Local couple uses technology to eliminate electricity bills

By KRIS REILLY
Editor

There was once a cable running from a power line to Tony Malone’s Lucerne Valley home. In its place is a piece of pipe protruding from his roof, a few clipped wires dangling from its end.

It’s a symbol of Tony and his wife Lona’s independence. The Malones are completely off the grid, generating their own power and never paying an electric bill.

Malone, a Victor Valley College renewable energy instructor and longtime local resident, gave a presentation at the February meeting of the Lucerne Valley Economic Development Association and outlined some of the technology he uses.

Malone warned the LVEDA crowd that going off the grid is “not for the faint of heart” — but he said there are ways homeowners can reduce their electric bills while staying on the grid. Malone uses many of those strategies in his own home.

From the outside, the Malones’ house is distinguished by the solar panels over the garage, two attached greenhouses and the disused power conduit on the roof.

Inside, you might expect to see a bare, rustic home with few amenities. But the Malones share a comfortable living space with modern appliances and a large flatscreen TV mounted on one of the walls.

Their primary power source is the bed of photovoltaic solar panels on the garage roof. Malone has rigged up 20 batteries that store the solar power so it can be used at night.

In the winter, fans draw warm air into the house from the greenhouses and a homemade trombe wall, which is like a miniature greenhouse attached to the wall itself. On very cold nights, the Malones use a wood-burning stove for extra warmth.

In the summer they use two evaporative coolers and a geothermal system to cool the house. The geothermal system draws up cool underground air.

The Malones use a propane tank for the stove, refrigerator and sometimes the water heater (they also have a solar water heater).

The initial cost of a renewable energy system — wind or solar — can be high, but the expense can be offset with financing or government rebates. To qualify for rebates, you must stay on the grid, Malone said.

“But going off the grid can still be worth it,” he added. He said it took just six years to make up the cost of his $14,500 solar energy system, which he installed in 2004.

San Bernardino Third District Supervisor Neil Derry, a former Southern California Edison spokesperson, was at the LVEDA meeting and said that going off the grid may not be advisable, but there are steps that can be taken to make your home more energy efficient.

Upgrading old windows and insulation are two of the most important steps you can take for greater energy efficiency, Malone said, adding that a thin aluminum material called Reflectix can make a surprisingly big difference.

Going off the grid means being prepared if nasty weather or other acts of God damage your power source (but the upside is that you may still have power when others are blacked out), making sure your equipment stays in working order and sometimes giving up luxuries to conserve power.

Lona Malone concedes she’s given up a few small things, but she has no problem living without them. She said that because the Malones rely on battery power in the evening, she doesn’t iron clothes at night.

Smiling, she added: “It’s such a big inconvenience.”

Malone’s presentation mentioned local vendors who offer some of the kinds of products and services he uses: Lucerne Valley Market and Hardware; Butcher’s Block True Value hardware in Lucerne Valley; Desert Solar of Apple Valley (desertsolar.org); Gridnot in Lucerne Valley (www.gridnot.com); and Battery Mart in Apple Valley.

NOTE: The Leader does not guarantee the effectiveness any of the products sold by any of the vendors mentioned in this story.

Kris Reilly can be reached at editor@LucerneValleyLeader.com or at (760) 248-7878.