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by dghughes 2360 days ago
Hello fellow Canadian :)

Wouldn't a home made Sterling Engine be easier and cheaper? Then use the motion to power a small generator.

But like others commented you may just end up cooling your stove. The Yukon can get pretty cool.

Maybe an old washer motor, a prop to generate power from wind? Or solar in the summer when light is ample.
1 comments
asdfman123 2360 days ago
Yeah, I've seen people who use small wind turbines to generate electricity far north. Seems like the best way to do it.
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grecy 2360 days ago
They're very noisy, and you have to get them above the trees, which is quite high. Also where I live is not very windy.
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asdfman123 2360 days ago
That's interesting. I'm curious about your living situation, though. Do you live out there most of the year (are you there right now?), or is it kind of a vacation home?

Sounds cool... I'm always interested in off-the-grid living arrangements.

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grecy 2360 days ago
I don't have enough money for a vacation home! I'm full time in the Yukon when I'm not on the road.

Many people up North have solar setups and are off grid, usually with older lead-acid battery setups which work just fine.

Solar is great in the summer when the sun is up for 20+ hours a day, but slim in the winter when we only get ~4 hours of sunlight. Most people supplement with a generator for a couple of hours a day which is what I really hope to avoid with ideas like this TEC on the woodstove.

The stove is already pumping out so much heat, and it's so cold outside I feel like the temperature difference is just begging me to do something with it!

My other dream is to by land on moving water (river, stream) and make a little water wheel that turns an old pickup truck alternator. It will be killer in summer, but it's a problem in the winter because the water will be solid for ~5 months.

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asdfman123 2358 days ago
Are you software/do tech work? Do you work remotely? And are you completely off-grid, or live in a small community? I just find it very interesting.

By the way, I wonder if it's possible to use waste heat from a generator to warm your house, so you can turn down the stove.

(Also, I was curious about your project idea too and it turns out they do already build wood stove thermoelectric generators if you Google that term...)

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