I sent the following two texts to my BGFF(FN1) today, about an hour apart:
charged the solar battery and plugged the fridge into it to see how long it lasts. The sun is my friend
measuring the bedroom windows for reflective coverings to keep them cooler this summer. the sun is my enemy
Actually, in both cases, my enemy is the power company.
Let me, as usual, back up. When I bought the house, my parents gave me a generator as a "housewarming gift." This was not unappreciated. The power does go out 2-3 times a year here, occasionally for several days. Letting the freezer and fridge melt during that time kinda sucks.
But what my parents actually bought as a housewarming gift was a generator for THEM. They gave me the hand-me-down, which hails from the halcyon year of 1992. I have kept it going the past seven years with starter fluid, actual baling wire, and alternate rounds of cursing and prayer.
This spring, it finally died for good - or at least so good my skills aren't bringing it back to life. (Nonzero chance my neighbor across the street will want it for parts. to which I say "have at it, Sean.") I don't want to replace it with another gas generator. I already replaced the lawnmower and chainsaw with electric versions; if I don't have a gas generator, I no longer have to keep gasoline in any form on the premises. I also don't have to worry about gas going stale. Or going to $THEMOON per gallon. Or anything else.
So I bought a 400W solar panel and a battery unit. Today I charged up the unit. I decided to plug the fridge into it and run it back down to 20 percent, just to see how long that will take. This was a great idea until I remembered I'm supposed to drive to [NEAREST LARGE CITY] in a few days and thus won't be here if it dies mid-trip, which it probably will, given its current estimate of how long its sun juice will last. So now my computer is plugged into it. This blog post brought to you by THE SUN.
I like not having to keep gasoline around. I really like not having to pay the power company. So much that I've been reading a lot more about how to run things off solar panels recently.
Meanwhile, I'm measuring the bedroom windows to fit them with one-inch foam core board with a reflective side. I have some of this left over in the garage from one of my late husband's myriad projects. My hope is that this will keep the traditionally Hot End Of the House from being less Hot in summer, which will mean I can use the AC less, which again will mean me paying less to the power company.
I also moved the bed that was in the spare bedroom to the basement. The basement never gets above 75F, no matter how hot it gets upstairs. (The spare bedroom is now an office/workshop, which is great because I can close the door and maybe keep the cats from chewing up any more LED wires or breaking my tailor's chalk, BOTH OF WHICH THEY HAVE DONE. Also it has the best view of the chicken run.)
Unlike Verizon
(which keeps sending me pathetic pleas to un-dump their soggy service)
or Spectrum
(which keeps offering better rates to "Current Resident" than they ever offered me),
I don't have any particular beef with the power company. My beef with the power company is my beef with capitalism generally. No, I don't really want to pay you for my survival. Especially when you use my money to destroy the planet. You know, the thing we all LIVE ON.
Yes, I'm looking into home solar. No, I don't care that the tax credits expired. But it's going to wait until I replace the roof. The roof is due to go in another 5-7 years anyway. Either solar will be even cheaper and more efficient then or it'll be turnip winter for the United States. Whee.
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FN1: BGFF: Best Gremlin Friend Forever.
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