The property we are buying has no mains power, it has a generator at the moment and we will install solar power, and possibly even a wind generator.
Are there any other people out there that are not on mains power that can offer me advice ?
For instance, we are at the moment sorting out the kitchen gadgets and i am wondering if its going to be feasible to have things like electric deep fat fryers , electric veg steamer etc.
Any help peeps?

As anything that generates heat consumes a lot of energy, my guess is that you will need to look at having as many of those such items powered by Gas...unless you get on hell'uv'a windmill.

Euuuchh back to the horrible old deep fat fryer I remember from my childhood !! Not that I use iot much, in fact I bought it 2 years ago and I've only used it once! I would miss a microwave though, so I assume i'll need to get a low power one, although all those I've seen all seem to be catagory E which is high powered!

Best thing is to calculate the amount of watts you are using, and how much your power supplies will give at peak.
Dont forget to calculate that anything with a motor (fridge etc) will use twice it's stated wattage on every start-up of the motor.
We are at the same stage as you, and i currently have a small generator that i use in the daytime, and during the day i charge up a computer UPS (battery backup) which can be used for lights at night time.
The solutions are quite expensive that involve wind power, solar and batteries, however you could power your house for 'free'.
If you are struggling for power, and do not want to have a large electric solution, dont forget you can always use gas bottles for the heating, water heating, cooker and fridge etc

Here are some typical usage rates for various appliances...thanks to:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/.../mytopic=10040

Typical Wattages of Various Appliances
Here are some examples of the range of nameplate wattages for various household appliances:

Aquarium = 50–1210 Watts
Clock radio = 10
Coffee maker = 900–1200
Clothes washer = 350–500
Clothes dryer = 1800–5000
Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)
Dehumidifier = 785
Electric blanket- Single/Double = 60 / 100
Fans
Ceiling = 65–175
Window = 55–250
Furnace = 750
Whole house = 240–750
Hair dryer = 1200–1875
Heater (portable) = 750–1500
Clothes iron = 1000–1800
Microwave oven = 750–1100
Personal computer
CPU - awake / asleep = 120 / 30 or less
Monitor - awake / asleep = 150 / 30 or less
Laptop = 50
Radio (stereo) = 70–400
Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) = 725
Televisions (color)
19" = 65–110
27" = 113
36" = 133
53"-61" Projection = 170
Flat screen = 120
Toaster = 800–1400
Toaster oven = 1225
VCR/DVD = 17–21 / 20–25
Vacuum cleaner = 1000–1440
Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500–5500
Water pump (deep well) = 250–1100
Water bed (with heater, no cover) = 120–380

I'd start to make a list of all the electrical stuff you want to run.
Add it all up and see how many watts or amps you will need.
Like a kettle is 2000 watts
a microwave 900 watts
might have 5 x 100 watt light bulbs on at the same time?.
most electrical items will have the watts marked on them.
you want air con? how many units?
In very simple terms if you end up with say 6000 watts that equals a 6kva generator.
You will need some margin built in so if you need 6000 watts go for a 8kva generator otherwise you will be blowing the trip all the time.
As said previously stuff that generates heat eats up your power so, cook with gas, kettle on the hob then use your generated power for stuff like the microwave.
Think I've got most the facts right but I'm not electrician.

Luckily his gingerness as well as being a pilot is also an electrician! plus he's good at maths so he can sort all the numbers out!! I think i'll get a whistling kettle , get my hair permed so I don't have to blow dry it, get a wind up radio, rig up some sort of track for the dogs to run on, that'll generate a bit! I feel life is going to get very much more complicated, lots of romantic nights by candle light!!!

ohms law. V=A over R (V= volts, A =amps, R = resistance)


Easilly remembered as taught by my old teacher

"Virgins are rare"

Thats cos of the resistance value. ;-)

I seem to remember someone on here is a bit of a whiz when it comes to using off grid power, cant for the life of me remember who. Think it was Solarwhizz, that would make sense, but a couple of others also.

My advice Don't buy a house without electricty sorry but think it through. I lived without electricty for 22 long suffering months. It sounds like it will be fine, but in reality it will be a different story. Think about the money it will cost to run a high powered generator, think what will happen when it breaks down. Think about what will happen when your generator breaks down and then so does your car, so your stuck up a mountain without a car to bring your generator to the repair shop. Not nice especially with kids in tow.

We used to spend on average 40-50 euros a week just to run our generator for 4-5 hours a night. Nothing on during the day not even the fridge so our food was never properly chilled. One time we didn't have a generator for 6 weeks and the transitor radio did become quite boring after a while especially as when you live in a rural location you can't pick up a decent radio station. (I assume you live in a rural location otherwise you would have electricty). Oh and margarine and cheese turns to liquid in 40 degree heat. yummy!

I know my experience will not be the same as everyone elses but consider this you will have to make massive changes to your lifestyle changes that you wouldn't have even contemplated regardless of the amount of kva or watts your gennie has.

Wow, sounds like you had quite a negative experience. I dont think anyone was telling her to run it from a genny. We were talking about 'generated power' from the windmill and solar power cells.
I would not live with only a diesel generator and try to have a normal family life. Especially if you are struggling with other items in your household, car etc.
I think you either treat it like camping, or put in a proper solar/wind solution with a proper battery backup for night hours and power surges.

Spend a few grand and do it properly first time round, or you will always be paying too much for diesel and it will always feel like you are camping!

I would not be afraid to buy a house with no electricity, ours did not have water either until last month. It is an exciting challenge, but i do sympathise with the lady who had a family 'in tow'... that has to be difficult.

In hindsight thats what we should have done but the electricty was going to be turned on soon always next month.

';#
God now I'm really depressed!
The other half doesn't seem the least bit worried about not having mains electricity, and his nephew is big in the renewable energy world so we have lots of ideas about harnessing free energy seems mad to me living in a country with so much sunshine and not utilizing it! We'll be looking into grants etc too.
I think we'll have to completelt rethink our way of llife, one day there may be mains, who knows but until then I'll have to learn how to conserve energy! At least the teenaged son that leaves all the lights on won't be coming with us to drain it!!

I think there are lots of things that are different about the way we live in Spain, things like

mains electricity
agricultural water
septic tanks
no mains gas

all these things can have a big impact and cause you problems when you move over here and sometimes it takes a lot of getting used to and adjusting

I personally wouldnt want to live without mains elec or water - we lived in a villa with agricultural water when we first came and it was a total pain - ordering water, the man not coming when he said he would and nearly running the deposit dry and having to be careful about how much you are using, re-using the bath water for plants - all too much for me

The septic filled up and we knew nothing about how they worked before coming over

its all about research before you finally decide on an area and buy