LIVING WITH HYDRO ELECTRIC IS EASY AND SUSTAINABLE

Hydro-electric power is the most sustainable and environment friendly method for meeting your power needs. It consumes nothing, emits less and operates 24/7 regardless of what the sun or wind is doing.

The hydro-electric turbine has only one downside. You will need to have a reliable source of water that provides enough fall to create the pressure. The greater the flow, the more the power generated. At Bimbul we’re lucky to be in such a privileged position all year round.

It's Maiden Run

We actually restrict our flow in order to provide just 7amps of electricity so we are working with a known quantity. This flow is just half of what can be produced but the extra electricity is available if is needed. In the meanwhile, the hydro is quieter for using less throughput. This is valuable given the hydro is housed right beside Bimbul.

But working with Such a unique resource does require a user to be aware of its behaviour. Working with hydro will require the user to modify their own behaviour.  An obvious error happens when more power is being used than being produced. Other problems arise when the head (where the pipe exits the water source) comes out during heavy rains; trees fall across the pipes; or pipe connectors leak and even come apart. Being off-grid also means being vigilant to issues that may surface.

Different guests have varied usage patterns and it’s this variable that needs to be addressed. The aim of this article is to explain the method we employed. Our aim is to make a guests time in our off-grid cabin, Bimbul, as convenient as possible.

….If a Simple, Non-Intrusive Restriction Is Followed.

In order to make it work with different guests we propose a simple restriction on usage. That is, guests need to budget their hot water consumption.  Essentially, that means just 5 minute showers per person per day.

It also means that you should use your alotted shower time. Heating the hot water is made possible when there is unused electricity available. In sum, it keeps the turbine humming in harmony with you.

Everything after that should be as you would normally expect in any accommodation. However, we do appreciate it if guests refrain from using too many heavy appliances at the one time (we have battery storage that deals with surges of power use and the battery can be rundown if too much demand is made of it at any one time).

These items are the toaster, kettle, vacuum cleaner and microwave. The refrigerator and two pumps happen independently of any actions you may take. The lights are LED (use hardly any power), and the fans are also low power consumers. Bimbul’s stove top cooking is done with gas.

So, with just a little awareness, it is quite possible to live with power developed independently of the mains grid-line. And that can only be a positive thing.

But should any concerns arise regarding the hydro then we are just a two-way call nearby (call number:16)

Thank you for reading this and being aware of our hydro needs.