Hi,I've just joined the Group

[ENIGMA]

Hi my names Paul,from Cambridge UK.I'm very interested in self sufficiency.Especially alternative energy.I have an old house near Mayenne (Northern France)Which I have nearly completed renovating,mostly with reclaimed materials.The water comes from the well ,via a pressure tank.I have started to install 12v lighting with small solar panels.I have been doing a lot of reading on building wind generators and solar heating,as I'm pretty handy and enjoy building from scrap.
I'm near a river,where I go kyaking and near a reservoir,where I sail.
'm slowly planting fruit trees and hope to run "Eco holidays" in the future.

[marshlander]

Hello Enigma!

[ina]

Hiya Paul!

[MKG]

Hi Paul

[oldfella]

Hello Paul Welcome

[Shirley]

Hi Paul

Welcome

[red]

welcome

[andyt]

Hi Paul,
Is your pressure tank the older galvanised type[which are brilliant],or a newer one with internal rubber bag?
[God, i must seem a right Anorak!!!!!!!!]
Oh,by the way,......hello
"Pumpy"

[tim&fatima]

Hello and Welcome to ish.

[hedgewitch]

Hello and welcome to the ishers.

[eccentric_emma]

hello!

[AXJ]

welcome... enjoy

[Shadowrom]

Hi Paul, Im Romesh fom Malaysia. Im also interested in photovoltaics. Is it a feasable technology to power a home at the stage it is today ?

I hear there is another form which is much cheaper for heating and cooling applications. Its works on drawing heat into and/ out of a building into the ground (approx 6metres deep). The energy required to do the same work using convetional methods is far higher and it can be solar powered or wind driven.

[ENIGMA]

Thanks everyone for your warm welcome.

Yes Andy,my pressure tank is galvanised and large with a gauge which cuts of at 3 and a half bar.It will bring the water up to the top bathroom which is 4 stories up from the tank,although it does take a long time to fill the bath there.
when I bought the house 10 years ago,it had a 3 phase pump which was broken due to freezing.I adapted a cheap single phase pump to do the job.
Since I had the electric disconnected 3 years ago,I have used a 1kw generator to power the pump when I visit.I would love to power it with 12v pumps but these are very expensive and I can't justify the expense.
I'm working on the idea of using a 12v battery drill I have, to power the pump,through a 12v lead acid battery,but maybe wont have enough rpm,to work the pump?

Hi Romesh,yes the technology is there to power a home with photovoltaics especially in Malaysia where you get a lot of constant sun,providing of coarse you could afford the sheer expense of all the solar panels.Also,if your energy consumption was reasonable and you were prepared to make sacrifices,this would bring the expense down.
It's always good to have a wind turbine as well.
Yes I have heard about the underground pipes for heating but have not looked into it yet.

[Thurston Garden]

Ahoy Paul!