Mains Power to an Island

[Caladon]

Ok serious question here; I am thinking of buying an island in Canada (they are dead cheap, start from $70,000 upwards) However the one i have seen has no power and is a half a mile from shore. Is it feesable to run a power cable under the water, even though it is 70 feet deep and there is no one within a 20 mile radius...or will it 1) cost me a fortune and 2) be cheaper to have wind generators, oil burners and solar power installed? Also I would cosider having quite a large log cabin built so would need a lot of electricty. Thanks

[incitatus]

The solution used on the more remote hebridean islands is to use a combination of a large wind turrbine and a backup generator for the rare times when it isnt windy in scotland.

[Hamish]

I would imagine it would be cheaper and more reliable to have a source on the island. If there is a stream you can get hydroelectric system. In Alask on isolated pipe lines they use a thermoslelectric device known as a Plietier device to generate electricity directly from heat with no moving parts (its not very efficient though!). If you plan your house well you may not need a huge amunt of electricity. The largest consumers would be haeting an electric cooker and an electric shower. You can get gas fridges, cooker and heating therefore reducing the power requiremsnts. Hope this helps, Hamish

[slimjim]

Incidentally, where do you see these islands advertised?

[sft42]

If you think dead cheap is $70k then wiring your little island up should be a problem...alternately why not spend that money helping out some homeless people, or some worthwhile charity rather than buying an island?

[Caladon]

Thanks for that Hamish, really helped! http://realestate.escapeartist.com/Properties/Isla
nds/ is the link to one of many sites. And sft42 my family own homes around the world which we rent out to snow birds and holiday homes. This is a business. However the family does give a lot to charity in the areas which we have homes, such as florida and france. In the UK we own a couple of homes which are leased to the council for single parents. 70k is not much for such a vast area of land, especially in Canada. Those who have money to spend are not heartless and do not forget those who have no money or homes. Its is not as though I am buying it for a holiday home purely for myself.

[Caladon]

Also, as i do feel sft42 is picking on me a bit here...70k canadian dollars is just under �30k.

[sft42]

I apologise if I have cause any offence at all Caladon that wasn't my intention....But I find it amazing that anyone at all can use the words �30,000 and dead cheap in the same sentence....and that anyone can describe more than a years salary for most teachers, nurses and care workers as being cheap is surely an sad inditement on the state of society as a whole these days....I don't doubt that you do give generously to charity and I applaude you for doing so....My incredulousness should have been better directed as the state of the nation and capitilism as a whole that the idea of paying such sums for tracts of land is a merit when people lie starving on the pavements of the country.....Hey Ho!

[Maudlettice]

Hey Ho indeed, Sft. Hey Ho. You came down from the clouds on wings of white. A proper Seraph. Hey Ho again, and Alleluia.

[Yai]

sft42, I think Caladon meant that it was cheap in relation to other islands which cost millions. It's like saying that a �30,000 house is cheap, because a decent house costs at least �90,000 these days. And what's the difference between buying an island and buying a house, which everyone does anyway.

[TransRiot]

Personally, go for wind-power, hydro electric and solar or all three.

A back up generator just in case, but to be honest hydro electric is a source of almost infinite energy. Water wheel hooked up to a motor configured for mains out put and you're set for life =)