[XCSSA] RE: Solar Green event day in SA
xcssa@xcssa.org
xcssa@xcssa.org
Sun, 20 May 2007 12:06:48 -0500
I looked into the windtricity and II looked into other forms of alternative
energy. During the times when paying my CPS bill was hard I joked about
going to Solar Energy ar even my own windmill and CPS in turn told me they
would buy any surplus Energy from me. Just thought it was something
interesting to say. AS for me now I am considering experimenting with Solar
panels on my house and seeing what kind of usage I could get out of a
battery backup for my home just to power essentials a few lights and the
emergency radio or even the TV (still trying to decide if it is a cost
prohibitive right now for me.) Seeing how Harbor Freight sells Solar Panels
I might try experimenting on a smaller scale and see what happens
Robert
p.s. are we top posting or bottom posting
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Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:00 PM
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Subject: XCSSA digest, Vol 1 #989 - 1 msg
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Solar and Green events in SA (xcssa-admin@xcssa.org)
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 23:55:12 -0500
Subject: Re: [XCSSA] Solar and Green events in SA
To: xcssa@xcssa.org
From: xcssa-admin@xcssa.org
Reply-To: xcssa@xcssa.org
>
>
> I do... I just don't fully trust (or respect) the folks behind
> windtricity.
> You're paying MORE $$ to help them build out THEIR infrastructure
> that THEY
> will get "free power" from to turn around and continue to charge
> you for...
> What the heck?!
> That's just playing back into their recurring revenue net.
> A net I would like to escape from. At least a little.. :)
OK Tweeks. Even the environmental community is somewhat split over
the worth of Windtricity and other Renewable Energy Credits for
reasons you describe and others. Even though I'm now at about 100%
participation, I still have concerns and plan to be watching to see
if I feel like my money and good intentions are being abused. To
some very limited degree, as a participant I have leverage.
Renewable Energy Credits are not only promoted by the Bush
administration DOE, they are endorsed by the Union of Concerned
Scientists and other organizations and individuals considered "liberal."
CPS does have connections to one (or maybe two now) wind farms. That
is for real. I am paying for KwHr's of wind-generated electricity
DELIVERED into our San Antonio Grid, not just theoretical or lost in
West Texas. CPS has the resources to do that. If that's not being
done, they should be sued for false advertising. Whether those
electrons actually come to my house, or when I'm using the power, is
unimportant to me. I would be only slightly less happy buying REC's
where the power is delivered somewhere else in the country, as long
as it's actually being delivered somewhere and replacing fossil fuel
power. The effect on global CO2 is the same regardless of whether
the electricity is delivered to my house or not.
That should mean that they can reduce coal or natural gas burned at
other plants by a tiny amount, though the dynamics of grid management
(and the actual utility of wind power, which is intermittant by
nature) are a subject of some controversy. I have studied (and
debated with others) this at some length. Personally I do believe in
wind, solar, and geothermal power in combination. In fact I have a
vision of how through diversity (lots of different wind locations),
load management (water pumping and other things can operate when
there is surplus power only), and energy storage (I'm not sure if CPS
uses that yet, but there are current and future technologies for it
on the grid scale) wind can be a big contributor, and in combination
with other renewables ultimately meet all our energy needs. By
participating in Windtricity, I'm giving it a small push. There's
not only the kwhr's being delivered today, there's further
development of the technology so it can be used better in the
future. That was also part of the motivation for buying my first and
now second Prius. Technology improves better when people are buying it.
I also believe in "social" solutions where we can achieve much more
working together than by trying to do everything individually. The
electricity grid is one example of that, even if it's managed by
characters you don't entirely like. As an example, it's far far
easier for me to reduce my CO2 footprint by buying Windtricity than
by trying to generate power at my own house. And I have little
reason to complain about CPS. They sell us power at rates much lower
than most of the country gets. (My Windtricity only brings my rate
to about the national average.) And, in addition to low rates, they
kick back 17% to the City, which should mean we get better city
services than we would otherwise get. (That may help because this is
a low tax base town with lots of untaxed assets such as military
bases.) I think it's great to have a municipal utility, and we
should never let that go. It does irk me when CPS starts acting like
a private corporation. We own it, not the other way around. I sign
my checks "CPS" instead of "CPS Energy" as my one small protest. So
far they still cash them.
Charles
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