The Rural Voice, 2003-04, Page 39Martin's control room contains an
inverter to convert DC power to AC
and a Targe acid -cell battery.
a couple of old aerial towers to do
the job, and John installed a one -
kilowatt wind turbine. The rest of the
system consists of a large acid -cell
battery to store the power, and an
inverter to convert the DC power of
the battery to usable AC power.
There is also a hook-up so Paul can
use his diesel generator on days
when there isn't enough wind. So far
it hasn't been a problem.
"There have been times when I
almost have more power than I can
use. On those days I make sure my
water tank is topped up, and the wife
takes care of the laundry. We also
turn on the electric heater as high as
it can go to save on propane." In the
Martin's kitchen there is a meter that
shows how much energy his turbine
is generating. He can't help but smile
"He can't help but
smile when he watches
the number climb"
when he watches the number climb
on really windy days.
More and more people are
considering the advantages
to energy self-reliance, and
for farmers like Paul, a small off -grid
system makes good sense. It is good
for the environment and in the long
run, the system pays for itself.
However, there are some caveats for
those thinking about wind and solar
systems.
"For someone like Paul, who is
pretty self-reliant and understands
electricity, it is a simple system to
maintain. He rarely needs to contact
me for any small problems," says
John. That's not always the case with
The
Ontario Federation of
Agriculture
is continuing to work for
better terms in the
Business Risk Management portion
of the Agricultural Policy Framework.
Farmers should contact their MPs with
the message the "New NISA" is deficient
and the 2002 program should be
maintained until 2004.
OFA is farmers working for farmers!
www.ofa.on.ca 1-800-668-3276
Custom Manure Spreading
T
•
Faster, Easier,
More Effective
• 23 years experience
• Air Purge system
• drag line
- follow soil maps
• precise application
using flow metre
• all equipment supplied
agitation for large tanks
and raceway
Aerway® incorporation
Michael & Raymond Rammeloo
KA TV Farms Ltd.
40923 Cranbrook Rd., R.R. #4 Brussels
Tel: 523-9362 Fax: 523-4917
APRIL 2003 35