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Customers could keep their grid connection for backup purposes, but it should be rarely needed. Therefore if a customer is acting 99% self-sufficient, the grid
by iamphilrae 11y ago
Customers could keep their grid connection for backup purposes, but it should be rarely needed. Therefore if a customer is acting 99% self-sufficient, the grid operator is going to lose out. And this could happen within years when battery tech becomes cost effective. This change in legislation has just served to shorten that timeline.
- jacquesm 11y agoJust keeping the grid connection is a major cost.
- davedx 11y agoTaxes are the highest cost for electricity (here in NL). Grid costs ~EUR190/year, taxes and govn't surcharges are ~EUR618/year. I don't know if you still need to pay the taxes if you're not grid connected though?
- jacquesm 11y agoNo, if you're off grid those taxes are not there.
- tobz 11y agoWhat cost? It sounds like the parent is possibly suggesting the opposite of a backup power solution: transfer switch where you're in solar mode 99% of the time, and if things break or you need to do work, you switch over to grid power. I've never lived anywhere where I used zero kWh for the month, so I'm not sure... but I have to imagine the cost would be pretty slow... save for getting such a system setup (transfer switches are common enough with backup generator situations so I can't imagine that portion would be very expensive)
- jacquesm 11y agoThey'll charge a fixed fee just for the hookup, and it can be quite a large percentage if your consumption is minimal.
- Zigurd 11y agoFees won't be sustainable if they are higher than what it costs to lease or buy a generator
- sandworm101 11y agoThey are. Small backup gens (ie without autostart/disconnects etc) can be bought for a few hundred bucks. If you don't use them that often, say a few hours a year while your offgrid system is under repair, the cost of operation is extremely small.
- jacquesm 11y agoIf you go with a gas generator make sure you stabilize the gas or it won't work by the time that you need it.
- Zigurd 11y agoPropane or natural gas are cleaner, and more reliable, than gasoline or diesel.
- HillaryBriss 11y agoCan you recommend a small, single-home capacity natural gas generator?
- jacquesm 11y agoAny 4 stroke gas generator can be converted to NG. Generac is pretty good and they have NG/LPG 'native' models.
- sandworm101 11y agoCleaner and reliable, but not as utilitarian. NG/LNG rigs aren't as portable, especially if they are tied into a residential gas line. A small gas gen can be moved around by hand, and fed with fuel siphoned out of your car if need be.
- blacksmith_tb 11y agoIt's my only cost here in cloudy Oregon. I generate around 1.5MWh a year above what I use, so net-metering means I have more credits than I can ever use. But I have to pay $10 a month to be connected, whether or not I am giving away power.
- jacquesm 11y agoThat's impressive, how much solar do you have? (W / Composition of the panels)?