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