4 ms·
What 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
by tobz 11y ago
What 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.
- mikeash 11y agoIsn't it on the order of $10-20/month?
- jacquesm 11y agoDepends on your location. Here it's more than double that. 'Vastrecht' as it is called for me is about 50 euros right now. It's one of the more sneaky tricks pulled in order to extract more money from people that have managed to successfully reduce their consumption. After all if you paid just a per KWh and per cubic meter price for electricity and gas then your efforts to conserve energy would pay off much more than with the fixed base cost for the hookup.
- mikeash 11y agoOuch. Does that reflect their actual costs at all, or is it just a money grab?
- jacquesm 11y agoThis was done when the local (municipal) and provincial electricity companies were split into a network and a generating entity. It was supposed to bring more transparency and create a market, in fact it brought a lot of graft and trickery. At a guess the actual costs were a fraction because those companies were already paid for aeons ago (they were public property, and then got privatized so we were allowed to rent back the infrastructure that we already owned...). Short term thinking at its best.
- kyleblarson 11y agoI live in a small town in the North Cascades of Washington and my "connection fee" is $40 per month while my electric bill varies from $75 to $175 depending on the season.
- toomuchtodo 11y agoMy god! Might as well go solar and natural gas backup gen at those rates.