[Vision2020] Home Solar/Wind Electric:Spin Your Meter Backwards

[Ted Moffett]

Kai et. al.

I don't know that much about the technical details of wind electric
power, but when I read the suggestion regarding home built wind
generators, about carving your own blades from PVC pipe, I immediately
thought that the precision needed to carve a blade with the best
aerodynamic shape, and properly balanced, would be rather difficult to
do.

http://www.poormansguides.com/index3.htm

However, if these home made blades were strongly attached and built
with some skill (that many don't have or would not invest the time to
gain), and the whole wind generator structure also well built, I don't
know why it should fall apart... I guess it depends on the level of
powerful winds that can be expected.   Category 3 and above (111 mph)
hurricane winds are one problem, while here on the Palouse, I suspect
that designing to withstand a 100 mph gust will probably allow a
margin of safety for design.

Anyway, combining wind (off and on reliability in our area) with solar
electric will make a more reliable day in and day out power source.
And the idea for many for home power would be to remain on the grid,
with alternative power as a supplement, a long term investment to save
money, and of course lessen environmental impacts (less coal electric
generation).

Some electric utilities buy power that is inserted into the grid from
home alternative electric power installations.  The meter monitoring
electric use spins backwards.  A home thus becomes a generating source
powering the grid.  Go on vacation, turn most everything off, and your
home is a power generating station making money.  I could not find any
evidence Avista offers this option.

Read page 15 in the document at the PDF web link below:

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35297.pdf
----------------
I find it puzzling that those who plan on owning a home for 20 years
or more do not install wind and/or solar electric, to at least
partially power their homes.  This of course will usually take up
front investment and financing, which is what is done with car and
trucks and homes usually anyway, for tens and hundreds of thousands of
dollars.  In the long term, alternative energy can pay for itself,
given what I have read on the subject; and of course helps to lessen
the dependence on dirty CO2 emitting coal power, which is 25 percent
of Avista's power source, and the 16 percent from natural gas, less
polluting than coal, but still emitting CO2:

http://www.naturalgas.org/environment/naturalgas.asp
---------------
I find it surprising that Avista gets 41 percent of its power from
finite fossil fuel sources, even with the abundant hydro in our area:

http://www.avistautilities.com/questions/pages/default.aspx?category=Buck-A-Block

Avista's fuel mix is as follows:

Hydro – 52 percent
Natural Gas – 16 percent
Coal – 25 percent
Biomass/Waste – 6 percent
Other – 1 percent
----------------------------------

Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett

On 1/18/08, Kai Eiselein <fotopro63 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Those generators probably work, Ted,  but the technical know-how to balance
> the blades isn' t something that just anyone could do. That in itself could
> rob generating power. (Not to mention the threat of the blade assembly
> breaking up and send chunks flying in high winds) So what may be the answer?
> Look at the roofs of older buildings, especially industrial buildings. What
> do they have?
> Turbine ventilators.
> Pre-built, factory balanced, wind-driven turbines. Time tested for the
> elements and efficient.
> Most have a vertical shaft (bingo!) a brass upper bearing and lower ball
> bearings. A 24 inch model ($200 new) is rated to move 2300cfm at 4 mph. So
> it spins at low wind speeds.
> Attach alternator  "A" to turbine "B", add wind and you've got electricty.
> (Ok, maybe not THAT easy, but doable with some ingenuity.)
>