Sunset at waterfront cottage rental on Manitoulin Island, Northern Ontario Canada

Black's
Bay
Lodge

Providence Bay,
Manitoulin Island
Ontario, Canada

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Auxiliary Systems at Black's Bay Lodge

Wind Generator powered beach house cabin vacation rental cottage on Manitoulin Island, Ontario Canada
BBL has a green energy cottage.  The wind generator is located in a prime, windy, open place on the beach.  The South shore of Manitoulin has some of the best winds in North America; ideal for wind generation.

To maximize wind exposure, the 400 watt generator is perched on top of a 45 ft. tall tower; guyed with 8 steel cables so that it can withstand 125 mph winds.

For sense of scale, the 6'3" tall owner is standing at the base of the tower (green pants, brown shirt). Click on image for viewing full size.
Solar cells and batteries supply green power to waterfront cottage vacation rental on Manitoulin Island, Ontario Canada

This solar/wind system is all automatic.  All you have to do is hit the POWER ON switch.
Manitoulin Ontario cottage is powered by Green Energy (solar and wind) that we generate ourselvesOur latest addition to the cottage for 2003 is a solar/wind power generation system.  The cottage's electricity is entirely supplied by Green Power renewable energy (solar and wind).

The PV solar collector panel supplies 466 watts of power on sunny days (315 watts seen here).  The wind generator gives us 400 watts of power on windy days.  The 20 batteries (in the 2 gray boxes with the green tops up on the platform) store 13.2 kilowatt-hrs of power.

The solar/wind power system supplies enough power to run the cottage lights, radio, etc. for 4 days without additional wind or sun power.  The 1500 watt inverter will supply 110 Volts AC (household current); meeting most power needs without having to run the emergency backup generator.
Drilled Water Well for beach front vacation rental on Manitoulin Island, Ontario Canada

The water from the well passes through a 30 micron filter, then a 20 micron filter with activated charcoal, then a 5 micron high capacity filter.  This ensures cold, clean water with no sediment.  This well and all cottage water piping is shock chlorinated each spring when the cottage is opened.

June 23, 2005   We have completed installation of a DC well pump run from the PV solar collector on the roof of the cottage + the batteries in the basement.  This supplies pressurized, direct to the taps, 24 hrs per day.  With this, we are now 100% independent from the gasoline generator.

As an alternative, you can use the old system (now a backup system) with the attic storage tank. Chlorination in the attic water storage tank makes doubly sure that there are no pathogens in the water.

The water feeds by gravity from the attic tank to all the taps; providing about 10 psig from the 23 feet height difference. This is the most energy efficient method of providing running water inside the cottage.

Our new water well (2003) was drilled through solid limestone bedrock to a depth of 124 ft, striking water at 106 ft. deep.

The well was capped, and hermetically sealed between the well casing and the bedrock.

To ensure a water supply, there is a 3/4 hp submersible AC well pump, as well as a 40 watt DC pump, pumping on the well through an underground freeze-proof water line was installed between the well and the cottage.

To minimize power consumption, the well pumps can pump direct to the taps when required, or to the 400 litre water tank in the attic.

For taking showers when operating off the attic tank, there is a DC pressure booster pump.  With 400 litres of filtered & chlorinated water, you should be able to operate the cottage for a full week without needing to pump more drinking water.

Outhouse at time share beach front vacation rental cottage on Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada The old but reliable one hole outhouse supplements  the indoor flush toilet.  This outhouse is located 20 ft. from the cottage.

The outhouse was built in 1991 as a demonstration and training project for the family construction crew.

Once the outhouse was completed, the crew was trained and ready to start tackling the construction of the main lodge.

Today, the outhouse is still used during winter camping trips when the water system is off-line; as well as when some quiet bathroom reading time is needed.

Auxillary water system for beach house cabin rental on Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada As a backup system to our new well, we also can pump water from Lake Huron.

 

For quality assurance, we filter the water through a 30 micron (the blue cylinder on the right in the picture), then a 5 micron (middle filter), then 0.2 micron ceramic and silver impregnated filter (the blue filter on the left).  This system is adequate to remove all dirt, algae, bacteria, and cysts that may be in the water.

Porch swings at trailer next to vacation home cottage rental on Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada The trailer is located a few yards from the main lodge in a small, secluded clearing; very private.  There is a 14 ft. x 12 ft. deck and two loveseat swings.

The trailer is fully functional and equipped with electricty (when the lodge's generator is running), propane, icebox, and gas stove.

The trailer has sleeping for 4 adults.

Outdoor shower beach house cabin vacation home rental at Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada At a corner of the beach, there is an outdoor shower.  which supplements the indoor tub/shower.

Filtered water from the main pumping system supplies water to the storage tank on the 2nd floor observation deck.

There is a solar water heater, as well as an electrical water heater, and a recirculation pump powered by the sun.

Cloudy or sunny, the system can provide a piping hot shower in the coldest weather.

Outdoor shower at vacation rental cottage on Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada
The hot water is stored in the silver insulated drum on the 2nd. floor (which doubles as a wildlife observation platform on the beach).

The auxiliary electrical heater (for cloudy days, or when you can't wait for the water to heat naturally) can be seen on the right side of the shower stall.

Outdoor solar heated shower.  The sun heats the water, as well as generates electricity for the re-circulation pump.  A solar photovoltaic panel turns sun into electricity.  The electricity is used by a small DC pump to recirculate the water from the tank, through the solar water heater, and back to the tank. Copper tubing inside the black panel collect the sun's energy all day long so as to be ready to provide a hot shower after a hard day of fun and excitement.

Solar collector at outdoor shower for vacation rental cottage on beach front at manitoulin ISland Ontario Canada

Ladder and bench seat at outdoor shower for beach front vacation rental cottage on Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada The bench just outside the door to the shower stall is very handy for taking the shoes & socks on or off.

The stairway goes up to the rain barrel and observation deck on the second floor of the shower (I love dual purpose construction).

From here, you have a commanding view of the entire bay at Black's Bay, as well as Lake Huron.  This is an excellent place to watch the birds and boat activities over the water.

On the beach, we have seen raccoons, beaver, Canadian geese with 12 goslings doing swimming maneuvers, turkey vultures, mallards, cormorants, loons, blue heron, red tail hawk, and peregrine falcons.

Weathervane and water storage tank at outdoor shower for rental cottage vacation home on Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada The top of the outdoor shower, showing the insulated rain barrel, the weather vane (can be seen from the main lodge), the water supply line, and the electrical supply.
Cell phone call from BBay's beach house vacation rental cottage on Manitoulin Island, Ontario Canada One of our guests is making a cell phone call home from the kitchen area in the lodge.

There is a high-gain Yagi antenna on the roof of the main lodge which can connect with the Mindemoya cell tower 15 km away (both Bell Cellular and Rogers - AT&T).

Wood shed of dried hardwood at BBay's beach house vacation rental cottage on Manitoulin Island, Ontario Canada Wood shed is stocked up with dry wood, ready for a fall or winter file in the airtight stove.  It heats up the main lodge to toasty warm in the coldest weather.

Original Version:   Feb. 16, 2001

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