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cvgardner
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Georgia, USA
Posts: 3

Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

05/31/2009 8:16 PM

Alternative energy and selling the excess to the power company. I am working on an alternative electric energy source and have several questions on how to accomplish some task. 1. In the USA, I have to supply 110 volts at 60 Hz. I want to make sure my phase matches the power grid, anyone know of a circuit that will help with phase matching? 2. If I produce more current that I am using, will the excess actually make my electric meter run backwards, effectly selling the excess power to the electric company? I am not trying to do anything illegal or immoral, no scam devices please.
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Pathfinder Tags: Alternative energy electric electrical
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lyn
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 42355
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#1

Re: Alternative energy and selling the excess to the power company

05/31/2009 8:26 PM

Contact

GA Power – Georgia Power Company Atlanta

Ask them what the rules are.
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Brett Johnston
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 137
Good Answers: 2
#2

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/02/2009 2:29 AM

Just buy a synchronous inverter configured to meet your local standards and apply to your power supplier for a contract, if you cant then perhaps power something onsite or offsite as a business or sale rather than dealing with that power company or the lack of standards.
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Andy Germany
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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/02/2009 10:27 AM

GA from me for your good comments.

In fact he cannot do anything else, as to legally connect (and get paid for the power!) he needs a "legal" unit for the connection!

Nothing that he can build will be accepted without many thousands of $$$ in type testing!! That he will have to pay for. In this area of electrics/electronics DIY is not a cheap option.....

....now if he lived in India......!!!!

We do not want to see any more dead lineman......!!!!

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Spotsart
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Miami Florida USA
Posts: 83
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#4

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/02/2009 10:41 AM

some states like Florida require the power company to supply the reverse meter at their cost look up "net metering"
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Ken62075
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Nokomis IL
Posts: 18
#6
In reply to #4

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/02/2009 6:10 PM

Illinois has "net metering" policy also.
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PetroPower
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#5

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/02/2009 12:57 PM

To go a bit further than the good technical advice so far here.... just to understand a bit more ....the power company will WANT to buy power from you. This was not the case 35 years ago, but now they want thousands of little guys helping keep the grid stable with 'feed' rather than put in a new power plant with all the red tape of emissions and socioeconomic impact just to cover 20% more power needs from time to time. And a "Brown-Out" for them is millions and millions of dollars per minute to solve, so, they are begging for 'sellers' to back feed the grid and keep it stable. They'll have a group ready to assist you (at least my power company does).

But understand that we all can't just start back-feeding the grid without safety devices. If a lineman kills a circuit to work on a section, and he expects it to be dead from the power plant side, he might be pissed when you back-feed the side he is working on. You may be wondering how I know they get REALLY PISSED OFF !

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Brett Johnston
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#10
In reply to #5

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/05/2009 2:02 AM

You would think it would switch off with nothing to sychronize?
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lyn
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 42355
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#7

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/02/2009 6:41 PM

Welcome to CR4.

Nice job for your first try. As you may have seen, we get some very interesting crazy,

posts here.

Lyn
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Georgia Adobe
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 126
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#8

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/02/2009 7:51 PM

Hello and welcome to the gang,

We get these same questions daily and we keep an article posted at our web site for newbies to read. This is not everything you need to know but, It will bring you up to speed and from there, we can offer to help you in most anyway.

Article Is At This Link: http://georgiaadobe.com/2008/10/08/a-b-c-d.aspx

I hope it helps you & Best Wishes,

Joe Woodall, Managing Partner

Georgia Adobe Rammed Earth & Renewable Energy
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Cryptocop
Participant

Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1
#9

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/02/2009 11:25 PM

We do that all the time using inverters which will sync with the powerline. See www.planetarysystems.com.

Allen Patterson, allenp@cryptosafe.com

Bill vonBrethorst, brethors@3rivers.net
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Anonymous Poster
#11

Re: Alternative Energy and Cogeneration

06/09/2009 5:17 PM

If the meter is the rotating disk type and the power company has not installed De-tents, (a ratcheting device to prevent reverse movement), then yes, it will run backwards and the register will go to a lower number. Unless you are making more electricity than you are using locally, the meter will simply credit your usage and reduce your bill, however if you generate more energy than you use, The meter will have backed up to a number lower than the previous reading.

The computer then assumes that the meter has gone all the way around and you might receive a Whopping electric bill.
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Users who posted comments:

Andy Germany (1); Anonymous Poster (1); Brett Johnston (2); Cryptocop (1); Georgia Adobe (1); Ken62075 (1); lyn (2); PetroPower (1); Spotsart (1)

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