Solar, electric cars, batteries, and making money without trying.

[Papa_Complex]

Which could kick in around retirement time, for a net gain. Sounds like a good timetable to me.

[Trip]

We have a pretty kick ass storage system at TVA. Look up Raccoon Mountain Pump Station.

It's a big hole we fill with water at night and pump it out through our generators during the day. It doesn't create any energy, actually uses more than it produces. It's purely a money making machine.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Trip

We have a pretty kick ass storage system at TVA. Look up Raccoon Mountain Pump Station.

It's a big hole we fill with water at night and pump it out through our generators during the day. It doesn't create any energy, actually uses more than it produces. It's purely a money making machine.

Every storage method uses more energy than it gives back, no?

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Every storage method uses more energy than it gives back, no?

yes there are losses with any system. douche lol

[Avatard]

OK. Not being a rocket scientist, from what I can gather, if you have a 75% efficiency storage medium, and you double your money selling energy back at peak hours, then you are still at 50% net gain, no?

...and for the record, such a system really need not even be TOUCHED by your house electric, just act as a storage medium in order to sell power back to the grid.

It could be in a shack outside.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Avatard

OK. Not being a rocket scientist, from what I can gather, if you have a 75% efficiency storage medium, and you double your money selling energy back at peak hours, then you are still at 50% net gain, no?

...and for the record, such a system really need not even be TOUCHED by your house electric, just act as a storage medium in order to sell power back to the grid.

It could be in a shack outside.

I would talk to your utility before you invest in this. Some will not want home built systems tied to the grid. Reliability and power stability reasons.

[Hydrant]

Originally Posted by Trip

I would talk to your utility before you invest in this. Some will not want home built systems tied to the grid. Reliability and power stability reasons.

Also, backfeeding issues. When we had the windstorm in 08, and it knocked out power in some places for 3-5 weeks, the utility company said they were spending a lot of time in rural areas checking the power at every building. They were afraid of someone having a generator plugged into the washing machine outlet, feeding the house, but backfeeding into their system, meaning the linesmen could get hit. After the storm, they told everyone that if they are going to have an alternative power source, that you must have a disconnect going from the house, to utility lines.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Avatard

I've been thinking (always dangerous).

I've been considering solar, and a battery array. My house is literally all electric, and if I added enough panels, I might even end up with the electric company "paying my rent", if I can get the fucking meter spinning backwards fast enough.

I'm watching TV the other day, and they were talking about how today's modern electric/hybrid battery cars, with their huge storage capacities, and computer-run charging schemes, could not only be programmed to be charged at night, when current is cheaper...but that this battery array alternately could then be used to even power your house during the daylight hours, when current can actually cost double (depending on where you live).

So my thoughts went back simply to the storage battery array part of a typical solar home installation, and I thought; hmmmm:

What if you said fuck the car, fuck the solar panels, but just hook up a shitload of batteries? ...And then charge them at night when the rates are low, and sell that shit right back to the grid during peak hours...and fucking MAKE MONEY for doing absolutely SHIT (my single favorite concept of all time)?

Why not just "bank" current?

gets better than that, google srec. iirc you get one cert per kilowatt hour generated. then you sell it to the power company (in nj i believe you can sell to any state) http://www.srectrade.com/

[goof2]

Give it a shot. My guess is you will never get to break even, but I'm no expert either.

[caveman]

Originally Posted by Trip

I would talk to your utility before you invest in this. Some will not want home built systems tied to the grid. Reliability and power stability reasons.

Trip, I can't believe that you haven't totally ripped this idea to shreds. This system would never work. Once you try to parallel your power source to the grid if you are not exactly in sync with the system grid you will back feed your system and KA-BLOOEY. That's why our Diesel Back-up generators that we use on the plant premesis for emergencies have sync-check breakers when we are running them parallel to the grid.

Once you install any sort of solar system with a battery bank, that part of the system is on a throwover switch that won't let you parellel with the grid. Because more than likely you will not be putting out enough power to overcome grid voltage and the back-feed will blow out your system and possibly light your house wiring like a christmas tree. Think about what would happen to your house if it weren't grounded properly and lightning struck it. ZZZZAAAAAPPPP!!!!!!!!!

The only thing with solar is for your own use. No selling back allowed and your local utility will tell you to they are in the business of making CAISH MONEY, not paying out $$$ to peeps who think they can store their power and return it to them.