Practical views on private generation of power-
Solar and wind generation will remain a popular discussion for quite some time. If you are in an area where solar rebates are available from your utility it probably makes sense to have the install made. Solar water heating makes even more sense.
It is important to check with your local utility for restrictions and support for supplemental power systems added to your home.
Prior to purchasing these type of systems it is important to make sure the dwelling is as efficient as possible. The less efficient the home, the longer the return on your investment will take. An inefficient home with wind or solar supplemental power can actually run up power demand.
Secondly there is a false sense of energy independence. There is more to “getting off the grid” than most folks could ever dream of. It is generally impractical to think a home of over 1000 to 1500 square feet can ever be off the grid. That is not to say there are no dwellings “off the grid”. The costs related to removing oneself from power dependency is high, thus extending the time you recover your investment. If your goal is energy independence there is a method to achieve the goal.
For most of the population, the goal is supplemental power to reduce the consumers power bill or if the lights go out they have a backup power source. Even backup power sources have limitations on whether batteries are present and what is their capacity. These backup systems rarely operate the refrigerator and are even less likely to have the capacity to run the heating or cooling system.
Power companies will be around for the foreseeable future. Competition generally keeps the costs lower in some areas. We can always take action to lower our demand on the power companies.
In the future water bills and water demand will drive costs up for consumers. In some areas of the southwest water will exceed consumer costs that are associated with power generation.
Stay in touch for an update on inexpensive water storage.