Alternative energy saves money? Net metering.

[mr_fitz]

On my wishlist. Reverse or "net" metering - put wind, solar, or other power system on your home, school, whatever, and be allowed to actually contribute to the grid.
http://www.penlight.org/pages/pwrconnections/pwrconn_net_metering.html

Timely, given that it was announced today that Ontario's electricity rates are going up again.

Low and behold Ontario is setting up to do this!:

The provincial government is also preparing a regulation which will require all electricity distributors to allow "net metering". This will allow self-generators who still want to be connected to the grid, and are using qualified renewable systems, to avoid the need for their own storage batteries.

It is important to remember that like any structure, the installation of such systems must be in compliance with local by-laws. This can be more of an issue in urban areas where space limitations conflict with things such as setback requirements.

Source: http://www.ontarioconserves.gov.on.ca/english/faq.asp

Word on the street is that this actually pays off over a rather large time horizon (10+ years) given the exorbitant cost of equipment. But as interest in this goes up, competition will get fierce and costs go down. In the short run I hope Dalton provides incentives for adoption they way goverments did in the past to covert from oil to gas furnaces.

(keep in mind these systems do not replace your reliance on the grid, they just allow you to use less from the grid)

 

[peapod]

A good thread fitz, unfortuneately for me I never have to turn my heat on its tough living in lotus land. But I think its a really good idea, its not wise to put all your eggs in one basket.

 

[mrmom2]

You use lights don't you P ?I have been doing a lot of research on these new systems you can use them for lighting and hot water it would save you tons of money!

 

[peapod]

Bah! (sorry about the bah! but I just love it, the neighbourhood rugrat's new word, so cute he say Bah! to everything now...I love it, so I stole it from him..Bah!...well its like this mom, I don't worry about saving money cause I don't really spend any, cause I am not really interested in anything besides fishing, nature, and the thrift store. :wink:

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Alternative energy sa

There are cottages in Manitoba and Ontario that are completely off the grid. The guy at the alternative energy store was telling me about one place, owned by some millionaires, that is basically a mansion and has all the modern conveniences.

They have several systems in place, including a deep earth heat-pump, a couple of windmills, solar panels, and a mini hydro-electric system. They are self-contained and off the grid, being on an island, but all of those things exist and work very well.

I have room for a windmill out back, but it's cost prohibitive right now. We also have hydro-electric power here, so greenhouse emissions are minimal. Manitoba sells into the main grid though, so if we could sell back into it there would be more clean energy available in that grid. That will be even truer once Conawapa goes on-line and we begin selling to Ontario,

 

[mrmom2]

You would get along great with my wife she loves the thrift store too!

 

[MMMike]

It's a great idea, benefits all around. There is a big investment not only in the generating equipment, but the initial cost of the "smart" meters. I'd guess payback period even more then 10 years but the long-term benefits are enormous!

 

[Andem]

I like the idea..

But I'm thankful to only have maitenance fees every month at a flat rate. Sure they aren't cheap, but it also covers the gardening and the pond on the property... and the fish.

I'm in the same boat, kind of, as peapod.. Except it's a boat in Ontario, not lotusland

 

[peapod]

Sandman you live on a boat 8O I never knew that :wink: gotta spaceship to I see. :lol: :lol:

 

[mr_fitz]

Re: RE: Alternative energy sa

We also have hydro-electric power here, so greenhouse emissions are minimal. Manitoba sells into the main grid though, so if we could sell back into it there would be more clean energy available in that grid. That will be even truer once Conawapa goes on-line and we begin selling to Ontario,

Is it just about greenhouse emissions though? Hydro-electricity has substantial social and environemental costs associated with it.
For example this site is critical of Mantitoba's dam building: http://www.justenergy.org/

There are various types of costs associated with all energy if you dig deep enough, I know.

As far as going off the grid entirely is concerned, I think that is the wrong message - unless you are independently wealtyh. Some people assume that is what you have to do I think and hence they dismiss the idea of alternative energy entirely (my family). This is not an all or nothing proposition and that is the beauty of it. For those of you who have done more extensive research on this, I am curious to see your best links for homeowners considering solar or wind net metering (can you annotate each link a bit too?)

 

[MMMike]

Re: RE: Alternative energy saves money? Net metering.

I like the idea..

But I'm thankful to only have maitenance fees every month at a flat rate. Sure they aren't cheap, but it also covers the gardening and the pond on the property... and the fish.

I'm in the same boat, kind of, as peapod.. Except it's a boat in Ontario, not lotusland

I guess you mean you're in a condominium with bulk metering? If you look at it the other way, you have to pay for other people's wasted electricity. Some condos are moving to individual metering... I wouldn't be surprised if eventually that will be mandatory.

 

[Andem]

Re: RE: Alternative energy saves money? Net metering.

I like the idea..

But I'm thankful to only have maitenance fees every month at a flat rate. Sure they aren't cheap, but it also covers the gardening and the pond on the property... and the fish.

I'm in the same boat, kind of, as peapod.. Except it's a boat in Ontario, not lotusland

I guess you mean you're in a condominium with bulk metering? If you look at it the other way, you have to pay for other people's wasted electricity. Some condos are moving to individual metering... I wouldn't be surprised if eventually that will be mandatory.

It would cut down on my costs, I'm sure. Though the air conditioning in the summer would be a little costly, I'd bet everybody in this building uses it.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Is it just about greenhouse emissions though? Hydro-electricity has substantial social and environemental costs associated with it.

A couple of points there. First of all the province of Manitoba screwed the native people up north with the Northern Flood Agreement. The lawsuits have been going on for decades now. My father was a professional witness for the federal crown for a while.

What it boils down to is that the province went to some chiefs and got them to sign papers that they didn't have the authority to sign, the Department of Indian Affairs tried to ignore it because the project created jobs and they didn't want to get into a political battle with those chiefs or with the province, and native people got screwed as a result. That's leaving a lot out, but that's the general gist of the situation...corruption and incompetence on all three sides. It's all tied in to land claims now as well, so everybody is jockeying for position in the future.

The next point is that technology and our knowledge of the environment have changed since then. So has the political situation. The environmental impact is lower, the negative social impacts lower and the benefits for natives higher, and the need for clean power has risen by leaps and bounds. That makes any new developments much more positive.