High Tide Aquatics

Electrical cost of running a reef tank in SF

[quote author=xinumaster link=topic=3627.msg43984#msg43984 date=1211917608]
Got hold of Solarcity today. They'll be checking my house for site evaluation.
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Can you tell them I sent you if you go with them.... (flush of excitement at the thought of making a buck with no effort :)
 
OT: just got my water bill, covering 3/5/08 to 5/5/08. Current usage, 15; last year, 31 (cubic yards, I think). Water changes and RO/DI to top off a 180 surely didn't help my water conservation efforts.
 
heheh Jim, the bad thing is they get ya twice for water, once going in once going out, where as for my RO/DI the waste water goes right to the yard and not the sewage.
 
[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=3627.msg44053#msg44053 date=1211987740]
... where as for my RO/DI the waste water goes right to the yard and not the sewage.

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Mine, too. My unit is in the garage, and the waste water line is 50' long, so I move it around shrubs, rose bushes, trees, etc, whatever needs watering. I've since bypassed the DI unit, and still make RO for drinking. I use glass gallon jars (from Trader Joe's apple cider) to store the RO, and stainless steel KleanKanteens for the car & work. No need to waste plastic containers while slowly poisoning your body with it.
 
[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=3627.msg44037#msg44037 date=1211940673]
Damn ok, thought it was worth a shot anyways ;)

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Cheeky Monkey
 
oh, and on discovery channel on that Big Machines show, they had giant GE wind turbines. These things...insanely large!!


36mw_main.jpg


Just to give a reference, the diameter of the blade pass is 104 meters!!!
 
[quote author=jimsar link=topic=3627.msg43519#msg43519 date=1211096300]
I kid you not, my electricity bill for April was under $11. Total kwh was under 200, way within baseline. Ah, the joy of having no reef tank. My solar panels, by the way, went online Jan 03. Total out of pocket was ~$12,000 if memory serves me right. No regrets for making that decision.

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NET usage for the month of May was 74 kwh! Bill was MINUS $23.79, due to peak/off-peak price differential.

Gawd, that makes it harder to get back to reefing.
 
Harder? Heck how much electricity will you end up wasting back to PG&E though?? :D

Also just heard a blurb on the news the other day, but apparently SF passed a solar rebate plan of their own. So city & state rebates are available!
 
[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=3627.msg45426#msg45426 date=1213283487]
Harder? Heck how much electricity will you end up wasting back to PG&E though?? :D
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Zero.

The scenario flips during the "off" season, Nov. 1 to April 30. Very little price advantage between peak/off-peak. And "harvest" is low during the short days of winter. Couple that with increased consumption from the furnace blower, you get the picture.
 
I just got my price quote for 3.28kw solar system by Solarcity. Total installation cost is $26,486. Cost after incentives/rebates (EPBB of $1.8/kw_ac = $4891) is $21,595 --this is the money that I'll have to come out with. However, there is still a $2000 Fed tax rebate I could get when I fill my tax return. So, final cost to me is $19,595.
 
[quote author=jimsar link=topic=3627.msg45443#msg45443 date=1213293473]
Zero.

The scenario flips during the "off" season, Nov. 1 to April 30. Very little price advantage between peak/off-peak. And "harvest" is low during the short days of winter. Couple that with increased consumption from the furnace blower, you get the picture.
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Ahh, does your furnace blower really use that much juice? I went from an ancient gravity heater to a newer forced air model, and gas usage dropped by a factor of 2-3 (depending upon month) but my electricity didn't rise that much either.
Btw, did you end up switching any appliances for electric ones? Water heater, dryer, etc?

Perry, are you sure that'll cover your tank needs? Or would it just be enough to make your electric bills not too bad each month. Looks like about the going rate though, roughly $6/watt installed.
 
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