From Research done for a project I am working on Solar Power to the Grid is not economic
It has been done here in NZ before by a number of people, all have ended up disconnecting from the grid completely. Aproximate costs/rates: Line charges: 40c to 80+c per day (You Pay) Incoming Power rates: 15c to 20+c per unit (You Pay) Outgoing power rate: 1c to 3c per unit (They Pay You) Do the Math You need to generate around 40 to 80kW/H per day going out just to compensate for the line charges. That is a lot of solar panels needed at $10-$15 per Watt (Retail) You are better to disconnect from the Grid and become 100% self sufficient. We are looking at bringing in 150W to 200W solar panels and putting a kits together for 600W to 1200W systems, enough to power the average home (excluding heating and cooking) and were looking at cost effectiveness of feeding back to grid - it worked out cheaper to buy a diesel generator and run it off rapeseed (or other) oil to fill in the low sunlight hours. A client has the advantage of a stream running through their property for generation (already have the water rights required) which makes it even cheaper. Mike On Fri, 07 Jul 2006 14:45, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Quoting Carl Cerecke <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > Do you really think, though, that enough power would be > > gained on a cloudy winters day in christchurch to power > > a streetlight + extra gadgets all night long? I > > couldn't find any useful numbers on the site. > > It's not so much cloudy days what about adding power to > the national grid on normal days (read normal being a day > where these units can grenerate power). > > if alot of people did what one did (stuck solar units on > his roof and became 100% self suffiencent with some > surplus). > > How would this affect vevsted inerests? > > How much more power would/could be added to the national > power grid and remember just 'cause chch has a cloudy day > doesn't mean elsewhere is cloudly. > > the problem is what is the charge rate (inwards and > outwards) to be for the excess (if there is) and is it > offset against times/days when you use rather than give > power from the power companies. > > there is a big problem in that power utilities have a > vested interest in stopping or at least reducing the > methods effectiveness (read stock share price). > > Get a price on becoming overly self suffenient in power > usage and then talk to orion or who ever they'll not be > interested in any scheme you might suggest. > > some person in NZ had done exactly this spent thousards > on it and wanted to sell his surplus to the lines or > reseller via a duel flow meter. My memory is that they > weren't interested an any method of brokering a deal and > so he is at least less reliant on the national/local grid > than most of us are. > > > On 06/07/06, Don Gould <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Yes. Fantastic technology. > >> > >> Wesley Parish wrote: > >> > I came across this today, reading Worldchanging: > >> > WC Retro: Starsight | WorldChanging Team > >> > http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004644.html#mo > >> >re > >> > > >> > http://www.starsightproject.com/en/africa/index.php > >> > and I thought, what a useful thing to have around > >> > town!
