Vermont Law Makes Energy At Home More Profitable

Chelsea Green:

This means that energy users who create their own renewable energy--be it through solar panels, wind turbines, or biogas--will get paid competetive rates for energy they put into the grid.

The tariff depends on the kind and size of the technology, and is based on the cost of generation plus a reasonable profit. Hopefully, this is just the first domino to fall in a far-reaching cascade that could stimulate small-scale renewable energy generation across the continent.

Read the whole story: Chelsea Green

Comments

[research]

07:02 PM on 06/10/2009

The feed in Tariff Pays YOU:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed-in_Tariff

The feed in tariff is a subsidy to increase the rate of adoption and level the playing field with fossil and nukes giant subsides.

The cost of solar is 3 cents per KWH, cheaper than the alternatives. If you install rooftop solar, YOU benefit from the feed in tariff.

[Indra]

12:05 AM on 06/08/2009

This looks good up front but in fact there are terrible problems with vhat Vermont did. The utilities have the option to charge administrative fees for accepting this power and as they say do the paperwork for the calculated payback etc. In fact we in Vermont know where this is going. Not to a good place. The legislature should have put a cap on fees charged and they did not. This is going to come up in the very near future when people realize that they are getting charged an extra $20 or so a month. There goes their savings down the tubes right there. It is much like the cable tv industry where lack of regulation had led to a lot of abuses. People will actually find over time that they are getting royally ripped. I would advise anyone who wants to set up their own home power system to do so without connecting to the grid. This is called an alternative system. Such a system is connected to your 120 system but by simple switching via remote control you can go to your solar, or wind system set up or back to the grid. This requires no licensing, outrageous equipment fees or approval. I would further state that setting up such a system will actually save you more money than having a grid tied system put in.

[Roguer]

06:11 PM on 06/08/2009

Interesting and disappointing... Thank you. Like many laws, one must read the fine print.

[research]

01:25 PM on 06/09/2009

This is where Obama can federally legislate the grid connect and fee standard nationally.

[NL207]

05:01 PM on 06/09/2009

"federally legislate the grid connect and fee standard "

Since when is it the role of gevernment at any level to determine the price of any commodity in the marketplace? This is an old and well know form of tyranny which has come, in modern times, to be known as 'facism'.

As for 'Obama can federally legislate', this is called dictatorship. Obama is the chief executive. The executive branch under a constitutional republic does not legislate anything. That is solely the role of the legislative branch, Congress.

[Roguer]

04:31 PM on 06/07/2009

Finally... this kind of legislation is tough to get passed... utility companies don't want to lose their monopoly on electricity...

If every farm was allowed to do this we would not need giant wind and solar farms that are questionable ecologically for their impact on birds, the landscape, and desert regions.

I have a wind turbine through net metering, however, with the restrictive laws on size and output (25 kWH) in my state the cost of installation hardly outweighs the benefits.

Notice the Republican Governor did not sign the bill into law but rather let it pass with out his signature... that says it all right there.

[VivaZapata]

10:31 AM on 06/07/2009

Oh happy day. may it produce lots of sunshine.

[Thermodynamics]

10:22 AM on 06/06/2009

14 cents per kilowatt hour

The actual amount I pay for electric power is 14 cents per kilowatt hour. You can calculate it from your bill. Divide the amount of dollars by the amount of kilowatt hours. In the summer my house uses about 1000 kwh per month for a cost of $140.

The power company has deceptive billboards about the low cost of their power. The billboards say their power costs 6 cents per kwh. Maybe that is before fuel charges, taxes, distribution charges, etc.

By pretending that their power is very cheap the power company is laying the groundwork to claim that green power is very expensive.

[lizardbrain]

01:29 PM on 06/05/2009

Yes indeed. Feed-in tariffs are what made Germany the world's largest solar user (and they get much less sunshine than we do in the US.). Great news. More info on residential solar energy:
http://www.dasolar.com/solar-energy/residential-solar-energy

[sc300nc]

03:49 PM on 06/05/2009

Also why Germany has some of the highest electric rates in the world.

Paying 20 cents for something you can self generate for a nickel doesn't make a lot of sense.

[research]

05:50 PM on 06/05/2009

2$ per peak watt solar is 3 cents per KWH.

See my profile for proof.

[prosha]

03:55 PM on 06/05/2009

Yep, and Germany and Spain are backing off wind and solar real fast, as it costs too much. We need to save our money for when it makes economic sense, not today. Spanish professor calculated 2.2 jobs lost for every green job created, as money was sucked out of the system so people bought less and factories went in search of cheaper energy.

[research]

05:49 PM on 06/05/2009

nonsense. Green technologies employ more poeple per dollar invested than the average industry.
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/503/renewable-energy.pdf

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=loe&q=rooftop+solar+job+creation++jobs+per+dollar&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

prove German and Spain are cutting back, and why.

[joebaggadonuts]

01:11 PM on 06/05/2009

Praise the lord and pass the ammo. This is THE way to go. Kudos to Vermont!!!!!!!!!!