powering house

[LowGear]

What a shame grid tie diesel isn't easy.  I mean utility and permitting agency approved easy.

Casey

[bandmiller2]

Is it possible with todays diesel fuel prices to produce power cheaper than the grid.?? Frank C.

[bschwartz]

     "Is it possible with todays diesel fuel prices to produce power cheaper than the grid.??"

Only for Casey, if he can buy diesel at the prices we pay in the contiguous 48 

[ronmar]

Really before going off-grid the best $ spent is to improve the both the thermal and electrical efficiency of your home. How old is the home? And how much insulation does it have. Windows? Roofing, we have a standing seam metal roof which should last the rest of my life and reflects about 25% more heat than a comp shingle roof.

Going off grid, this is probably the best overall advice so far.  The less you need, the more you have...

[Tom]

Gee Ronmar, if we keep posting like this people are going to check if were posting from the same IP address.

Seriously, Home Power repeatedly quotes that every $1 invested in a more efficient home and appliances save $2 in the cost of purchase of a renewable energy system.

[ronmar]

Different IP, same line of thought:)  I am in the process of designing my new home.  It will be a geodesic dome with 13.5" of insulation in the shell...

[macgyvermike]

I totally agree that lowering power usage is the best way to go. Over the last five years I have lowered my power bill by half. Better appliances, metal roof with three and a half inches  dead air space, wood heat.
Diesel fuel at current prices does not make it feasible for of grid, but WMO does .
Tom I'm a fellow Californian. No hard feelings. Coastal breeze one thing I miss.

[LowGear]

The grid is one of the incredible creations of modern people (you all know how PC I am).  When you're grid tied you don't - DO NOT - have to use that dirty city boy made electricity if you don't want to.  Just turn the switch to off.  If you want a little extra punch say when the swimming pool comes on while the dryer is running and the hot water heater is recovering from two loads and the AC comes on - Walla-Ballu everything happens and in an older home you wonder if the lights dimmed for a moment there.  Magic!  And your could-be if you wanted it to be off-grid system goes on purring.  And then when all of the modern conveniences get caught up your power generation system starts turning the meter back towards the Holy Land (Off Grid).

Unfortunately many of you have been brain washed into the capitalistic lie.  "Which one?" you ask.  Hell, I don't know I was just making sure you were paying attention.  I again request information leading to a working licensed grid tied diesel generator.  Red denotes importance and has nothing to do with political orientation.

Casey

[macgyvermike]

Casey my power company does not do net metering for generators. Only renewable energy.

[Tom]

The grid is one of the incredible creations of modern people (you all know how PC I am).  When you're grid tied you don't - DO NOT - have to use that dirty city boy made electricity if you don't want to.  Just turn the switch to off.  If you want a little extra punch say when the swimming pool comes on while the dryer is running and the hot water heater is recovering from two loads and the AC comes on - Walla-Ballu everything happens and in an older home you wonder if the lights dimmed for a moment there.  Magic!  And your could-be if you wanted it to be off-grid system goes on purring.  And then when all of the modern conveniences get caught up your power generation system starts turning the meter back towards the Holy Land (Off Grid).

Unfortunately many of you have been brain washed into the capitalistic lie.  "Which one?" you ask.  Hell, I don't know I was just making sure you were paying attention.  I again request information leading to a working licensed grid tied diesel generator.  Red denotes importance and has nothing to do with political orientation.

Casey

Casey, bschwartz did it through an inverter. If you really want to do it, it can be done, you'll just need to run it a little differently than they expect. If you want to discuss further lets start a new thread and not hi-jack this one.

Tom

[LowGear]

Hi macgyvermike,

Casey my power company does not do net metering for generators. Only renewable energy.

Mine says if will if it's based on renewable fuel but no one, mom and pop, has accomplished it so I'm suspecting it's only lip service.  Grid tying your generator would be an easy answer to the questions you have. 

Hi Tom,

Casey, bschwartz did it through an inverter. If you really want to do it, it can be done, you'll just need to run it a little differently than they expect.

Sorry, but I put this near rhetorical question in a lot of threads knowing that it isn't going to go anywhere except I'm the perpetual optimist.  Incidently, I believe this thread is about a homeowner that is flirting with Off-Grid but is power challenged for a few minutes a few times per day like when the pesky AC starts. 

Casey

[bandmiller2]

The holy grail is to see the meter about face.A more practical solution would be just don't use much,produce your own for most of the demand and grid to run your heavy loads like welder,AC,est.With the ability to switch back and fourth and to devide the loads you have the best of boath.Remember the grid has someone up all night to keep the lights on for you,Frank C.

[bschwartz]

Regarding     "Casey, bschwartz did it through an inverter."

Yes, I am grid tied.
Yes, I do sometimes run the meter backwards with my diesel engine.

NO, it is not approved that way by the power company.

They are OK with my solar panels turning my meter backwards, but if they ever thought that I was using my engine to supliment it, they might just yank my permit.

In this small town, I don't suspect for a minute that anyone would ever know (or really care that much) the source of my power generation.

Original point of Casey's still stands.  My system is NOT grid tied approved with the diesel.

[deeiche]

I started some test plots of Miscanthus giganteus.  It's growing like, hmm, like Miscanthus giganteus.  My 2.5 acre alfalfa field is 5 years old, in 3 years or so I plan to replace it with Miscanthus.  At 3 years I should be able to harvest ~ 20 tons, from the studies I read that is pretty conservative.  I have begun gathering briquet production equipment.  Long term, i.e. retirement hobby is to produce wood gas from the Miscanthus.  Planning on selling it back via net metering.

FWIW, since I live in sunny New Mexico, I could just pay for a subsidized PV install.  But what would I have to do when I retire?

Hi macgyvermike,

Casey my power company does not do net metering for generators. Only renewable energy.

Mine says if will if it's based on renewable fuel but no one, mom and pop, has accomplished it so I'm suspecting it's only lip service.  Grid tying your generator would be an easy answer to the questions you have. 


Casey

[macgyvermike]

Frank C
Grid power for the AC and shop then gen for all other seems to be the best option. Easy to set up in my situation, mobile home, two breaker boxes to work with. Could leave outside box on grid and put a manual transfer switch on inside panel. Small power bill in summer, even smaller in winter. With the ability to go100% grid when needed. Not my original desire when building this set but a reasonable compromise.

Mike.