So I guess what you are saying is that my best bet for my homebrew energy would be off-grid. Really what i want to do is eventually generate enough energy to run some of my heavy consuminging appliances, mainly, my air conditioning. My house stays pretty cool until mid afternoon, then I have to run the A/C. I live in north Texas and we have both sun and wind in abundance and I really want to try and utilize these natural resourses. Since I am new to this, i am open to any and all suggestions as to the route I should go with this. I am not well off so money is always an issue, and that is the main reason I am looking to alternate energy, but I like to do things myself also, so this particular thing appeals to me on multiple levels.
I live about 50 miles SW of Fort Worth. As I live in a 'town', I am not permitted a wind turbine. I am installing ~3kW of PV. I am also going to install a small battery bank and 'grid-tie', although I would rather be off-grid, it just isn't economically viable with a power poles in my yard.
AND, speaking of economically viable, going RE isn't at this time. I use less electricity than most but still, a large (IMO) amount. My bills average ~$80 month with $0.15kWh costs by the time it gets here and gets billed. For what will be a $10k or more investment, I'll cut my bill a lot. I will not be able to lower the charge for attachment to the grid and I will not get decent pay for any excess electricity I send to my lovely utility provider.
Some of the various expenses I can't get around.
"Smart Meter" - required so I can legally tie to the grid - ~$500
"Inverter" - ~$1800
"Charge Controller" - ~$800
"Batteries"; 8 X "Golf Cart" - ~$300
"Electrical Parts"; DC combiner, crimper, connectors, boxes, disconnect, ground fault device and wire - ~$500
These costs are just educated guesses and DON'T include 'professional installation'.
With this system, I will be able to supply my own single phase 120V power for a short time and use up to 3kW of of power 'when the sun shines'. It is not enough battery to power an air-conditioner overnight. But it is enough to keep my freezer running and my beer cold.
Grid power is one of our American "bargains". It is inexpensive because of the enormous subsidization by industry and politicians keeping the "apparent costs" to the voting public low by making it an incidental cost of every product we buy.
From a Don Marquis poem:
"it must be the same way
with a colored man who is being lynched
he must be grateful that he is being lynched
in a land of freedom and liberty
and not in any of the old world countries
of darkness and oppression
where men are still the victims
of kings iniquity and constipation"
Ron