Self-sufficiency energy

[cmacd123]

That is cheap. Next door in Alberta

my last bill from Hydro Ottawa shows 0.087 off peak
0.122 Mid Peak and 0.182 on peak, plus a "delivery charge" of $49.45 for the month. I do fondly remember paying about 4 cents a KWH. Fortunately TC energy, (of Keystone Pipeline fame) has upgraded the big CANDU plant at Bruce Power.

 

[foc]

I am envious of the cheap electricity available in North America.

My last bill, (I'm in Ireland) including standing charges, Vat, worked out at €0.45 kWh.

If we could only make electricity from rain, the problem would be solved !

 

[grain elevator]

If we could only make electricity from rain, the problem would be solved !

Hydroelectric power? Yeah I suppose Ireland doesn't have the topography to make it work at a large scale...

 

[Besk]

Congratulations to ADOX and FOTOIMPEX! I am impressed with your efforts.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Good job for doing it, but I can't fathom how high your electricity costs must be to justify that large a capital installation. Here in the US, it doesn't even make economical sense for homeowners to install their own solar roofs, except in the highest priced markets. That's much of what makes the green conversion such a hard sell here.

Donald, even here in NC, corporations are doing this. Deltec Homes in Asheville, a maker of prefabricated structures, has gone net-zero by installing solar panels on its factory roof. My guess is that corporate rates are likely higher than residential rates and that, combined with the larger electric draw and the easy option of mounting panels on a factory roof, makes solar an easier sell to businesses with large commercial spaces.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Ireland doesn't have the topography to make it work at a large scale...

Low-head hydro actually has major advantages over the common megadam type we see all over the American west. Little capital investment (relatively speaking), less environmental impact (no monstrous impoundment lakes, no habitat destruction, no communities forcibly relocated), less effect from annual rainfall fluctuations, and less economic impact if a generator plant is offline for a while due to a local drought.

My guess is that corporate rates are likely higher than residential rates and that, combined with the larger electric draw

Industrial customers pay demand rates -- the higher their draw, the higher the cost per kWh (in stepped tiers, like the income tax rates in the US), and the lowest tier is already a higher rate than residential, because they're also charged for their installed capacity (that is, a 5000 A service pays a higher rate than 500 A, even if actual usage rarely exceeds 500 A -- common home systems are 200A to 500A). Even if the solar installation can only cover enough of their peak load to avoid a tier jump, they'll make back the investment before the cells start to deteriorate significantly (even a factory like that probably doesn't run three shifts, so peak demand is generally daylight hours). Not to mention, like many things, you pay less per panel if you're buying 500 of them than if you buy 5.

All of these things are probably also true in Germany, just with different numbers attached.

 

[koraks]

All of these things are probably also true in Germany

Tariff tiers, industry-specific arrangements etc are often very country-specific. I'd be extremely hesitant to make the assumption you're making here. They may very well (and in fact do, in many cases) work out exactly opposite to what you just said - with industrial rates being lower than domestic rates, and high-demand/energy-intensive industries sometimes paying much less than smaller users. This is of course all a matter of policy - something which I think we all realize, but that we'll not discuss in depth on this forum.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

All of these things are probably also true in Germany, just with different numbers attached.

In addition to the economics of the panels, German industry is compelled to such arrangements because of the disruptions of its energy markets following Russia’s 2022 escalation of its war in Ukraine. Much of the EU relied on Russian gas, and many businesses had to suspend operations when gas prices skyrocketed. I would imagine that this kind of measure is a commonplace now as industry tries to insulate itself against future price shocks. That it is green is just an added bonus.

 

[Craig]

My last bill, (I'm in Ireland) including standing charges, Vat, worked out at €0.45 kWh.

With all the fees, my last bill works out to €0.21 kWh. That changes through the year, as the rate changes from month to month.

 

[mshchem]

In Iowa we have a tremendous wind energy business, unfortunately much of this power goes to server buildings so Google, Microsoft etc can claim carbon neutral (neutrality??) for the "cloud" . Once dependant on someone else caring for your data you're screwed, one more lovely thing about silver halide

 

[Donald Qualls]

That it is green is just an added bonus.

This is like something Tom Lehrer wrote in one of his songs (about a very different businessman): "Doing well by doing good."

 

[ChrisGalway]

Awesome Adox!