Dead End Roads

I've lost count of the hours invested in the exploration of a viable alternative energy source. Terry drove hours to our site a year ago to assess the options. A combination of hydro, wind, and solar was recommended. Pursuing those three, it became clear that each one requires a huge investment in set-up and maintenance. So, we then backed up and opted to select one. Solar did not seem promising due to the shady location of the cabin. Wind could be generated up on the ridge, but the many still days made us realize that might not be reliable. Hydro was our star option with the year-round stream below the site. With great enthusiasm, we gathered all the pertinent information for a calculation of the generating capacity of our stream. Flow rate, drop, volume, etc...weeks to determine all of them produced the number crunching result of --- 2.7kw/day. What?!? That is so little unless lights are all we want to run. What a discouragement. Then we began to pursue a combination of two: hydro and solar. We would have to install the panels up on the ridge in the sunlight and wire the power down to the site. Calculations continued. Dead-ends kept cropping up around every turn of the exploration.

The latest direction came from an astute expert in geo-thermal energy sources when he asked, "Why exactly do you wish to remain off the grid?" The question stopped me in my tracks as I tried to answer. We want to minimize our environmental impact, but the more we learn, often what initially appears to be "green" is, in fact, not so when measured by other means. I am simply not sure which direction is the best. So, here we are, with a cabin foundation and the energy question unsolved. Our next inquiry is into bringing in power from "the grid". If it is brought in underground, trees will not have to be cleared. The final outcome is still unknown, but I am remaining in the process...patience and persistence...it is a mystery where the open road will be discovered.