13 years without a power bill

Shane Lowden remembers the exact moment he decided to go off the grid. It was 1985 and he was having a shower when the power cut out on his rural property. No power meant no pump, and no pump meant no water. “There’s nothing worse than being stuck in the shower, in the dark, covered in soap,” says Shane. “I decided I had to do something about it.”

Years later the Lowdens moved to a hilltop site in the Kaipara district north of Auckland where the family – Shane, Sharon and their son Nicholas, 10 – now live next to the eco lodge they run together. Both buildings operate on electricity from two wind turbines Shane installed; the family hasn’t had a power bill in 13 years.

Wind-win situation

Shane reckons their generating system paid for itself years ago.

With the nearest power line over a kilometre away connecting to the grid was going to cost $55,000. Financing that option would have cost them about $360 a month – and that’s before factoring in the regular power bills (Kiwi households pay an average of $166 per month) that would have followed.

By contrast it cost $10,300 for their first wind-generation set-up, which includes a turbine, a battery pack (to store power for when the wind isn’t blowing), an inverter and a back-up diesel generator.

The generator gets used for about five hours each week during power-hungry jobs such as baking, running the dishwasher, or pumping water into the household tank – or kicks in if four windless days in a row leave the batteries low. Shane says that’s uncommon – they chose their site for its exposure to the regular westerly winds, and usually make more power than they can use – but on those rare occasions, it only takes a litre and a half of diesel (at $1.51 per litre) to generate and store a day’s worth of power.

That system ran their household for about seven years, meaning their total outlay, when spread over 84 months, was equivalent to a monthly power cost of around $157 (see below).

However, when they decided to build Kaipara Views Lodge on their spectacular ridge-top site in 2008 the extra demands of accommodating up to 12 people meant an upgrade to a more powerful set-up. At that point Shane installed a second turbine running on a separate 48 volt system for a further $9,800 bringing their total outlay (including diesel) to around $25,500.

That might seem a lot, yet stretched over 13 years their power costs compare well even with city rates: the Lowdens have run their home, plus a business, for the equivalent of about $163 dollars a month. That’s still less than the average household monthly power bill of $166 – and every extra year brings more savings.

What it took to go off the grid

System 1 – used for the first seven years

• Air Marine (24 volt) wind turbine $1300
• Inverter $2000
• Batteries $2000
• Generator $5000
• Seven years of diesel $2891
• Total outlay $13,191 – spread over 84 months (7 years) this equals $157 per month (compared to an average NZ monthly power bill of $166)

System 2 – used for the last six years (in conjunction with system 1 to power two properties

• Whisper H80 (48 volt) wind turbine (2nd hand) with tower $1800
• Inverter $4000
• Batteries $4000
• Six years of diesel $2478
• Total outlay over 13 years (system 1 plus system 2) $25,500 – spread over 156 months (13 years) this equals $163 per month (compared to an average NZ monthly power bill of $166)

More than money

Generating power out of thin air has saved the family cash, but that’s not the whole picture. The family gets great satisfaction from knowing their electricity comes from a renewable, carbon-free source and take a quiet pride in their green efforts.

There’s nothing ‘eco chic’ about Kaipara Views Lodge – no mud-brick walls or $50 boutique soaps in the bathrooms – because “you don’t need all that to be eco-friendly” insists Sharon. Instead the stay offers a down-home Kiwi experience for walkers on the three-day Kaipara2Kaipara track, with a real commitment to the environment beneath the friendly exterior.

“We were definitely seen as barmy tree-hugging types at the start,” says Sharon, “but it’s seen as quite normal now.”

‘Normal’ for the Lowdens meant building their lodge from sustainably harvested timber treated with an organic solvent preservative rather than the usual chemicals. Water from the washing machine is used on the garden, and this gives an added incentive for using ‘eco’ cleaning products: the family knows nothing nasty has gone on the vegetables they eat, while the kinder cleaners mean the bugs in the septic tank stay healthy too.

Sheep and beehives provide meat and honey – although without a butchery license they can’t serve home kill meat to guests – while the family pine plantation is a source of firewood, future income, and serves as a carbon store for the whole property: the Lowdons estimate their property is 80 per cent carbon-positive.

For water heating the family use a wet-back in the wood burner, but this was uncomfortably warm in summer so they’ve since switched to gas for the hot months – and come up with another energy-saving trick. Water from their tank flows into a gas califont for on-demand hot water, but before it gets there it travels through a 25m length of black alkathene hose that Shane ran up and down the roof. The sun hitting the roof bakes the water to pleasant shower temperature – the hose holds enough for three showers, and warms in just an hour – meaning little or no gas is used for water heating if everyone showers in the evening.

All upside

Really, Sharon says, there’s little downside or hardship in the eco-choices they’ve made.

The main thing they’re asked about is the noise of the wind turbines, but the pair say they now barely notice. The larger turbine is quieter than the trees when the wind blows, and Shane says he enjoys the sound: “it means we’re making lots of power”.

And, of course, Shane has solved his original problem. Their power supply is far more reliable than the usual rural set-up, which can be plagued by power cuts when storms topple country lines. In fact the once-irritating blackouts have become a social occasion: when the grid goes down and there’s a big rugby match on TV all the locals know they can pile over to the Lowdens to watch the game. After all, when the storms come, it’s more power to the Lowdens.

Shane and Sharon’s advice for being more self-sufficient

• Conserve water – only run the dishwasher and washing machine when full.
• Reduce waste – simple tricks like re-using plastic bags for bin-liners make a difference.
• Be realistic – generating your own power can be a good option for a beach house or a lifestyle block, but if you’re already on the grid and love your appliances it may not be cost-effective.
• Have a back-up – the Lowdens only pump about 20 per cent of their water supply up the hill to the house tank at a time, so if a pipe bursts, they’re still okay. Likewise, having two turbines plus generators gives them options if things go wrong.
• Share the power – if your site isn’t suitable for wind generation, consider an arrangement with a neighbour.

Handy link

Able Solar – a one-stop shop for renewable energy solutions, including wind power.

Kaipara Views Eco Lodge

$130 per couple per night, breakfast included (varies with season)
196 Kaipara Hills Road, Glorit, Auckland 0984
Phone 09 945 011009 945 0110 or 021 488 153021 488 153

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