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Good day sunshine
Man uses solar and wind power. It's so efficient, he sells some of it back to the power company
Date published: 11/7/2006 By ROB HEDELT WHEN MICHAEL Lussier gets the electric bill for his Spotsylvania County home these days, there's a smile on his face. Unlike those who'll owe hundreds to provide everything from heat to light, Lussier says he's on a streak of three months without having a bill to pay at all. It's not that this 41-year-old homeowner in the Mastin's Corner area of Spotsylvania has figured out some sneaky way around the electric company's billing system. No, he avoids a bill by generating all the electricity he needs many months of the year. In some of his best months, this alternative-power pioneer, who has solar- and wind-based systems, is at times generating more power than he can use. At those times, the excess is fed into the power grid, providing him with what, in some months, amounts to a credit on his account. It hasn't come easy or cheap. The government employee, who works in computer network operations at the U.S. Senate, has worked hard to build his own power system. Over the past few years, he's wired and installed two large banks of solar panels on his five acres, equipping the 4.3-kilowatt, 42-panel system with tracking mechanisms that constantly move the panels to keep them aligned with the direct rays of the sun. That's complemented by a 1.8-kilowatt wind generator that operates atop a large pole behind the house, where Lussier lives with his wife, Stephanie, and two children. Even though that's enough to power his home in the best months--solar cells generate more power in colder months--the homeowner isn't quite done yet. "I'm going to replace one of the older banks of solar panels with newer ones next year that will get the system up to 6.8 kilowatts altogether," said Lussier. "That'll put us in pretty good shape." The handy homeowner worked long enough doing electrical work after high school to acquire the skills needed to connect the various inverters, panels, generators, batteries and more with more than a mile of wire. The creation of these systems, which are tied to computer monitors that allow Lussier to track his power generation and usage at every instant, is a big investment.
Date published: 11/7/2006
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