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Saturday, May 9, 2015

We finally invested in Solar Panels but what a Pain

We finally made the move to install solar panels hoping that it would be a simple process which didn't require us to spend days/weeks becoming familiar with the technology in order to make a decision.

Well it turned out to be a long drawn out saga and we did in fact have to learn all the details about solar panels and their installation.

Thinking it would be easy we selected three suppliers for quotations. We chose the three big electricity companies thinking that they would know what to do and be reputable. But not so. Only two responded. Neither was willing to attend the site without payment to perform the pricing. It was all done over the telephone. One supplier did this from a call centre in India. The other did it within the country but didn't respond to any follow up questions. They also turned out to have the poorest record of service with only 63% of customers NOT experiencing problems.

We then broadened the search criteria and invited another half a dozen or more companies to tender including a local electrician who came recommended. Three of these visited. As quotes came to hand we became further immersed in detail and potential issues. Rural installations have more limitations than suburban installations.

We found companies quoted on all manner of possible systems. And offerings were based on either our usage or the largest permissible system. Only three companies were concerned with the limitations of cable length and voltage rise which dictated the size of the final system. Most companies left it up to us to organise the new meter installation.

Some companies said we needed angling brackets others said we didn't. Some said 3KW was all we needed and said 5KW. As a general rule almost no one was concerned with optimisation.

We read all about panels and inverters and at least knew which were the best and most reliable brands.

The local electrician who visited spent 2 hours with us measuring and answering questions. He only dealt with the best quality materials. Over the ensuing couple of weeks we saw he and his crew in action on another site repairing water damaged pumping equipment and were impressed. Mentally we had chosen him and were hoping his pricing wouldn't be over the top.

His final proposed system was 3KW. Limited by the rather high voltage we have on this site. The pricing by our electrician was 10% below the nearest contender. He also included surge protection because of the voltage. And to assist us in measuring both our usage and our generation a pair of wireless monitors are included along with access to an web based analysis tool.

After many weeks of research, talking and comparing we were lucky enough to be hit by a rainbow. A local supplier/installer, prepared to visit, talk and build a relationship, be a one stop shop, came with a personal recommendation, demonstrated skills, designed a system for this site and nailed the whole deal home with an attractive quote.



Preparedness Tested Part 3

Water.

If you don't have easy access to water:

  •  it is impossible to flush the toilet. And it isn't much easier using buckets.
  • When your face is covered with sawdust from hours of chainsaw work (even with protective gear) you want to wash it off
  • Chain sawing is thirsty work you need to drink a lot to keep functioning for the long term.
  • At night you are crusty, wet and tired and desperately need a hot shower.
The house pressure system is the first appliance we connect to the generator.

Power

We have had our 7.5 KW generator for over 20 years. It has paid for itself many times over both in making blackouts comfortable and also in saving the contents of refrigerators and freezers. Apart from major storm damage even short period blackouts are annoying as they seem to happen just on dusk.

Not everyone can justify owning a model this large but even a small unit can provide some essential services.

Fuel

We keep 8 x 20 litre drums of fuel for our various engines. Petrol is 20 kilometres away if the road isn't blocked. Complacency lead us to only have just under three drums remaining full. Luck was with us and we were able to survive easily for 3 days without external power.

We now refill any empty containers as soon as possible. It is also a lot easier to carry two containers in the car rather than 6 or 8.

Fuel also means the accruements i.e.Chain and bar oil, 2 stroke oil and engine oil.

Telephone

Most people have replaced their Telstra issued handset with a cordless multi handset model. These require electricity to function. We couldn't contact some of our neighbours because they didn't have the old handset. We keep both connected. The batteries at the exchange kept the service functioning for about 30 hours.

Lighting

When Aldi had a special on LED wand torches we bought several. They are incredible. The battery life on LED is many hours and reading by them is like reading in daylight. Having them distributed in key locations for quick access. They come with a folding hook for hanging and a magnetic plate to stick on the refrigerator in the kitchen for night meal preparation. We also keep a standard lamp with two led globes for general night lighting.

Cooking

When we renovated the kitchen more than 10 years ago we opted for a gas stove. But if you have a BBQ it works also. Just make sure you always keep a spare gas bottle.

Our coffee is made with a small espresso machine from freshly ground beans. Well made coffee makes a good start to the day. As a backup we keep a small amount of ground coffee frozen and also we have kept our old plunger and a stove top infuser as backup. Luckily we had plenty of milk on hand. These small things just make life a little more normal and pleasant.

Heating

A fireplace or slow combustion heater can't be beaten.

Maintenance

Our bitumen driveway has a badly damaged section which needs major rework. The cause was a blocked drain. The drain was blocked because we had become lazy and didn't complete our annual clean up of this vital drain.

Emergency Exit

It just so happens we are in the process of replacing our aging front boundary fence. The new addition will be another gate into the neighbours property for yet another exit.

Summary

Overall we survived very well. Ran a little low on fuel and couldn't run away for two days but we had plenty of food, water and warmth. Being able to take care of ourselves without calling on emergency services allowed others in need to be taken care of sooner.

We have learnt to be more disciplined about adhering to preparedness plans.

Most of all we found that it didn't take much to make life comfortable in that period. Because we were not in crisis we were able to check with neighbours to make sure they were unhurt and not in need. Life went on pretty much as normal but with a few changed priorities.

There is always an upside to every disaster. The local economy is thriving with the hardware stores and produce stores selling out of everything from fencing materials to chainsaws. People are restocking freezers and pantries. Tradesman are inundated with work. Best if the storm hadn't happened but always accept the positives.

All we need to do now after securing all the boundaries is to commence clearing away the 40 odd trees lying horizontally. No need to worry about firewood for some time.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Preparedness Tested Part 2

On Tuesday morning we woke up to no power. The rain had eased and so had the wind. Jean went to let out the chickens and I went about setting up the generator with extension cords to the house - it takes about 20 minutes at most. She came back to let me know a number of Eucalypt trees in The Nuttery had toppled over the fox exclusion fence.

Rather than do a full evaluation of the property I had some coffee and set about clearing the Nuttery fence to make sure the chickens were protected. It only took a few hours to cut away the foliage and trunks and re-erect the fence.

The following day and just by chance we found the chickens were not secure at all. Down in the gulley of The Nuttery there had been a wash out through the boundary. Come on in predators. Another couple of hours work to repair.

Rule: Make a complete inspection of the property before you start.

How fortunate that on the previous Friday we succumbed to a special on chainsaws at the produce store and purchased a light weight quality saw to use beside our big boy saw. We would need the big boy for the large trunks but wielding it at shoulder height to trim foliage is a real muscle killer.

Rule: Always have the appropriate sized tools.

Now with the chickens secure I wandered on down our driveway to inspect the damage. Of the four trees down over the driveway only one presented a serious problem. It was the second largest tree on the property with a metre thick trunk dead centre across the driveway. The huge canopy would have to be trimmed gradually to prevent the trunk from swivelling. It took two days to cut a path for a vehicle.



We had an alternative route out but it was 4WD access only and had more than 6 trees across it. There was also another 4WD access point through next door's property but it was impassable with 4 massive trees blocking the gateway.




Rule: Have multiple points of access to the property but don't assume they won't all fail. There needs to be a backup plan for that failure.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Preparedness Tested Part 1

The Williams River had flood warnings issued well in advance of the rainfall but a strange thing happened many if not most farmers were caught out including ourselves. We all recalled the 2007 East Coast Low and the river peaking at it's highest level. And then moved cattle and horses accordingly.

Well that didn't work because the river rose an additional 3 metres higher than before. All those ridges that remained above the 2007 water level now sat 2 metres below the water line. And it all happened very quickly i.e. no second chances.

On Monday night I moved the cattle on our work place farm off the river into what was deemed a secure paddock. On Tuesday morning we could no longer access that property. Being a cautious worrier about these things and watching the river spread I contacted the neighbour to that property and was able to get the cattle released into the highest ground. I found out later it was only with an hour to spare.

Some farmers were lucky and their animals floated down stream and survived but most others were not.

So what happened here. We all suffered the same bias. We did not allow for the event to be any worse than our existing memories. We also believed the rate of rise would be the same.

New rule for preparedness. Assume the very worst.

When we finally made it across the river to the work property we could see this silage had floated from beneath the tree line in the distance to higher ground with no damage.

Two days after the flood
 

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Preparedness - Espoused Theories and Theories in Action

Some time ago I said that when something of value popped up it would be the subject of a blog entry. Well we finally had our Preparedness Status tested.

We are all more likely to lose our jobs, be flooded or burnt or have an accident than to be invaded by Zombies or aliens or even another country, experience a Mass Coronal Ejection or have the country enter a decade long severe economic depression resulting in starvation and rioting.

A couple of weeks ago we were hit by the East Coast Low. The wind gusted in great long bursts all night waking us at regular intervals. Rain didn't fall it arrived horizontally. Between Monday morning and Tuesday morning 233 mm fell and then half as much again in the following 24 hours. Others received even more.

We live on a ridge above the valley and neither expected nor received flooding other than the wine cellar going under as usual and some water in the workshop. Water blew in under the doors and was stopped with a towel or two.

The roof stayed connected (thanks to much work on it 10 years ago) and nothing fell on us. The power failed in the early morning and stayed out for three days. The outage was so widespread and complete that even the telephone exchanges dropped out after 30 hours when their backup systems failed. We didn't know at the time and it didn't effect us but even the town water in our village failed when a 50 metre section of the gravity feed delivery pipe from Chichester Dam was washed out.

We usually look out over the Williams valley and see glimpses of the river in one or two spots as it meanders past. On Tuesday we commenced seeing more and more of the river until we could see the entire river in our view.

Over a few posts I'll go into:

  • How well we were prepared and talk about things that worked and things that didn't.

  • How historical bias created so much grief for so many people in our area.

  • How our processes had to be corrected.

  • How the local economy picked up as a result.

Here is a smelly problem.

Assume you have is no water pressure. You get one flush of the toilet then the second person has a problem and especially so when there are solids. Fill a bucket with water and flush manually? Try it. It isn't that easy. Toilets are designed to swirl and mix and flush. A bucket doesn't do the job anywhere near as well. Several buckets give a mediocre result.