We've got a new "normal" at our house now. Russell wasn't able to purchase the exact inverter we'd hoped for (one we'd looked at in a store, and considered buying to have on hand in case of an event just like this - but we'd decided not to buy it, of course), but he was able to purchase a smaller unit. He also was able to borrow another (even smaller) inverter from a mechanic friend of his.
With this smaller equipment we can't run as many appliances at one time as we could do previously. This means that we can't use up all the excess power which pours in during the sunniest hours of the day. So, to protect our equipment from having to deal with so much incoming power, today Russell removed four of the solar panels from the roof.
So, this is what our day looks like now: we run the refrigerator and the computer during the day, but nothing else. These are running on solar power.
In the evening, we use the generator to charge up the batteries and run the TV/VCR, computer and the washing machine. When two or three loads of wash are done, we're done running power for the night.
This is a workable situation, since without this equipment we'd really have a hard time running the fridge at all - so, it's much better than the alternative. Of course, we're still having to wonder if additional batteries are going to die . . . that would mean that we'd have to find another, lower level of "normal."
2 comments:
Praying those remaining batteries hold out until the new system arrives in December!
I was looking at solar systems last week at an equipment supply store and thinking of you all. Is there some way we could get an inverter to you faster? Is there a place in San Pedro Sula to which we could ship it (the hotel we stayed in for example) and Allan could pick it up? Just thinking out loud here, but there must be a way to speed this up.
Post a Comment