If you were to install solar panels on your home, could you just go “off grid” and eliminate the power company forever? Being energy independent is a tempting thought. No more power bills arriving in your mailbox. No further headaches with the utility company for any reason. Can you make this happen for your family? Should you? It depends on your location, and the costs that you’re willing to spend on maintaining your own energy system.
Learn How Much Easier Going Off-Grid Can Be!
First First of all|Firstly], consider where you live. Does your region get a lot of sunshine, or is it overcast most of the time? So you will require batteries for storing electricity for use at night and on cloudy days.
This is where expenses start accumulating. You’ll have to buy and maintain the amount of large DC (direct current) batteries needed to store one to three days worth of electricity for overcast days. You’ll need sufficient storage space for that number of batteries and you’ll also need to be prepared to replace them periodically.
Future Energy Requirments Rely Heavily Upon Off-Grid Solutions. Here Are Just Some
In addition, having a backup generator is a good idea for extended periods of overcast weather that deplete the power stored in your batteries. The generator requires fuel and you’ll need to store that also. Generators normally use either gas or diesel fuel. But these types of fuels are inconsistent with a green lifestyle, so you’ll probably want to use biodiesel. So while it is certainly possible to go “off grid,” the project is not simple or cheap.
For the majority, it makes more sense to look into “net metering”. Check and see whether this is provided by your local electric utility company. Net metering is a practical way to reduce your power bills, yet still have power available at night and during long spells of gray, cloudy days. With net metering, the utility company credits your bill for any excess electricity generated during the day by your solar panels. Then, at night or on days when there is not sufficient sunlight, you simply use electricity supplied by your local power company. And you wouldn’t have to find a place to store banks of batteries. You won’t be completely “off grid”, but you can save a significant amount of money on your monthly electric bills. Some months you may even have a zero balance.
Construct Your Own Off-Grid Solar Power Unit
So if you live in a very sunny area, with lots of extra room to store batteries, living “off grid” could be possible for you. But if you live in a subdivision, have no basement, and you’re already parking your car on the street because the garage is too full, “net metering” will probably be your best bet.
