The cost of solar power, or even wind power, is often cited as an obstacle for homesteaders who want to get off the grid. So the question is sure to arise: How does steam compare? We asked several suppliers for prices on "comparable" systems. What we learned is that you can't compare apples and oranges and bananas!

A Trace 2400 watt inverter (about $1300) and four Trojan L-16 batteries ($850) means about $2150 for any of the three systems.

Steve Belanger’s steam system incorporates a Semple 5 hp engine and water tube boiler from Sensible Steam running a 4kw generator. The 265 gallon tank holds water which is heated by the exhaust steam which is then condensed and recycled.

A wind system (Whisper 600 and 64' tower) estimated to produce 3.5 kw a day would add about $2400 to that basic cost.

A solar system (five Siemens SR 90 panels producing 4.5 kw in summer and 2.9 kw in winter in our location) would add about $2600.

A ready-to-run Little Donkey steam system would cost about $3500, and would produce about the same amount of electricity running six hours a day. But the wind doesn't always blow. The sun doesn't always shine, and when it does, it's not always with the same intensity.

So while the steam system costs more, we must also consider that it can produce power day or night year-around; it could theoretically operate 24 hours a day and produce four times as much electricity; and when it's putting out 478 watts at 120 psi it's also producing 35,000 BTUs of heat.

On the other hand again, you have to factor in the cost and labor of the unrefined fuel. Clearly, there is much more than cost to consider when choosing an alternative energy system.

(The May/June, 1999 Countryside has 16 pages of information and pictures on steam power.)