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snorkler
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Joined: 13 Feb 2008
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Location: Bay Area, California
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 Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:28 pm Post subject: Off the grid facility in Capitol Reef National Park |
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A friend of mine is the site manager for a new field station located in Capitol Reef National Park. I got a tour of the new Capitol Reef National Park Field Station yesterday, prior to its grand opening 10/16. It's designed to accommodate classes from Utah Valley University, but other groups can rent it. The facility is completely off the grid.
Photo shows one of the two dorm buildings. There's also a classroom/lecture office building and a food preparation building.
Note the tall central cooling tower.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips
Last edited by snorkler on Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:53 am; edited 3 times in total |
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snorkler
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Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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Solar panel array doubles as a carport for parking cars.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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snorkler
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Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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Electric panel with inverters to convert DC to AC.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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snorkler
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Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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There's a whole wall of 3-1/2 foot tall batteries charged by the solar panels. The site manager changes the panel tilt four times a year, on the equinoxes and sostices.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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snorkler
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Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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What? Windows that open on block walls? The windows heat the blocks in the winter, and the blocks radiate heat into the buildings. In the summer, you close the blinds, blocking solar heat from coming in during the daytime. At night in the summer, you can radiate heat out to the desert sky.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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snorkler
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Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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A view looking up into a cooling tower. Heat rises in the summer and escapes up here. I imagine they close this opening in the winter.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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snorkler
super member
Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:52 pm Post subject: |
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View inside one of the dorm rooms, showing the block construction. There are lots of fans, and auxiliary electric wall heaters. In keeping with the green theme, there's one washing machine, and no dryer. A clothesline will serve for drying clothes.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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snorkler
super member
Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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The best news for astronomers - full cutoff lighting!
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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snorkler
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Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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Some of the water treatment equipment, from right to left. A black descaler to the right, a chlorine tank and injectors, filters, and a blue storage tank (fed from a 10,000 gallon storage tank). Water comes from an aquifer under the nearby Fremont River, I believe.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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snorkler
super member
Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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No, this isn't my site manager friend. This is my ranger friend, who's the girlfriend (sigh) of the site manager. All-in-all, he's got the best job in Utah, I think 
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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Seantóir
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Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 2076
Location: Area 14, Kildare, Ireland
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| Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting features Darrell.
I'd love to be able to go off grid and rely on renewables but solar alone would not be an option in Ireland, where winter days can be as short as 7.5 hours. A combination of wind and solar would be be better but even that wouldn't be enough using the size of equipment that would fit around my house (small yard in an urban setting). If only there was a way to use the rain and fog to make electricity as well...
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John
Life is a temporary assignment. |
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snorkler
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Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Posts: 2428
Location: Bay Area, California
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| Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:59 am Post subject: |
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Wind power would probably be the way to go in Ireland. New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona have an abundance of solar radiation resources.
_________________
Ah, but I was so much older then.
I'm younger than that now
Bob Dylan
Mileage above accumulated over 5000 miles!
Best trip 163 miles @ 52.6 mpg = 219% of EPA est. mileage!
Wife's car, driven by me only on long trips |
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Erik
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Joined: 12 Feb 2008
Posts: 3089
Location: Big Island of Hawaii On the slope of Mauna Loa 4500 feet mag 7 sky :)
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| Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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I missed seeing this thread until now. Thanks for the pictures, Darrell! 
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-Erik Wilcox
Homebuilt 16" Truss Dob
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Evolution is both fact and theory. Creationism is neither. -Anonymous |
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