Replies

1. 
   frammer52 | Jun 20, 2008 06:04pm | #1

   go for it!  someone has to be first!

2. 
   Ted W. | Jun 20, 2008 09:02pm | #2

   I'm with framer52. Go for it.

   And be sure to keep us informed!

   I wonder how those would work in open fields, as you see with fields of windmills? Might be more efficient.

   --------------------------------------------------------

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3. 
   jonblakemore | Jun 21, 2008 12:20am | #3

   What are you paying for electricity?

   I'm thinking the break even point is somewhere around 300 years?

    

   Jon Blakemore

   RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA

1. 
   Nuke | Jun 21, 2008 02:54am | #4

   I'm not sure. I am not the household booky. :)

   So, you think $1/W one-time cost is a bit much? Wouldn't that be interesting ... if things you buy with an electrical cord include the expected lifetime cost of the electricity needed to run it?

1. 
   junkhound | Jun 21, 2008 03:18am | #5

   $1/W one-time cost

   $1000 per kW is doggone cheap  IF your are someplace the wind blow at rated speed 24/7.  Read the fine print........

   Average watts is probably closer to 2.5 kW than 250 kW except during a hurricane.

   The web site says the 250 kW is in 80 MPH winds, power is proportional to the CUBE of wind speed, so even on the ND plains with a 20 mph wind all day you get only 3.9 kW, which equates to $$$$$64 a watt!!!!!!

   Edited 6/20/2008 8:21 pm ET by junkhound

2. 
   jonblakemore | Jun 21, 2008 04:56am | #6

   I have to admit my thinking was wrong.I was thinking of a KWH with no regard to the "H", which is a time factor.I divided $1,000 by $.12 (what our electric charges average out to be) and got 8,333, which translates in to 694 years. For the sake of discussion I assumed a rate of ~$.27 which means it takes ~300 years to get $1,000 billing at $.27/kwh. All of this is wrong.Our electric bills show a peak usage of 1,400 kwh per month in the past 12 months. Assuming that this was evenly distributed between 30 days, you're looking at 1.94 kwh/day. As a utility, you need to provide enough power at the peak demand time, so let's say you can allot 3kwh per customer.If you can produce a continuous 250 kwh, you can have 83 customers at the given rate. Assuming the average usage per customer is 1,000 kwh/month, you could bill for 83,000 kwh every month. At a rate of $.12/kwh, this would gross just shy of $10k per month.You would still have to pay for transmission lines and all of the other items necessary for service, but your break even point on the generator would be around two years.I suspect the big problem is exactly what Junkhound points out. If you can depend on a steady 250 kwh, you're golden. What happens when you are only getting 2.5 kwh on a calm day? No problem, you would only need about 50 5,000 watt generators to make up the difference. At $750/generator and one $4 gallon of gas an hour, you could probably go for several weeks before going broke. 

   Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA

1. 
   Clewless1 | Jul 20, 2008 02:06pm | #8

   In all seriousness ... you need to do a long term wind data gathering on site to assess your potential. I live in an area that many common people say 'is windy', but there is not enough average wind speed to justify wind power. Consistency is more important than shear average speed, though.

   You would likely plug into the grid with such a generator ... you talk like taking your neighborhood block off the grid (gas generators). Knowing very little else, my guess is that your 'down time' would be significant.

   Your initial analysis is a bit off the cuff ... which is OK for a start. You should be able to get tax credits and such ... but you have to account for a lot of costs, still and your estimates of average generation need to be fine tuned.

   250kwh is a relatively big system, dude. 1/4 megawatt ... that's some serious stuff.

3. 
   Clewless1 | Jul 20, 2008 01:54pm | #7

   I work for someone paying $10 per watt for PV systems ... so your price is a heck of a lot better than that. Is that an installed cost?