This is going to get us coming and going

[Tin]

It's part NIMBY and part ideological zealots who only want Wind & Solar even though it's not possible (and dont understand how or why it's not possible).

I love when people try to sound intelligent.

 

[VTKilarney]

How much is this a play to get approval of the Northern Bypass that is bogged down in New Hampshire?

 

[dlague]

Re: Vermont

I really feel bad for resorts and businesses there. Vermont's energy rates went from one of the lowest to one of the highest in a couple years. I'm not an expert, but there are some other things that have "coincidentally" (perhaps) occurred in that same timeframe. One is that GMP purchased CVPS and now controls the wide majority of Vermont. GMP/GazMetro have been "big supporters" of the current State Administration. Coincidence? Also, GMP/Vermont Gas/GazMetro are the ones who have been pushing for an extension of a natural gas pipeline from BTV down to Middlebury. The NIMBY's lined up for that one...claiming that they were on a mission to stop this "fracked gas line". After a bitter fight, the State (loe and behold) approves the pipeline. Within weeks of the approval, Vermont Gas quietly announces that said project will now be 40% more in cost than estimated. The regulators have said that they will review this latest development, but it seems to me that the "regulators" who are supposed to be working to protect consumers have been bought.

Add this to the fact that a certain "green energy" developer was caught self-dealing state funds (and nobody cared) and you see that right now in Vermont nobody is manning the station as certain folks are robbing the public.

Cynical? Perhaps. But in my lifetime I have never seen so much self-dealing and downright robbery as with the crew running things in the State.

Actually Vermont's Average rate per KWH hours is in lock step with NH. So Vermont get ready!

This about Vermont:

None of our major utilities (in Vermont) agreed to buy power from Vermont Yankee after the 2012 end of the plant's NRC license. Instead of buying Vermont Yankee power, they basically bought grid power. They bought one million megawatt-hours more grid power per year than they had purchased when they had contracts with Vermont Yankee. Guy Page of Vermont Energy Partnership wrote Vermont Electricity At A Glance in March 2013, showing how much grid power Vermont utilities now purchase. They buy a lot of grid power, and they are partially vulnerable to the same wholesale electricity market prices that affect the utilities in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Yeah, Vermont has Hydro Quebec Power. The jewel-in-the-crown of Vermont power purchases are the utility contracts with Hydro-Quebec. See, it's not all grid power in this state. But...those contracts don't matter. Vermont contracts with Hydro Quebec are market-follow contracts. If the grid price goes up, the rate that Hydro Quebec charges Vermont also goes up.

 

[Puck it]

We are still on the grid and have a 2 way meter. Not sure how the rise in rates will affect us as we've only been solarized since April 1st. My impression is that we will be reimbursed for our credits to the grid based on an average kwh price over the period which would translate into additional $$ if the rates were to rise. Regardless the system was designed to basically generate enough power over the course of the year to offset our usage. We're running way ahead on credits but will wait to see what happens in the remaining months of our first year.

What at is the cost breakdown for it if you do not mine? I have looked at it and return was just not there at least a few years ago?

 

[skiNEwhere]

We're glad you left too

We? I did not realize you were the official spokesman for the site.

How are the pay and benefits? Do you at least get free vouchers for Ski Sundown?

 

[skiNEwhere]

One thing people don't realize about solar is that if you are building solar for power completely off the grid, you have to buy like 10-15k extra in equipment. Not to mention, a lot of banks are uneasy about solar power. If you have off the grid solar, the bank may not be willing to grant a loan to a potential buyer because of it, so you could have issues selling your house. That may and probably will change, but that is where the housing market stands now in regards to that.

 

[WoodCore]

What at is the cost breakdown for it if you do not mine? I have looked at it and return was just not there at least a few years ago?

I'm actually in a lease program. No initial investment, no maintenance. Hard to say what the cost savings will be but I'm estimating around 40% annually.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I'm actually in a lease program.

SolarCity?

 

[mbedle]

What at is the cost breakdown for it if you do not mine? I have looked at it and return was just not there at least a few years ago?

Well, if you look at this website, it apparently is 0.5 years to 1.4 years in the Europe!!!!! They must have some killer electric rates over there.

http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/26/solar-energy-payback-time-charts/

In the USA, the payback is variable and depends on were you are located, did you finance them, what federal and state subsidize you took and how much your electric cost. In the northeast, you are looking at around 15 years (very average). This is dropping pretty quick, since panels are getting a lot cheaper with the influx of oversees manufactures.

 

[Puck it]

I'm actually in a lease program. No initial investment, no maintenance. Hard to say what the cost savings will be but I'm estimating around 40% annually.

What does the lease cost?

 

[Smellytele]

Well, if you look at this website, it apparently is 0.5 years to 1.4 years in the Europe!!!!! They must have some killer electric rates over there.

http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/26/solar-energy-payback-time-charts/

In the USA, the payback is variable and depends on were you are located, did you finance them, what federal and state subsidize you took and how much your electric cost. In the northeast, you are looking at around 15 years (very average). This is dropping pretty quick, since panels are getting a lot cheaper with the influx of oversees manufactures.

Do you mean the overseas manufacturers that used to be in the united states that took some of our money and beat it over seas?

 

[steamboat1]

Do you mean the overseas manufacturers that used to be in the united states that took some of our money and beat it over seas?

Ranking 2011	Market Share	Solar Module Company	Ranking 2010	Market Share	Country
1	5.8%	Suntech	1	8.1%	China
2	5.7%	First Solar	2	7.9%	USA
3	4.8%	Yingli Solar	4	6.4%	China
4	4.3%	Trina Solar	5	6.1%	China
5	4.0%	Sungen Solar	6	5.3%	China
6	2.8%	Sharp	3	[SUP][4][/SUP]	Japan
7	2.8%	Sunpower	8	[SUP][4][/SUP]	USA
8	2.7%	Hanwha Solarone	7	[SUP][4][/SUP]	South Korea
9	2.3%	Jinko	–	[SUP][4][/SUP]	China
10	1.9%	REC	10	[SUP][4][/SUP]	Norway

 

[mbedle]

Unfortunately, First Solar dropped to 7th in 2013 and Sunpower dropped out of the top 10. 9 out of the 10 ten firms were oversees.

 

[mbedle]

Do you mean the overseas manufacturers that used to be in the united states that took some of our money and beat it over seas?

I'm not sure of that. I don't think any of top 10 producers were initially making them in the US and moved oversees.

 

[WoodCore]

SolarCity?

Yes

 

[WoodCore]

What does the lease cost?

Based on the KWH generated by the panels. The KWH rate is lower than my current provider and is minutely variable over the course of the lease period.

 

[Newpylong]

No coal, no nuclear, no wind, no Northern pass. Get out your wallets.

Our utility applied for a 50% increase for the winter.

 

[Newpylong]

Yes

Good company - I have stock in them. If this keeps up they might be paying us a visit here too.

 

[dlague]

We have three solar scenarios. Two options are net metering based where the meter detects how much power is received by the utility and how much is delivered from the utility. There are no fancy switches that have to be installed. It is called net metering since the rec and del are netted.

• Scenario 1: Simple net metering (backyard solar - could be wind) - If the net amount is power received by the utility at the end of the month then our approach is to bank and build a credit of KWHs. The bank can then be used to balance off the months where the utility actually delivered. Some utilities are actually not balancing but instead are providing a one time offset for the bank.
  
• Scenario 2: Group Net Metering (backyard solar garden) - In this case a person builds so much renewable energy capacity that they generate more power than they actually use for the entire year. In these cases, the person with extra capacity distributes excess KWH to other utility customers for a reduction in their bill and they become members of the group. As a result the KWHs are balanced and the person who set up the Solar garden gets a check for power above what he needed.
  
• Scenario 3: Community Solar - the utility builds a large solar farm. The panels are are sold to the utility customers at a calculated costs that covers maintenace, panel costs, build out etc. the built out panel cost maybe around $900 - $1400. The advantage is the panels "production" (actually a percentage of the solar farm) provides the customer with greater savings over time since it locks them into today's rate and and for the KWHs being saved in the future they do not pay higher rate costs. Any panels not sold are considered power generation for the utility

In each of these scenarios you are never "off the grid". True "off the grid" would require no dependency on the utility during low generation days.

 

[mbedle]

No coal, no nuclear, no wind, no Northern pass. Get out your wallets.

Our utility applied for a 50% increase for the winter.

Do you guys have a competitive electric provider market? I'm guessing not. Down in PA, you have the option to pick who provides your electric. Transmission and distribution stays with the local company.