Maybe Leif? It seems like just the ticket for our skyrocketing electricity prices in
![Australia :australia:](./images/smilies/Australia.gif)
Alan
Related article: New battery could change world, one house at a time
Yep, I did see that. I was also wondering about the viability of using it the way I suggested. It may be that the circuitry, wiring and switching cost may double (or more) the price of the basic battery bank.HansV wrote:Looks interesting, but I gather that commercial production is still some four years away (and you know how these projected dates slip...)
Here in the US, the change to solar energy is starting to pickup in the residential sector. The utility companies have a system by which the homeowner can sell excess power back to the utility for credit towards their use from the grid or for $$$$. It does require some extra equipment to be installed with the system, but they figure that into the payback period. Batteries supply DC power, so if power is needed for an AC power system or a mixed AC/DC system, the battery power will need to be run through an inverter to change 12VDC or 24VDC power into 120VAC household current.AlanMiller wrote:Yep, I did see that. I was also wondering about the viability of using it the way I suggested. It may be that the circuitry, wiring and switching cost may double (or more) the price of the basic battery bank.HansV wrote:Looks interesting, but I gather that commercial production is still some four years away (and you know how these projected dates slip...)
Alan
We have a similar system here that I got sucked in to. All nice in theory but it appears to be being openly rorted and the government is either not doing anything about it, or is actually in on it.Doc Watson wrote:Here in the US, the change to solar energy is starting to pickup in the residential sector. The utility companies have a system by which the homeowner can sell excess power back to the utility for credit towards their use from the grid or for $$$$.
Not I, I'm more involved with the industrial control sector, rather than the storage side. But still interesting to read about!AlanMiller wrote:Sodium Battery Technology - New Proprietary Ceramic Material for Deep-Cycle Sodium Batteries (GALLERY)
Maybe Leif?
Alan, I understand most of what you've written and can accept the rest, based on my opinion of you.AlanMiller wrote:If I can't resolve this to a just outcome, I'm seriously considering selling the whole shebang on e-bay, to a purchaser in a country without all the rebates. They get a cheap system and I get my money back with hopefully a few $K profit. I thought it was such a great scheme, but it's so hard to anticipate every thief.
IIRC they mentioned (somewhere?) a unit about the size of a domestic regrigerator with a 20kWh capacity.LynnT wrote:I do think the costs of solar and wind power and battery storage will go down as more people start to use it. As far as the sodium batteries, I wonder how many you need to power a normal household?
How is that meant to work? Override the normal thermostat with a timed cutout period?LynnT wrote:I do know many utility companies will give you a credit if you install this special thermostat that turns off for ten minutes during peak power times. So over a day it could turn off for 10 minutes every hour.
I note that there is no rebate scheme for the initial outlay. This was the BIG incentive in Australia.Leif wrote:In this country, it is well worth looking into investing in a solar installation. The predicted rate of return on the initial investment is around 13%, and it is certainly possible to borrow the money to do it at a much lower rate. It is almost a non-brainer.....
This is a very good ROI but possibly a lot of initial outlay to pay off.Leif wrote:For those in the UK interested, see Solar Feed-in Tariff UK | Renewable Energy Payments | Solarcentury. Nominally speaking, you get paid around 44p per unit you 'supply' and pay around 7p for each unit you use. And the 'Feed-In' tarrif is guaranteed for 25 years....
The stuff I have read about includes a contract where the power company is allowed to turn off specific loads remotely, in return for a significant discount on prices.AlanMiller wrote:...How is that meant to work? Override the normal thermostat with a timed cutout period?
StuartR wrote:The stuff I have read about includes a contract where the power company is allowed to turn off specific loads remotely, in return for a significant discount on prices.
What might be your savings per month, compared with the "normal" bill?PJ_in_FL wrote:In our house in Florida, Progress Energy installed a box that controls the water heater to allow it to be turned off briefly during peak demand. For this, we are on a a "managed" rate schedule that gives us a discount each month.
Then why ever own a house?viking33 wrote:" The utility companies have a system by which the homeowner can sell excess power back to the utility for credit towards their use from the grid or for $$$$. It does require some extra equipment to be installed with the system, but they figure that into the payback period."
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I still wonder about that payback period thing. There are some windmill power companies here on the Cape that are touting a payback of about TEN years! (maybe, Along with federal subsidies )
My economics prof always said that ROI, ( return on investment ) should never exceed five years and ideally would be four or less. Or is that an outdated formula?
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viking33 wrote:Please tell me what company approves an investment based on a 25-30 year payback?
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