Project14 | Build Projects that Give You the Freedom to Live Off-the-Grid!

In the Comments Below:   Let Us Know Your Off-the-Grid Project Ideas!

This contest is launching just before Earth Day on April 22nd, 2023.   Earth Day,  is also on Record Store Day but we just did a music challenge with Music Time and now its time to focus on Mother Earth!   The  Off-the-Grid  project competition challenges you to work on projects that help you easily get off the grid such as Gate opener control system, 8-10k Solar Array, Water Tank Monitoring, and Solar Monitoring Stations.    Recently,    gam3t3ch ,  who has recently been living off-the-grid on his own Island in Canada, built a solar-powered battery charger.    He recently showed you how to make one on your own in How To Build a Portable, Solar-Charged Off-Grid Power Station -- Episode 598.  Since he lives in a place where power is not always accessible to him,  as well as suffered through multiple power outages a month,    he wanted power at his fingertips regardless of what mother nature threw at him.  It boasts a total of 66Ah battery bank with 100w solar panel and multiple charging options.  The cost to make this unit was well under anything commercially made and was built to suit his needs going forward and could be changed and upgraded based on his needs. 

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The idea for this contest comes from  beacon_dave who was inspired by  KalebTheMaker and his  Off-Grid MakerShop series.     You can read all about his Off-the-Grid dream here  Building an off grid Maker Shop - The idea, the dream .   For 10 years, KalebTheMaker  dreamt about moving away from the city and getting back to his home county where he could build a home and dream shop to work and live. He grew up in a rural community and worked there for much of his adult life.  Like a lot of people,  he moved to a larger city, myself included, for work. While he was there for 12 years he had some fun,  made friends, and did some really cool projects along the way.   You can check out a lot of them on element14 presents!  As time passed, he realized that he wanted to be in a smaller community with some property and his own shop. The Covid pandemic, and being sequestered in his own home with his kids brought those dreams into sharp focus and he came to the realization that he wanted to quit the city so he sold his home. This began an 18ish month odyssey where he searched through some 30-35 different properties, none of which met his needs. His basic requirements were to find some flat land for some development, grid power, water, and septic.

Finally,     KalebTheMaker came upon a piece of property that he almost dismissed because it was off-the-grid; it had no power, water, or septic from utility, no phone lines, no cable - nothing.  After negotiating like crazy he got his property and "Bonesnapper Ridge" (named after his favorite cat Bonesnapper) was born.  The Off-the-Grid projects that had his highest priority were for mundane tasks and included a Gate Opener/Closer, Large Solar Array, Micro Hydro, LED Monitoring Station, Tank Monitoring, and Automation.   The full list of projects which again you can read about in Building an off grid Maker Shop - The idea, the dream include a Large Solar Array (Probably in the range of 8-10kw, with 600Ah @ 48v of battery storage),  1000' of large AWG wire run from power generation to shop/house,  Micro Hydro power generation (There is a year-round creek through the property, and a seasonal creek with a waterfall),  Low power monitoring dashboard (Bank of LED's and switches rather than LCD screens to monitor valves, tanks, solar etc.), Solar Monitoring Stations (Solar powered Arduino/Pi's for running sensors on different applications),  Mesh Network and or back-haul point to point network for above monitoring stations,  Water Tank Level Sensors (These will be designed and fabricated. Total of 8 2500g tanks to monitor),  Local Voice Assistant (Possibly MyCroft - another interface to all available data from sensors),  Smart Home hub (Homeassistant?),  Water pumping Station & Automation (Need to pump from spring tanks to seasonal well tanks when they are low. solar, batteries, pump & automation),  Voltage and Current Sensors (For solar input, battery input/output),  Gate opener interface (Commercial gate opener, but possible LoRA remote, notifications at the house/shop of proximity/open. Motor Controller, web interface),  State of Charge Sensors (Battery Banks),  and of course The Shop (40x80 steel building).   Follow his progress in Off-Grid MakerShop and join the discussion to help come up with your own ideas for Off-the-Grid projects!

Your Off-the-Grid projects can be anything inspired by gam3t3ch or KalebTheMaker or your own projects for realizing your Off-the-Grid dreams!   Here are some more projects to inspire you:

 How To Build a Portable, Solar-Charged Off-Grid Power Station -- Episode 598  

 Build an Off Grid Wikipedia with Raspberry Pi -- Episode 451 

Project - Water Tank Monitoring System	Project - Gate Opener/Closer Control System
Project - Gate Opener Update 00	Project - The Hydro-Electric System Design & Discussion

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One Grand Prize Winner Wins a $200 Shopping Bundle	Three First Place Winners Win  a $100 Shopping Cart
One Grand Prize Winner Wins a $200 Shopping Cart!	3 First Place Winners a Win $100 Shopping Cart!

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