Sell electricity back to the national grid?
Where would the connections be made to the grid.?
How would it be metered?
Would my meter go backwards?
2007-03-22 11:59:17 · 8 answers · asked by iggytog 3 in Environment
you need to make output in the 100,000's of watts to get any money. Better to supply an area and charge them yourself. lets say you have 5 houses of your family on some land. you supply elect. and save evryone total of 500 to 1200 a month. but you need to make elect for dirt cheap and have near zero maintenance. Think tesla turbine and steam.
2007-03-22 13:48:39 · answer #1 · answered by Wattsup! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start up costs would be fairly high. Those solar panels are very expensive. Then there can always be damage from wind, lightening, hail,etc. Plus, solar doesn't work at night.
Northern tool company, www.northerntool.com sells wind turbines and generators that can be connected to such a set up but it would be several thousand dollars. They also have back up generators that sit on a concrete pad outside your house and automatically kick on in the event of a power outage. These run on natural gas and/or diesel. I don't remember the price off hand but I think it was around 7 to 12 thousand dollars. The transfer switches to go from the main line to your system would be an additional 500 to 1000 bucks.
Some electric companies don't like small-time power generators putting electricity into their grid. One man sued and won the right to sell to them.
Some states offer tax incentives for employing such alternative energy solutions in their homes.
2007-03-22 15:43:02 · answer #2 · answered by rann_georgia 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live in California and if you are in California then you can connect with PG and E. The electric company will come to your place and advice you. You need to calculate how much you have to invest in Solar panel and how long will you get your investment in return? Now you contact PG and E then this company can give you more about the info how to sell and connect your solar to the PG and E grid. You will have a special new meter and PG and E can advice you about backward problem. By the way, you can read your own meter and give the tag meter reader to PG and E representative.Good luck and let's start your new project to save our environment.
2007-03-26 16:46:07 · answer #3 · answered by ryladie99 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By law you have to be connected to the local electric grid.Yes your meter would run backwards.However,from what people have reported you will almost never get any profit from all the extra electricity you generate. The power company charges will offset any savings,so you end up with free power,but no profit.It would be hooked up the same way a backup generator is,using a cutout switch and your existing panel and wiring.
2007-03-22 12:07:44 · answer #4 · answered by david b 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know of no country in the world where you "have" to be connected to the electricity grid! That's like saying you "have" to drive a car or buy groceries! Daft! Also, what if you decide to build your house miles away from the nearest pole?
In Australia where I live a lot of the electricity authorities are very keen to have your renewable energy system connected to theirs. It may not contribute much in the overall scheme of things, but it sure as heck makes them look good! A mate of mine did this a couple of years ago and they are paying him a really good price for his solar generated electrickery as they in turn get to sell "green" power at a premium.
Such power which we consumers can buy isn't precisely "green" per se: there's simply no way that they can seperate the various units of power (like solar or coal generated) from each other. The subsidies that the "green" power generates go towards helping people like yourself establish their solar set - ups. At the moment, the Govt. provides 40% of the cost of your gear through a scheme called "the Remote Renewable Generation Scheme" or some such name...
Hope this helps and good on you for doing something proactive to help the planet!
Love and Light,
Jarrah
2007-03-22 12:50:38 · answer #5 · answered by jarrah_fortytwo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can sell it to the grid .What you generate is metered to the electric company.A seperate meter records what you use . If you generate more than you use they pay you the difference. If you use more than you generate you pay them.
2007-03-22 12:10:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your meter would go backwards but I think they sell it to u at retail and buy it from u at wholesale.
2007-03-22 12:30:43 · answer #7 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes...
Call your elect co. and ask how...
2007-03-22 12:21:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋