What about fixed fees guys? Prior to our solar investment I used to pay about $4 a day, but half of that is the connection alone. The bulk part of our consumption is fridge and freezers.
In avarage, the solar has provided us a $7 a day tax free income for the past year, but the $2 a day connection fee ramains.
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Does your area have a lot of tree branch damage to the wires, Or are the power company morons.,Thats redickules just for hook up- i think i would buy batery bank and solar panels- and char gas when solar is slow,OR i would move to a more rightfull electric company area.
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Kevin, I think it has to do with grid owners and electricity producers are different companies and the countryside being sparsely populated. In an area with a wide spred grid and few inhabitants the “hookup fee” is s lot more expensive.
Most of our local grids are dug down cables nowdays - no tree branch damages.
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You got that right. My step dad was looking into it a while ago and 7,000 dollar install and not permitted to use your own generated power.
“Wait, you want me to pay to install panels on my roof, and if there is a power outage i still have to fire up my diesel generator to make my own power?? Get bent!!”
You know he wanted to slam the phone down for emphasis, but with cordless phones its just not the same effect anymore
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No more politics on waynes thread- we need too move this to its own tread posible. I can see how its hard to get any returns from solar panel systems.Maybe we need a {solar panel returns}-thread.
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You consider this “politics”???
Whatever. My part of it is gone, gone now.
S.U.
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NOT really politics-Other than the cost of solar arays and all the rest-though we somehow got off coarse since this is waynes v10 thread-They can move the solar stuff too a new thread would be nice. I got a lot more questains about best ways to get started with solar, though on its own thread-hopefullyTHANKS
Kevin, here is the probably the most comprehensive Solar Power, single, newest topic that very experienced cold weather David Baille set up:
For this other “politics” your word, not mine. . .
oh, I really do understand the attitudes flung at me over the last 10+ years off-and-on, here on the DOW.
Some of you want Drive On Wood to be only about roads driving vehicles. Literal word-for-word of the title.
Two things about that.
Thats not what it says in Admin Chris Seanz introduction statement. Not what it says on the DOW’s home page. I came here on the DOW 10+ years ago by personal invitation asked to add content on woodgasing small engines. Smaller than vehicle engines. Back then after 10 other forums for years, prodding-pushing-pulling woodgas use to power small engines I was tired, and burnt out of forums. Down to just personal correspondences and local/regional visiting. Same climate. Same trees. Same by god for real mountains. Folks I understand.
Second thing is if you’all vehicle-only guys get rid of piece by piece, by making un-welcomed, all who do not intend to on-roads vehicle gasify; but in other ways use wood-to-power their Lives, you will lose over half of the DOW active content. Fracturing has starved off other forums. Forums must have continuous, active, new content. The nature of the forum beasts.
'Nuff said.
Steve Unruh
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That was a wealth of information all in a short paragraff ,It would take me 10 years too figer out how all the automation end of it- I could get some auto stuff working i think though-or at leaste the minimum. NICE work helping your fellow offgrid newbers.WHAT do you think of those lead cristal batterys- have they tested out to be good batterys.They claim to be easy to bring back from zero volts.with no damage in storage capacity. ? THANKS
Not to spam the thread… just a quick note. The Legislators are ticked off at DTE and Consumers for line outages which comes on the heels of a rate increases they approved to eliminate the problem in our state.
The automation part is done by the charge controller. you can get an all in one unit for off-grid, and you don’t push electric back to the grid but you can take electric from the grid as well as add battery storage to the system. It is like the computer that runs the show and it is more like programming a thermostat. Getting the right inverter for your needs is probably the most important thing.
The wiring isn’t super hard but of course you have to be careful and you may need an electrician to do some of the work, and it may need to be inspected.
check the permitting because in some circumstances it uncaps your property value. which means you may want like unattached ground mount panels.
The Lithium iron batteries supposedly have like a 5-8k cycle lifetime, and you are old enough to where you can get most of the life out of them. They are MUCH cheaper per charge cycle then lead acid, but they need to be kept warm. They will come further down in price a little bit, there is a shortage of manufacturing and mining sectors but that will straighten itself in a couple of years.
None of it is ‘cheap’ to get started, but it should easily pay for itself quickly especially if you do (most) of the labor for permitting and installation, but you need to do your own math, and talk to people. What I do not recall is if solar is covered under the property tax rule, that allows you to tack a low interest solar loan onto your property tax bill.
I don’t see solar necessarily as the end all to ‘energy needs’, but it is able to fill in large gaps, and can pay for itself. It isn’t very much work. Almost all of the cost is upfront.
Here are a couple of online stores that -want- you to be successful:
https://unboundsolar.com/ (they have a “learn” tab with resources)
After brushing up on terminology, you will be able to ask more knowledgeable question and be better able to understand the answers. I would also talk to solar installation companies in the state and see what they offer. you don’t have to buy from them.
And by all means ask, start a thread or whatever. Most people WANT you to be successful. The disagreements are in the finer details. Like lead acid vs lithium cells. Which the cost of lead acid is lower to start, but has to be replaced more often then lithium so in the long run lithium ends up cheaper, but money isn’t free. And used panels vs new… which is also a money thing, but the newer panels have higher output then the used panels so there is less mounting and wiring costs involved. (it is a space or money thing. there is no wrong answer).
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Back to Wayne’s V-10 Ram.
Wayne has proven over and over that he can drive this big V-10 for work on the farm all day. Take it for a morning drive to the coffee shop. Run around making short errands, hauling cattle.
It is a good all around truck.
Bob
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ONE thing in WAYNE’S favor is the nice hot weather-and long summers,our wood drying time not quite as easy long chilly winter times- HOW is your wood gas dakota,are you clocking any miles on yours, I am hopeing too put some miles down this summer,once my dakota project is satisfactory to my likeing.LORD WILLING .
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Hello Kevin .
I have not driven the dakota very much this winter. It seems that anywhere I have gone is short trips so I just drive the Ram . Also my driveway has gotten very muddy and I like to keep the dakota clean ( Sunday truck ) . The V-10 wears the mud very well 
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Just daily stuff 
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Nothing exciting or worth writing home about , just more daily stuff
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Mr. Wayne, I am now a regular passenger in your truck, thank you for transporting me. 
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Thanks for sliding over and making room for me Tone!
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I am sitting in the back bed on a chair watching the gasifier make wood gases. Hey where is Lisa sitting Don? On your lap?
Bob
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she is sitting on Wayne’s’ lap.
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Thanks for another facinating ride in your v10 truck- Just wondering how many weeks your alibama grass is in hybrination or nor green,i never lived south of michigan. other than indianopolis during auto mechenic school at lincoln tech.back in 1977.
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