Granite Geek - Latest Comments in Sprinkling solar power plants throughout Maine

Re: Sprinkling solar power plants throughout Maine

Chiropractic marketing — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:44:07 -0000

I wish that this project will be successful because many people need electricity and most of them are hoping that this project could help them so much. I will support and looking forward for this.

Re: Sprinkling solar power plants throughout Maine

mrwg — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:09:40 -0000

Never mind. Need to get to about 200 kwh/month the energy costs are about equal to the delivery costs. We go now from a high of about 600+ / month in the winter, to a current low of about 425. Gotta lose the kids and see what that does.

Re: Sprinkling solar power plants throughout Maine

mrwg — Sat, 02 May 2009 09:39:59 -0000

I just pulled out a bill... and damm.... I am not so happy.

What I consider the fixed charges are the delivery services which consists of the fixed customer charge, and then random distribution charges like transmission, stranded costs, and system benefits and taxes. Those all show up in the Delivery Service Detail of the bill. $8.93 fixed charge, and about $0.05 KWH charges.

Then in the Suplier services is the pure energy charge.... at $0.09 / kwh

One slower inspection the Delivery Services were essentially $34 and the Energy is $43. Suffice it to say those numbers look the same to me at a quick glance. (Yes, I manage the money in the family.)

Perhaps if it rains later, or the black flies get too thick I will try to plot where the Services and energy do cross. It expect it willl be just downwards of 400 KWH / month. Shedding kids and their computers should make it simple.

Re: Sprinkling solar power plants throughout Maine

DaveBrooks — Sat, 02 May 2009 07:42:51 -0000

Can you explain that a bit, your varable vs. fixed costs?

Re: Sprinkling solar power plants throughout Maine

mrwg — Sat, 02 May 2009 07:18:14 -0000

The... micro... power generation of solar panels on houses in California makes perfect sense for southern California. The... mini... power generation idea makes perfect sense for a place like... Maine with many micro climates. The real point is we (here in the US) are becoming more open to a multi-pronged approach to generating power. Traditionally we seem to gravitate to a one-solution approach to a problem.

Last month I hit a goal of having my variable electrical costs go below my fixed costs. While that was good, it pointed out how cheap actual electricity is, and how expensive the infrastructure is. (Never end a sentence with "is" but, there it is.)

Re: Sprinkling solar power plants throughout Maine

Tom — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:58:39 -0000

Isn't Germany doing something similar? I seem to remember NOVA show about roadways in Germany lined with photovoltaic cells.

I like the idea of distributed generation. It is more reliable then large central plants, reduces stress on power grid (but does have unique problems) and hopefully makes people more aware of relationship between energy generation and consumption.

Hopefully once “2009 Climate Change Bill” passes Congress there will be tax benefits and more investment activity in Green energy.

Re: Sprinkling solar power plants throughout Maine

DaveBrooks — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:58:58 -0000

What's interesting about this proposal is that it sits between the traditional distributed model that has scads of very small solar sites (e.g., California's "Million Solar Roofs" program) and traditional utility models that have a few very large, utlility-scale sites.

The fact that, so far as I can tell, all these solar sites would be owned and operated by one entity - most distributed energy plans involve many many owners - is also interesting.

Re: Sprinkling solar power plants throughout Maine

mrwg — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:10:53 -0000

Distributed power generation. Like distributed processing that led to the rise of PCs. Seems to make sense. Why not one or two wind turbines in likely spots as well? How much is too much power to flow into the existing grid from one spot?