EnviroWatts
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.
EnviroWatts is optional. 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 electricity produced by wind and solar energy, as well as methane gas from landfills, poultry operations and dairy farms. To sign up, call us at 1-800-962-3830. Or e-mail mberry@midwestrec.com.
Our view of area wind farms
Where does Midwest Electric stand on area commercial wind farms? Our Position.pdf
How does residential renewable energy perform in Ohio?
Through Buckeye Power, our power supplier, we've got a test 10kW wind turbine in Indian Lake, and a test 3kW solar panel in Butler County. You can view live data to see how these generators have performed. For real time data on the wind turbine, click here. For the solar panel's real time performance, click here. Be sure to click on the red box to view real time data.
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: http://www.nrel.gov/eis/imby/ or http://www.chooserenewables.com/ or www.solarestimate.org (provides both solar and wind).
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
Myths of Renewable Energy
Markus Bryant, general manager of Lorain-Medina Electric Cooperative in northern Ohio, recently published a series of columns called "The Emperor's New Clothes," which look at the myths and realities of renewable energy. The columns are very insightful and logically presented:
~/Emperor 1 Evaluating Energy Policy Choices.pdf
Emperor 2 The Uncertainties of Science.pdf
Emperor 3 Power shortage on the horizon.pdf
Emperor 4 SOS to Congress.pdf
Emperor 5 Betting on Energy Technology.pdf
Emperor 6 The Allure of Wind Power.pdf
Emperor 7 Wind Economics.pdf
Emperor 8 Wind Feasibility.pdf
Emperor 9 Subsidies.pdf
Emperor 10 Running the Numbers.pdf
Emperor 11 Political Process.pdf
Emperor 12 EPA Regulations.pdf
Emperor 13 Real Electricity.pdf
Emperor 14 The Other Solar Energy.pdf
Emperor 15 EPA regulates economy.pdf
Emperor 16 Weasel Words.pdf
Emperor 17 Environmental vs Business Risk.pdf
Emperor 18 Congress Reality Check.pdf
Emperor 19 Fueling the economy.pdf
Emperor 20 Fueling Agriculture.pdf
Emperor 21 UN.pdf
Additional Resources
A research paper, A Rational Look at Renewable Energy: The Implications of Intermittent Power, Rational Look at Renewables.pdf
Germans debate cost of going green, May 2011 Financial Times newspaper
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: