[XCSSA] Cheaper solar power heads mainstream

24 May 2007 16:29:26 -0500

I agree 100%.  That's why I said when I build my own -- I won't tell CPS
(or whoever) about it and just keep it separate. 

But if YOU, go out RIGHT NOW and install PV generation -- what do you
think is going to happen?  Even *IF* you keep it separate -- there is
going to be a drop in demand from CPS.  When Joe Blow's typical bill is
$150 a month with lows of $90 and highs of $220, and their computer
tells them that now your typical bill is $20 with highs of $40 -- you
don't think SOMETHING is going to happen?  You can bet your sweet toilet
muscle it will!  

(And if you don't think they have computer check-routines to tell them
about changes like that -- you're kidding yourself.  They had to do it
when people started stealing electricity.  I remember when I was a kid -
one bright guy in Louisiana drilled a hole from the inside of his house
into the back of the meter box and tapped off power before the meter! 
He put a relay in that would cut the tap power when they pulled the
meter and it took LPGA years to figure it out!) 

So, your bill goes down for a while -- the first thing that's going to
happen is someone is going to show up at your house with inductive power
meters.  They'll measure what's going into your meter and what's coming
out -- and insure it matches what the meter shows.  They might even
change your meter.  But if none of that gets your bill back up to what
it was before -- they'll start looking for your generation equipment. 
And I don't think you can hide PV panels very well.  Just as soon as
they spot any generation equipment -- they'll be knocking on your door! 

If you are lucky, they'll only give you an ultimatum -- either pay for
their inspectors to come out and make sure there are two SEPARATE buss's
in the house or they'll disconnect you from their grid.  If you're not
lucky -- they'll disconnect you just as soon as they spot generation
equipment and not hook you up again until you pay for their inspection
inside your house.  It doesn't matter how much you've spent on
professional electrician installers -- they'll demand to confirm it for
themselves and you pay for the inspection. 

I read a story on-line about a guy in the N.E. who put in some hydro
generation equipment in a stream on his property.  The local power
company showed up about three months later.  His wife spotted strange
men wandering around their house and called her husband.  They
identified themselves as power company doing an inspection.  They
finished walking around his house and were leaving when they mentioned
they were just looking for PV panels on the roofs.  This guy was smart
and kept mum.  But his grandson spoke up and said "Grandpa doesn't need
that -- he was smart and put a generator in the stream".  Oops!  They
had him disconnected that same afternoon. 

Even though he kept his generation completely separate and only powered
his heating system with his own power, his bill went down and they came
to find out why.  I don't remember what the outcome was -- but I'll bet
he had to fork out a bunch for "safety inspections" before they'd hook
him back up. 

So, nice thought.  But even your lack of "normal" usage of their power
will attract their attention.  And that's when the problems begin.  And
remember -- they don't HAVE to sell you their electricity!  If they deem
you a threat to their grid (without all the proper inspections &
equipment) -- they disconnect you and you're stuck.  What are you going
to do?  Buy it from the competition??  That's why its called a
MONOPOLY!! 

Chuck 

On Thu, 2007-05-24 at 12:16, xcssa-admin@xcssa.org wrote: 
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    Pardon my ignorance, but if you would be required to spend tens of
    thousands of bucks to install your solar, why couldn't you simply pay an
    average electrician a couple thousand to install a separate circuit,
    with outlets in each room, in your house?  You wouldn't be connected to
    the grid at all and instead of plugging your home beowulf cluster into
    the CPS outlet, you plug it into your solar-powered outlet.  CPS could
    howl all they want but you would still be generating your own energy,
    and it seems to me that is the whole point of the exercise, isn't it?
    Peace
    Dan Coit

    xcssa-admin@xcssa.org wrote:
    > This is not meant to be a flame, but I just wanted to post some
    > thoughts from the other side of the argument.  I have family members
    > and a lot of friends who work in the electric production and
    > distribution industries so I've heard some heated discussion from both
    > sides of this arguement.
    > 
    > On 24 May 2007 02:45:58 -0500, xcssa-admin@xcssa.org
    > <xcssa-admin@xcssa.org> wrote:
    >>  1) They require a very expensive switch system that shuts off your
    >> outgoing
    >> power to the grid when there are line problems.
    > 
    > You really want one of these.  If you've sized your solar system
    > properly you won't have a lot of surplus to sell.  Certainly not
    > enough surplus to power even just one neighbor . . .

    - -=-=-
    ... http://www.ebookmall.com/ebooks/if-i-knew-then-coit-ebooks.htm
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