{"id":1281,"date":"2015-10-12T01:03:50","date_gmt":"2015-10-12T08:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/?p=1281"},"modified":"2015-10-07T16:30:39","modified_gmt":"2015-10-07T23:30:39","slug":"off-grid-power-for-yellowstone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explore.globalcreations.com\/theblog\/adventure\/situations\/off-grid-power-for-yellowstone\/","title":{"rendered":"Off Grid Power for Yellowstone"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Lamar<\/p>\n

When visiting National Parks we expect to enjoy the quiet beauty they offer. \u00a0At some National Park facilities, however, \u00a0electricity is is not available from the grid and noisy, polluting, fossil-fuel powered generators are used. \u00a0This just doesn’t fit well with the ethos of the National Park System.<\/p>\n

Off Grid\u00a0at Lamar<\/h1>\n

\"CorralThe Lamar Buffalo Ranch in Yellowstone National Park is one example. \u00a0It is 10 miles from the nearest power line. \u00a0It had a solar energy system installed in 1996 and expanded in 2005. \u00a0For those of you into the details, the\u00a0original system consisted of a 24V\/7 kW PV array with 12 kW generators, a 4800 amp hour battery bank and 8 kW inverters. In 2005, the solar array was doubled for a total of 14 kW and the batteries doubled to 9600 amp hours of storage.\u00a0A\u00a0propane generator system provided backup. \u00a0The system had reached the end of its useful life, so\u00a0the Park Service decided to see if they could do better.<\/p>\n

They replaced the old system starting with a new set of 180\u00a0250-watt solar panels (45 kw total), operating at 600 volts, that charge a series of 208 used batteries from Hybrid Camry cars. \u00a0The batteries could no longer be used in the cars due to the demand that is required of them in that application. \u00a0Nonetheless, they have\u00a0plenty of life left (estimated at 20 years or more) when used with a solar system, so Toyota donated them to the project. \u00a0\u00a0As batteries are replaced in Camry’s, Toyota will\u00a0have millions of these batteries available.<\/p>\n

The battery array can be fully charged in 12 hours and is\u00a0expected to be able to power the facility for two to three days if sunshine is lacking. \u00a0Instead of propane, \u00a0the backup system is a micro-hydro power plant (4.5 kw). \u00a0The combination will provide enough electricity to light and heat all three residences and 16 small cabins at the facility without fossil fuels. \u00a0There is considerably more work to be done, but the project is well on its way.<\/p>\n

\"Lamar<\/p>\n

The Benefits to Recreation<\/h1>\n

With facilities like this, a long way from power lines, recreationists have a base deeper in the\u00a0wild country that will ultimately allow more people to get farther into the wilderness for the benefits it provides. \u00a0As an example, Lamar Buffalo Ranch,\u00a0is\u00a0a field campus for the\u00a0Yellowstone Association<\/a>, home to the Park Service’s youth education program,\u00a0Expedition:\u00a0<\/em>Yellowstone<\/em>!<\/em><\/a>. Park\u00a0rangers reside there year round, and the corrals and historic barn are a\u00a0base\u00a0for backcountry adventure.<\/p>\n

There are many other facilities across the country and around the world that could\u00a0benefit from not only getting off the grid, but also getting away from fossil fuels to bring noise and air pollution levels down.<\/p>\n

More Information<\/h1>\n