Solar Energy: You Could Try Net Metering with Solar Energy
Filed Under (Green Living) by Get Your Green On on 11-09-2009
If you install solar panels on your home, can you go “off grid” and say goodbye to the electric company forever? Being totally independent is a nice idea. No more power bills arriving in your mailbox. No further dealings with the power company for any reason. Is this a possibility for you and your family? The answer will depend upon the prevalent weather in your region and how much money you can commit to maintaining your own power system.
See How Much Simpler Going Off-Grid Is!
First of all, consider the usual type of weather in your region. Does your part of the world experience a lot of sunshine, or is it cloudy most of the time? Solar panels are only able to create electricity when the sun is shining on them. That means you have to use batteries to preserve power for use at night and during overcast days.
This is where the method you use can begin to get more costly. You’ll need to purchase and maintain enough large DC (direct current) batteries to secure enough power to get you through a couple of inclement weather. You’ll have to have adequate storage space for that number of batteries and you’ll also need to be prepared to replace them periodically.
The Off Grid Solution for the Homeowner
In addition, having a backup generator is a good idea in case of stretches of overcast weather that deplete the electricity stored in your batteries. A generator will need fuel and you’ll need to store that also. Generators usually use either gas or diesel fuel. But that seems inconsistent with the “green” purpose of solar panels, so you’ll probably want to use biodiesel. So while it is certainly possible to go “off grid,” the undertaking is not simple or cheap.
For most people, it makes more sense to check into “net metering”. You can check to find out if your local utility company provides this program. Net metering is a great way to cut down on your electricity costs, yet still have power available at night and during extended periods of overcast days. With net metering, the power company credits your bill for any excess electricity produced during the day by your solar panels. Then, at night or on days when there is not enough sunlight, you simply use electricity supplied by your local utility company. You wouldn’t need to store banks of DC batteries in your basement or garage. You won’t be completely “off grid”, but you can save a significant amount of money on your monthly electric bills. Some months you may even have a zero balance.
The Off-Grid System To The Power Shortages
So if you live in a very sunny area, with lots of extra room to store batteries, living “off grid” could be feasible for you. But if you’re part of the world gets little sun and you have no large storage space, “net metering” would be more practical.