Selling electricity back to the grid?

TwinLizzy

I've heard that it is possible to have solar power or wind turbines or similar and of at any time you are generating more electricity than you are using, you can sell it back and make money with it? I'm guessing that this is not going to be very frequent on a 3-bed end-terraced estate house, but anyone know anything more?

thescouselander

Apparently the money you get per unit is far less than what you are charged per unit. Also, with the pathetic power output of the microgeneration wind turbines/solar power currently available it isn't likely you will have a significant amount to spare electricity to sell back anyway.

alzeebub

I've also heard you can do this... but I've never known or heard of anyone who's actually done it!

moonrakerz

alzeebub wrote: »

I've also heard you can do this... but I've never known or heard of anyone who's actually done it!

It's like the Loch Ness Monster or the Yeti, lots of stories about it - but no actual proof !

Graham_Devon

Powergen might, would probably be best to ring them..

http://www.powergen.co.uk/Business/Technology/Technology-Solarnet.htm?WT.svl=4

BritishGasWorker

TwinLizzy wrote: »

I've heard that it is possible to have solar power or wind turbines or similar and of at any time you are generating more electricity than you are using, you can sell it back and make money with it? I'm guessing that this is not going to be very frequent on a 3-bed end-terraced estate house, but anyone know anything more?

Simple answer...NO.

You only make enough for about 10% of your total home consumption..so you will need to buy the 80-90% to keep ya house going...

tripled

BG offer a similar scheme to Powergen's, although I don't know the details of it.

There are grants available for these things, but even so I think it will be unlikely you would profit on it, you would just get a nice green feeling. Contacting the energy saving trust and asking there advice is probably the best bet, but here from their website I have gleaned that for a cost of between £10,000 to £20,000 (before grants) you could get save £125 a year off your bill with a solar panel, so without a grant they should pay for themselves over the course of a century Wind turbines are slightly cheaper and save slightly more (cost £11,000 before grants for a saving of between £150 to £250 a year off your bill), so if you really want to go green then wind is they way forward unless you live in a sheltered area.

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/generate_your_own_energy/types_of_renewables

dc

From what I have read, you sell at roughly half the price you buy.:rolleyes2 :rolleyes2

This is after all a profit led society.;)

So you can work out the "Savings " Bulk suppliers only?

Dont get carried away by green politics, so far it's a rich mans toy.

Maybe a go'er in 10 years time when solar-voltaic panels are mass produced and technically more advanced.