The Winter Solar System...

When it's 9 degrees C on December 9th, there's something going on.
Whilst this helps shorten winter, it brings an uneasy comfort.
The lull before the storm kind of thing.
The Saskatchewan runs mentioned in the last post went well, no ills befell us this time and we have also enjoyed a Ritchie Bros auction in Edmonton over the last couple of days. No bargoons were found at this sale but I maintain "If you don't go, you don't know".
We are looking for a 53' refer trailer for our next project and finding one in reasonable shape for a reasonable price is tough.
Just as well we are in no rush.

We have done a little "Winter Reno" on our solar system, mostly to the batteries which were in need of some love, so we are now back up to our full quota of 8 batteries and added two more solar panels.
Our system is everything that it should not.
There are 350 watts of panels charging 1600 amp/hours of  8D batteries with a Honda inverter generator supplying a charger for the days with no sun. A 3000 watt inverter runs the house and despite all the corners we cut to build it, the darned thing has worked well for 2 years. We almost feel like solar outlaws as we have done just about everything that one should never do in building a system.
We even run a full size electric fridge / freezer which is a power hog and a full size front load washing machine as well as an electric dog bed warmer, yet it all works and we manage just fine.
A video is in the works on how we arrived at our present creation and what we learned along the way.
This year is our 8th anniversary of living off grid with solar power.
Some roads you venture down blissfully unaware that you will never come back. The solar road is one.

We hauled 100 gallons of water today for the cabin and the horses, this is a twice a week chore, that would be cut in half without the Naggeroos but they are here, so the water must be too.
Despite having to make the 1/2 hour round trip to town, our water bill is $10 / month so well worth the effort. A larger indoor tank would easily reduce the time commitment. Throughout the summer months we haul 700 gallons at a time (about 2 months worth) for our household use as the naggs drink from the ponds but winter cold renders that operation redundant. Everything must be inside.
We do not drink chlorinated water, we have proven to ourselves the evils of chlorine.
Another trailer load of hay will be coming in this week as well as another trip to the coal mine before Xmas to ensure we will be in good stead on both counts well into march.
We usually make these runs in raging blizzards or on sheet ice and they invariably become day long episodes in winter misery.
To be doing them in an almost leisurely, comfortable and civilized manor really is quite bizarre.
We may even have time for another cup of tea.
How nice.