Solar Rant From Hawaii - and other states.

[LowGear]

The Public Utilities Commission has just trash (Not my word of choice) canned Grid Tie.  In the old stupid program when you over produced in the mid day sun that excess was saved for you and applied towards your evening use.  The new and improved grid tie program in Hawaii has some great improvements.  Your're now paid wholesale (.15) for each extra hour.  And then when you need power in the evening you get to pay retail (.30+).  That's a net profit of 35,600% per year.  Not bad for them on my plant and equipment.  Yup, it gets worse.  If I upgrade my existing system I must turn it over to the new program. 

Gosh, I wonder why I balked at adding another 4 KW to my roof top.  The first big auction went down this month where the equipment and materials of the dying solar installation companies were liquidated.

Best Solar window in the United States and the Peoples representatives just sold us down the river.  Don't worry.  This improved program is coming to you.

I don't understand why all of these new wholesalers don't have to report their income to the state and federal tax collectors?  Can trips to Hover Damn be write-offs.  Or to Germany to review their solar innovations?

Casey

[Tom Reed]

I'd imagine that the market is now going to change so that the extra power on grid tie units will be stored in batteries during the day so it can be used at night. Actually it could be done easily now by setting the inverter to view the grid as a generator. Tesla is going to sell a lot of battery packs.

So glad I'm off-grid here! Sorry about your messed power company. It's happening here in California too.

[Jens]

That's really a shame but the writing was on the wall long ago. As mentioned, batteries are the way to go (Lithium only).
You guys in the US had a sweet deal for a long time. Up here in Canada we had only a fraction of the subsidies and with all the grid tie red tape it never was economical to do anything but battery storage.

Having said all that, I am surprised to hear this rant from Hawaii. I thought all their power is diesel generated and the powers to be would welcome solar.  Maybe they are concerned that the distribution grid business could fail completely leaving them in a big pickle ?

[LowGear]

Hi Tom,

The batteries are still a bit costly but there are three and four year plans brewing in coffee country.

Hi Jens,

Solar is welcomed by the people.  The for profit corporations in the power generation business - NOT SO MUCH.  They just requested approval of a plan to introduce Natural Gas generation.  Two steps backwards.  The future in a 2.5 worlds such as Hawaii.

Talk Story:

A neighbor was quoted $19,000 for four poles to bring power into their new home.  Two companies bid less than that for stand alone solar with propane back-up.  Tough decision - - - almost.

Cheers

[Tom Reed]

Our home would have been around $100K to bring power in from over a mile away in rough country. Even $34k for solar in 2007 was a deal, plus we got the 30% rebate.

Knowing you have the grid available a smaller battery bank for just overnight usage would suffice.

[Mad_Labs]

PG&E wanted 56K to bring power up to my place. I never intended to but was curious. Went all solar, works great, got no rebates, don't care.

[LowGear]

I think they forgot to include the 36,500% return to HELCO on the owners investment in this article. 

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31964026/significant-slowdown-to-solar-industry-following-end-of-incentive-program

Forgetsie?

Casey