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Incinerating toilets and mini-split air conditioners on solar? (self.solardiy)

submitted 1 year ago by mascarasnake to c/solardiy

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Has anyone here ever had success running either of these in a solar-powered off-grid structure?

I've seen and read several sources/product reviews that advise against using each of these (especially incinerating toilets) with a solar setup, but I've heard anecdotes from a couple of people who used a dedicated solar panel for a mini-split and had no problem.

I think an incinerating toilet is the best option for my location, but I'm not sure if I can swing it off-grid.

(Cross posted in !off_grid)

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[–] mascarasnake 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My (limited) understanding is that they release only a small amount of CO2, using only solar electricity--no propane in my situation. What's left is a tiny bit of sterile ash that can be emptied outside or sprinkled in the trash. And composting toilets sounded promising until I really started researching them. Ultimately, dumping out solids all the time was too much of a gross-out factor for me, and dedicating a space for dumping them out was a big issue. I was really set on the Envirolet or SunMar central composting systems for a while, but even they were a much bigger hassle to clean and maintain, and the outdoor tank takes up too much space to be practical for my setting.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Interesting. From a quick internet search, no one even mentions CO2 for any type of waste management.

If you’re looking at a permanent fixture with an external tank anyway, why not a traditional septic system? Properly installed and colonized, they’re just a longer term composting solution that’s easier to maintain.

[–] mascarasnake 1 points 1 year ago

Septic's unfortunately not an option in that location. It would definitely be much more convenient in the long run.