Can I be a green energy producer?

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IPL ( Indianapolis Power and Light) is running radio adds where they claim to offer customers access to "green power" purchased from other areas of the country. Naturally there is a slightly higher cost----naturally!

So happens a 700kv transmission line from Petersberg to Indy (IPL) runs across the west side of the farm, Over the wetlands and up a southfacing hill (250 ft rise in 1500 yds) hill is undermined with caves.

Any reason I can't sell them green power? A cubic yd of woodchips is supposed to be equal to 2.5 gallons of diesel fuel. There is wind, solar sometimes, possibly hydro on the creek. Or something really clever that we have not come up with---static charger, tom?

Cost would be wild but realgoods put a commercial pv system on line. Of course they know what they are doing and have sun. I think power companies are require to buy power from micro-generators, but usually the price was too low to be feasible.

thoughts?

-- Anonymous, April 17, 2000

Answers

Up here in Ontario I think we can "sell" power to the power company by coupling the inverter in and running the meter backwards.

I'm not sure of the inspection requirements, nor what happens when you get into the interesting area where you have net negative consumption.

I'm pretty confident that a corporate entity may allow you to defray your bill on a apples-apples basis, but I'd bet a big lunch that they won't pay you for excess production at the rates that they charge you.

However, in answer to your main point - there should be some window of opportunity. Nuclear power plants are net consumers of energy (they consume more energy in their manufacture and running than they produce , and this doesn't factor in decommissioning energy costs).

I still think that residences would be better served with some sort of photo-voltaic shingle. Get off grid, and use less power. I'm sort of holding out for the polymer photovoltaic cell - its going to be much cheaper to manufacture than the silicon ones.

Too bad someone always ruins the party or we could use a fist-sized piece of "hot" nuclear waste suitably clad in protective layers of steel and lead as the innermost core of a hot water heater. Wouldn't need to use electricity nor fossil fuels.

-- Anonymous, April 17, 2000


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