| Most people will tell you that you can't run your car on | | | | the second twelve months was going to be almost |
| solar electricity, but that's exactly what I do. In 2001, | | | | two-and-a-half times the US$88 of the first year |
| during California's energy crisis, I installed a grid-tied | | | | because of improvements in our load shifting and |
| solar-electric system with design assistance from | | | | further conservation efforts. We started to talk about |
| Bob-O Schultze of Electron Connection. My original | | | | how to use up this surplus because there was very |
| motivation was the desire to avoid rolling blackouts. | | | | little appeal in handing more than US$200 to PG&E. |
| Today, not only am I powering my home with solar | | | | Electric Vehicle The obvious solution was to buy one |
| electricity, I'm running my car on sunshine too! Our | | | | of the Toyota RAV4 EVs that were available at that |
| system has 3,600 watts of solar-electric (photovoltaic; | | | | time (the end of 2002). I was dragging my feet, but my |
| PV) modules mounted on three dual-axis tracking pole | | | | wife prodded me into action, and we traded in our |
| mounts. | | | | Acura for this electric vehicle. If I had not followed my |
| At our location, the tracking arrays generate about 30 | | | | wife's prodding, we would not have this car. Soon |
| percent more energy than fixed arrays on an annual | | | | after placing our order, Toyota announced that they |
| basis. Since the system is tied to the utility grid, there is | | | | were discontinuing production of this vehicle and taking |
| always somewhere for our electricity to go, and | | | | no further orders. We bought the car late in the year, |
| regulation losses are avoided. To ensure that we have | | | | so after the second twelve months we still had a |
| electricity during power outages, a deep-cycle battery | | | | US$112 surplus with PG&E and a 1,550 KWH positive |
| bank was included in the system. The inverter | | | | energy balance. I was somewhat expecting this car to |
| maintains the batteries at 100 percent state of charge, | | | | more than use up our surplus. But after the first full |
| so they're always ready for the next utility outage. I | | | | year's use of the RAV4 EV, we still had a zero bill |
| have been extremely happy with my PV system, and | | | | with PG&E, but had used 3,568 KWH more from the |
| delighted with the decision to include battery backup. | | | | grid than we generated. We put about 12,000 miles |
| While the grid goes down periodically, our home has | | | | (19,000 km) on the EV for the year, and it uses about |
| never experienced any blackouts. When the grid fails, | | | | 300 watt-hours per mile. All of these watt-hours were |
| our inverter seamlessly switches our appliances over | | | | charged during off-peak times at US$0.08 per KWH. |
| to the battery bank, and life continues normally. The | | | | Without the solar-electric modules, if you had to pay |
| system functions as a wholehouse uninterruptible | | | | US$0.08 per KWH to charge this car, it would cost |
| power supply for all 120 VAC loads. Efficiency & | | | | less than US$0.03 per mile for the electricity, compared |
| Rates Before the installation, I reduced my monthly | | | | to the US$0.10 per mile (or more) you pay for a |
| electricity use from about 1,000 KWH to around 600 | | | | gasoline-fueled car. The car uses about 3,600 KWH |
| by replacing a refrigerator and freezer with new | | | | per year, just about what our net usage from the grid |
| energy efficient Kenmore appliances from Sears, and | | | | is per year. |
| converting all the house lights to compact fluorescents. | | | | The fact that we owe nothing for electricity used by |
| I signed up for the then-new, E-7 time-of-use (TOU) | | | | our house and car is entirely due to the E-7 TOU net |
| net metering rate schedule from Pacific Gas and | | | | metering, and really demonstrates the effectiveness of |
| Electric (PG&E), which paid US$0.31 per KWH, the | | | | the combination of a solar-electric system with this |
| peak rate, for all electricity metered back to the grid | | | | rate schedule. Unfortunately, the gain available with this |
| for the six summer months, from noon to 6 PM, | | | | rate schedule is entirely dependent on the size of the |
| Monday through Friday. The off-peak rate was | | | | summertime peak rate, and PG&E lowered it from |
| US$0.08 per KWH, and covered all the other times. | | | | US$0.31per KWH to US$0.29 per KWH. This may |
| This large differential in rates provided a strong | | | | have the effect of pushing my current year's bill into |
| incentive to shift electrical loads out of the peak period | | | | positive territory, which has given us incentives for |
| and into the off-peak period. With the help of several | | | | further conservation. Petroleum Free After rebates |
| timers, my wife and I manage to use very little | | | | and tax credits, the solar-electric system cost about |
| electricity during the peak period. As a result of the | | | | US$26,000 and the car about US$29,000. I would have |
| TOU rate schedule and our load shifting, at the end of | | | | bought both without the rebates and tax credits, and |
| the first twelve months we had a positive balance with | | | | never intend to go back to a gasoline car. The PR |
| PG&E of US$88. This is called the true-up period, and | | | | campaign by the automakers and the petroleum |
| unfortunately our utility does not have to pay us this | | | | industry to turn the people of this country against EVs |
| amount. On the other hand, the TOU schedule did | | | | is a national disgrace and a big step backward for the |
| allow us to use 1,840 KWH more from the grid than | | | | sustainability of the planet. |
| we generated that first year. By the middle of the | | | | It is possible to live petroleum free for both home and |
| second year, it became obvious that our surplus for | | | | transportation needs! |