I read that "news" item too.
The idea that you can have a small-hobbyist-grid-tied-installation seems to me to be a flawed concept. Maybe, a hobbyist solar ultra-low pressure hot water system or a hobbyist micro solar project like the ones posted here and the one I'm going to show in a posting soon ;-) Obviously there are two things at odds here, the idea of connecting into the grid and the amount of electricity required to make it meaningful. A non-trivial exercise if ever I saw one.. In leet speak--ROTFLMAO
I have been interested in the concept of micro-generation for a little while now and have only just gotten some gear and some time (1 1/2 days to wire up a Ghurd controller!) to make one. I've been looking at all of the different types of batteries to power it. And added to that been following some of the articles on homepower magazine through my interest in NiFe batteries. I found the articles of micro generation of special interest and really inspiring. The main lot seem to have been written in the 80's and early 90's (like the guy with the wheel barrowed solar powered system, car battery, light and stereo). Then fast forward a decade or so, in the recent issues there are a lot of huge McMansion style houses with installs like the guy who has an upteen gigawatt grid tied installation with 2000Ah battery backup on the off_chance the grid goes down, it is essentially a mega huge UPS. I don't get how that can be a reasonable reaction to an energy crisis or a desire to be self supporting energy-wise.
Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic, pioneering, magazine; but like a prominent person here says, "a joule saved is a joule made".
I suppose my point is that energy is a valuable resource, whether if someone is making it by the bucket-load or the cup-load. I understand that users may desire to be producing electricity with grid tied solar (usually) installations. And by doing this they personally off-setting a carbon footprint produced by one's energy generator, usually that produced by coal or other climate changing resource. I am trying to work out my reason for this rant. I suppose my question is this. Using energy efficient methods how much electricity does a person need to live well (enough to productive and happy)?
