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The concept of "Distributed Generation" has many roots stemming from the above concerns and also from the realization
that emerging new technologies are making possible a vast new realm of energy resources. In the United States, beginning with
Marcelus Jacobs, a wind power pioneer in the the nineteen thirties and nineteen forties, it was realized that it is possible
for individual farm, business and home owners to produce their own power. During that period, utility power to rural areas
was scarce. This period was prior to the Rural Electrification Act passed by the house and senate. During this time,
many independent wind power systems were developed and deployed by 'many' different manufacturers. Most popular among them
were the "Jacobs" and the "Wind Charger." Marcelus Jacobs sold and installed over fifty million dollars worth of these
systems during this period, mostly on remote ranches and farms. Considering that inflation has multiplied costs an estimated
2000% or more since that period, that is equivalent to nearly a billion dollars in today's money. That's pretty impressive
considering the much smaller population for that era. Some of these systems are still in use today.
Rural Electrification brought low cost power to farmers and ranchers, as well as to remote townships. And, the cost was
reasonable. After all, there was a good deal of power becoming available with the implementation of Hoover Dam, Grand Coolee
Dam, and many others. And, the problems of smog and air pollution created by coal and oil burning power plants were not
perceived as a health threat. Nor has the late advent of nuclear power perceived as a radiation hazard or security threat.
Today, the changing realities are of startling proportions!: Everything from vast area power outages to the possibility
of radiation leaks and terrorism. Many utilities are working to improve their capability to respond to emergencies, increasing
health concerns and global warming issues but the costs for increasing clean and safe power is high and we have
had our share of opportunistic power suppliers taking advantage of an already grim situation, resulting in rates that are
very costly to the consumer.
Many utilities as well as renewable energy manufacturers see the solution in "Distributed
Generation." If we can decentralize our energy production and produce energy at thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousand
of generating sites instead of a few key generation facilities, we can vastly increase the reliability of the overall
system and reduce distribution costs related to installing additional and larger power plants and power lines. Many
other benefits become apparent: If we can generate power from the sun and the wind as well as other "RENEWABLE" energy resources,
we can reduce the effects of depleting our oil and coal resources and better predict energy costs, while at the same time,
we can reduce the effects of environmental degradation caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Other benefits include
improving our fisheries and increasing the supply of overall national energy resources. Global
warming is increasingly seen as a real and utimately threatening catastrophe that is resulting in increasing storm frequency
and intensity, and it could lead to disasterous long term weather and ocean current events -- among them is another fast
encroaching "ICE AGE!"
Naturally, many utilities, seeing the advances made by the renewable energy industry see the advantages of implementing
large numbers of non-polluting energy sources. And, many of them would like to control these resources, since they already
control your power bill. Some are even selling the systems. Many environmental groups and concerned citizens as well as the
renewable energy industry itself wish to see citizen choice become the norm and have lobbied state legislatures on your
behalf. The results are net metering laws that allow you to connect your own 'approved' source of syncronized power to
the power grid, thereby reducing your electric bill up to the amount of your yearly consumption. More than half of the United
States have now adopted net metering laws. In ALL states it is possible to procuce your own power. In states
where these net metering laws are in effect, your utility bill can be reduced by the amount of power your system produces.
it is possible for an individual to use the utility as an energy storage bank. If you produce more power than you use
in certain months, a credit is given for that excess amount at the same rate that you are charged. This credit can be applied
to later bills, usually on a twice-yearly or yearly basis.
However, I would like to point out that 'Distributed Generation' should not be perceived as ONLY a source of power
that is connected to the power grid that is subject to rules and regulations set forth by the utility industry. Distributed
Generation can also be widely dispersed independent systems, subject only to meeting National Electric Code standards (NEC).
These systems, while not utility-grid connected, nonetheless produce power in a distributed fashion, not requiring the grid
for power production and thus reducing the load on the utilities as well as providing their owners with reliable, independent
power. As such, one can also run a battery storage system along-side his utility power system. These systems are already developed
and in very wide deployment, located all over the globe. We use one here at the Sun/Wind offices. Lead acid batteries may
be heavy, perhaps too heavy for electric cars, but for home and independent energy systems they store a large amount
of power, both for reserve energy and daily use. And, for many, they provide the opportunity to be independent. Hundreds
of thousands of homes, farms, ranches, businesses and even villages are self sufficient in energy production, thanks
to the advancement of solar, wind power and micro-hydroelectric systems and improved lead-acid battery technology. Other
batteries that do not require adding distilled water (gel cell techologies) are also available. And, they don't need propane
or gasoline to provide fuel to be broken into hydrogen and oxygen by a reformer, such as fuel cells require. In fact, many
fuel cell researchers are advocating using solar and wind power to produce hydrogen directly as an energy source for
fuel cells. Here in the United States, we don't see as many of these systems (both utility tied and coexisting/independent)
as we see in Europe, Africa, South America, China, and many other developing nations. The reasons lie in the fact that we
have an already established distribution power structure, but one that leaves us with a high degree of vulnerability to natural
disaster, man-made disaster, economic instability and the whim of power distributors. New technologies that are today much
lower in cost than they were a decade ago are making it possible for us to control our own power destinies. We have only to
take the initiative.
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