Solar Power on the Shortest Day December 22, 2009
Posted by Graham in : Kinsale, Permaculture, Renewable Energy, Tools and technology , add a commentIt is now exactly 6 months since I set up my 600watt at Derryduff.
Having now reached the shortest days of the year I am in a position to evaluate its performance, and I can say it has served me very well. Obviously there has been a huge difference in power availability between summer and winter, but in fact the last 10 days here have seen constant sunshine -along with freezing temperatures- and I have probably had more power so far in December than October.
As I said in the earlier post, on a system like this you cut your cloth according to your measure, so giving an account of my energy consumption would be misleading- I would use more electricity if i had it! In fact though I use and need very little- on average 1-2Kwh/day would be loads to run computer, one or two lights, radio and some power tool use. Some days I would use more, and I made good use of an electric chainsaw during the longer days. The only major increase in power consumption is likely to come from a washing machine which I intend to get in the near future, the model I am looking at only uses 1.2kw per cycle, and would easily be achievable on any sunny day any time of the year.
I did run short of power a couple of weeks ago and have invested in a small petrol generator as a back up, mainly to protect the batteries, and to ensure I need never be without some power if I want it. I have only had to run the generator on a handful of evenings during cloudy weather when I have run the batteries down with power tools during the day; it would not however be too much of a hardship to do without the generator and only use power when available.
To increase power availability I could put up a wind turbine, but at this stage it might be better to invest in more batteries- I only have approx. 1000Amph storage at present- and maybe a couple more PV panels. This might be sufficient as I dont expect to be increasing my electricity consumption drastically any time soon. The great advantage of PV over wind is that there are no moving parts, no maintenance and they are modular- I can add in more panels whenever I have some spare cash.
In short I am satisfied that I can live just on a modest solar array even in cloudy gray Ireland. For my situation it has been a good option; for a family of four, maybe not unless supplemented by wind.
I also want to mention my new Rayburn wood burning range that I installed in the cabin just this weekend. It replaces a cast iron stove, but I missed the range from the roundhouse for baking, and I am delighted with it so far. Ranges are a great option, doing everything at once: space heating, water heating, oven for baking, hob for cooking. It might require a little more wood than the stove, but that is one source of fuel I have plenty of. It should mean I use less gas for cooking at least in the winter months, and increases resilience as I could do without gas altogether if I had to.
Best of all, the range was free- many thanks to Liam and Ger who were replacing it with an oil burner, and to Ciara who pointed them in my direction!
We also got to play with the PV demonstration panel we have at the Kinsale college.
The meter reads 3.19 amps from an 80watt panel.
Kinsale College on YouTube March 12, 2009
Posted by Graham in : Green Building, Kinsale , add a commentKinsale College of Further Education has recently posted a new video promoting the course on You Tube. Click here to see the video which includes myself very briefly desribing the course modules, and a few shots of the college gardens. The drama, art, multimedia and outdoor pursuits courses are also covered.
There is also an excellent clip here from the Nationwide TV programme available here, which was made with the courses’ founder Rob Hopkins in 2005, with interviews with the students and good coverage of the now famous cordwood amphitheatre.
Full details on the practical sustainability and other courses at Kinsale can be found here.
Rob Hopkins on Permaculture and the Kinsale College May 21, 2008
Posted by Graham in : Kinsale, Permaculture, Transition Towns , 1 comment so farTo mark the end of an era and the retirement of John Thuillier as director of the Kinsale FEC, Zone5 has managed to secure this exclusive and enlightening interview with Rob Hopkins who founded the unique 2-year course in Practical Sustainability 7 years ago. Thanks also to Rob for sending on some photos from the early days of the course which I have placed though the interview along with some recent ones from the past year.
When did you first move to Ireland?
I moved in September 1996, from Bristol. I had just finished my degree and my second child was about 6 months old. From a house in the middle of Bristol to a mouse-overrun farmhouse up a lane near Skibbereen. I had lived in cold houses before, but this one was COLD. From the moment I arrived though, I absolutely loved it. (more…)
Graduation at Kinsale College May 19, 2008
Posted by Graham in : Kinsale , add a commentEnd of another year and this time end of an era as John and Margaret Thuillier retire from Kinsale College. John has been a fine director of the college and is leaving a remarkable pedagogical legacy with a thriving Further Education College with many successful courses including of course the unique Practical Sustainability course.
Left: John and Margaret at the Graduation ceremony; Right: John plays to the crowd
Congratulations to all the second year Permaculture students on all their hard work and contributions to the college, the permaculture course, Transition Towns Kinsale and many other projects. May you now be unleashed on an unsuspecting world and carry on your good work wherever you may be.
2nd year Permaculture Graduates Left to right from back: Shane Gannon, Klaus Harvey, Graham, David neavyn, Mikael Jedhamre, Will Flanagan; Susie Cornally, Jeannie Timony, Michelle Nixon; Front: Tara Kramer, Cathie Clinton, Virginia Stearns, Diane Rogers, Naomi Dowds, Tara O’Donoghue,Victoria McDonagh
Likewise the first year students pictured here with their Permaculture Design Certs, congratulations and many thanks for all your hard work and contributions both in the college and out, and look forward to seeing some of you next year.
Back row L to R: Luc Bouriel, Anja Pawelec, Kevin Dalton, Niamh Dempsey, Brian Brennan, Ed O’Leary, James barry, Tony Crotty, Seth Sutker, Rob O’Brien, Chris Michalowicz; Middle: Cormac McHugh, Susannah Murphy, Saskia Walter,Siobhan Cronin, Cathal Larkin, Ronan Philips, Deidre Duffy, Lea Miklody, Christine Disant, Paul Grimes; Front: Emily Shakespeare,Gabriella Perslow, Aileen O’Sullivan, Caroline Flavin, Maria Buitenhuis, Alan Morkan
A big thankyou is also due to Margaret and Kathleen for keeping the whole show going; all the other tutors and students who make up the community of the college and make it a truly convivial place to work;
Saturday also saw the last night of this years play directed by Belinda Wild and performed by drama students, the riotous farce by Feydeau A Flea in Her Ear
Coming soon: exclusive interview with Rob Hopkins on how the Practical Sustainability course got started
