How much money will I save if I use Alternative Energy?

None. If you are interested in incorporating alternative energy in your lifestyle only on the premise that you will save money, a few truths need to be presented.

The old technology that powered the industrial age is attempting to remain the powering source of this information age. Many argue that solar electric, wind turbines and, water turbines that produce electricity are too costly in comparison to the existing combustion technology.

That is true only if the price per kilowatt hour (KWH) is measured by the standard overhead protocol; transportation, natural resources, labor and infrastructure expenditures. What is not included in today’s KWH pricing formulas are the externalities, i.e. Carbon dioxide, mercury, sulfuric acids etc. that our electric utilities are dumping in their and our environment.

I included “their” environment because the stock holders of the electric utilities breathe the same gases the consumers breathe; they eat the same food stuffs the consumers eat. Basically the utility investors are devaluing their own investment by dumping toxic wastes into their and our environment.

Many reading this could be offended by that statement. The statement is not empty rhetoric. Look toward at the skies on a cloudless day. Are the skies as blue as they were forty years ago? If you are not old enough to recall forty years past look at old color photographs that include a blue sky background.

If possible retake a photograph in the same location. Use the same environmental surroundings as presented on the old photo. Is the background sky blue or hazy light blue?

One may argue that the photography by modern digital cameras and modern photo development techniques are different from the old analog photography, therefore, the comparison of visual evidence may be doubtful.

Another argument that our skies are becoming hazy blue is reinforced by efficiency statistics. Coal, oil and, natural gas along with municipal waste, industrial waste and agricultural wastes are resources that are converted from one form to another through combustion.

The stored energy within said resources is measured by an Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) system. With today’s burn technologies coal for instants burns at an EER of, at best 40%. If a ton of coal (2000 lbs.) burns at 40% efficiency that means 800 lbs. of the coal produces electricity and the remaining 60% 1200 lbs. is waste.

I’ll leave the environmental degradation alone due to the belief that the adaptability of the human body to changing environments will prevail. I argue that the real reason to converting to wind, solar, and water as much as possible is because the distribution system (the grid) is forty years old. With acid rains along with natural degradation of matter the wires that carry electricity are likely to weaken.

I am not suggesting that the electric utilities generate electric energy through appropriate energy; the energy still would need to transport through the “Grid System” but, residential and small commercial business will be wise to incorporate alternative energy.

For example; there is a major natural disaster. Let’s remain in the Midwest; A tornado during a peak electric use period. The tornado takes down a major distribution line.

The smaller lines do not have the capacity to carry the mega-volts that normally transport through the main lines. Some may argue that other electric plants could fill in electric demand if said storm strikes.

Here is the problem; the grid not only supplies electric power to consumer but electric power to other power plant generators so the other power plants can use the high volt line power as a field to generate more electric power.

The alarm is firing in most peoples’ mind. What is he talking about? I’ll explain; Generators use electric energy to produce more energy.

Commercial energy production

Without trying to explain electrical theory I’ll explain by example. Some of the older generation remembers the 1950’s automobiles. If your car battery is incapable of holding a charge you could “jump” your car battery from another automobile. The stalled auto will get power from the running auto to turn the starter of the stalled. The stalled auto starts. The jumper cables are removed from the now running stalled auto. Because the battery in the stalled vehicle is inoperable to store energy the once stalled auto stops running.

One would think that when the stalled auto is running that the generator in the once stalled auto is generating power used in to keep it running. But the connection of electric energy from the service auto is disconnected from the auto with a dead battery and there is not energy in the battery to “induce” the generator. It stalls.

Today’s autos produce electric current through alternators. The alternator’s field is supplied from a permanent magnet. The battery from most vehicles that have an alternator can be disconnected after it is started and still run.

The generators that power the electric power plants are similar to the generators in older automobiles: they are inductive. An inductive generator requires electric energy from another power plant in order to produce more energy, just like the energy in the battery powers the generator to generate more energy.

This is a natural physical law; matter (energy) cannot be created nor destroyed. Electric power cannot be produce from nothing.

On August 1st, 2007 a prime example of infrastructure failure occurred. A major Interstate bridge collapsed. As I compose this, the discourse on faults of engineers both structural and maintenance engineers both state that the load demand of that bridge exceeded the original carrying capacity.

With progressive population growth within the United and greater demand for individual electric use can the electric utilities maintain the greater than expected growth? Not only population growth being a concern but, individual reliance of electric power has increased.

As you are reading this how much electric current are you depending on? The indoor space you’re in is air conditioned either heated or cooled via electric current. The lighting that allows you visual presentation, the heating or cooling of the beverage that may be accompanying you and, the operations of the computer you are using all require electric current.

The transportation infrastructure, the roads and bridges are for the most part are planned and maintained by state and federal governments. The electrical “Grid” is planned and maintained by the private electrical power industries.

The electric utilities are private but the public is represented and protected by a State Utilities Commissioners board. The board members are not elected. In most States the Public Utilities Commissioners (PUC) are appointed by the State’s elected Governors.

The PUC’s purpose is to assure the public has the demanded electric power at lowest possible cost. The PUC researches if an electric generator company that is planning building a new generating facility will be permitted to use the State’s grid.

It is not the duty of the PUC to evaluate the processes that the electric energy producers use to produce electricity. The state Environmental Board is responsible, under the direction of the State’s Legislators to research the methods and the wastes involved in a utilities’ production.

For more information about alternative energy or energy planning services Contact BECO!