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Mobile, stealthy, off-grid, vandweller

amv01
I think I got all the descriptive words covered there in the title, I am talking about Brian, also known as AdventureVanMan on YouTube. In his late 30s, single and hard working, he became disillusioned with life as he was living it and decided it was time to make a change.

Brian left his 2 bedroom apartment, sold most of his possessions, bought a cargo van and began living a life that makes him smile. He designed the inside of his cargo van to be simple, almost spartan, but it’s genius is useability and functionality. He lives in town, using a gym membership and friends & family for showering and other bathroom functions, so he doesn’t need a shower or major toilet system, he does have a backup toilet just in case, but doesn’t use it for the most part. All he really needs is a place to sleep and hang out when he’s not working.

Brian, being nowhere near retirement age, still works, so during the week, he stealth parks near where he works to save on fuel and time, on the weekends, he stays closer to the ocean in California, where he can catch a wave when he wants to, or just wake up to a beautiful sunrise glinting off the water.

I really appreciate his solar system setup, he put a lot of thought into it, utilizing the roof of his van to mount a RENOGY 100 Watt solar panel, he is able to tilt it to catch more sun, he uses two 6 volt deep cycle batteries wired together to make a 12 volt system, he uses a small inverter to power his laptop and other goodies, he also has some items hooked up directly to his batteries (12 volt goodies) so he isn’t losing power by converting from 12 volt to 110 watt. Some might deem to call Brian “homeless”, I don’t think that is the case, I feel like he made a reasonable and responsible decision to downsize and simplify his life, he wasn’t forced onto the streets, he chose to live this way.

You can view more about his solar system here:

You can learn more about Brian here
https://adventurevanman.wordpress.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/TrueBypassTheory/




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Energy

Microgrid trade fair, Barcelona

microgrid_map(PRWEB) – Microgrid technology developers and business leaders from around the world will gather in Barcelona, Spain, May 19-21, 2015, for the Microgrid World Congress (https://www.microgridworldcongress.com). Through a series of in-depth presentations and discussion sessions, expert speakers representing a range of microgrid deployment scenarios will closely examine the business models, latest technology advances, and success strategies for operating microgrids in remote, off-grid, island, and grid-tied environments.
Worldwide investment in microgrid enabling technologies is expected to total more than $155 billion from 2014 through 2023.
Additionally, the industry estimates that worldwide installations of microgrid capacity will grow from 866 Megawatts in 2014 to more than 4,100 Megawatts by 2020.
“This is a rapidly expanding market opportunity, especially since the commercial business model for microgrids in grid-connected environments is taking shape,” says Daniel Coran, editor of the Smart Grid Observer. “Speakers and attendees will be discussing the latest thinking about utility distribution microgrids, as well as maximizing the efficiency, performance, and ROI of renewables-centric, off-grid systems.”
Presenting organizations include ČEZ Distribuce, ERDF, Freqcon, SunEdison, Lux Research, Trama TecnoAmbiental, Gommyr Power Networks, HSB Engineering Insurance, CENER-CIEMAT, Gildemeister Energy Solutions, Aalborg University, ABB, the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC), SMA Ibérica Tecnología Solar, QiDO Energy Development GmbH, Smart Hydro Power, RVE.SOL, Aquion Energy, CPG Advisors, Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI), Hatch Electro-Technologies, Boeing Research & Technology Europe, Tecnalia Research & Innovation, and others.
Co-organized by Trama TecnoAmbiental and SGO, the three-day Congress will address topics such as:
Sustainability and innovation trends for microgrids
Refining the microgrid business model for grid-tied and off-grid environments
System design, modeling, forecasting, and implementation
Energy storage innovation and advances for microgrid applications
Investor perspectives on renewable energy microgrids
Developing world case studies
Microgrid performance factors from an insurer’s perspective
Optimal power planning, control and management in microgrid systems
Integration and operation of flow batteries in micro- and macrogrids
Flywheel-based microgrids
Stabilizing small isolated grids: creating a compelling business case
Application of energy storage and wind to power remote mine microgrids
PV integration in large genset grids
Hydrokinetic turbines for microgrids in remote areas
And more
“This will be a unique opportunity for industry professionals to share deployment experiences and best practices,” Coran adds. “Our goal is to provide an industry-open Forum in which project managers and planners can benefit from each other’s expertise and advance the potential of microgrids worldwide.”
Organizational supporters of the event include the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), EUROBAT, EUREC, Grid4EU, Svensk Solenergi, Swissolar, CanaleEnergia, APESF, Lux Research, Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association (RPIA), GTM Research, Microgrid Knowledge, Electric Energy T&D Magazine, Navigant Research, Utility Horizons International, FierceEnergy, the World Alliance for Distributed Energy (WADE), SmartGridNews.com, and others.…

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Community

A wonderful off-grid couple

stonecampThere are many off the grid tutorial videos about nearly anything having to do with off-grid life, there are a precious few about the people themselves, the why instead of the how. I enjoyed watching this video about Teddy and Kathy Carns and their off-grid life. Not only does it show some of the how, but it shows the why as well as their journey they are on. There is reality too, Kathy quit work to join Teddy living off-grid, but they soon discovered, much like us, that there needs to be some income coming in to pay for the things that you can’t barter for, things like taxes and such. I love it that it is Kathy who went back to work, in a field she obviously loves, this mirrors our life in so many ways, even down to the saving and dividing their trash into things that are biodegradable and those that are not, they don’t get rid of what isn’t biodegradable, they clean it and save it for future use.…

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Community

On demand water heater

waterheater1

There are a few needs, requirements for life, food, water, shelter, once those basic requirements are met, after that come the things that make life pleasant. When we first moved to our off-grid home, we lived in little more than a box (16X16) with few amenities. Most wouldn’t even consider living this way, but for me, for us it was paradise, living rough was just a small inconvenience, a small road bump on the road of our life.…

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Motely Fool says its time to make money from off-grid energy
Energy

Motley Fool says bet on off-grid energy

Investor’s tip sheet, The Motley Fool – advises readers to “Keep an eye on [the off-gird] space, you might be “cutting the cord” sooner than you think. Which could turn the power industry on its head.”

There’s something going on in Kwigillingok, Alaska, says the Fool, It runs a microgrid, defined as a small closed power system that can operate independently, or in conjunction with, the larger power grid. Such small systems could be the future of power.…

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Community

Flower pot heater, does it work?

flower pot heater

The last couple of winters have been very hard for those of us living in the USA, the so called “polar vortexes” have come down from above, of course when I was growing up, these were referred to as a cold front, I suppose now they have to make it sound more newsworthy… at any rate, the winters are cold cold cold, many rely on grid power to keep their homes warm, even those who have natural gas, their heating units still rely on electricity to run and circulate the heat. It’s always a good idea to have at least one alternative means of heating your home should the power go out, ideally you should have multiple backup means of heating your home, or at least one room to get you through in the worst case scenario.…

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Mobile Nuclear inevitable

Mobile nuclear power generators could become a viable energy source in the future.

Earlier this week Mississauga, Canada-based Terrestrial Energy signed a collaboration agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which successfully ran a 7.4MW molten salt reactor experiment from 1965 to 1969 in the US.
Terrestrial Energy plans to advance the molten salt reactor to the engineering blueprint stage by late 2016.…

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Chinese model poses nbext to BYD Hybrid - the Prius-killer
Energy

BYD gets into V2G

The name tells you everything – Chinese vehicle company BYD – it stands for Build Your Dreams – has embraced V2G – Vehicle to Grid – the auto makers’ vision of a future where you drive your car into the garage and then plug it into your house to power the heating and cooking.

A patent application by BYD inventors aims to facilitate the process by making sure the macihnes can charge super-fast at public charge-points.…

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Alternative uses for Reflectix

I’ve been seeing this material called Reflectix, it’s basically bubblewrap encased in aluminized mylar on both sides, it has insulative properties. It was originally created to be used as insulation in buildings, garages and such. Since this product is flexible like a fabric as opposed to being ridged, I wondered if this could be used in some clothing, shoes and such to help keep you warm without having to resort to bulky, thick layers…. I look in my mukluk style booties and there is a reflective foil layer beneath the sole, I don’t know if it is a bubblewrap product, but the foil layer is there.…

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12% of population will go off-grid: Accenture

Consulting company Accenture forecast that 12 per cent of American households will be off-grid by 2035, and 11% in Europe.

Steady growth of distributed energy resources and energy efficiency measures could cause significant “demand disruption” and drive down utilities’ revenues by up to $48 billion a year in the United States and (EURO)61 billion a year in Europe by 2025, according to Accenture’s Digitally Enabled Grid research.…

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Kodiak Power pack

Going out and about for a few days or living full-time away from Utilities, the Kodiak box from Outdoor Technology is one of the better power sources.…

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Never a better time to unplug in South Africa

Soaring utility costs and power blackouts are pushing more and more South African homeowners to find new ways of living.

Warnings earlier this month that power utilities would be implementing rolling blackouts in light of collapsed coal storage depots prompted communities to consider installing power-saving devices or arrange their own power supply.…

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