====== Solar-electric Coffee Roasting and Brewing ======

The Freshroast is rated at 1100W/120V (9A).  An older model roasts a batch of 60-75 g (0.14-0.16 lb) of green coffee in less than four minutes, about 72 W·hr/batch.  Although I haven't measured it precisely, the newer model appears to operate proportionally.

<m>{(1100 W) (4 min)}/{1 batch} ({1 batch}/{60 g}) ({1 hr}/{60 min}) ({1000 g}/{1 kg })</m> = 1200 W·hr/kg

Two 60-g batches are enough coffee for three, three-mug press-pots of strong coffee.  If you drink an average of three mugs each day, you will need to roast about two batches every three days.  This will require 144 W·hr every three days.  If you get 5 hr sunlight each day and have an 80% system efficiency, you will need only a 12W PV panel.((<m>({72 W_out hr}/batch) ({2 batch}/{3 day}) ({1 day}/{5 hr sun}) ({100 W_pv} / {80 W_out}) = 12 W_pv</m>))


However, you will also need a 1.2 A·hr, 100 A car battery and an 1100W inverter (or voltage booster) .  A twelve-watt panel is small enough to charge a car or motorcycle battery without a charge controller.

In addition, to brew the coffee from a solar-electric source, you will need about 100 W·hr to heat three mugs of water each day to near boiling.((<m>({1000 ml}/{3 mug})(100-15 C)({1 Whr}/{860 cal})</m> ≈ 100 W·hr/3 mug))  This will require about 25W more PV and 10 A·hr additional battery capacity.  Although the following figures have not yet been updated to reflect these additional costs, the analysis should not be materially effected.


====== Equipment ======

| $150|  1|Inverter (>=1100W, 10 yr)(([[http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=326232|1200 W Inverter]]))|
|  100|  1|PV Panel (>=12 W, 30 yr)(([[http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=255798|15-Watt Solar Battery Charger Panel]]))|
|   60|  1|Motorcycle Battery (>=1.2 A·hr, 100 A, 3 yr)(([[http://www.motorcyclebatteriesusa.com/battery-mfg-details.asp?battery=172|12 volt 8 Amp Hour 120 cold cranking amps]]))|
|  180|  2((Using two roasters halves the 10-minute roast/cool cycle time to 5 min/batch by roasting with one unit while the other cools.))|Freshroast Coffee Roasters (>2500 batches, ≈10 yr) (([[http://www.breworganic.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=278|FreshRoast Plus Home Coffee Roaster]]))|
|   70|  1|Hand-crank Coffee Mill(([[http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.zas.shtml|Grinders out of stock)]])) (>3500 batches, >10 yr)|
|   40|  1|Stainless Steel French Press (>1000 batches, >3 yr) (([[http://www.zaccardis.com/thermos-nissan-thermal-coffee-press-nci1000.html|Nissan Thermos French Press]]))|
|     |  1|Immersion heater or electric kettle|
^  600|Initial Investment  ||


^7¢/mug((<m>({0.25 USD}/batch) ({2 batch}/{3 pot}) ({1 pot}/{3 mug})+({0.04 USD}/pot) ({1 pot}/{3 mug})</m>≈ 7¢/mug))|<25¢/batch((450+100+600+540=$1690/30 yr (7300 batches/30 yr) -> 23¢/batch)) + 4¢/pot|


====== Supplies ======

|$0.42|60 g|Green Coffee Beans ($3/lb)(([[http://www.greencoffees.com/|Coffee Bean Direct]]))|

^9¢/mug((<m>({0.42 USD}/batch) ({2 batch}/{3 pot}) ({1 pot}/{3 mug})</m>= 9¢/mug))|



====== Labor ======

|20¢/mug|5 min/batch Roasting((<m>({5 mn roasting}/batch) ({1 hr}/{60 mn}) ({2 batch}/{3 pot}) ({1 pot}/{3 mug}) ({10 USD}/{1 hr})</m> ≈ 20¢/mug))|
|56¢/mug|10 min/pot Brewing((<m>({10 mn brewing}/pot) ({1 hr}/{60 mn}) ({1 pot}/{3 mug}) ({10 USD}/{1 hr})</m> ≈ 56¢/mug))|
^76¢/mug|≈ 4.4 min/mug, 10 usd/hr((<m>({5 min}/{1 batch})({2 batch}/{9 mug}) + ({10 min}/{1 pot})({1 pot}/{3 mug})</m> ≈ 4.4 min/mug ≈ .074 hr/mug))|


Note you will actually //lose// money buying your coffee to go if it normally takes you about five minutes or longer to purchase it retail, since this is more time than it would take to roast and brew it yourself and the difference is enough to completely offset the fixed costs.




====== Total ======

<format jpgraph-function>
5-0
25
x
0.074*x+0.16
</format>

Supply costs: $100/yr (14.6 kg (32 lb) Green Coffee,
Labor costs: $800/yr 80 hr Labor (20 roast + 60 brew))
Money Flow

<format jpgraph-table>
^  Annual Cost Flow  ||||graph.title,
^Year^Fixed^Variable^Comments|xaxis.title,1-bar.legend,2-line.legend,blah
|   0^   600|      |Initial Investment|1-bar.x/2-line.x,1-bar.y,2-line.y,blah
|   1^   100|   800.01|Supplies, Labor|
|   2^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   3^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|   4^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   5^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   6^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|   7^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   8^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   9^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  10^   500|   800|Supplies, Labor, Inverter, Roasters, Mill|
|  11^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  12^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  13^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  14^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  15^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  16^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  17^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  18^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  19^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  20^   500|   800|Supplies, Labor, Inverter, Roasters, Mill|
|  21^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  22^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  23^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  24^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  25^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  26^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  27^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  28^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  29^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  30^   700|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot, Inverter, Roasters, Mill, Panel|
</format>
((
^  Annual Cost Flow  ||||graph.title,
^Year^Fixed^Variable^Comments|xaxis.title,1-bar.legend.2-line.legend,
|   0^   600|      |Initial Investment|1-bar.x/2-line.x,1-bar.y,2-line.y,blah
|   1^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   2^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   3^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|   4^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   5^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   6^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|   7^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   8^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|   9^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  10^   500|   800|Supplies, Labor, Inverter, Roasters, Mill|
|  11^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  12^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  13^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  14^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  15^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  16^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  17^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  18^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  19^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  20^   500|   800|Supplies, Labor, Inverter, Roasters, Mill|
|  21^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  22^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  23^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  24^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  25^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  26^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  27^   200|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot|
|  28^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  29^   100|   800|Supplies, Labor|
|  30^   700|   800|Supplies, Labor, Battery, Press Pot, Inverter, Roasters, Mill, Panel|
))


Consider this.  Suppose you have been spending $3/day on coffee and somehow, it takes you no time to get it.  You decide to switch to roasting and brewing  your own by purchasing your initial equipment and supplies on credit so it costs $800 to pay it back over the first year.  You are still monetarily ahead by $300, but it cost you 80 hours of labor.  But now look at the next three years.  Instead of spending $3300 on coffee, you only spend $400, a savings of $2900 for these additional 240 hours.   You have now accumulated a savings of $3200 for 320 hours of work and have broken even at $10/hr.  The next three years are the same, and will have accumulated a savings $6100 for 560 hours labor and are now ahead both monetarily and in equivalent labor time.