Date: April, 1999
Location: Somewhere in the USA
Installer Name: Classified
Owner Name: Classified
Intertied Utility: Classified
System Size: 1082 watts of photovoltaics; 900 watt wind generator.
Percent of Annual Load: 90%
Time in Service: 18 months +
Notes: Our system includes 18 photovoltaic (PV) modules totaling 1082
peak watts, a Whisper 900-H 1 KW peak wind generator, 4 Trojan L-16s, a Cruising
E-Meter, and a Trace 4024 inverter set on sell! We have safety disconnects and
fusing as needed.
Why am I a solar guerrilla? Mainly because of laziness, I guess. I prefer not to be the local test case for legal electrical backfeeding. Jumping through the local utility's regulatory hoops (once they figure them out) is something I am not interested in. This system is safe and wired to code. It is far easier to just do this "under the table."
I choose to operate grid-interactive because this eliminates the need for a large battery bank and charge controller. I can also share clean, renewable energy with others, not to mention the great fun of watching the utility meter spin backwards! I have seen this system feed peaks of 1600 watts back into the grid on sunny, windy days. The system meets about 90 percent of my yearly electrical needs. I plan to add four more PVs soon to make this 100 percent.
I have consciously chosen to install and live with renewable energy because it is a very intelligent thing to do. Last year was the warmest year on record. How long can we continue to pump carbon into the atmosphere without reaping the "rewards?" There are higher values than the profit motivations that many (including utility management) sell their souls for. This system serves as an example for others that this technology is feasible and appropriate now.
Short term costs suggest that green energy is less economic than the brown stuff. The reality is that today's brown energy "profits" come at the cost of tomorrow's generations. Renewable energy remains the only choice for an intelligent species. I am proud to be a part of the inevitable energy choices of tomorrow, today.