Grid-tied solar

[buickanddeere]

Battery life depends on discharge depth . A bank of 1000amp hours of batteries discharged with 250amp hr load . Will last much longer than a 300amp hr battery bank discharged with 250amp hr of load.
Most of the time short battery bank life is due to chronic under charging and chronic over discharging .

 

[dave1949]

Utilities trying to end net metering in Michigan.

Solar owners who want to feed into grid may not be able to use their own energy under Senate proposal | MLive.com

That sounds like an attempt at a revenue grab by DTE. I don't know how that could work unless they put a meter on the grid-tied system inverter output. That isn't how net metering systems are wired up now in this region.

One of the stated reasons for the change: a residential solar system is more costly to buy (true) and perhaps not as efficient (maybe) as a commercial installation, is neither here nor there to the utility unless they are giving away free systems.

The only real issues for the utilities with net metering are a loss of revenue and providing "free" storage. With only 1840 net metering customers in their MI area, DTE is just fishing for customer control and a better deal for DTE in the future.

I think it is hooey. If I were faced with that I would be very inclined to leave the grid and then DTE wouldn't be making a dime from me and they wouldn't have to worry about anything. :laughing: It will be interesting to see what the MI legislature does with the proposed bill in the end.

 

[dave1949]

its the overage that gets fed back to the utilities during the day and at night when you need it for lights or heat & air is when they are going to sell it back to you

That makes technical sense. I wonder if the article writer is confused? It's true that would be equivalent to ending net billing though. DTE, for no investment, gets the difference between wholesale and retail on any excess power your system produces. Such a deal.

 

[3930dave]

That makes technical sense. I wonder if the article writer is confused? It's true that would be equivalent to ending net billing though. DTE, for no investment, gets the difference between wholesale and retail on any excess power your system produces. Such a deal.

Part of the reason I'm interested in off-grid is I trust neither the provincial govt here, nor the soon-to-be privatized utilities - near and especially long-term.

It also helps that I don't mind doing occasional battery maintenance - not that it's that big a deal to do....

Rgds, D.

 

[Got2BTru]

I've started an OFF-GRID thread here:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/342775-off-grid-solar-setups.html

Don't want to keep treading on this one...

 

[dave1949]

Part of the reason I'm interested in off-grid is I trust neither the provincial govt here, nor the soon-to-be privatized utilities - near and especially long-term.

It also helps that I don't mind doing occasional battery maintenance - not that it's that big a deal to do....

Rgds, D.

I hear ya. Politics gets involved unfortunately and getting off the grid is one way to insulate oneself from the nonsense. It is a virtual one-finger salute.

I think we (in Maine) will be paying a natural gas pipeline expansion surcharge on our electric bills. Meanwhile, our current governor is anti anything green from wind and solar power to farm and timber land preservation. The rationale is we need cheaper energy. NG won't displace coal because no or very little of the grid supply comes from coal. In effect, residents will be subsidizing cheaper rates for commercial users. I doubt I'll ever see natural gas at my property--not that I have any use for it--but the principle is there.

Since most electric customers in Maine are served by the ISO New England grid operators and the Maine utilities are not allowed to be in the generation and distribution business, the in-state generators only need to worry about bidding on the day ahead contracts. The grid operators are responsible for predicting the demand, backup, reserve, etc.

 

[dave1949]

I've started an OFF-GRID thread here:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/342775-off-grid-solar-setups.html

Don't want to keep treading on this one...

You were welcome to stay but since you are looking at several specific issues with construction choices, off-grid, etc., your conversation won't get muddled up with this one. You will do better with a separate thread I think. That's an exciting project with lots of decisions and learning ahead.

 

[Tororider]

That sounds like an attempt at a revenue grab by DTE. I don't know how that could work unless they put a meter on the grid-tied system inverter output. That isn't how net metering systems are wired up now in this region. One of the stated reasons for the change: a residential solar system is more costly to buy (true) and perhaps not as efficient (maybe) as a commercial installation, is neither here nor there to the utility unless they are giving away free systems. The only real issues for the utilities with net metering are a loss of revenue and providing "free" storage. With only 1840 net metering customers in their MI area, DTE is just fishing for customer control and a better deal for DTE in the future. I think it is hooey. If I were faced with that I would be very inclined to leave the grid and then DTE wouldn't be making a dime from me and they wouldn't have to worry about anything. :laughing: It will be interesting to see what the MI legislature does with the proposed bill in the end.

I agree with everything you said. I have already contacted my state senator to notify them of my feelings on the matter. We don't currently have solar but I would like to install some in the future, and this would obviously affect how I went about doing that.

 

[Redneck in training]

What utilities want is to get tax payer money to build new generating capacity and then use it as an excuse to charge public higher rates. If the rates go up it will only accelerate the adoption of alternative energy systems.

 

[houstonscott]

The missing link is energy storage. It is just matter of time when the storage technology either small scale or utility size becomes available.

We've been waiting for 60 plus years, not much has changed. Don't count on it. Batteries might be a mature technology. LI batteries have been in space craft since 1970's. Only the electronics that manage use and charging have improved. The basic LI battery is unchanged. HS