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  • From: "Wendy" <crazygardens AT verizon.net>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Nuclear energy in an oil-poor world
  • Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 01:08:12 -0400

Kathyann,
I am so glad to hear that! A few years ago I was on an RE list and many of the allowances for RE had gone away and legislation to eliminate the rest had to be constantly fought . Net metering was one hot topic. The utility company companies were fighting big-time to eliminate it everywhere. I had lost track of the status of the pending legislation being pushed by the utilities. Most of the legislation favoring RE was put into place by Jimmy Carter. Ronald Regan axed much of it. The fight back and forth has been going on ever since. It seems though, that your RE plan is state funded. What state do you live in? What is a "bundler"? Is that the guy who collects green credits from conscious people and sells them to polluters so that they can legally continue to pollute?

Wendy


Wendy wrote:
Does your electric co. allow "net-metering"? (Net-metering is when you are charged the "net" total of power-used minus power-sent to the grid.)
We've been really happy with our net-meter set-up over the last 2 years. Utility companies have to accept it here now. Net-metering not as simple as you describe. When we produce the meter runs backwards, when not it runs forward. If we owe at the end of the month we pay the excess used (we have am/pm so we only buy at night rates unless cloudy.) Once a year they do a settle up. If we are ahead in production they buy out at wholesale (cheaper rate but since they buy daytime and we buy nighttime we both pay similarly.) Overall, the state rebated 75% of the cost of the system, we sold the "green credits" to a bundler for 20% of the cost. The remaining 5% is financed. With lowering our usage, we currently pay out 50-60% our old electricity costs for electricity above what we produce + payments on system. We get a service contract with the installment plan that includes annual check, replacements if needed, and removing/replacing panels once to allow us to reroof if necessary (for 20 years or til paid off.) And we're assured we are supporting solar production.

Kathyann






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