Off-grid living with solar power on Curtis Island saves Qld couple thousands on energy bill
Off-grid residing has been Cheryl and Trevor Watson’s lifestyle for nearly 40 years.
The couple dwell on Curtis Island, an hour’s ferry journey from the port metropolis of Gladstone in central Queensland.
They run every little thing from toasters to garden mower starters with solar energy.
“It is like being on the town,” Mr Watson stated.
“We’ve a lot energy that we are able to run microwaves, toasters, air fryers, air compressors, welding machines, so it is an important system.”
Residing off the grid was not a selection the couple made, however a necessity, because the island has no electrical energy or water.
They usually break up their time between Curtis Island and one other dwelling in Gladstone, however moved to the island completely 17 years in the past.
“I’ve had photo voltaic on this home since I constructed it, we completed the home in 1989,” Mr Watson stated.
“I put a 24-volt system on it in 1990 after which I modified from that to a 48-volt system in 2006.”
Mr Watson stated this has saved them hundreds in electrical energy payments through the years.
“In the event you run a generator, it’s important to purchase the generator, then it’s important to run it as nicely and that prices cash,” he stated.
“In the event you get photo voltaic, there isn’t any additional price by any means.”
Ms Watson stated counting on solar energy and batteries modified their pondering, however it did not really feel inconvenient.
“I do not put my gradual cooker on at night time, I run it throughout the day,” he stated.
“I do not iron at 9 o’clock at night time, I do it throughout the day. However then we retire so it is good.”
Affordability of solar energy
Amidst the housing disaster and rising price of residing, retirees are grateful for his or her set-up.
Mr Watson stated with the price of organising solar energy turning into cheaper and electrical energy payments rising, he wouldn’t be shocked to see extra folks embrace renewables.
“The unique photo voltaic panels on the roof had been $1,645 every and the identical panels are actually round $150 to purchase new,” he stated.
“They bought the value down a hell of rather a lot.”
Dr Sascha Stegen of Griffith College has greater than 26 years of expertise within the electrical energy trade, with experience in renewable and off-grid set-ups.
“After we have a look at photo voltaic installations 10 years in the past, the buyer paid roughly $2.40 per watt, and this price. [has] comes round or underneath $1 per watt,” stated Dr Stegen.
“Australia helps photo voltaic PV installations with incentives, with so-called STCs that are very small expertise certificates, which encourage the market and the willingness to put in photo voltaic.”
Whereas residents of the small city of Southend are embracing photo voltaic vitality, on the opposite aspect of the island, three liquefied pure fuel (LNG) vegetation are exporting tons of fuel internationally.
The peaceable island turned a bustling building website within the early 2010s when LNG vegetation had been constructed from scratch, costing an estimated $60 billion.
How dependable is photo voltaic?
Reliance on renewables has grown, Dr Stegen stated, with about 3 million or 30 per cent of Australian households utilizing solar energy.
However he stated storage for photo voltaic, wind, hydro and different alternate options wants enchancment.
“Power storage options should turn out to be extra inexpensive to supply sustainable or appropriate substitutes for non-renewable centralized energy era,” he stated.
For these related to the community, Dr Stegen stated electrical energy distributors face challengers with grid stability and management inflicting uncertainty.
“The vitality [is] Fed again right into a community constructed for the circulation of vitality from the centralized energy plant to the buyer, and never the opposite method round,” he stated.
Ms Watson stated Australians could be higher off if renewables and off-grid set ups had been extra accessible.
“Then we do not have pensioners, low revenue folks, center revenue folks, struggling now as a result of they’re nervous about their electrical energy payments,” Ms Watson stated.
“That is a uncommon factor right here [on Curtis Island]we do not have that.”
The highway to the longer term
Watson stated his photo voltaic panels, battery system and back-up generator for emergencies have by no means failed.
“I’ve a 48-volt system and I’ve 15 250-watt photo voltaic panels, which cost the batteries by means of a Victron regulator, which is actually environment friendly in cloudy climate,” he stated.
“That means that you can hold your batteries operating longer throughout occasions the place the solar is not shining.”
Tyson Sellin purchased a block of land on Curtis Island, subsequent to Watsons, in 2021.
The Gladstone electrician is constructing a home for his household to make use of on weekends and holidays, with plans to retire on the island.
Together with his electrical energy payments “skyrocketing” within the city, Mr Sellin stated he was trying ahead to creating a everlasting switch to the island the place he put in photo voltaic panels and a lithium battery.
“I believe that is the best way of the longer term, I can not wait to go off-grid,” he stated.
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