There is no public utility providing electricity to Sand Creek Park. And, according to the local rural electric utility, there never will be. So, we are truly "off the grid" and must produce our own power.

We won't live without the modern conveniences of running water, electric lights, Internet access, radio and occasional TV. So, it is necessary to rely on alternate and more renewable forms of energy. We can generate electricity three different ways:

1. Run a gasoline (or propane) powered generator. This is fine for emergencies or when supplemental power is needed beyond what we can provide otherwise. But, impractical and expensive for everyday use.

2. Use PV panels. "PV" stands for photovoltaic, and these panels turn sunlight into electrical power. A PV system provides DC or direct current power at lower voltages and must be turned into AC (alternating current) at 120 volts to conform to standard power for the above list of electrically powered items. This is done with something called an "inverter". (The word "converter" is used for the opposite--it turns AC power into DC power.) Our inverter is capable of delivering 2000 watts of power continuously, so we can never use more than that at any given time.

3. Wind. Wind can be used to power a generator which also creates DC electricity. This can also be converted to AC through the inverter and used to power the cabin.

Of course, we need electricity even when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing, so we have a bank of batteries to store extra power generated by the PV panels or wind turbine for later use.

So, our system and any typical off the grid electric system works something like this:

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One of the challenges we have at the cabin is doing laundry. We don't have an automatic washer here, although we plan to add one in the future. And, that will be a project I'll post about at the time. It will require some plumbing and electrical work, but I think we have a nice spot for something like this. 

Meantime, we use a hand washer. It can hold up to 4 pounds of laundry, uses very little water and soap, and takes just a few minutes to do a load. Simply add the water and soap, then your laundry, and take it for a spin. Wash times vary from 1 minute to 4 minutes depending on the size of the load! After washing, it is easy to drain the soapy water, add some cold water for a rinse, and tumble again.

We find that the clothes need 2-3 rinses. And, while they do get cleaner, they are not perfectly clean. Still this is fine for a pair of jeans, kitchen towels, underwear, etc.

A few minutes on the clothes line outside and things are dry in no time at all.

Once each "vacation" visit we go to a great laundry in Laramie and get everything done thoroughly there. This year we'll go one or two days before we plan to leave for the long trek back to New Jersey. That way, all the sheets, towels and clothes we leave here will be fresh and clean for our next visit.