Solar panels and Wood burners

Our yurt plans are beginning to pleasantly remind me of "Neutral City" from Keiichi Sugiyama's animated film Origin. Yurts lend so well to the combination of old and new in their design. The basic structure has been in use since the time of Genghis Khan and yet we are incorporating things like cutting edge photovoltaic technology. We will have compact laptop computers and a home made composting toilet.

Juliana worked through some numbers again for us today and put together a sizing profile for the solar panels that will provide our electricity. She used the "Backwoods solar electric systems" book we received today as well as info from the web for references. This is the chart she came up with:

WATTS, Hrs/day, Watt hrs/day,

Food blender, 200, 1/25, 8,
Sundanzer fridge, 240, 1, 240,
Fluorescent bulbs, 15 (x2) = 30, 4, 120,
Computer, 100 (x2) = 200, 3, 600,
Printer/toothbrush/shaver, 90, 1/4, 22.5,

991 Watt-hours per day/6 = 165 watts
165 x 50% = 247 watts (to allow for solar module derating)
247 x 33% = 328 watts (to allow for lack of sunshine)

Sample system:
(x2) 130 watt Sunelec panels
Trojan 120ah 12 volt golf cart battery
Steca Prs 1515 charge controller
Wagan 1500 watt inverter

Awesome work Juliana!

With this information I was able to begin searching for deals on the system components. We have decided to look at buying the components separately rather than in a kit form. So far the best deal I have found is for a 180 watt monocrystalline panel at $425. Two of these panels would be enough to power everything in the 30' yurt and probably have enough left over to run the 20' workshop yurt we have in mind for Juliana's writing seminars.

We have also decided on a wood burning stove called the "Five Dog Stove." The Five Dog Stove is made by the Four Dog Stove company out of St. Francis MN. Check them out at fourdog.com. It was a suggestion Juliana discovered after researching some yurt forums and we both feel that it's the best thing out there for the price.