Question about inverters, batteries and such as part of a system....

[Plumb]

So, is there a reason (other than energy storage) as to why systems seem to require batteries? Seems to me that if you have "net metering" and you tie the wind turbine or solar panel inverters into the grid of the house, you should not need batteries.

Will someone educate me on this?

[Don_P]

If you grid tie you do not need storage but you sacrifice having a backup if the grid based power fails. Folks with batteries are independent of the power company or can be if the power fails, those without batteries avoid the expense and maintenance of batteries. There's the main lines of thought as I understand it.

[Plumb]

I live in a city, so no chance to go off the grid. I couldn't generate enough power to do so. My goal is simply to reduce my reliance on what is coming into the house. When that array or turbine is producing, it would send juice back to ComEd (11 cents a kWh I think).

My goal is to set up an array/turbine, an inverter and some sort of metering device to measure what I am sending back. I am thinking Honeywell for the turbine (the model with the wing tip generator design) and the amorphic photovoltaic that will work even if part of it is shaded (non-crystaline).

Ideas on how to start setting it up are appreciated.

[Don_P]

Our utility has a contact person for handling this type of setup. I would contact ComEd and find that person to get all the particulars they will need from their end before going too deeply into it.