travis' brain dump

DENVER (AP) – Using emissions-free solar panels to power one’s home may help save the planet but having access to traditional fossil-fuel generated backup electrical power isn’t free.

Xcel Energy is proposing a rate increase for solar customers that the state’s largest power supplier said pays for providing electricity in case those homes need it.

Xcel is proposing a 2.6 cents per kilowatt hour fee based on the generating capacity of a home’s solar panels. The proposed fee would be along with actual electricity used and a $7 to $8 service fee now charged to cover meter reading and billing.

The Public Utilities Commission will hold a hearing on Xcel’s new fee on Aug. 5.

Members of the solar panel industry oppose the fee.

NO kidding. I oppose this nonsense. Everyone knows that anyone who uses solar panels in a residential area is always going to rely on regular hookup to Xcel in order to power their homes at night or when batteries run lower than needed to operate a house. The nonsense here is there doesn’t seem to be any definition on where this would apply. Seeing as how there are many people who use solar panels on their rooftops to offset energy costs this could technically cause some serious issues if it applies to even the most basic user. This story taken from 9 News depicts just how freakin greedy these utility companies are. Are you kidding me!?  Talk about a way to completely derail the desire to help the environment or your power bill any.  Let me break this down for you folks that don’t quite get what the impact of this is. 

If they were to apply this to even the most basic solar panel user here is what the impact would be:  

In a normal month (this is from my power bill mind you) I use a total of 1402 kilowatt hours a month. This costs me $54.86 (mind you that’s after you remove the $76.55 in completely BS fees) which makes each kWH cost right at  $0.039. On another stab, is it really necessary to charge people 150% of their power usage in fees?! Don’t you greedy people get enough money!?

Now, if I wanted to say put some solar panels on the roof of my house to offset *some* of the cost of running my servers and such I would go and spend about $10,000 for a 2.10 kW system for a start. That would probably generate about 245 kWH a month of offset on average. Not a ton, but we’re only doing the basics here. Ok, so with the proposed increase above, if it applies to even the most basic user and because I’ve turned on solar panels the cost of my electricity now goes up to $0.065 per kWH for power used from the grid. This would mean that the now 1157 kWH that I’m using now costs me $75.20 in addition to an extra $8/month for a meter reading. LOL Seriously? What’s the point in doing it if you’re going to almost double the cost of my current usage?

Now, in defense of the utility I’m sure they won’t apply it to the most basic user, it really doesn’t make sense. If they do they’ll have lawsuit after lawsuit on their hands I’m sure.

So let’s look at the impact of a heavier user of solar. Someone who say, offsets half of their electric bill and would more than likely fall into this category. They go and spend $30,000 on a solar system that outputs about 7.2 kW which would put out an average of 800 kWH a month. This offset would reduce the amount used from the grid to about 602 kWH. At the new adjusted rate that’s $39.13 + $8 meter fee. Ok, so you’re finally saving money, but before the hike + fee you were much lower at $23.47.

I’m sure some of my numbers are off here, I’m using some calculators on nrel.gov to do the usages based on outputs of systems so who knows. Regardless, the second user is still looking at a savings of only $8.00 a month as opposed to $31.00 a month based on my scenario. How is that incentive for someone to go solar? You can’t even afford to pay for the system at that point.

I dunno. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Seriously man, what the heck is your problem!? Other than the fact you’re obviously suffering from paranoid delusions concerning the world around you? 

So I’m sitting there reading this article today on CNN where he’s all upset because he feels Obama is meddling in Iranian affairs and makes comments like:

      “Do you think that this kind of behavior is going to solve any of your problems? It will only make people think you are someone like Bush.”

      “You are at the beginning of your way and you are gaining experience, and we do not wish the scandals of the Bush era to be repeated during your term of office.”

      “We hope that you will avoid interfering in Iran’s affairs and somehow express your regret so that the Iranian nation can become aware of your regret. If there is real change, the Iranian nation will welcome it.”

Seriously, this guy has got some MAJOR issues… Is Obama sitting out in front of your house telling ‘ yo momma jokes ‘ and dictating to you how to run your country? No. Is he calling you twelve times an hour to rub it in that his people aren’t currently rioting in the streets? No. Is he faxing you detailed memo’s on how you should fix this situation and peacefully quell the violence there? No. He’s simply stating facts about your country and the things going on over there, observations, information, nothing more. That’s not meddling. He’s trying to keep his country in the loop on what he knows as well. Maybe you could take some lessons? Besides, who really cares what someone is saying outside your house while you’re inside. 

I’ll give ya this, the closest thing to advice was stating “It is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and prosperity. We hope they take it.”

OH NO!!! HE JUST THREATENED INVASION IN THAT STATEMENT!!!!! *rolls eyes*  

Give me a break man. We have a description for people like you here in the US… teenage drama queens. If anyone sounds more like Bush here, it’s you… Let’s see here… You’ve lost the respect of a good chunk of your citizens, you make false statements, you ramble on because you have nothing truly important to say but still like to hear yourself talk… shall I continue?

Face it. You don’t control anything, you’re just a puppet for the Ayatollah and it gives you an inferiority complex that makes you feel the need to lash out at everyone to boost your feeling of self importance. That about sum it up? 

At the end of the day you’re just a normal human being like the rest of us, small and capable of mistakes just the same. Just admit you’re wrong, look for the way to fix the situation and stop yapping to just have something to say. Who cares what the world is saying? Your country is tearing itself apart and all you can do is whine about how you feel the rest of the world is calling you out. Ignore the rest of us, focus on your people and fix the situation at hand. The rest of the world will still be here for you to call liars, thieves and meddlers when you’re all done.

</soapbox>

yeah.. you heard me right.

that is all.

You know… I can’t help but sit back and laugh at the trouble AIG is in. Perhaps it’s for personal reasons considering they did everything they could do to shaft me out of money due to me whenever one of their clients nearly killed me 4 years ago in a car accident. All the same, the trouble they are in humors and frustrates me, especially since by taking that bailout money they are technically robbing me again via my taxes. I hope the execs of that company get every bit of what they deserve. Meanwhile, I’ll just sit back and enjoy the show. 🙂