OT wind generators

[farmer101IL]

My brother-in-law and I were talking wind generators and the power company.
So if i put up a generator the powercompany will buy my excess power
Question is if i put up 10 windgenerators will they buy all my excess power and at what kind of rate. Anyone have experience with the powercompany and generators.
All you minnesota boys my brotherinlaw got a cornplanter 6 miles down the road from him appreciate all the responses for the planter.

Farmer

 

[Dan-IA]

About a year ago I strolled into my local Rural Electric Cooperative and asked about this. The fancy term is called "Net Metering". My REC said that they buy the electricity wholesale from Corn Belt LLC and that Corn Belt is who would be paying for your excess power -- at a rate of about 5% of what you pay in per kWh. They said that I'd need to sit down and arrange for formal contract arrangements - after showing and demonstrating my power sources and being certified as a 'green' power source. Then several meters would be installed in order to avoid my use of the grid as a "storage battery" for my intermittent power generation.

When we ran the numbers we determined that we'd need to put up some really big wind generator to break even inside of 30 years on the investment. Better instead, we determined, to use the wind generators to charge batteries and go mostly off-grid, if we were indeed looking to reduce our electric bill.

Not to discourage you, though, it's a great hobby. But if you're looking to net-meter and power the grid, I hope you've got much deeper pockets than I do.

 

[John (C-IL)]

THe law has changed on this and becomes effective April 1st. At that time the power company will pay you retail for the first 50KW and then wholesale after that. I'm not sure on the numbers for all of this as I just heard them Thursday but it would be worth checking back with your power supplier to get everything straight.

At that rate a back yard generator would start to make sense, especially if having a power generation on your farm made sense. I have a generator that gets used once or twice a year. Why not have a generator that gets used year round?

 

[Big M]

Years ago I also went to the office of what was then KP&L and visited about wind generators. I found out they were charging about 7 cents per kilowatt hour and they would purchase back any excess electricty for less than 1 cent per kilowatt hour. The difference was "cost of trasmission". I told the at that price they should take the sticker off of their trucks that said "Save the Megawatts". My visit did not last much longer.

 

[JDemaris]

It goes by the state you live in, and what particular arrangement your power company is forced into. And, not all power companies are involved.

So, #1 you have to find out if your power company IS.

I'm sell power to our electric company everyday - here in central New York. They let it accrue for one year - and then give us a credit if they owe us. We still pay a $16 per month fee, just to be hooked up - but that's all.

In Michigan, it's a bit different. If you are grid-tied, and make a surplus each year - the power company gets to keep it, mark the books at "zero" and then start over. So, you if you make a lot, you end up giving away the surplus.

 

[farmer101IL]

Thanks for the reply everybody!!
So John in C-IL , I live south of Rockford about an hour. You said the laws are changed after April 1st is that for the state of Illinois?
I'll do some checking on line. If that's true then i would certainly be something to look into. They just put up 50 or so of new generators last year about 8 miles from us. I've heard that the land owner get like 5 grand a year to have the fans on their property is that correct number?


Farmer

 

[Anonymous-0]

I know nothing about selling back power from a wind generator, but many refineries are "co-generators". Refineries use a lot of steam in the refining process, and they use the steam to generate electricity. When the laws changed that allowed them to sell their excess electricity to the power company, all they got was the "avoided fuel cost" - so if the power company charges X for a kwh, and the fuel portion of that is 1/2 X, then 1/2 X was all they paid for the electricity they bought. I have no idea what the deal is today, but wouldn't be surprised if it's not something still close to this.

 

[buickanddeere]

The refinery is most likely co-gen application.Generates electricity Mon-Fri 11:00AM to 7:00PM for "peak load shaving".
Depending on the utility and the deal. Electricity can cost 2-3 times regular rates plus a fee every time usage exceeds approx 80% of the normal max demand.
So even if it costs 25cents/KW/kr to generate your own power. It's cheaper than paying 37.5 cents/KW/hr plus the "demand fee" to your utility.
As for wind generators. Unless you are in a windy area, the generator rated for 75KW or more and the hub height is at least 100ft off the ground. All your system will amount to is a hobby to show your friends.

 

[JDemaris]

As far as small rigs not amounting to much - that is absolutely true. Also, with grid-tie, the small wind systems do not work as well as solar-electric unless you run them over 48 volts.
For gridp-tie, the electronics needed to hook as small wind system put it way beyond cost-effective.

But . . . with many using solar-electric systems - the addition of small wind-system (1000 - 2000 watt) often offers a needed gain - since wind often blows when the sun isn't shining. And, these systems already have the needed electronics, so the added wind-power is not very expensive. In my area, we get a lot of wind in the dark winter months - and just about none in the summer when the sun comes back. A small wind rig takes the place of a fuel-driven generator being run to keep the battery-bank up (assuming the system has one). Many newer solar grid-tie systems are hybrid with a standby battery bank.
My Canadian Rolls/Surette 48 volt bank cost $6000, and I'm trying to make it last.