# Solar Power and Composting Toilets



## RaigenB (Apr 8, 2013)

Ok so my boyfriend and I have discussed building a smaller log home out in the county. Where we are, it is hard to find decent priced land due to all the farmers who pay outrageous amounts to property owners so they can turn it into farm land..

We hope to find land that is partially wooden and some with pasture area. We want a few cows (2-4) and I want to have horses (2), a few goats, and chickens.

I would like to have some solar panels but he says they are just way too expensive. Anyone who has them, can you give some advice? Tips? Prices?

I also think it would be a good idea to have a composting toilet. He says he doesnt want to mass with that either.. lol But I think it would be a good idea. Anyone have one? How was the installation? And maintenance?

Thanks!


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

The price of solar panels has come way down from "not so long ago".
You get what you pay for in the rest of a system components------good -better- best idea.
Take inverters; Truck stop elcheapo's $50 . . .basic throw away junk.......On up too the good reliable $2000+ really good stuff.

Very often I read about people who have spent 1 to 2000 bucks on composting toilets who were not happy with them . . . . . . . ??????
About the very best is the super elcheapo . . .A five gallon bucket and sawdust . . lol.
The only mess there is taking it out to your compost pile....

I would say you need lots of fresh "education" so as to enlighten your hubby that indeed Solar today is quite affordable . . . .And It Works . . . .

Luck to ya......


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## RaigenB (Apr 8, 2013)

Thank you every much!


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

The cost and maintenance of an alternative energy system depends entirely on what one plans to do with the collected energy and how frugally it can be used..

Don't waste your money on any of the commercially built composting bathroom fixtures if you plan to use it on a full time basis. I made that $2000 mistake myself and now carry a bucket and use sawdust. Works great for under $200 total, with a urinal!

Back when I purchased my solar panels, the cost was ~$5/watt. Now one can find good quality panels for ~$1/watt. Go for it..


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

We got our solar panels at 60cents a watt. However after: mounts, wiring, charge-controller / inverter, and batteries, the end bill is a lot more than some can afford.

If you can arrange your lifestyle to conform to 12vdc or 24vdc or 48vdc; you could slide into it for a lot less hassle and expense.

Old-style farm horses were not high-performance animals. Much of what we have left to us today are high-performance horses that are very finicky with their diet. I know people around here who have kept semi-work horses, those horses are fine on local pasture and a small amount of grain. I know other people here who have riding horses, that require a fine tuned diet. 

You may find that once your in your perfect homestead, your biggest single monthly expense is horse feed.


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## RaigenB (Apr 8, 2013)

Thanks!

And ya I know horse feed will probably get up there in price unfortunately but it is the price I will pay to have a companion that I've always wanted


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## PorkChopsMmm (Aug 16, 2010)

We bought a $1500 composting toilet -- stick with a $5 bucket and make a "lovable loo". Wish we would have done that from the beginning.


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## katlupe (Nov 15, 2004)

We replaced our SunMar composting toilet with a sawdust toilet and never looked back. Much easier to manage. 

As for solar panels, we started with a small system with just one 50 watt panel about 15 years ago and added to it slowly over the years. Just recently we bought 10 Kyocera solar panels, 120 watts each, for about $100 each. They were used, but in brand new condition and had been tested. There are deals out there if you look.


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## AVanarts (Jan 2, 2011)

We have some of these panels and are very happy with them. http://www.dmsolar.com/dm15somo2pkp.html

With shipping to our location (Washington State) the cost was about $1 per watt.


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## Convoy (Dec 2, 2012)

With Solar the cost is usually going to a good industrial inverter and the deep cycle lead acid industrial batteries. There are some guys who run their systems of forklift/golf-cart batteries but battery replacement is max 8 year with proper maintenance and care. On the other hand a deep cycle industrial lead/acid can last a max of 25 years. Also if you have the cash 'edision' batteries while having some downfalls can last 50+ years but are the most costly by far. 

The sizing (price) of a system also can be greatly reduced by lowering your electrical needs (get rid of the microwave, energy efficient appliances/lights ect and no heat generating electric appliances)

Another option is building a system that is grid connected which has no batteries and is expandable - but if you want to add batteries later make sure your system is designed so they can be easily installed without complete rewiring but once again will run the cost up.

As to horses if you have enough land the only thing you really need to do is float their teeth, worm them, and do their feet. Feed comes from grazing and hay which you produce yourself and don't put them out with a pure grass pasture - if you do they will probably founder. Another thing is when your buying bring along someone who knows about horses - they can spot bad conformation and other things which will save you grief in the future and NEVER buy from a lot since it common practice to buy horses that were destined to the processing plant for very good reasons and pawn them off on people that don't know any better.

Edit: forgot to mention with the horses make sure anyone you buy in properly broke since a half broke of horses with bad manners is just a broken bone or back waiting to happen. Also this advice covers having riding horses, if you plan on breeding and breaking them that adss a whole lot of rules and I would not recommend it to anyone just starting off unless you have a very good mentor since once again if you don't know (or sometime if you do) what your doing you can get seriously hurt. To give you an idea one of my great uncles had a large horse farm (ranch horses-about 500 head on 15 sections) and in his 40 years of breaking colts I don't think he didn't have 1 bone in his body that wasn't broken at one time or another other than his head and neck.


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