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Selling Solar to Your Utility - Interconnection Agreements
In many states, homeowners and businesses can now sell solar panel energy to utilities. Doing so requires an interconnection agreement with your local utility.
Lowering Your Utility Bills
In a majority of states, homeowners using solar can take advantage of a concept known as net metering. Net metering essentially refers to the act of selling excess power produced by your solar panels to the local utility. While you are at work during the day, the energy produced by panels is fed directly back to the utility [your meter runs backwards] and then you use utility energy as you need it in the evening. The utility company "pays" you at the same rate per watt as what it charges you, thus creating a "net metering" situation. Practically speaking, it is a tremendous way to slash or eliminate your electrical bill.
If you intend to sell electricity to the utility company, you can’t just do it. Instead, you must get and sign an interconnection agreement with it. While the name can change from utility to utility, this agreement basically lays out the ground rules on how the process will work. Let’s take a closer look.
Applicable Laws
Federal and state laws require utility companies to supply you with standard interconnection agreements. The agreement specifies the terms and conditions under which your system will be connected to the utility grid. These can include your obligation to get any required permits, maintain homeowner’s insurance and meet certain connection specifications.
Sometimes set apart as a separate document, the agreement will also include the specifics related to the sale and purchase of power by each of you. Instead of installing multiple meters to asses the transfer of power, most utilities will simply let the existing utility meter run forward when you are drawing energy from the grid and backward when you are supplying energy to it.
If you supply more energy than you use in a month, must the utility company send you a check? Unfortunately, net metering laws do not require the utilities to do so. Instead, the company will credit the monetary equivalent of the excess generation to the next month’s electrical bill until you eventually use it during a cloudy or rainy month.
Interconnect agreements are fairly standardized agreements that shouldn’t cause you much concern. Just make sure you get one before hooking up to the local utility.
Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar energy companies. Visit us to read more articles on solar power and renewable energy.
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Making A Home More Efficient When It Comes To Heating And Cooling
Energy Efficient Residential Heating & Cooling Tips
By Kevin Cox
Heating and cooling cost are one aspect of a home that can be brought down with the right steps. Heating and cooling cost do tend to go up throughout the years and can take a lot of money out of your pocket over time. One thing you can do to make a home more efficient when it comes to heating and cooling is getting more insulation. One great way to add more insulation to a home is when adding vinyl siding, not only you will save on your heating and cooling bills you will be giving your home a new look from the outside. When getting vinyl siding it is important to get the thickest insulation you can afford.
One last thing when it comes to vinyl sidings is get a life time guarantee. The last thing you want is to get vinyl sidings and in a couple of month some more money has to come out of your pocket. With a life time guarantee if something ever happens with the vinyl siding or the insulation it will be replace or fixed for free. Another thing you can do to make a home more efficient when it comes to heating and cooling is replace the windows. Windows that are efficient when it comes to heating and cooling tend to be a bit more expensive than your conventional windows. The good thing is these windows pay for them self in less than ten years form the savings you get for being more efficient. With windows it is also wise to have a life time guarantee.
One last thing you can do to make a home more efficient when it comes to heating and cooling is replace any door leading to outside the home if you feel a draft when waking by them. Making a home more efficient when it comes to heating and cooling may seem expensive but it will pay for itself throughout the life of the home.
A good web site where you can see more information on topics like this is Real Estate Facts which is highly recommended. Thank you and enjoy.
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Renewable Energy Options For The Home: Biomass, Wood Pellet, Hydropower, Wind Power
Residential Renewable Energy Sources Includ Biomass, Wood Fuel Pellets, Hydroelectric Power & Wind
The use of energy in our homes is inescapable, providing heating and electricity within the home. Traditionally, we have been reliant on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil to provide for our energy needs. Fossil fuels by nature are a finite resource and will eventually run-out. In addition to this, they are damaging to the environment contributing greatly to the production of greenhouse gases. The most significant of these greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO2) - almost half of the energy related to CO2 emissions derive from energy use in buildings.
There are numerous ways of reducing energy needs within the home without comprising on warmth, comfort and general standard of living. Renewable energy sources can help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and also are good for the economy given the issues surrounding the longer term availability of fossil fuels.
Renewable energy options for a homeowner include solar energy (the sun), heat generated from below the earth’s surface (geothermal) and wood and energy crops (biomass). In Ireland, several of these resources are in good supply. The homeowner can do their part for the environment by opting for a renewable heating system that meets their need in terms of heat demand, budget and environmental considerations.
Biomass
Biomass is all plant and animal matter on the Earth’s surface. Bioenergy is the term given to harvesting biomass such as crops, trees etc. to generate energy.
Indeed, Biomass was the first fuel that mankind learned to use when the first primitive fires were started. Biomass has achieved a significant share of the energy market on the Continent. Ireland has one of the lowest uses of Biomass in Europe but has one of the largest resources. Biomass provides about 1% of the country’s energy needs in the form of domestic and industrial wood heating. Wood is a 'carbon neutral' fuel in that it absorbs as much CO2 when it grows as it releases when it is burned.
Wood Pellets
The main types of wood fuel are chips and pellets. Wood chips are a clean, low moisture fuel made from wood in its natural state. They are a high energy, low-smoke fuel. They are a bulk fuel meaning that they are generally unsuitable for domestic purposes due to storage issues. They are used in larger buildings or to heat clusters of domestic properties through a heating scheme. Wood pellets are a clean, dry fuel made from a mixture of sawdust and wood shavings. The Wood pellets are 6-12mm in diameter and 6-20mm in length. Pellets are easy to ignite and leave little ash. A feeding mechanism such as a hopper can be used to feed the Pellet Burner.
In a similar vein to traditional oil or gas burners, a wood pellet boiler will provide full central heating and hot water. Wood Pellet Stoves provide heating for a single room. They produce a small fire that, concentrated in the center of the unit, burns hot.
In a similar vein to traditional oil or gas burners, a pellet boiler will provide full central heating and hot water. Pellet stoves provide heating for a single room. They produce a small fire that, concentrated in the center of the unit, burns hot.
One important consideration when opting for a pellet burner is storage. Pellets are a bulky fuel meaning that more storage space is required than that for oil. The store must also be kept completely dry and free from damp.
Hydropower
Hydropower is the capture of the energy of moving water for some useful purpose. The energy of moving water has been exploited for centuries but was first used to produce electricity in the 1870’s. Power generated from a hydro scheme depends on the height the water falls and the volume of water available. Water is diverted from a given point on the river through to a turbine house where a turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy. Then a generator converts the mechanical energy from the turbine into electrical energy.
Given it’s nature, the resource is very site specific (even more than solar) but if you are lucky enough to have a stream nearby and you have enough head (height between your source and your hydro turbine) and enough flow, then it is a viable option. Issues to consider are the capital required on civil engineering work such as the weir and water channel. Building a diversion and intake that effectively screens out debris and can stand up to high seasonal flows can be challenging.
Wind Power
Ireland is blessed with an abundance of wind energy. More and more large-scale wind turbines can be seen around the country to provide for the country’s electricity needs. Wind energy is clean, free and of course, infinite.
For remote locations that have no connection to the energy grid, a power supply based on a wind turbine will produce electricity much cheaper than the costs of bringing in power lines. Turbines large enough to provide a significant portion of the energy needs for the average household require at least half an acre of land. Factors determining the viability of turbines for the home include wind speed and direction. Wind speed increases with height so turbines will give a greater output if placed at a higher level. The site must also have a good 'aspect' to the prevailing wind.
Paul O' Connor runs http://www.selfbuildinireland.com, the popular Irish based website aimed at the Self-Builder. The website provides articles and resources for the Home Builder.
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