How to make autonomous electricity. Autonomous power plants for a country house: types, schemes and price of power plants

The first thing you need to rely on - number and nature of systems consuming energy. Typically, the list of such systems includes air conditioning, heating, pumped water supply from a well. It is also necessary to take into account the number of frequently used household electrical appliances and refrigeration equipment. All of the above require an uninterruptible power supply, which any independent source can provide.

The second stage of the selection will be the calculation of the total power. The consumption figures for each appliance are added together. The final autonomous power supply of a country house, cottage or apartment should exceed the amount received by 20-30%.

When building a private house, the construction of engineering networks and communications, power supply in a private house comes first. And here the main role is given to power supply. In creating home comfort, household appliances, their power and quantity are of great importance.

First of all, for power supply, it is necessary to complete the project, it is created on the basis of technical specifications. Then, on the basis of the project, electrical work is carried out. All this must be carried out by a specialized organization that has the appropriate license.

An example of a power supply project for a private residential building

Technical specifications are issued by the energy supply organization. Basically, these are local electrical networks or the organization or company that owns the electrical networks from which the connection will be made. Electric networks can belong to both an electric grid company and, for example, a water utility, a housing association, a dacha cooperative, or another organization.

Connecting electricity to a private house: power

In the application for the issuance of technical specifications, you must indicate what power you want to connect and what voltage (230/400 V). First you need to calculate how much power your electrical appliances will consume. Based on your application and the technical feasibility of the power line, the power supply organization issues specifications.

Connecting a private house to electricity: what is important to take into account

Many people ask for more power than they need. And it is right. Re-doing a project for power supply in the event of an increase in power is not a cheap matter. Therefore, in the application for the issuance of technical specifications they write more power, while the list of documentation is similar.

How to conduct electricity in a private house: external power supply

After you have been given the technical specifications, you go to the design organization, which will make the project based on the PUE (electrical installation rules) and SNiP (building codes and rules). The specifications will indicate the total permitted power for connection, the cross section of the cable or overhead line, brand and type. The specialists of the organization will carry out the project in accordance with the specifications and standards, but you are obliged to take part in its work, since there are a number of nuances. The power supply scheme of the house will help to work out many details.

In most cases, the power supply organization issues specifications for connecting a private house with air input. This is done in order to minimize cases of theft of electrical energy. For the same reason, it is recommended to install the SHUE (electricity metering cabinet) on a support or on the facade of the house. In order to avoid problems with the subsequent delivery of electricity for commercial accounting, it is recommended to listen to these recommendations.

The cross section of the input wire and its brand

According to the regulatory documentation, the input cable must have a cross section of at least: 10 mm2 for a cable with a copper core, and at least 16 mm2 for a cable with an aluminum core, if the air inlet is more than 25 meters. This is due to the fact that this input section is considered as a separate section of the overhead line, from the pole to the house. If it is less than 25 meters, then the cross section of the copper core is at least 4 mm2, aluminum at least 10 mm2.

The cross section is chosen according to the PUE, and it depends on the system whether the PEN conductor will be divided into PE and N or not. All this will be done by specialists of the design institute.

An example of how to conduct electricity in a private house

It must be remembered that the cross section of the cable line is selected according to its long-term permissible current. It depends on the laying method. For example, the most common cable is VVG. If you make the entry into the house air, and its cross section is 10 mm2, then the long-term permissible current for it is 80 A, and if the same wire with the same cross section is laid in the pipe alone - three-core, then the long-term permissible current is 50 A. This is already an error of approximately 40%.

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The calculation error of up to 40% suggests that the choice of cable cross-section and the load connected to it should be carried out only on the basis of special electrical literature.

Power supply system: cable type

When performing external power supply by air, the VVG, AVVG cable or self-supporting SIP wire is mainly used. For underground input, the VBbShv or AVBbShv cable is mainly used. The absence or presence of the first "A" suggests an aluminum core.

The distance from the overhead line support (overhead line) to the facade of the house, where the input will be fixed, should not be more than 25 meters. If this distance is greater, then an additional pedestal support is required. The entry height must be at least 2.75 meters for bare wire and 2.5 m for insulated.

Advice. The most common sections of the input cable and their long-term permissible current are taken from the PUE.

It is not necessary to know all the tables from electrical reference books to determine the rational definition of the cable section. The optimal and most common cross-section for an incoming cable with a copper core is from 10 mm2, then 16 and 25 mm2.

The minimum continuous current is 50, 70, 85 A, respectively. If the input is made by air, then, accordingly, the long-term permissible current for it is 80, 100, 140 A.

Example. The power that can be connected to a copper cable with a cross section of 10 mm2 for a voltage of 380 V - from 30 kW, for a voltage of 230 V - from 15 kW, which is quite enough for home comfort.

Power calculation

As you already understood, the selection of the cable section is carried out according to the long-term permissible current, so you need to know how it is calculated.

First of all, you need to know the power of electrical appliances. This characteristic is in their passport. Next, the current is calculated:

P, W - power of connected household appliances

U, V - voltage of the household electrical network 230, 400 V

cosФ, where Ф is the phase shift between voltage and current. If there are no industrial units, then it is taken equal to 1. In household electrical networks, cosФ is taken into account when there is a reactive load. These can be low or high pressure lamps, a household power tool or an electric motor. For example, the most common cosФ for asynchronous motors is 0.83 - 0.89.

The wiring of electricity in a private house SHRU should look like this.

1. input device. It can be a YARV type switch or a circuit breaker.
2. Electricity metering device (induction or electronic electricity meter).
3. RCD (residual current device), which protects a person from the dangerous effects of electric current.
4. Circuit breakers that protect the electrical network from overloads and short circuit currents. Differential automatic switches can be installed.

There are some nuances. For example, the installation of an RCD is mandatory, but surge protection is not. Power surges in the electrical network are not uncommon today. But in private homes, it is recommended to combine surge protection and lightning surge protection. In this case, the best option would be to install an SPD, surge protection in the input electrical panel. In such cases, a backup power supply to the house is provided.

Scheme of the CV joint, taking into account the internal wiring

Specialists of the design organization will complete the electrical panel, taking into account the internal electrical wiring and its wiring. Therefore, it is first necessary to put on the plan of the house the points of installation of sockets and the power of household appliances that will be connected to them. Based on this, a single-line power supply scheme for the house or a multi-line one will be determined.

In this video you can look at a single-line power supply diagram of a private residential building

It is also necessary to do the same with regard to the lighting network, the installation location of switches, lamps and their power. Based on your data and in accordance with the PUE and SNiP, the specialists of the design organization will choose protection for the lighting network and socket network, as well as a wiring plan for the house wiring.

The cost of electricity supplied by central networks is growing from year to year, while its quality is not getting better. There are also power outages in rural areas. And today we will consider options for autonomous energy supply of a country house.

If within the city the problem of providing one's living space with electricity arises only periodically, then with a country house everything is much more complicated - often utility networks are damaged as a result of natural phenomena and the actions of non-ferrous metal hunters. You can, of course, return to the decisions of the beginning of the last century, namely, kerosene lamps and torches, in the end, go to bed at sunset, but we are already accustomed to the benefits of civilization, inextricably linked with electricity. Consider the issue of energy independence of a country cottage from unreliable central communications.

Ways to power your home

Owning a house in the countryside, at a considerable distance from industrial centers, is attractive from a position of silence, clean air, surrounded by natural nature. However, there are situations when household appliances in such a house refuse to work due to a lower or excessively high voltage in the mains than the nominal voltage (220 V) - moreover, the drops can exceed 10%, established by GOST 13109-97.

The problem with the lack of voltage lies in the significant length of wired communications through which electric current flows to the houses - the farther from the transformer substation (transformer substation) the cottage is located, the more the voltage drops due to the resistance of the wires. During the day, the voltage in rural areas changes in relation to the nominal due to insufficient power of transformer substations and power networks - it is lower during the day, because at this time there are most consumers of electricity, but at night it rises sharply, because at this time consumption is minimal.

Power surges can cause the failure of household appliances - in other words, it burns out. Modern household appliances, especially European-made ones, are designed for 10% voltage drops in the mains, but no more, and in rural areas 20-30% jumps are quite possible.

You can compensate for power surges with the help of stabilizers, but in the event of a critical voltage drop (more than 45%), even the best of them will not help. Appliances are required that can provide power for household appliances in the absence of electricity from the central networks. Their choice is determined by the purposes for which the equipment will be used - backup power supply, additional or main.

Equipment for backup power supply is activated automatically or manually by its owner when the power supply from the central network is interrupted or when there is a critical voltage drop in it - it is able to maintain the operation of household appliances for a limited time, until the power supply is resumed.

Additional (mixed) power supply is necessary in cases where the existing voltage in the network is not enough, and households intend to use energy-intensive household appliances.

In the event that the cottage cannot be connected to the central networks, as well as with a constantly low quality of power supply, equipment for autonomous power supply is needed, acting as the main supplier of electricity.

To simplify the task assigned to the backup and additional power supply equipment, it will be convenient to divide household appliances in the house into three groups:

1. The first will be electrical appliances, the uninterrupted operation of which is not required and you can get by with the main source of electricity. These include underfloor heating systems or wall-mounted IR panels, electric saunas, groups of lamps designed for different lighting scenarios, etc.
2. The second group includes household appliances that provide comfortable living conditions for households - basic lighting, air conditioners, kitchen appliances, televisions, audio equipment. Household appliances from this group need a backup power supply.
3. Electrical appliances included in the third group are vital - emergency lighting, security and fire alarm systems, electronic locks, heating boilers controlled by automation, borehole pumps, etc. The full operation of equipment from the third group is possible only with an uninterrupted power supply provided by additional or backup sources without fail.

Grouping household consumers of electricity will allow you to correctly select the power of equipment that generates electricity, assess the actual needs and not overpay for an excessively powerful one, or purchase a clearly weak model.

Any equipment for autonomous power supply is not capable of producing electricity from nothing - it requires initial resources, which are divided into renewable and non-renewable. We explore the types of devices that generate electricity, depending on the resources consumed.

Non-renewable energy sources

Autonomous power supply at home using equipment that consumes petroleum products or natural gas and generates electricity is the most popular among owners of suburban real estate due to its wide popularity. However, only generators running on gasoline or diesel fuel are popular, less is known about the others.

Petrol generators. Small size and weight, cost less than diesel ones. But they are not able to supply electricity uninterruptedly - their duration of operation is no more than 6 hours in a row (motor life is about 4 months), i.e. gasoline generators are designed for periodic operation and are suitable in cases where the supply of electricity from the main supplier is interrupted for a period of about 2 -5 hours and only occasionally. Such generators are suitable only as a backup source of electricity.

Diesel generators. They are massive, large and not cheap, but their power and working life are much higher than those of gasoline models. Despite the significant cost, diesel generators are more profitable in operation than gasoline ones - cheap diesel fuel and uninterrupted operation for more than 2 years, i.e. this electric generator is able to work day and night without a break, subject to timely refueling. Diesel generators are suitable as a standby, supplementary and primary power supplier.

Gas power generators. Their weight, dimensions and cost are close to gasoline units of the same power. They run on propane, butane and natural gas, but are more productive on the first two types of gaseous fuels. Despite the period of continuous operation similar to gasoline generators - no more than 6 hours, gas-fired power generators have a longer motor resource, averaging about a year. As the main source of electricity, gas generators are suitable with a big reservation, but they are quite suitable for a backup electricity supplier.

Cogenerators or mini-CHP. If we compare them with the electric generators described above, they have two significant advantages: they are able to produce not only electrical, but also thermal energy; have a long working resource with uninterrupted use, averaging 4 years. Depending on the model, cogenerators operate on diesel, gaseous and solid fuels. Having significant dimensions, weight and cost, mini-CHPs are not suitable for supplying energy to one house outside the city, since their electrical power starts from 70 kW - thanks to one such installation, it is possible to completely solve the issue of year-round supply of electricity and heat to the village of several houses.

Uninterruptible power supplies on batteries.By and large, theydo not apply to generator sets, because they are not able to independently generate electricity, only accumulate and give it to the consumer. The energy intensity of the UPS is determined by the capacity and number of batteries in the complex, depending on this and the number of electricity consumers, the battery life of the UPS can range from several hours to several days. The service life of one set of UPS is on average 6-8 years.

Renewable energy sources

In the natural environment of our planet, there are constantly or periodically sources of energy, the production of which is not related to human activity - wind, water flow in rivers, solar radiation.

They are able to convert wind energy into electricity, but at a fairly high cost, the efficiency of wind generators does not exceed 30%. The service life of wind turbines is about 20 years, the continuity in the generation of electricity depends on the intensity of the wind. These installations can be considered as a full-fledged source of power supply only if they are equipped with a UPS, as well as a backup power generator (gasoline, diesel) in case of calm.

Solar panels. They absorb the energy of the sun and convert it into electricity. And if the winds blow at a variable speed, then the sun's rays illuminate the Earth during each light day. The efficiency of solar panels is about 20%, the service life is 20 years. As in the case of wind turbines, solar installations must be equipped with a UPS. The need for a backup generator depends on the intensity of solar radiation in the area - in areas with a sufficient number of sunny days, an additional generator will not be needed and they can be used as the main source of electricity.

Mini hydroelectric power station. The energy of water, compared to wind and solar, is much more stable - if the first two sources are unstable (night, calm), then water flows in streams and rivers at any time of the year. The cost of equipment for mini hydroelectric power plants is higher than that of wind turbines and solar panels, due to the more complex design, because a water power generator operates in aggressive conditions. The efficiency of a mini hydroelectric power station is about 40-50%, the service life is over 50 years. A mini-hydroelectric power station is capable of uninterruptedly providing electricity to several houses at once for a full year.

After reviewing the recommendation on the division of household appliances into groups according to the degree of importance, it remains only to figure out exactly how to choose the power of the generator for appliances from one or more groups. The simplest way is to sum up the nameplate power of household appliances, for example: microwave - 0.9 kW; mixer - 0.4 kW; electric kettle - 2 kW; washing machine - 2.2 kW; energy-saving lamp - an average of 0.02 kW; TV - 0.15 kW; satellite dish - 0.03 kW, etc. If we add the power of the listed household appliances, we get an energy consumption of 5.7 kW / h - does this mean that an electric generator with a capacity of at least 7.5 kW (with a 30% power reserve) is required ? Not at all, because this technique does not work all the time, that is, you should also take into account its approximate operating time, for example: washing machine - 3 hours a week; electric kettle - 10 minutes for each boil of water; microwave oven - 10 minutes to heat one serving of food; mixer - 10 minutes; an energy-saving lamp - about 5 hours a day, etc. It turns out that to provide electricity to the household appliances described as an example, a generator with a power of about 3 kW is sufficient, it is only necessary not to turn on the equipment at the same time, to distribute the load arising on the generator over time.

The choice of one or another type of power generator, especially one powered by renewable energy sources, primarily depends on the availability of initial fuel resources. For example, a gas generator requires a stable supply of liquefied natural gas, i.e. cylinders or a gas tank tank are required, and for an efficient energy supply using solar panels, a sufficient number of sunny days per year.

Related videos

The PLUSPOWER company designs and installs autonomous power supply systems for your home or summer cottage. At your service - long-term experience of the company engaged in scientific development and production of high-class equipment, its own patented developments and a staff of qualified employees.

There is no alternative

Often, there is no way to connect to the power supply networks, as an alternative, you have to resort to the use of mobile generator sets (gas, gasoline or diesel). But do generators do that well and what costs can you expect to maintain it?

Let's figure it out:

• high starting current of the connected load requires the purchase of a more powerful installation that far exceeds the nominal needs;
• fuel consumption does not correlate with the amount of electricity consumed;
• without ensuring the optimal load of the generator at 60 - 70% of the minimum power (it is impossible to ensure this around the clock either at home or at work), the fuel is wasted;
• an air-cooled system has a short engine life and requires periodic shutdowns for cooling, which means it cannot provide a full-fledged autonomous power supply to a private house;
• provided with a diesel generator with a liquid cooling system, autonomous power supply of a country house will have a more than significant price due to the astronomical amount of fuel consumed around the clock, the high cost of the device itself and the cost of its maintenance.

Chart #1 clearly demonstrates the volumes of generated and consumed energy of an autonomously operating generator with a capacity of 10 kW.

As you can see on the graph, you are simply not able to consume a large share of the generated energy. This explains the high cost (40-60 rubles per kWh) of consumed electricity. Is this a good alternative?

Very often and to a greater extent in gardening associations there are cases when connection to the power grid is not possible or associated with huge costs for the installation of a transformer substation and the laying of a power line, and the execution of the relevant documentation can take up to 2 years! And it is far from a fact that absolutely all owners of garden plots will agree to pay the required amount or will be able to do so. It's much easier to do it individually.

A smart approach to energy consumption

The principle idea of ​​the company "PLUSPOWER" is that autonomous power supply of a cottage or a country house is provided in accordance with your needs: the power supply system with a generator (operating for a short time to charge the batteries) produces exactly as much electrical energy as your consumers need.

Basic principles of operation of our energy supply systems:

• The main source of energy is batteries, which accumulate and store the required amount of electricity. Batteries give the consumer exactly as much electrical energy as he needs.
• The generator (for example, gasoline or diesel) works for a short time and without overloads. As needed, the system independently starts the generator and stops its operation when the required battery charge level is reached.
• The duration of the generator is inversely proportional to the full capacity of all batteries. That is, the larger the battery capacity, the less often the system turns on the power source to recharge them, and vice versa.
• The voltage always remains stable, without the slightest "flashing" when switching equipment operating modes. The signal quality is provided by an inverter that creates an ideal sine wave.
• The generator works intermittently, but there is always electrical energy. This consistency is maintained by our patented automated control system.

All engineering systems are developed by us according to individual parameters provided by the customer:

• required output power;
• indicators of average daily energy consumption.

Accumulative elements in the battery can be of two types:

• Lead-acid batteries are affordable but have limited charge current. Short-term operation of the generator requires a significant storage capacity of the batteries, and their service life, depending on the cycle, varies from 6 to 8 years;
• lithium-ion batteries are able to perceive high charge-discharge currents (several orders of magnitude higher than lead-acid counterparts). This allows minimizing the generator operation time, and the number of charge-discharge cycles will extend the battery life up to 15-20 years. We recommend the use of Lithium Ion batteries in battery-backed power systems!

Chart #2 displays the balance of generated (accumulated in batteries) and consumed (as needed by the user) energy developed in our system.

Benefits of our solutions

• The operation of an affordable air-cooled generator in comfort mode is only 3-4 hours a day. However, the amount of electricity you need in the house is around the clock.
• It is possible to use smaller generators. For example, a generator with a power of 5 kW, due to the energy stored in the battery, can provide an output power of up to 15 kW. This allows you to significantly reduce the cost of powering your home offline.
• Multiple reduction in generator fuel and maintenance costs.
• The production resource of the generator is significantly increased and its service life is extended.
• Designed, installed and commissioned by qualified specialists, our systems do not require any additional maintenance, except for routine maintenance.

Regardless of the required peak power during "peak hours", the generator power will always be much lower than required, determined only by the actual kilowatt hours consumed per day. The company "PLUSPOWER" guarantees the efficiency of the use of plants developed and installed by us!

Autonomous power supply of a country house is the only solution in the absence of the ability to connect to public power networks. Our task is to ensure the minimum cost of electricity.

Comparative characteristics of the autonomous power supply system "Energy +" with a gas and diesel power plant.

The device of an independent electrical system will provide energy to private buildings that are not connected to centralized networks. The result will help reduce the energy costs of cottages and houses. But in order to take advantage of the listed advantages, you need to know exactly how to make an autonomous power supply to a private house. Is it true?

We will talk about the design of independent power supply systems. Here you will find the fundamental principles of the device and the important nuances of organizing the supply of electricity to private residential facilities. The information provided by us is carefully checked, systematized, the information complies with building codes.

In the article we have proposed, the options for arranging private energy systems are thoroughly analyzed, all possible sources of energy are listed and evaluated. The principles of construction and operation of an autonomous power supply are described in detail, the data presented are supported by photos and videos.

In order for the autonomous complex to work correctly and produce an amount of energy that fully covers the needs of all home devices and household appliances, before installing the equipment, a preliminary calculation of the total power of the available electrical consumers is carried out.

These include units such as:

• heating system of a residential building;
• refrigeration equipment;
• air purification/cooling devices;
• large and small household appliances;
• a pumping complex that supplies water to the house from a well or well;
• electrical tool for DIY maintenance and building and garden maintenance.

The base power is found out from the accompanying documents issued by the manufacturer and attached to each unit. This indicator is different for everyone, but any devices and devices equally require a stable supply of energy with a certain frequency of electrical flow and without voltage drops.

In some cases, they also take into account such a parameter as the sinusoidal shape of the alternating voltage.

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