I need some genuine intelligent input. (Green Tech Question)

[Jamis]

I'm looking to build a water wheel under a waterfall know most of the safety precautions and am working to meet contractors for help in the construction, but I am not paying THEIR fucking price for this *****. I want to hook a generator up to it. I am doing this so I can improve the environment, sure, but also because it's free energy. I figure this plus some solar panels and I can drop off the grid. I am also using the river in a sort of irrigation for the plumbing, the insulation is gonna be environmentally friendly. I've even researched how to clean my sewage so its safe to run back into the river. I am looking for a price range. So far most of the subcontractors are gouging the shit out of me, mainly by using my lack of knowledge as leverage. Its a small house, in the middle of the forests of Indiana. How much is this going to cost me?

 

[Scolar Visari]

I'm looking to build a water wheel under a waterfall know most of the safety precautions and am working to meet contractors for help in the construction, but I am not paying THEIR fucking price for this *****. I want to hook a generator up to it. I am doing this so I can improve the environment, sure, but also because it's free energy. I figure this plus some solar panels and I can drop off the grid. I am also using the river in a sort of irrigation for the plumbing, the insulation is gonna be environmentally friendly. I've even researched how to clean my sewage so its safe to run back into the river. I am looking for a price range. So far most of the subcontractors are gouging the shit out of me, mainly by using my lack of knowledge as leverage. Its a small house, in the middle of the forests of Indiana. How much is this going to cost me?

TANSTAAFL. You'll do well to learn that.

Dropping off the grid without having pretty much every detail planned out is going to turn out bad. Especially when the gov comes looking to take some taxes from you.

 

[Jamis]

To clarify I do not mean THE GRID. Just the powergrid.

 

[Chamale]

Dropping off the grid without having pretty much every detail planned out is going to turn out bad. Especially when the gov comes looking to take some taxes from you.

That's not what "going off the grid" means in America, at least in an electrical context. It means he won't have to pay for electricity, not that he aspires to be the Unabomber.

I'm afraid I don't really have advice for getting contractors for this project, other than my experience-learned lesson that you shouldn't go for the absolute cheapest option. If everyone is fleecing you, you might have trouble finding someone local and reliable.

 

[Scolar Visari]

To clarify I do not mean THE GRID. Just the powergrid.

Waterfall and some solar panels are not going to make you completely self sufficient. They're probably gouging you because you want them to go build shit innawoods and nobody wants to drag all their shit out there.

By the way, what is this house for? Do you plan to live there.

 

[Scolar Visari]

Dropping off the grid without having pretty much every detail planned out is going to turn out bad. Especially when the gov comes looking to take some taxes from you.

That's not what "going off the grid" means in America...

Depends on who you ask.

 

[Anarchemitis]

Have you considered calling around to get a second opinion by another Contractor?

Dropping off the grid without having pretty much every detail planned out is going to turn out bad. Especially when the gov comes looking to take some taxes from you.

That's not what "going off the grid" means in America...

Depends on who you ask.

Getting off some grids is easier than others.

 

[Scolar Visari]

Have you considered calling around to get a second opinion by another Contractor?

Dropping off the grid without having pretty much every detail planned out is going to turn out bad. Especially when the gov comes looking to take some taxes from you.

That's not what "going off the grid" means in America...

Depends on who you ask.

Getting off some grids is easier than others.

I've never actually seen that movie so... yeah.

Believe me, I'm not trying to discourage the OP. It's just that I've dealt with this kind of stuff for a while (Don't ask) and it's never as simple as it seems to be. Life suddenly becomes a hell of a lot harder once society isn't around to bail your ass out.

 

[Jamis]

Yes. Yes I do. It's a one bedroom one floor and I'm using the Wabash River which runs year round at a very very "steady" speed. I got the plans up for the solar panels on rotation for following the sun, and I don't use that much electricity. I've yet to have anyone say it won't work, but now that you say something, I'm interested in a reason it shouldn't. Also, is there a government loan for this? Didn't Obama mention something about one?

 

[Scolar Visari]

Yes. Yes I do. It's a one bedroom one floor and I'm using the Wabash River which runs year round at a very very "steady" speed. I got the plans up for the solar panels on rotation for following the sun, and I don't use that much electricity. I've yet to have anyone say it won't work, but now that you say something, I'm interested in a reason it shouldn't. Also, is there a government loan for this? Didn't Obama mention something about one?

So the middle of the woods yeah?

What are you going to eat? Will you keep a job? How much are you bringing? What materials will the building be constructed out of?

 

[Jamis]

Yes. Yes I do. It's a one bedroom one floor and I'm using the Wabash River which runs year round at a very very "steady" speed. I got the plans up for the solar panels on rotation for following the sun, and I don't use that much electricity. I've yet to have anyone say it won't work, but now that you say something, I'm interested in a reason it shouldn't. Also, is there a government loan for this? Didn't Obama mention something about one?

So the middle of the woods yeah?

What are you going to eat? Will you keep a job? How much are you bringing? What materials will the building be constructed out of?

Good questions. Yeah, kinda. Its about a thirty minute hike into the woods, not like dead center of no where, I actually have crops up and running now for staple food, like corn, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, but I can buy what I don't have. Yes I keep my job, but since I get paid on commissions its not that hard to move. I'm bringing all of my stuff, but I'm a minimalist. Actually with the building materials I've decided to go bamboo for the walls, floor, support beams, etc. Slate shingles for the roof. Think ancient eastern architecture. I don't know the more intricate details, but that should be a part of the building contract, right?

 

[Lazzi]

Yes. Yes I do. It's a one bedroom one floor and I'm using the Wabash River which runs year round at a very very "steady" speed. I got the plans up for the solar panels on rotation for following the sun, and I don't use that much electricity. I've yet to have anyone say it won't work, but now that you say something, I'm interested in a reason it shouldn't. Also, is there a government loan for this? Didn't Obama mention something about one?

So the middle of the woods yeah?

What are you going to eat? Will you keep a job? How much are you bringing? What materials will the building be constructed out of?

Good questions. Yeah, kinda. Its about a thirty minute hike into the woods, not like dead center of no where, I actually have crops up and running now for staple food, like corn, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, but I can buy what I don't have. Yes I keep my job, but since I get paid on commissions its not that hard to move. I'm bringing all of my stuff, but I'm a minimalist. Actually with the building materials I've decided to go bamboo for the walls, floor, support beams, etc. Slate shingles for the roof. Think ancient eastern architecture. I don't know the more intricate details, but that should be a part of the building contract, right?

Do you want this house to be up to code? Becuase only using Bamboo for sturctual elements wont fly. Ever thought of doing a yurt? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurt[u...r), If you not doing to do a prefab stucture.

 

[Hashime]

You will need to diverge the river temporary to put in concrete footings and a channel way for the waterwheel. This will require permits and will cost the cost of the concrete (I would need a site picture and a schematic to estimate) Plus whatever excavation and form work is needed. I would suggest that you do the excavation and form work yourself. Have a professional inspect it before you get them to pour. Do not try to do the concrete your self.

You will next need to get a waterproofed generator and cabling as well as a transformer which you will need to put inside an enclosure. This enclosure will need a concrete pad. You will need to run conduit a meter under ground to run the power to your house.

The impeller you will need will probably need to be custom, however if you use a simple waterwheel you can probably make that out of some good hard wood that has been treated with waterproofing. You can probably do a quick and dirty one for a few hundred.

Finally you will most likely need to pay for an environmental consultant to come in. This can be upwards of 10k depending on the area and government requirements.

Total cost: Again, depending on design chosen, about 20k.


Now, you also could just take a large PVC pipe and use that as an intake, put an impeller inside at the bottom, and use cinder blocks as footings, but that would be gone in the next storm.

I would not attempt hydro power unless you have a large steady flow with at least a 10m drop.

 

[Jamis]

You will need to diverge the river temporary to put in concrete footings and a channel way for the waterwheel. This will require permits and will cost the cost of the concrete (I would need a site picture and a schematic to estimate) Plus whatever excavation and form work is needed. I would suggest that you do the excavation and form work yourself. Have a professional inspect it before you get them to pour. Do not try to do the concrete your self.

You will next need to get a waterproofed generator and cabling as well as a transformer which you will need to put inside an enclosure. This enclosure will need a concrete pad. You will need to run conduit a meter under ground to run the power to your house.

The impeller you will need will probably need to be custom, however if you use a simple waterwheel you can probably make that out of some good hard wood that has been treated with waterproofing. You can probably do a quick and dirty one for a few hundred.

Finally you will most likely need to pay for an environmental consultant to come in. This can be upwards of 10k depending on the area and government requirements.

Total cost: Again, depending on design chosen, about 20k.


Now, you also could just take a large PVC pipe and use that as an intake, put an impeller inside at the bottom, and use cinder blocks as footings, but that would be gone in the next storm.

I would not attempt hydro power unless you have a large steady flow with at least a 10m drop.

This is awesome, and exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much.

 

[Hashime]

You will need to diverge the river temporary to put in concrete footings and a channel way for the waterwheel. This will require permits and will cost the cost of the concrete (I would need a site picture and a schematic to estimate) Plus whatever excavation and form work is needed. I would suggest that you do the excavation and form work yourself. Have a professional inspect it before you get them to pour. Do not try to do the concrete your self.

You will next need to get a waterproofed generator and cabling as well as a transformer which you will need to put inside an enclosure. This enclosure will need a concrete pad. You will need to run conduit a meter under ground to run the power to your house.

The impeller you will need will probably need to be custom, however if you use a simple waterwheel you can probably make that out of some good hard wood that has been treated with waterproofing. You can probably do a quick and dirty one for a few hundred.

Finally you will most likely need to pay for an environmental consultant to come in. This can be upwards of 10k depending on the area and government requirements.

Total cost: Again, depending on design chosen, about 20k.


Now, you also could just take a large PVC pipe and use that as an intake, put an impeller inside at the bottom, and use cinder blocks as footings, but that would be gone in the next storm.

I would not attempt hydro power unless you have a large steady flow with at least a 10m drop.

This is awesome, and exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much.

I have no idea what scale of project you are looking at, so I based that off of a relatively proper installation on a 10m drop. The price you pay will be different.

I should also note that my only practical experience with building a hydro-electric dam is a small 1m stone and log dam I built to charge my cell phone at a camp site. However concrete form work is not tough if you have a buddy around that has done it before.