• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Woohoo, just switched to wind power

M

mattsaccount

Member
Power in this area (Wisconsin) typically comes from coal. The local utility offered wind power for 2.6 cents more per KWH, so I switched. Now I can feel warm and fuzzy inside 🙂

Where does your power come from?
 
Originally posted by: mattsaccount
Power in this area (Wisconsin) typically comes from coal. The local utility offered wind power for 2.6 cents more per KWH, so I switched. Now I can feel warm and fuzzy inside 🙂

Where does your power come from?
Click to expand...

So how much does that cost you a year?
 
According to my billing history, I use about 220KW-hours per month, so about $68.64. Usage is relatively constant because I rent and heat is included in the bill--heat which is, no doubt, produced by coal power 😛
 
Haha you're subsidizing everyone else on the grid. Nice. 😀



Seriously, though, how does this work? It's not like you're really getting electricity from the wind plant directly.
 
I HAVE NUCLEAR!!!!!!! HOORAY!!!!!

I too use about 210-220kwh a month and about 9Ccf of natural gas a month. My combined bill is usually in the mid 50's...
 
Originally posted by: oboeguy
Haha you're subsidizing everyone else on the grid. Nice. 😀



Seriously, though, how does this work? It's not like you're really getting electricity from the wind plant directly.
Click to expand...

The way it works is that they build enough wind plants to meet the demand of everyone buying crerdits, so if enough people buy credits then they HAVE to build more wind farms or they break the contract and you can sue their asses. You are still getting power from the same place, but the utility has to produce wind power at or above the level they are selling or they are breaking the law. So basically you are paying money to them to encourage other utilities to build more wind since they thing they can charge a premium for it. In reality you are just giving them more money for nothing.
 
Originally posted by: oboeguy
Seriously, though, how does this work? It's not like you're really getting electricity from the wind plant directly.
Click to expand...

Probably just an accounting gimmick. 🙂 Presumably, the money I pay goes toward the maintenance/operation of windmills as opposed to coal-fired plants. The actual power I use comes from the same grid everyone else uses.
 
How the fsck do you guys use ~200kWh/mo?

Do you have just your computer and one 60W bulb? lol
 
If you want an example of this actually getting somewhere here is one: So TVA was doing this too with landfill gas and solar, but more people bought into it than expected so they had to build a 29MW wind farm in order to keep up. So theres an example of a utility building a wind farm in order to meet their requirements, if more people want to pay the extra money then I'm sure they will build even more (so would any utility if they amount they charge extra is enough to make the wind pwoer economical). In fact in some areas wind power is already economical with the absurdly expensive power (read California), so if they charge you extra there they are just screwing you since its cheaper for them anyways.
 
Originally posted by: oboeguy
Haha you're subsidizing everyone else on the grid. Nice. 😀



Seriously, though, how does this work? It's not like you're really getting electricity from the wind plant directly.
Click to expand...

Maybe the power company just shifts 0.0000001% of their resources from coal to wind...and writes "mattsaccount" in the Memo part of their accounting book
 
Originally posted by: BrownTown
If you want an example of this actually getting somewhere here is one: So TVA was doing this too with landfill gas and solar, but more people bought into it than expected so they had to build a 29MW wind farm in order to keep up. So theres an example of a utility building a wind farm in order to meet their requirements, if more people want to pay the extra money then I'm sure they will build even more (so would any utility if they amount they charge extra is enough to make the wind pwoer economical). In fact in some areas wind power is already economical with the absurdly expensive power (read California), so if they charge you extra there they are just screwing you since its cheaper for them anyways.
Click to expand...

If it were cheaper for him, why wouldn't they do it in the first place?
 
No. 6 Diesel generators.

Originally posted by: Eli
How the fsck do you guys use ~200kWh/mo?

Do you have just your computer and one 60W bulb? lol
Click to expand...

I've heard about people like that. They pull the meter and put a bare hacksaw blade in one of the slots so power coming in only goes through one side of the meter. :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: oboeguy
Haha you're subsidizing everyone else on the grid. Nice. 😀



Seriously, though, how does this work? It's not like you're really getting electricity from the wind plant directly.
Click to expand...

Ratio of customers paying for each source determines the ratio in which the supply is purchased - unless demand exceeds the availability, in which case they'll buy it somewhere of their own choosing (probably the cheapest place available) and the balance from that savings is required to be invested in CREATING enough supply for that source.

Which means that if there are enough idiots like the OP, the world will eventually be covered in windmills, and we MIGHT have a power schedule similar to North Korea, if we're really lucky.
 
Originally posted by: MS Dawn
No. 6 Diesel generators.

Originally posted by: Eli
How the fsck do you guys use ~200kWh/mo?

Do you have just your computer and one 60W bulb? lol
Click to expand...

I've heard about people like that. They pull the meter and put a bare hacksaw blade in one of the slots so power coming in only goes through one side of the meter. :laugh:
Click to expand...

SHADDUP!!!! Don't tell everybody my secret!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top