuit currents.
The advantages of lead-acid AGM batteries - more high level(about 30%), inrush currents, less demanding on the quality of the charging voltage, higher level of short circuit currents.
The disadvantages of AGM batteries are lower cyclic life, slightly higher self-discharge current, and are sensitive to overcharging and deep discharges.
In autonomous power supply systems, very important indicator is the cyclicity, which is slightly higher for helium batteries, although today some types of AGM batteries are produced, the cyclic life of which is comparable to helium batteries.
Batteries are installed on special racks or in cabinets.

Charge-discharge controllers

The charge-discharge controller is designed to control the operating modes of the battery and has the following main functions:
- automatic connection of the battery to the solar battery;
-automatic battery shutdown when fully charged;
-automatic load shutdown at a set battery discharge level;
-different battery charging modes.
These functions are necessary to ensure stable operation of the battery throughout its entire service life.
The most common types for working in low-power systems are PWM controllers, the charging algorithm in which is programmed in four stages:
1. Main charge - at a constant voltage level without current limitation;
2. Storage charge - maintaining a constant voltage while the current decreases as the charge progresses;
3. Maintenance charge - with a fully charged battery to compensate for self-discharge.
4. Equalizing charge - used for some types of batteries (not sealed with liquid electrolyte), to equalize the voltage on lagging elements.

When choosing a controller, you must give preference to types with customizable parameters that allow you to configure the capacity and type of battery being connected, charge voltage and other parameters.

For example, consider the characteristics of a 12V EPHC-10-EC PWM controller:

Operating voltage- 12V;

Maximum input current from solar battery - 10A;

Maximum load current- 10A;

Float voltage- 13.7V;

Boost charge voltage- 14.4V;

Load cut-off voltage- 11.1V;

Load turn-on voltage after shutdown (automatically)- 13.1V;

Load switch-on voltage after switch-off (manual)- 12.5V;

Low Battery Warning Voltage- 12V;

Degree of protection - IP22;

Functions: charge voltage regulation, four charge modes, temperature compensation

Electronic protection: switching off the SB after reaching the final charging voltage of the battery (2.4V), disconnecting the load when the voltage on the battery is unacceptably low (11.1V), protection against incorrect polarity of connecting the SB, battery and load, protection against short circuit at the input and device output, overheating protection, input overvoltage protection, lightning protection (varistor), protection against battery open circuit, protection against battery discharge through the SB.

Float voltage

N The constant charging voltage is applied to the battery terminals and at a temperature of 25°C must be maintained at a level (2.275 Volts x number of elements connected in series) with an accuracy of ±1%, that is, in the range of 2.25-2.30 V/cell.

If the voltage is greater than the upper permissible value, overcharging occurs, which reduces the amount of electrolyte and accelerates corrosion of the positive plate grids, which ultimately reduces the service life of the batteries.
If the voltage is less than the specified lower limit, undercharging occurs. This leads to accelerated corrosion of the positive plate grids and degradation of the active material of the negative plates. The service life is also reduced.

Boost charge voltage

The boost charge voltage is applied to the battery terminals at a temperature of 25°C and must be maintained at 2.4 V/cell. This method is used to reduce charging time with a current limit of 0.25C10 for AGM and 0.2C10 for GEL and is not recommended for frequent use so as not to shorten the service life of the battery. The method can be used to equalize voltage on lagging elements according to voltage.

Load cut-off and turn-on voltage

And the rechargeable battery must be protected from overdischarge, otherwise it will fail. Therefore, the controller protects the battery from overdischarge by turning off the load when the voltage on the battery drops below a certain level. After the battery is charged from the SB to the restart voltage, the load is reconnected.

Inverters

AND The inverter is designed to convert direct voltage 12,24,48V into alternating voltage 220V, since the entire load in our house is designed for alternating voltage 220V.

For example, consider the characteristics of the PS200-12 inverter:

Rated output power, W: 175;

Maximum output power (10 minutes), W: 210;

Peak output power, W: 400;

Output voltage alternating current(50 Hz), V: 230;

Output voltage form: pure sine wave;

Output voltage waveform distortion <5% при номинальной мощности;

Permissible cos (phi) load: 0.2 — 1.0;

Rated input voltage, V: 12;

Operating input voltage range, V: 10.5 — 16.0;

Maximum efficiency: 90%;

Own consumption without load, W: 2.8;

Consumption without load in standby mode, W: 0.6;

Switch-on threshold from standby mode, W: 10;

Cooling Fan: adjustable speed depending on temperature and load (does not work at loads up to 50 W);

Output short circuit protection: yes, electronic;

Output overload protection: yes, electronic;

overheat protection: yes, electronic;

Input low voltage protection: yes, electronic.

Rated and peak power

The selection of the inverter is carried out taking into account the peak power.

This means that some electrical energy loads have a starting current that can be several times higher than the rated current.

By multiplying the starting current by the mains voltage of 220V, we get the peak power.

The power of the inverter must be no less than the sum of the rated power of the loads of electrical receivers, taking into account the simultaneity of their operation, plus the power of the electrical receiver with the highest starting current.

Output voltage form

When creating objects based on solar systems, it is also necessary to take into account the shape of the output voltage.

And inverters can have pure sinusoidal, quasi-sinusoidal and square wave voltage.
If the voltage waveform is sinusoidal, then such inverters can power any AC load.
Both square wave and quasi-sine wave inverters may not be suitable for some loads, such as induction motors, and may cause power loss, equipment overheating and interference.

Solar power supply systems are gaining more and more popularity every day, and as technologies and equipment improve, their attractiveness increases; perhaps soon you will want to purchase a similar system for your home.

P.S. Copying article materials is possible only if there is an active link to the source!!!

May 29/16

Autonomous power supply: a modern house is a non-volatile house

In pursuit of clean air and the silence of pristine nature, people move further and further from the city limits, establishing suburban areas there. And the benefits of civilization are not always present in such an area - in particular, the energy necessary to ensure human life. Electricity in such houses has to be generated independently - in simple terms, to create an autonomous power supply.

There are quite a lot of systems that allow you to solve the issue of electrifying a home, and they all cope with their tasks quite well. They are designed according to the same principle, but differ in the initial source of energy, which should be focused on when choosing such systems. Again, in simple terms, some autonomous power supply systems require constant investment in the purchase of fuel, while some, conventionally called “perpetual motion machines,” do not need this. The so-called free energy sources, which include the sun and wind, are the best option for any home. This article will talk about them, or rather how to organize an autonomous power supply at home based on them - together with the Dream House website we will understand the structure and operating principle of such power supply systems and study the basics of their independent manufacture.

Autonomous power supply for a private house photo

Autonomous power supply: design and principle of operation of the system

By and large, autonomous power supply systems for a private home are designed very simply - as a rule, they consist of three main components.

Autonomous source of power supply: which is better, sun or wind?

The question of which autonomous power plant to choose is a very important one, and many people think seriously about it - each of the systems has its own advantages and disadvantages. They pay attention to cost, operational efficiency and other indicators of efficiency, which, in fact, are unimportant. And all because there is one factor that reduces all these moments to “no” and makes them secondary - this is the frequency of the weather. Today it is windy, and tomorrow it is sunny, and the day after tomorrow there may be neither one nor the other. Even the river, if we talk about the hydroelectric power station, freezes in winter, although this is a fixable matter.

Home autonomous power supply system photo

In principle, the answer to the question of what kind of autonomous power supply system to make is clear - a combined one. It is she who is able to uninterruptedly provide the house with electricity, regardless of weather conditions. As a rule, a well-designed autonomous power supply for a private home involves the use of both solar and wind energy. Reinsurers can add to all this a small diesel-electric generator or a water mill if a river flows nearby.

Autonomous solar power supply: principle of system assembly

Despite all the subtleties and nuances, without which the installation of not a single more or less complex system is complete, in general, assembling an autonomous power plant is not so difficult. Conventionally, this entire process can be divided into several stages.

From the inverter, electricity is supplied to a standard distribution panel, which is equipped in any modern house or apartment. Electricity is distributed directly from the panel to consumers. If the system provides for the connection of several energy sources at once, then they are connected to each other in parallel, all through the same controller. There is one nuance here - to prevent current from flowing from one source to another and forcing one of them to work as an electric motor, Schottky diodes are used when connecting them in pairs. They only allow current to flow in one direction and do not allow it to flow toward energy sources when they are not producing electricity.

To conclude the topic about autonomous power supply, I will say a few words about such a thing as assembly technology. When creating such systems, it is best to use components designed for them - even special wires must be installed. All these parts are developed taking into account the characteristics of the systems and are designed for maximum operating efficiency. No one will forbid you to use standard electrical equipment, but in this case you must be prepared to sacrifice some of the energy that will be wasted down the drain.

The widespread availability of electrical networks, the simplicity and low cost of connecting to them, the absence of “natural” monopolism... is the norm in civilized countries, where they understand that affordable electrical energy is the key to the progressive economic development of the country. In such countries, issues of autonomous power supply at home are relevant, perhaps, only for mountain and forest holiday houses far from electrical networks. But there are countries where the inaccessibility and “unofficial” high cost of connecting to a centralized power supply, even if there are electrical networks in the immediate vicinity of the house, makes the issue of autonomous power supply very pressing for a wider range of people - owners of houses and dachas, stumbling over all sorts of “sovereign administrative barriers."

How can you organize an autonomous energy supply at home? Consider the example of a self-contained holiday home in the mountains of Norway. A Norwegian off-grid home uses solar panels as a source of electricity. In addition to them, you can install a wind generator. The Norwegian company SunWind sells ready-made kits of solar panels for an autonomous home. The electricity generated using solar panels and a wind generator is stored in batteries. For backup power and battery recharging, a gasoline or diesel electric generator is installed in the autonomous house. The 12-230V inverter allows you to connect low-power electronic devices such as chargers, laptops and TVs to the network. Using low-power LED lamps (2W each) for lighting, with the help of such an autonomous power supply system you can fully illuminate the house, use electronic devices, keep the refrigerator constantly on and supply water to the water supply system. It is more expedient to heat the water in such an autonomous house using a gas water heater. If you are going to use only solar panels, then the approximate cost of equipment sets in Norway for an autonomous home based on electrical power can be seen in the table:

For comparison, the price for a 1600W kit in the USA, including a wind generator and solar panels, is 190,000 rubles. It is likely that American off-grid home energy kits use cheaper Asian components. An autonomous solar power supply kit for lighting a house with 12V LED lamps (up to 100W) costs about 30,000 rubles.

An approximate layout of the elements of an autonomous house is shown in the diagram:

Using an autonomous home system allows you to obtain the comfort necessary for living in the most remote corners of the planet from civilization. Solar panels are placed on the south wall of the building. Solar panels should not be shaded by trees, and in winter they should not be hidden by snow. Solar panels require no maintenance other than periodic cleaning of the surface and washing it with glass cleaner.		BP solar panels are among the best in the world. The threshold for starting electricity generation for BP panels is 5% lower than most solar panels on the market. Therefore, BP solar panels can also be used in northern latitudes. During the first 10 years, the solar panel produces at least 90% of the installed power, and for another 25 years, at least 80% of the power. The entire service life is about 40 years. The warranty on solar panels is 25 years. The panels are connected with a cable with a cross section of 2.5 mm 2. The number of cells for all solar panels combined into a battery must be the same.
The SunWind Solar Panel Controller prevents reverse current from batteries at night when the solar panels are inactive. Also, the solar battery controller constantly monitors the voltage (charge) of the batteries and prevents them from overcharging. When the charge is almost full, the controller automatically switches to pulse charging mode instead of constant charging. The controller also regulates the battery charge depending on the room temperature (the lower the temperature, the higher the charging current). The controller also performs the functions of protecting the network from overload and allows you to charge the batteries when the load is completely turned off when leaving home. On the left in the picture is a controller for two solar batteries, on the right - for three solar batteries (RUB 16,000).		Maintenance-free Rolls batteries from 126 to 503 Ah are never discharged below 50% using the controller. Batteries with a discharge level of more than 15% cannot be used. The absence of deep discharge allows you to extend the service life of solar batteries: the warranty period is 10 years and the service life of such batteries is 15 years. The cost of one such battery with a capacity of 503 Ah is 88,000 rubles. A cable with a cross section of 6 mm 2 is used to connect the batteries. The controller is installed in a room with batteries to monitor the indoor air temperature and regulate the charge from the solar panels.
Victron is a power unit for an autonomous home power supply system: a combined battery charger, a generator start controller and a 12V-230V inverter. The device performs uninterrupted switching between power sources automatically. To the inverter Victron can connect 3 three-phase consumers or 6 single-phase ones. The cost of the Victron power unit is 66,000 rubles.		The starting relay Schrack regulator provides starting and shutting down of the generator at specified current parameters.

To save electricity and the small power of solar panels, the water supply system of an autonomous home can use low-power but efficient components operating on 12V. Such components are commonly used in mobile homes and caravans.

The simplest system of autonomous hot water supply using imported water from canisters or a storage tank with water (you can use a rainwater collection system). The pump is powered from conventional car batteries connected through a controller, or from an autonomous solar power supply system.

In conditions of energy saving, it is advisable to entrust water heating to a flow-through gas water heater.		The propane gas cylinder is connected using a reducer and a frost-resistant gas hose. You can read about which gas reducers are best to use
If necessary, you can connect several gas cylinders through a gas train.		If you keep a gas cylinder in the house (which, to put it mildly, is not recommended), install a gas analyzer that will notify (wake up) you in the event of an uncontrolled gas leak.
The water supply system of an autonomous home uses an American 12V SHURflo water pump - from a leading manufacturer of components for mobile homes and caravans. This small pump is capable of creating a pressure of 3.1 atomospheres, pumping from 5.6 to 11 liters per minute, consuming a current of 2.5 to 6.5A. The pump has a pressure switch, a built-in check valve and dry-running protection. The maximum height of water lifting by the pump is 3.5 meters.		A mandatory component of an autonomous water supply system is a hydraulic accumulator (membrane tank). SHURflo. It smoothes out pressure surges when starting the pump and maintains constant pressure in the water supply system. Also, thanks to the use of a hydraulic accumulator, noise in the water supply system is reduced and electricity is saved with less frequent pump starts.
The hydraulic accumulator of an autonomous water supply system can be connected both to the water supply line and through a tee.		The 12V pump is powered from batteries through a moisture-proof controller (power supply/battery charge controller) for mobile homes CTEK (Sweden). In Russia, the CTEK multi 25000 charger sells for about 14,000 rubles. The price in Europe is about 10,000 rubles. (there are models from 4,000 rubles)
And finally, about such an element of an autonomous home as an autonomous toilet. The main type of self-contained eco-friendly toilet in Scandinavia is the composting toilet. The cost of a composting toilet in Norway is 22,000 rubles.		A composting toilet is installed in a home or hotel building. It is filled with peat or grass, leaves - any natural substrate, which, together with the contents of the toilet, will create a valuable fertilizer - compost. This cycle is absolutely environmentally friendly. The composting toilet is ventilated and virtually odorless when used correctly.
A composting toilet with a large capacity tank can be installed in a separate house.		The capacity of the compost tank will be enough for a large family all summer, and by spring you will have an excellent fertilizer for the garden or vegetable garden.
You can put any vegetable organic waste into compost, but you cannot throw non-decomposing garbage.		Diagram of installation and use of a self-contained composting toilet.