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We installed a Siemens FirstSurge whole-house surge protector to protect our appliances and other devices.

Solar Power Surge Protection Upgrades Plus a Report on Starlink

We add surge and lighting protection to our solar power system and home to protect our appliances and other electronic equipment.
Electrical power lines

Our Grid Power is Back!

The other night at dinner, my phone chimed. It was a message saying grid power had been restored. After confirming this was the case,...
The power lines are a mess after Hurricane Helene. This pole snapped while the ones to the left are off-kilter.

Hurricane Helene Update: Gradual Progress is Made

18 days after Hurricane Helene, some forward progress is being made here on the homestead and in our broader area.
Electric meter

Our Record-Setting Electric Bill is Shocking

A sunny month of August shows us how much power we can produce and the resulting utility bill blows us away.
You can see why weed whacking is needed as our beehives are surrounded by weeds and flowers. he bees, however, are happy and productive.

A Late Summer Cool Snap; Homestead and Prepping Updates

It's a good time of year for homesteading, but the calendar also makes it an important time to do some prepping.
The solar panels on this mountain home can probably produce 100 or more kilowatt hours on a sunny day.

How Much Money did we Save?

The numbers are in! See how much our solar power system produced, how much electricity we saved, and how much lower our bill was.
Solar power and a location int he middle of nowhere are a good combination for preppers.

All Prepped Up and Nowhere to Go

Prepping is a journey, and sometimes it is important to stop, take a break, and appreciate how much progress you have made.
There's a storm brewing on the horizon.

Solar System and Prepping Updates

Just after we get our solar power system installed, the weather turns cloudy and rainy. We're still making power, just not as much.
Our external AC units were fine, but a part inside the air handler had been fried by the electrical surge.

Making Repairs and Living with Solar Power

We learn some of the challenges of living with solar power, especially in a house that is not optimized to minimize consumption.
When the sun is shining brightly, our solar panels produce 7.5 kilowatts of power, btu when a cloud passes in front of the sun, that can drop to below 2 kW.

Our Solar Installation Concludes, But Problems Persist

Our solar power installation concludes, but it doesn't go to plan. We're operating on solar, but we don't have any air conditioning.