info@truenorthpower.com
A Publication of the FREE Wind Press - May be re-printed for personal use only
Copyright (C) 2007 TRUE-NORTH Power Systems
For commercial or non-profit publication contact TRUE-NORTH Power Systems
Lion's Head ON N0H 1W0 - (519) 793-3290
A Publication of the FREE Wind Press - May be re-printed for personal use only
Copyright (C) 2007 TRUE-NORTH Power Systems
For commercial or non-profit publication contact TRUE-NORTH Power Systems
Lion's Head ON N0H 1W0 - (519) 793-3290
Issue 2:1 Headlines: January 2004
Challenging Outdated Energy Status Quo - New Principles for Energy Growth.
There is a free untapped energy source in Ontario that will not cost the taxpayer a new megaproject, whose technology is ready for use, and that will help stabilize our fragile electricity network. It's the individual taxpayer, hundreds of thousands of them. Everyone who is looking into generating their own electricity is stimulated by the idea of getting a cheque at the end of the month instead of a bill. They are stimulated until they realize the maze of beaurocratic agencies, inspections, taxes and fees they will be subjected to. That idea has motivated many people to looking into owning their own wind or solar generator. They are aware that the cost of electricity in Ontario is highly subsidized and the price will soon have to reflect the real cost. However, the reality of the excessive taxes, procedures and fees continues to deter private individuals who are otherwise willing to put their own money into renewable energy. While the cheque is truly a pipe dream, the idea that we need to double or triple tax all forms of energy needs to be challenged. Private citizens who produce their own electricity with after tax dollars should not be further taxed in order to acquire and operate a renewable energy system. They should in fact be given incentives if not outright assistance if they are willing to create their own clean energy. In light of the energy limited environment we find ourselves in, other barriers need to be challenged. One in Ontario is, the multiplicity of Federal Provincial, Municipal and privatized agencies involved in energy production and distribution. Thirdly, the idea that Net Metering is cost and not a net benefit to system and needs to be paid for by people who supply energy tothe system. Modifying the status quo of these three areas and, will significantly stimulate new non-public spending in electricity generation, create jobs and contribute to solving the energy crisis we are only just beginning to acknowledge.
Firstly, our electricity grid's vulnerability to outages can be significantly reduced by developing a better distributed system of production and distribution. Large fossil fuel, hydro or nuclear fueled power plants, feeding ever larger above ground high tension wire grids, will never be more secure than the weakest high tension switch, transformer or breaker. Rural users and communities, at the end of the distribution chain, are always going to be vulnerable to major demand spikes and outages, initiated by the urban industrial users in between them and the power plants. INstead we should be developing a more decentralized, distributed production system and distribute the failures to smaller, localized and manageable outages. We should encourage individuals to generate some of their own power rather than make them dependent on the centralized system. Each distributed private producer would offset a small portion of the overall demand and collectively leave more centrally generated power for the cities. The best way to encourage such distributed power development is to let individuals invest in their own electrical security without being taxed to death or frustrated by beaurocracy. That means no PST or GST or HST on renewable energy systems, including labour and materials. That means not adding taxes to inspections and approvals when the money being spent has already been taxed more than once, by all levels of government. If we were really serious about controlling "big budget", public tax spending on megaprojects and encouraging private investment we should also offer an income tax credit for private energy producers. The big commercial energy projects get "tax holidays" for years after they invest in large systems, why not just allow a personal income tax break for individuals for the year they invest it in energy. Principle Number 1: Stop double or triple taxing private energy producers.
How about getting our provincial or federal taxes to just pay for the necessary inspections and help people invest in their own energy. Provinces own the infrastructure. The federal government controls metering standards and provincial transfer payments. The more individuals make use of renewable energy the less all us have to pay to build bigger power plants and upgrade distribution. Simply stop taxing private energy production. Why should one person have to duplicate administrative costs if they use energy from several suppliers using the same public transmission network. If I live and work in the city but produce my own energy in the country why should I not be credited for what I make in the same bill I'm charged for what I use, no matter what jurisdiction I'm in. If telephone companies can do it with the internet billing, then utilities can do the same and save a lot of administrative costs at the same time. This leads to principle number 2: If you both produce and use energy within a public distribution system then there should be "One Taxpayer - One Energy Bill".
Most utility companies in Canada seem to be trying to embrace "Net Metering", whereby private electricity producer/users can send their excess energy to the grid and receive credit for those kilowatts that can later be used at par, when they have higher need. However, most utility companies still see this as an administrative burden, so they plan to apply the same regulations and costs that larger commercial generators endure. This thinking is designed to "cover their costs", apparently without consideration for the benefit will they receive, once there are thousands of private generators operating. Many utilities are planning to allow Net Metering for a small monthly "Administrative fee" and then "Zero-out" the credit at the end of each billing period. For small producer/users with a monthly billing cycle, this effectively eliminates any value in Net Metering. It's only a few kilowatts for each user, but when 10,000 such customers can't roll-over a monthly credit of just 1 kilowatt hour that's 10 Megawatts of power the utility just acquired and can sell at retail with an administrative key stroke.
There should be continuous credit for energy production as long as you pay taxes to support the distribution network and you are the one paying the utility bill. You put the system in place. Your taxes and usage fees maintain it. You should continue to benefit. As long as you are both producer and consumer, private energy production should not be able to be confiscated. The argument that private energy producers are "using the taxpayer's grid for free" is wrong. Whether or not you use public or your own energy through the grid or not does not change anything. Private producers also pay the taxes and the debt charges that pay for the infrastructure. They should be able to use it just the same. And line losses do not count for a power credit, for distributed producers. The power will be used locally by reducing the demand for long distant distribution. In fact, it could be argued that the locally produced and consumed kilowatt should attract a "Line Loss Credit" since it saved another kilowatt the trip from the big distant power plant. Principle 3: With a demand controlled, public power grid, a Kilowatt is owned by the producer until they use it or sell it.
These principles are being circulated to all provincial energy ministers in the hope that they will understand the significant pollution free, renewable energy resource they are currently overlooking, the individual. Ten thousand private producer/users would collectively spend $180,000,000 in installing a system, create 3-4,000 jobs and produce about 30-50 megawatts of power per year, and every megawatt produced and consumed locally saves 2-4 megawatts of centrally generated production and distribution costs. Over the next 5 to 10 years that would go a long way to improving the environment, improve the stability of distribution and reduce the cost of megaprojects for all of us.
There is a free untapped energy source in Ontario that will not cost the taxpayer a new megaproject, whose technology is ready for use, and that will help stabilize our fragile electricity network. It's the individual taxpayer, hundreds of thousands of them. Everyone who is looking into generating their own electricity is stimulated by the idea of getting a cheque at the end of the month instead of a bill. They are stimulated until they realize the maze of beaurocratic agencies, inspections, taxes and fees they will be subjected to. That idea has motivated many people to looking into owning their own wind or solar generator. They are aware that the cost of electricity in Ontario is highly subsidized and the price will soon have to reflect the real cost. However, the reality of the excessive taxes, procedures and fees continues to deter private individuals who are otherwise willing to put their own money into renewable energy. While the cheque is truly a pipe dream, the idea that we need to double or triple tax all forms of energy needs to be challenged. Private citizens who produce their own electricity with after tax dollars should not be further taxed in order to acquire and operate a renewable energy system. They should in fact be given incentives if not outright assistance if they are willing to create their own clean energy. In light of the energy limited environment we find ourselves in, other barriers need to be challenged. One in Ontario is, the multiplicity of Federal Provincial, Municipal and privatized agencies involved in energy production and distribution. Thirdly, the idea that Net Metering is cost and not a net benefit to system and needs to be paid for by people who supply energy tothe system. Modifying the status quo of these three areas and, will significantly stimulate new non-public spending in electricity generation, create jobs and contribute to solving the energy crisis we are only just beginning to acknowledge.
Firstly, our electricity grid's vulnerability to outages can be significantly reduced by developing a better distributed system of production and distribution. Large fossil fuel, hydro or nuclear fueled power plants, feeding ever larger above ground high tension wire grids, will never be more secure than the weakest high tension switch, transformer or breaker. Rural users and communities, at the end of the distribution chain, are always going to be vulnerable to major demand spikes and outages, initiated by the urban industrial users in between them and the power plants. INstead we should be developing a more decentralized, distributed production system and distribute the failures to smaller, localized and manageable outages. We should encourage individuals to generate some of their own power rather than make them dependent on the centralized system. Each distributed private producer would offset a small portion of the overall demand and collectively leave more centrally generated power for the cities. The best way to encourage such distributed power development is to let individuals invest in their own electrical security without being taxed to death or frustrated by beaurocracy. That means no PST or GST or HST on renewable energy systems, including labour and materials. That means not adding taxes to inspections and approvals when the money being spent has already been taxed more than once, by all levels of government. If we were really serious about controlling "big budget", public tax spending on megaprojects and encouraging private investment we should also offer an income tax credit for private energy producers. The big commercial energy projects get "tax holidays" for years after they invest in large systems, why not just allow a personal income tax break for individuals for the year they invest it in energy. Principle Number 1: Stop double or triple taxing private energy producers.
How about getting our provincial or federal taxes to just pay for the necessary inspections and help people invest in their own energy. Provinces own the infrastructure. The federal government controls metering standards and provincial transfer payments. The more individuals make use of renewable energy the less all us have to pay to build bigger power plants and upgrade distribution. Simply stop taxing private energy production. Why should one person have to duplicate administrative costs if they use energy from several suppliers using the same public transmission network. If I live and work in the city but produce my own energy in the country why should I not be credited for what I make in the same bill I'm charged for what I use, no matter what jurisdiction I'm in. If telephone companies can do it with the internet billing, then utilities can do the same and save a lot of administrative costs at the same time. This leads to principle number 2: If you both produce and use energy within a public distribution system then there should be "One Taxpayer - One Energy Bill".
Most utility companies in Canada seem to be trying to embrace "Net Metering", whereby private electricity producer/users can send their excess energy to the grid and receive credit for those kilowatts that can later be used at par, when they have higher need. However, most utility companies still see this as an administrative burden, so they plan to apply the same regulations and costs that larger commercial generators endure. This thinking is designed to "cover their costs", apparently without consideration for the benefit will they receive, once there are thousands of private generators operating. Many utilities are planning to allow Net Metering for a small monthly "Administrative fee" and then "Zero-out" the credit at the end of each billing period. For small producer/users with a monthly billing cycle, this effectively eliminates any value in Net Metering. It's only a few kilowatts for each user, but when 10,000 such customers can't roll-over a monthly credit of just 1 kilowatt hour that's 10 Megawatts of power the utility just acquired and can sell at retail with an administrative key stroke.
There should be continuous credit for energy production as long as you pay taxes to support the distribution network and you are the one paying the utility bill. You put the system in place. Your taxes and usage fees maintain it. You should continue to benefit. As long as you are both producer and consumer, private energy production should not be able to be confiscated. The argument that private energy producers are "using the taxpayer's grid for free" is wrong. Whether or not you use public or your own energy through the grid or not does not change anything. Private producers also pay the taxes and the debt charges that pay for the infrastructure. They should be able to use it just the same. And line losses do not count for a power credit, for distributed producers. The power will be used locally by reducing the demand for long distant distribution. In fact, it could be argued that the locally produced and consumed kilowatt should attract a "Line Loss Credit" since it saved another kilowatt the trip from the big distant power plant. Principle 3: With a demand controlled, public power grid, a Kilowatt is owned by the producer until they use it or sell it.
These principles are being circulated to all provincial energy ministers in the hope that they will understand the significant pollution free, renewable energy resource they are currently overlooking, the individual. Ten thousand private producer/users would collectively spend $180,000,000 in installing a system, create 3-4,000 jobs and produce about 30-50 megawatts of power per year, and every megawatt produced and consumed locally saves 2-4 megawatts of centrally generated production and distribution costs. Over the next 5 to 10 years that would go a long way to improving the environment, improve the stability of distribution and reduce the cost of megaprojects for all of us.
New Thinking on Safety
Everyone can quickly agree, safety comes first, and when it comes to handling electricity there is no substitute for practical standards and monitoring. The electricity monopoly of the past century has centralized electricity management to the extent that many regulations and controls no longer makes practical or economic sense for a modern distributed network. It is true that operating a power plant is a professional full time job that uses a host of specialized skills and trades. Electricity can cause a serious fire or kill someone if not properly handled.
But so can the automobile, and we seem to have accommodated the individual need for transportation and regulation in a way that allows almost anyone over 16 years old to get behind the wheel of a highly destructive force that destroys property and kills people every day. We've managed to agree on some important safety features on the vehicle, as well as rules, regulations and a fee that anyone can afford. Even though thousands are killed every year by these machines, we continue to allow even teenagers to operate them with limited training and no supervision.
Electricity is far safer to create and control than a vehicle and installers are already tested and certified before they are allowed to do electrical work. So, why do we put private renewable energy installations through so many further tests and expensive inspections when this type of equipment has been around for decades. Through out the country it seems to be overcontrolled because there is limited demand and there is limited demand partly because it is too hard to get through all the hoops. In Ontario at least, it is an artifact of the breakup of Ontario Hydro. Now that there is separation of generation, transmission, inspection and safety, there is no central responsibility for the system. On top of that, energy is largely a provincial jurisdiction, while weights and measures and "metering standards" are Federal. What results is a situation where no one "owns" the problem, and when that happens it is too easy to not provide a practical solution because "someone else has jurisdiction". There is never a good solution until everyone focuses on the "Best" solution for the consumer.
The best solution in this situation is one that makes it easier and cheaper for an individual or business to generate and use its own renewable energy. This mentality will more likely bring rapid investment in tools and services that benefit the entire energy sector as well as society as a whole. Both federal and provincial jurisdictions should quickly resolve to assess current regulations, taxes and fees to determine if they are sufficient and necessary to allow private renewable energy systems to grow, not unregulated but unhindered. This will take political leadership from those who currently have jurisdiction. This is because the current system will never change from within and reduce or remove barriers that hinder individual growth, in a system built on centralized production and control. Renewable energy systems are as safe as any electrical appliance and they can be regulated, but they don't need to be encumbered by the same level of control as a commercial power plant.
Everyone can quickly agree, safety comes first, and when it comes to handling electricity there is no substitute for practical standards and monitoring. The electricity monopoly of the past century has centralized electricity management to the extent that many regulations and controls no longer makes practical or economic sense for a modern distributed network. It is true that operating a power plant is a professional full time job that uses a host of specialized skills and trades. Electricity can cause a serious fire or kill someone if not properly handled.
But so can the automobile, and we seem to have accommodated the individual need for transportation and regulation in a way that allows almost anyone over 16 years old to get behind the wheel of a highly destructive force that destroys property and kills people every day. We've managed to agree on some important safety features on the vehicle, as well as rules, regulations and a fee that anyone can afford. Even though thousands are killed every year by these machines, we continue to allow even teenagers to operate them with limited training and no supervision.
Electricity is far safer to create and control than a vehicle and installers are already tested and certified before they are allowed to do electrical work. So, why do we put private renewable energy installations through so many further tests and expensive inspections when this type of equipment has been around for decades. Through out the country it seems to be overcontrolled because there is limited demand and there is limited demand partly because it is too hard to get through all the hoops. In Ontario at least, it is an artifact of the breakup of Ontario Hydro. Now that there is separation of generation, transmission, inspection and safety, there is no central responsibility for the system. On top of that, energy is largely a provincial jurisdiction, while weights and measures and "metering standards" are Federal. What results is a situation where no one "owns" the problem, and when that happens it is too easy to not provide a practical solution because "someone else has jurisdiction". There is never a good solution until everyone focuses on the "Best" solution for the consumer.
The best solution in this situation is one that makes it easier and cheaper for an individual or business to generate and use its own renewable energy. This mentality will more likely bring rapid investment in tools and services that benefit the entire energy sector as well as society as a whole. Both federal and provincial jurisdictions should quickly resolve to assess current regulations, taxes and fees to determine if they are sufficient and necessary to allow private renewable energy systems to grow, not unregulated but unhindered. This will take political leadership from those who currently have jurisdiction. This is because the current system will never change from within and reduce or remove barriers that hinder individual growth, in a system built on centralized production and control. Renewable energy systems are as safe as any electrical appliance and they can be regulated, but they don't need to be encumbered by the same level of control as a commercial power plant.
Diversion Loads - Essential for High Performance Machines
Small wind turbines typically are installed to charge batteries that run essential services like lighting or electrical appliances. Since the demand for electricity in the home is only slightly more predictable than the sources of wind and solar there is often more electricity available than currently needed, usually at night when the wind is strong. When this energy is available it must be used or stored. It has to go somehwere or the turbine or batteries may be overheated. Battery storage is limited and when there is no more room for new energy is must be dissipated or the source, the turbine, must be shut down. The easiest and safest thing to do is to use it up in heat, either hot water or air. By adding to the hot water tank you can store quite a bit of excess energy for later use and save on your hot water costs. This "Diversion Load" feature must be part of a properly designed small wind turbine. It is only needed occasionally, but when it is, it is essential. Don't skimp on this feature if you want a safe reliable system, and you'll never waste a watt.
Here is what some of these diversion load heaters look like
[missing photo]
Small wind turbines typically are installed to charge batteries that run essential services like lighting or electrical appliances. Since the demand for electricity in the home is only slightly more predictable than the sources of wind and solar there is often more electricity available than currently needed, usually at night when the wind is strong. When this energy is available it must be used or stored. It has to go somehwere or the turbine or batteries may be overheated. Battery storage is limited and when there is no more room for new energy is must be dissipated or the source, the turbine, must be shut down. The easiest and safest thing to do is to use it up in heat, either hot water or air. By adding to the hot water tank you can store quite a bit of excess energy for later use and save on your hot water costs. This "Diversion Load" feature must be part of a properly designed small wind turbine. It is only needed occasionally, but when it is, it is essential. Don't skimp on this feature if you want a safe reliable system, and you'll never waste a watt.
Here is what some of these diversion load heaters look like
[missing photo]
Comparing Batteries
There are a wide range of batteries out there and many types and sizes. Some are designed for renewable energy systems and some others can be adapted but some cannot. Ask if they are "DEEP CYCLE" designed for renewable energy systems. Deep cycle just means they are designed to be drawn down 70-80% of their full capacity on a regular basis. Some starter batteries are labeled DEEP CYCLE but are really meant for short burst of energy not for continuous use. Often these are for marine applications. Properly designed deep cycle batteries made for renewable energy systems can be deep cycled up to 1500 times or more. The more you keep them at or near full capacity (FLOAT Voltage) the longer they will last. (up to three times longer, than if they are left at a low charge). Generally, the lead acid kind is a good trade off between capacity, cost and longevity. Sealed batteries sometimes referred to as "Glass packs" or "Gel" batteries are definitely worry free since no maintenance is needed but they cost more and don't have the same life span as the lead acid. All battery technology is made of hazardous materials and have the same need to be disposed of properly at the end of their life.
You can actually avoid having batteries by connecting directly to the grid (with specially equipped inverters) and temporarily storing the energy in the grid with a "net metering" agreement with your local utility. The key drawback is that when the grid is down so are you. You have no power conditioning ability and no reserve capacity when the power fails, so the turbine must be shut down. Battery free, net metering makes sense in some cottage and rural applications. We are already testing such a battery free system at the FREE Wind Test Centre, with local Ontario utilities such as Hydro One Networks and Guelph Hydro and will be telling you more about it this year.
In the meantime: Ask about the battery warranty. How long are they guaranteed? Get a professional to evaluate how much capacity you need and this will ensure you get what you expect, and don't pay for more than you need. Four golf cart batteries may work fine in a grid tie design but are pretty useless if you have regular outages lasting more than a few minutes. Some places like banks, computer service companies and nuclear power plants have UPS systems, (Uninterruptable Power Supplies). They regularly change out their sealed or lead acid battery packs to ensure top performance or for safety reasons. These batteries usually have 80% or better life left and can be acquired cheaply because they can't dispose of them without paying someone. Sometimes this can be a great source of battery power for the budget minded.
Ask for the battery's charge performance specification no matter where you get them. Most deep cycle batteries will have optimum charge voltages similar to others but they are not all the same for each manufacturer. Likely, it's posted on their web site. These are the FLOAT voltage, BULK Charge voltage and ABSORPTION Charge time and the EQUALIZATION Voltage and time. You will need those numbers to be able to set the inverter/charge controller's limit settings and it is usually easiest to get this information at the time you get the batteries.
There are a wide range of batteries out there and many types and sizes. Some are designed for renewable energy systems and some others can be adapted but some cannot. Ask if they are "DEEP CYCLE" designed for renewable energy systems. Deep cycle just means they are designed to be drawn down 70-80% of their full capacity on a regular basis. Some starter batteries are labeled DEEP CYCLE but are really meant for short burst of energy not for continuous use. Often these are for marine applications. Properly designed deep cycle batteries made for renewable energy systems can be deep cycled up to 1500 times or more. The more you keep them at or near full capacity (FLOAT Voltage) the longer they will last. (up to three times longer, than if they are left at a low charge). Generally, the lead acid kind is a good trade off between capacity, cost and longevity. Sealed batteries sometimes referred to as "Glass packs" or "Gel" batteries are definitely worry free since no maintenance is needed but they cost more and don't have the same life span as the lead acid. All battery technology is made of hazardous materials and have the same need to be disposed of properly at the end of their life.
You can actually avoid having batteries by connecting directly to the grid (with specially equipped inverters) and temporarily storing the energy in the grid with a "net metering" agreement with your local utility. The key drawback is that when the grid is down so are you. You have no power conditioning ability and no reserve capacity when the power fails, so the turbine must be shut down. Battery free, net metering makes sense in some cottage and rural applications. We are already testing such a battery free system at the FREE Wind Test Centre, with local Ontario utilities such as Hydro One Networks and Guelph Hydro and will be telling you more about it this year.
In the meantime: Ask about the battery warranty. How long are they guaranteed? Get a professional to evaluate how much capacity you need and this will ensure you get what you expect, and don't pay for more than you need. Four golf cart batteries may work fine in a grid tie design but are pretty useless if you have regular outages lasting more than a few minutes. Some places like banks, computer service companies and nuclear power plants have UPS systems, (Uninterruptable Power Supplies). They regularly change out their sealed or lead acid battery packs to ensure top performance or for safety reasons. These batteries usually have 80% or better life left and can be acquired cheaply because they can't dispose of them without paying someone. Sometimes this can be a great source of battery power for the budget minded.
Ask for the battery's charge performance specification no matter where you get them. Most deep cycle batteries will have optimum charge voltages similar to others but they are not all the same for each manufacturer. Likely, it's posted on their web site. These are the FLOAT voltage, BULK Charge voltage and ABSORPTION Charge time and the EQUALIZATION Voltage and time. You will need those numbers to be able to set the inverter/charge controller's limit settings and it is usually easiest to get this information at the time you get the batteries.
Lightning Arrestors
Lightning arrestors are a required element of any power system and especially of you've already invested $10-15,000 installing your own renewable energy source. Lightning arrestors are small solid state devices usually a short cylinder an inch or two across (ok 2-3cm for the non-metrically challenged) that connects to the wiring of your turbine or power panels. Don't skimp on these when they add a hundred dollars or so to the system cost. It doesn't have to be lightning that fries your system. They can save you thousands if you get a power surge from the utility power as well. You will need a 3 phase AC arrestor on the turbine input side an AC surge protector for the inverter and a DC arrestor to protect the DC circuits. If your systems installer does not include them then ask them why.
It won't do much for a direct hit on the tower, but any nearby strike can sometimes pump a lot of high voltage through the local grid or even the ground around your tower. The lightning arrestor will save your bacon and your system in that case.
Also, I have a tower protection method I'd like some feedback from physics or weather enthusiast. My 45 ft steel tower at home has a standard heavy grounding cable that runs all the way up to just below my turbine where it points out away from the tower at 45 degrees. The ends of the the wire, the 7 strands of copper are splayed 4-5 inches apart like fingers and sharpened to a point on each end.
Lightning arrestors are a required element of any power system and especially of you've already invested $10-15,000 installing your own renewable energy source. Lightning arrestors are small solid state devices usually a short cylinder an inch or two across (ok 2-3cm for the non-metrically challenged) that connects to the wiring of your turbine or power panels. Don't skimp on these when they add a hundred dollars or so to the system cost. It doesn't have to be lightning that fries your system. They can save you thousands if you get a power surge from the utility power as well. You will need a 3 phase AC arrestor on the turbine input side an AC surge protector for the inverter and a DC arrestor to protect the DC circuits. If your systems installer does not include them then ask them why.
It won't do much for a direct hit on the tower, but any nearby strike can sometimes pump a lot of high voltage through the local grid or even the ground around your tower. The lightning arrestor will save your bacon and your system in that case.
Also, I have a tower protection method I'd like some feedback from physics or weather enthusiast. My 45 ft steel tower at home has a standard heavy grounding cable that runs all the way up to just below my turbine where it points out away from the tower at 45 degrees. The ends of the the wire, the 7 strands of copper are splayed 4-5 inches apart like fingers and sharpened to a point on each end.
Net Metering Update
LATE BREAKING NEWS 25 Jan 04
Federal Metering Standards May Approve Single Phase Meters for Bi-Directional Use
A Federal communication recently announced it is planning to remove this barrier to general public users of private or small business renewable energy systems. They have never been asked until now to verify the standard watt meters for use in bi-directional applications and are doing so now. This opens the way to eliminating the need for replacing the standard meters when connecting to the grid. Hopefully this will not take more than a few months to implement.
Net Metering Still Not A Real Value to Consumers
Net metering for residential generators is new territory for most utilities and as such there are still few if any established processes and regulations. Hydro One Networks is the only one that has so far published their Net Metering requirements and their documents and Net Metering Agreement are now available on their website. Go to www.hydroone.com The residential wind or solar generator is still seen as a net cost to utilities and there are many agencies, from nuclear power plants, to provincial legislatures, to safety authorities involved in the whole jurisdiction of electrical power generation. As a result, none of these diverse interests owns the problem completely and we can expect that this may continue for several years, before there is any encouragement for private generator operations.
Even though private generation is a net positive for the system, the value for the utilities if a few customers who are pushing a few electrons back and forth to the grid is limited. For the consumer, the expense and general hassle involved is outweighed by the piece of mind that can be achieved by generating and using your own power, without the help or interference of regulators who don’t yet see value in their connection to the grid. The best advice for now is to avoid net metering altogether and simply use or store the energy you produce yourself. If you really don’t like the idea of dealing with battery maintenance in your home, you can get sealed batteries. Should you actually produce more energy than you can use sometimes, then simply divert it to heat your home or hot water tank and it won’t be wasted. The utility will never pay you for excess power and they will attempt to “roll over” that banked energy you haven’t used each month or each quarter. As is looks now you are going to lose that banked energy each billing cycle.
Being energy independent means taking responsibility for your own production and use of electricity and that independence is lost to some degree when you connect to the grid. Your best solution is to be isolated from the grid or at most to be grid connected but not grid-tied. That way the utility does not have any say in how or when you use your system as long as it is installed according to electrical code. If you still wish to be grid-tied be prepared to meet the requirements and pay for the extra equipment and inspections.
Most electrical utility companies do not have clear guidelines for Net Metering although some provincially owned operators are beginning to publish new regulations and Grid-Tie requirements. Ontario is made up of Hydro One Networks and several local municipal utilities such as Toronto Hydro, Markham Hydro, Guelph Hydro, Vaughn or Burlington Hydro etc. We have been in touch with many of them. Each of these companies is at various stages of defining how they will accept Net-Metering customers.
Most utilities seem to be looking at how they can make money from accepting Net Metering customers because they do not have an interest in the overall production of energy, only in its distribution. Likewise, major generators do not care about distribution savings because they do not have any interest in this aspect. Distributors prefer to work with larger commercial producers rather than deal with a multitude of individual residential customers, due to economies of scale.
The administrative costs of controlling residential access to the grid threatens to make such connections bureaucratically prohibitive rather than technically simple at it is. However, there remains the ability for the government to legislate such access and cut through the red tape, if it can be shown that privately owned and properly installed wind and solar power is of net benefit to the grid system. Considering the true cost of electricity production and distribution it is estimated that every dollar spent on local production and consumption from renewable resources is worth several times the investment over public utilities. Every kilowatt produced and consumed locally saves a 2 or 3 or more kilowatts of energy production and distribution costs. Making your own energy distributes the power management costs to the individual and reduces the system production capacity requirements.
With this in mind, TRUE-NORTH Power Systems is still making the case to Ontario legislators that due consideration should be given to providing private power generation owners with strong financial and connectivity incentives to install and operate their own systems. To just stop taxing renewable energy systems would go a long way. In the meantime, we are not there yet and do not recommend net metering connections unless the customer insists. It's just some considerable extra work and expense that still has questionable real value.
LATE BREAKING NEWS 25 Jan 04
Federal Metering Standards May Approve Single Phase Meters for Bi-Directional Use
A Federal communication recently announced it is planning to remove this barrier to general public users of private or small business renewable energy systems. They have never been asked until now to verify the standard watt meters for use in bi-directional applications and are doing so now. This opens the way to eliminating the need for replacing the standard meters when connecting to the grid. Hopefully this will not take more than a few months to implement.
Net Metering Still Not A Real Value to Consumers
Net metering for residential generators is new territory for most utilities and as such there are still few if any established processes and regulations. Hydro One Networks is the only one that has so far published their Net Metering requirements and their documents and Net Metering Agreement are now available on their website. Go to www.hydroone.com The residential wind or solar generator is still seen as a net cost to utilities and there are many agencies, from nuclear power plants, to provincial legislatures, to safety authorities involved in the whole jurisdiction of electrical power generation. As a result, none of these diverse interests owns the problem completely and we can expect that this may continue for several years, before there is any encouragement for private generator operations.
Even though private generation is a net positive for the system, the value for the utilities if a few customers who are pushing a few electrons back and forth to the grid is limited. For the consumer, the expense and general hassle involved is outweighed by the piece of mind that can be achieved by generating and using your own power, without the help or interference of regulators who don’t yet see value in their connection to the grid. The best advice for now is to avoid net metering altogether and simply use or store the energy you produce yourself. If you really don’t like the idea of dealing with battery maintenance in your home, you can get sealed batteries. Should you actually produce more energy than you can use sometimes, then simply divert it to heat your home or hot water tank and it won’t be wasted. The utility will never pay you for excess power and they will attempt to “roll over” that banked energy you haven’t used each month or each quarter. As is looks now you are going to lose that banked energy each billing cycle.
Being energy independent means taking responsibility for your own production and use of electricity and that independence is lost to some degree when you connect to the grid. Your best solution is to be isolated from the grid or at most to be grid connected but not grid-tied. That way the utility does not have any say in how or when you use your system as long as it is installed according to electrical code. If you still wish to be grid-tied be prepared to meet the requirements and pay for the extra equipment and inspections.
Most electrical utility companies do not have clear guidelines for Net Metering although some provincially owned operators are beginning to publish new regulations and Grid-Tie requirements. Ontario is made up of Hydro One Networks and several local municipal utilities such as Toronto Hydro, Markham Hydro, Guelph Hydro, Vaughn or Burlington Hydro etc. We have been in touch with many of them. Each of these companies is at various stages of defining how they will accept Net-Metering customers.
Most utilities seem to be looking at how they can make money from accepting Net Metering customers because they do not have an interest in the overall production of energy, only in its distribution. Likewise, major generators do not care about distribution savings because they do not have any interest in this aspect. Distributors prefer to work with larger commercial producers rather than deal with a multitude of individual residential customers, due to economies of scale.
The administrative costs of controlling residential access to the grid threatens to make such connections bureaucratically prohibitive rather than technically simple at it is. However, there remains the ability for the government to legislate such access and cut through the red tape, if it can be shown that privately owned and properly installed wind and solar power is of net benefit to the grid system. Considering the true cost of electricity production and distribution it is estimated that every dollar spent on local production and consumption from renewable resources is worth several times the investment over public utilities. Every kilowatt produced and consumed locally saves a 2 or 3 or more kilowatts of energy production and distribution costs. Making your own energy distributes the power management costs to the individual and reduces the system production capacity requirements.
With this in mind, TRUE-NORTH Power Systems is still making the case to Ontario legislators that due consideration should be given to providing private power generation owners with strong financial and connectivity incentives to install and operate their own systems. To just stop taxing renewable energy systems would go a long way. In the meantime, we are not there yet and do not recommend net metering connections unless the customer insists. It's just some considerable extra work and expense that still has questionable real value.