Renewable Energy Opportunities

Connecting Your Renewable Energy to Our Electric System

Midwest Electric members or others who desire to have a windmill, solar panel, or other type of power generator that is connected to our electric system should first read and complete these three documents:

Distributed Generation Application for Interconnection_v1

Distributed Generation Policies

Distributed Generation Technical Guidelines

Information Resources

Midwest Electric recently sponsored a Renewable Energy Seminar featuring experts from the Rural Electricity Resource Council. Click here for the main handouts featuring links to more information about wind, solar and bio-gas.

Want to know whether a wind turbine might be right for you? Check out our Small Wind Guide for helpful information, SmallWindGuide07-05ACfinal

Here are two other helpful wind energy documents, Evaluating Costs and Benefits of Wind Energy and Choosing a Home Size Wind Generator

For information on residential solar power, check this out, AHomeownersGuidetoSolarElectricSystems

For information on solar power for your business, read here, PhotovoltaicsForYourBusiness

To run calculations to get a rough estimate of the amount of electricity you could produce with solar or wind at your location, try these websites:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory calculator: http://www.nrel.gov/eis/imby/

Or, http://www.chooserenewables.com/

EnviroWatts

Green power is now available in west central Ohio. With Midwest Electric's EnviroWatts program, you can buy green power for as little as $1 per month.

EnviroWatts is a renewable energy program that gives Midwest Electric members the opportunity to support renewable energy for as little as $1 a month. EnviroWatts is sold in 100-kilowatt hour blocks, and is available to both residential and business members of the cooperative. Buying just one block of EnviroWatts each month for a year has the environmental impact of not driving your car for three months or not using 2½ barrels of oil.

Pricing for EnviroWatts is as follows:
1 to 25 blocks: $2 per block per month
26 to 250 blocks: $1.50 per block per month
251 blocks or more: $1 per block per month

Each block represents 100 kilowatt hours (kWh). This program works regardless of how many kWh you actually use each month. For example, you could buy just one block even if you use, for example, 800 kWh each month. You'll pay your normal costs for electricity, plus $2.

The renewable energy for the EnviroWatts program comes from methane gas produced from landfills, poultry operations and dairy farms. As organic waste decays, it produces methane gas. Rather than release this gas into the atmosphere, the gas is collected and used to generate electricity. This not only helps improve the environment, but also decreases dependence on fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas or foreign oil.

Midwest Electric members can sign up for the EnviroWatts program by calling the cooperative at 1-800-962-3830. Or e-mail mberry@midwestrec.com with questions or to sign up.