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Latest Projects:
We installed solar panels at the Janvrin's Island Community Centre,
(photos above) at 1442 Janvrin's Rd., Isle Madame. The community hall was
able to obtain grants from Enterprise Cape Breton and the Municipality of
Richmond's Dist. 4 Infrastructure Fund to install 22-panels which are
net-metered with the Nova Scotia Power Grid. If the hall is making
more power than it needs, the excess power will be fed back into the grid
and the hall will receive a credit. The panels should reduce the power
bill from $1300 annually to less than $300, that is $1000 that the community
doesn't have to fundraise to maintain the hall.
We recently installed this turbine at a VERY windy site in Petit de Grat. We will keep you updated on production numbers from the wireless data logging computer software.
We have not paid a utility bill since Year 2000. This is not to say that we don't have heat and electricity. The land that we bought on Janvrin's Island is beautiful, but it was a long way from the grid. Our house is approximately 1 kilometer from the nearest power line which would mean a large payment (around $40-$50,000), to have the electricity brought back to us.
The cost to bring in power set the boundary for our budget to look into producing our own electricity, and we did it for much less, and without the monthly bill. We started small...just a couple solar pv, (electric), panels, a charge controller and a battery bank. This was great as it allowed for lights, computer and entertainment, and recharging of tools. We soon decided that it would be nice to have a little more power to add a chest freezer, more lights, high-speed internet, etc., so we purchased a small wind turbine, a few more panels, and an inverter. This brought our system up to about 1 kilowatt per hour peak. On a good sunny and windy day we could produce and store 5+ kilowatt hours of electricity, and with full batteries could have 4-5 days of backup power. All for a lot less than bringing back the power lines.
We now have a relatively normal life with many of the "modern" conveniences, no fear of blackouts, complete freedom from the grid, and a sense of self-reliance.
It was a bit of a learning process, and it was difficult to source many of the products and information. This is why we have decided to start our company. We would like to help others become self-reliant. The technology is here now and the economics make sense in many situations, not to mention the many benefits to the environment.
The solar and wind resource of this area is for the most part untapped. The wind resource is world-class, easy to harness, and cost-effective. The only problem is that most people don't realize that it is available to them.
Our dream of living on the coast and being self-sufficient has been realized with the help of the wind and sun.
Ross and Gail MacDonald, of Janvrin’s Island, just completed the installation of a Skystream 3.7 marine grade 2.4 kilowatt wind turbine. Appleseed Energy installed the windmill on a 45' galvanized tilting monopole tower. This unit is capable of providing 50%-100% of an average household's electricity needs. It produces 400 kilowatt hours of electricity in an average 12mph wind speed, and can produce up to 900 kilowatt hours in a month.
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Solar Energy
Appleseed
Energy is an Authorized Skystream Dealer
