Beginner's Guide to Utilizing Solar and Wind Generated Electricity

Easing Into Renewable Energy

It is not necessary to do a complete system all at once. One option is to pull a few circuits off the main circuit breaker panel and just run the loads on those circuits off solar. If the utility power (or grid) goes out in your area a lot, then you want to choose these loads based on your priority loads - what must be on even if the grid is down. Or you can install a utility intertie (also known as grid tie) system that will feed some solar generated power back onto the utility lines turning your meter backwards and off-setting power that you would otherwise buy from the utility. This is less expensive than an off-grid system since there are no storage batteries and because it is not necessary to cover your entire load.

If you are interested in a wind electric system we will need all the same information about your consumption and we will also need some information about the average wind speed in your area. A quick way to get this information is to call your local weather bureau or airport. You can also visit the website of the National Renewable Energy Lab and find your city in their Wind Energy Resource Atlas. Cost-wise a wind system to operate the average home in the US will cost around $25,000 - $50,000 depending on the wind resource and whether it is battery based or not; so it is a bit less expensive than solar. A large wind turbine will most likely require the installation experience and large machinery of an experienced installer. Be sure to consult an installer before purchasing any large wind turbine.

Selling Power to the Utility Company

Selling power back to the utility makes things more complicated. Selling power back means that you are purposely installing more solar or wind capacity than you need and hoping that the utilities will buy the excess power back. The utilities are legally required to buy it back but at what is called "avoided cost" which is generally 1 - 3 cents per kilowatt hour. Although some utilities in some states will buy it back at the same rate that you buy it from them (this is called net billing) these utilities are not the majority. This is different from offsetting power with a utility intertie inverter.