Off grid??

[luv2weld]

Ref: rcavictim and mbryner
Thanks for the kind thoughts.
We are about 90 miles due west of Colorado Springs, CO.
Between Salida and Buena Vista, at 9600 feet elevation.
A couple of years ago we were snowed in for 4 months.
Not worried about revealing my hiding place. Had someone look for me (a friend)with a GPS last
year. I gave him the coordinates and he still could not find me. (Maybe he just doesn't
know how to read a map)
We try to go to town to pick up the mail and supplies no more than once or twice a month.
And we go to the big city, Colorado Springs, about once every 3 months.
I am really fortunate to have found a woman that doesn't want to go to "the mall" every day.

Ralph

[Carlb]

While we are not off grid, we use the grid to our advantage.  We have massive amounts of solar panels as well as a wind turbine.  We generate more power with the solar than we can use. In a typical year we will produce between 28 and 30 MWh of electricity.  We use around 19 to 20 MWh per year to run EVERYTHING in our house including a heat pump for heat in the winter. We will be selling this years surplus back to the utility at the end of this month (we true up once a year) but we only get paid wholesale prices for the excess.

What being connected to the grid does for us is we are able to use the grid as a sort of huge battery, by turning the electric meter backwards when we are producing more energy then we are consuming during the day then the meter goes forward during the evening/night.

[LowGear]

Hi CarlB,

You left off the KWH credit program.  How much is that this year?

Casey

[Carlb]

We are producing 28 to 30 MWh per year which equates to 28 to 30 Solar Renewable energy Credits or SREC's  Going price in New Jersey is 655.00 dollars per SREC.  So the return this year will be between 18,300 and 19,650 dollars.  The price will probably go up about 20 dollars per SREC by the time I sell mine in June so i may do a little better. 

[RogerAS]

Been off the grid for nearly 11 years now. Now I love it. When we started off it wasn't so great.

R

[rcavictim]

We are producing 28 to 30 MWh per year which equates to 28 to 30 Solar Renewable energy Credits or SREC's  Going price in New Jersey is 655.00 dollars per SREC.  So the return this year will be between 18,300 and 19,650 dollars.  The price will probably go up about 20 dollars per SREC by the time I sell mine in June so i may do a little better. 

What does this mean.  Does some agency actually cut you a cheque in that amount or is it in the form of a useless tax credit?    Do you have to pay tax on it as though it was income?

[LowGear]

Great Question.

[Carlb]

We are producing 28 to 30 MWh per year which equates to 28 to 30 Solar Renewable energy Credits or SREC's  Going price in New Jersey is 655.00 dollars per SREC.  So the return this year will be between 18,300 and 19,650 dollars.  The price will probably go up about 20 dollars per SREC by the time I sell mine in June so i may do a little better. 

What does this mean.  Does some agency actually cut you a cheque in that amount or is it in the form of a useless tax credit?    Do you have to pay tax on it as though it was income?


The state of New Jersey requires the power companies to produce a portion of their power from renewable sources.  Since the power companies are unwilling or unable to build enough renewable energy sites to satisfy that number they must buy the energy credits from third parties. I sell my energy credits to one of those companies.  The fines the power companies must pay the state for each credit (1MWh) they are short is 711.00 dollars so they will buy them from individual for between 655 and 685 per credit.

Yes we actually get a check,  you can sell your SREC's however you like one at a time, several at a time, or all at a time depending on you needs.  I elect to sell mine once a year in June or July.   The accumulation period runs from June 1 to May 31.

Since my accountant does my taxes I am not sure about the tax question but I believe that it is taxed but at a lower rate than regular income or capital gains, but again my accountant takes care of those issues.


carl

[LowGear]

New Jersey.

You gotta love that place!

So the next burning question is; have you sent any money to those crazy liberals that make this kind of stupid opportunity possible?

Casey

[Carlb]

Hell no,  I voted for Christie

[Chris]

Been off grid since 2001.
About 2 miles from the grid. About $60k to bring power in.
I have all the conviencies I need.
1kw solar power which is fine for winter months and no need for A/C.
internet via wirelss connection
Vonage phone works great
Diesel back up
Big John Deer 19 kw genset
Lister VA 4.25 KW in mothballs right now waiting on a new crank shaft from India.
Power is so expensive here in the Bahamas (Abaco) that I am sure I am ahead of the game on power costs. Never done a cost calulation as the excerise would be redudant antway.