PV Gap

Donna Said:

Home made generator advice?

We Answered:

>up late lots of caffeine can't sleep and random ideas,

clearly.

Consider the following: if you already have 115-230 amp electric power available to drive the electric motor, why not just by-pass the whole setup and run your downstream electric devices directly?

After all, there is a conversion efficiency penalty to pay whenever you transform energy from one form into another (in this case, electrical to mechanical back to electrical.)

So if you put in 100kW to drive the electric motor, you certainly will get less than 100kW out of the alternators due to efficiency considerations.

Do yourself a favor, stay off the caffeine and go to sleep.

Clyde Said:

How big a generator do I need to run the essentials for a home, including a well pump?

We Answered:

The smallest I would recommend is 5000 watts. This should be enough to operate the well pump, small cooking appliances, lights, television, fridge, etc. Power will be limited and you will have to be careful not to overload the generator. I power my house with a 5500 watt generator. You should also consider installation of a proper transfer switch and be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Read through my generator page listed below for more information.



If your main goal is to power the well pump solar or wind are not feasible. The power requirements are simply too high. It may be an option to supplement your electrical consumption for other smaller loads however.

Donna Said:

Are diesel vehicles affected by solar storms?

We Answered:

Most solar storms don't affect us but occasionally intense electromagnetic disturbances can knock out communications or possibly even overload power grids. I wouldn't worry too much about your diesel truck. Not too sure about your generator but it's highly unlikely to be affected.