Pay Less for Electricity

Is the motor driving the generator mechanically, or is the generator producing power for the motor?

Power costs are: the input power rating multiplied by the time run multiplied by the value of each unit of energy; you'll need to get the units right for this to work.

Hi Crabtree, The electric motor will be driving the generator,and the generator will be supplying my house with electricity. Loads will vary as needed, electric motor will run 24/7 at constant steady load,don't have amp and voltage rating for 16hp electric motor. Would it be better to install a 440 line 3 phase for lower amp draw for the electric motor?

Oh, tutty tut. There are much more efficient ways of converting power from one voltage/frequency to another these days. However, what is bothersome is why there is a mismatch between what the power company supplies you and the appliances and installation you have to run from it? That shouldn't really happen.

Under this scenario, the 16-hp motor will NOT run at a "constant steady load".

This makes no sense as stated. Instead of making us keep guessing, please explain your intended purpose for this setup.

If your intent is to lower the cost of electricity, how is it that you think adding a motor generator into the mix is going to accomplish that? Most likely if that is the case, you are use some factor in the equation that is erroneous.

Loads will vary as needed, electric motor will run 24/7 at constant steady load,
This is incorrect. The load on the motor will vary with the load on the generator, which varies with the load on the house circuits. If the motor is 80% efficient, and the generator is 80% efficient, then the system will be (at best) 64% efficient, meaning that you will pay 1.56 times as much for electricity as you would if you hooked to the grid in the ordinary way.

However, if you really plan to run the motor 24/7, then efficiency will be much lower, because much of the time there will be no electric load on the generator. This reduces draw on the motor to a low value (perhaps 1kw) but you are getting nothing out of the generator, so efficiency is 0. In the US, this idling would cost you 10-20 cents per hour all the time.

Look into state and federal incentives for solar power. Solar can be very cost effective.

Approximate cost would depend on the approximate load.

See how much fuel it takes to run it for an hour at average load and multiply it out for 24/7 for 30 days. You could even do it for 15 minutes for an approximation.

If you have access to electricity from the grid, you're not going to like the numbers.

If your 16 hp motor was 100% efficient, and if every other part of the system were 100% efficient -- none of it could be, of course -- you would need 7200 Kw hours of electricity. Call your local electric company and ask what the cost is for 7200 Kw hours.

My guess is that the actual cost would be in the range of $1000 to $2000.

You do realize that you can't get more power out than you put in, right?

I completely missed the electric motor part.

Why would anyone think it would cost less to use grid electricity to run a generator 24/7, when the house meter is already set up to provide electricity on demand?

Electricity to motor to generator to electricity is inefficient. You will reduce operating cost by approximately 40% if you simply use a properly rated transformer.

Dear Sir, Thank you for the advice of a properly rated transformer. Do you mean the outside pole transformer,or one that i need installed at the location. My energy origin was going to be solar powered, but the cost is very high for the panels that i would need for the 10kw, very,very high cost.

I guess he meant an indoor transformer only in case you didn't have the desired voltage readily available from the grid.

If you do have the correct voltage, then just use it ! any further conversion will cause extra losses. If you're worried about the electricity bills, keep your usage to the minimum posible and get rid of all those clocks from different devices glowing in the dark (most of them blinking at 12:00) just unplug 'em !

Google energy conversion losses, and you'll see that nothing in the world is 100% efficient, much less rated to produce more than it takes (over-unity fantasy).

Pay special attention to combustion systems.

Regards

OK, so how are you intending to get the DC power from the solar panel into an AC form, suitable for running domestic appliances? And what's this got to do with a motor-generator set running off the mains?

I'm confused. What a dreadful topic posting.

(16Hp x 746 Watts)/80% = 14.920 kilowatt hours per hour.

15 KWh x 24 hours x 30 days = 10800 KWh input energy per month.

Thats assuming the motor is running at full load the whole time of course.

Now if you are using a solar power system as your power source running your panel output into a large bank of batteries and then getting your household power off of them through properly sized inverters would be far more efficient.

Following on from Tcmtech

10800 kWhr used each month * cost $/kwhr = monthly cost

(Here in Australia) It's about 0.22$/kwhr, hence 10800kWhr*0.22$/kWhr = $2376

Of course the rate and loading will be different but it's still going to be expensive.

Following on from the above. If grid power is available, there cant be any better economic solution.In the presense of grid power, installtion of solar power panel, a very very very big battery bank, inverters, motor and then generator would be nothing but an effort in futility. Perhaps you will have to build a seperate house or shed to install all of these and undoubtedly.........the set up is going to be very very big..........take into consideration the capital cost involved.........plus the maintaince charges....... it seems to overshoot...... further, it is always advisable to keep standby componenets...........at least if not a standby system .... other unforseen problems and costs would also crop up in due course of time........... considering the whole of it togeteher.........this does not seems to be a practical solution

it seems a pole transformer is available nearby........why not try to utilize it.....talk to the authorities......surely you do have neighbours............how do they cater to their electricity needs?? i find it too hard to believe everybody installed generators

Huh?

I was searching for the right phrase. You got it.

It sounds like you've been receiving the same junk mail I've been receiving, just trash it.