Winter Power Backup

We try to rely on renewable solar and wind power, but on occasion we need a generator to give our batteries a good charge. If they drop too low, especially in the winter, it's very difficult to get them recharged enough to use our cabin electrical system.

Our gas-powered generator is an older portable Coleman. It has 1400 watts of output with two AC plugs and a set of DC cables. To be efficient, we make it work triple duty.

We connect the DC cables to a bank of deep-cycle storage batteries. Above, they are going to the bank in Wayne's remodeled boat. The DC charge is fast, in about two hours. It's a taper charger, so as the battery's charge increases, the generator's output decreases. This helps prevent overcharging.

At the same time, one of the AC outlets is used with a plug-in 12V slow trickle charger attached to our other battery bank in the cabin's electrical cabinet. A heavy-duty electrical cord allow us to place the generator next to one battery bank and charge the second bank at the same time. After two hours, the positions are swapped so that optimal charging occurs in both battery banks during the four hours on one tank of gas.

While charging is going on, we still want to use electrical devices in the cabin. An additional heavy-duty extension cord from the second AC plug bypasses the inverter and plugs the generator directly into the cabin's electrical system. This way we can recharge our portable Nautilus battery pack, computers, cell phones, gameboys and have lights without affecting our battery banks.

Managing power sources and needs during short winter days is a challenge, but one we enjoy. It allows us to live a simple lifestyle off the grid with a few comforts of home. -- Margy