Be your own electric power provider

Necessity was the mother of invention for a young couple from Dionysos,  Alexis Michail and Vicky Philippaiou, on the outskirts of Athens, who decided to install a photovoltaic system at their newly built home as a cheaper alternative to getting hooked up to the grid. Not only they haven’t regretted for their decision but they even decided to expand their private power system by adding a wind turbine. “It would have cost us about 18,000 euros to be connected to the Public Power Corporation grid, as we would have needed about six pylons to bring the power lines as far as our house,” Michail said. “The neighboring lots had not yet been built upon, so we would have had to shoulder the entire cost. ” They estimated that it would cost only 13,000 euros to install a photovoltaic system that would meet their needs for almost the entire year. “We just had to buy a diesel generator as a backup for days when the sun doesn’t shine,” he added. Although five years ago there were very few experts in solar energy, an acquaintance who worked for a cell phone company recommended a firm that had installed a photovoltaic system at his workplace. “Their technicians suggested the most economical system, taking into account the probable consumption needs, such as how many electrical appliances might be operating at the same time,” added Michail. It only took a day and a half to install the system, which stores surplus energy that can power the house for 24 hours of cloudy weather. “We have never felt that we have had to change the way we live because we are getting power from the sun. In any case, even if we had been connected to the grid, we would still only use the washing machine for a full load, for example. ” Their home has a gas stove, so the photovoltaic cells meet all their energy needs except in winter, when the generator is switched on for about two hours a day. For some time they have been planning to get a wind turbine, which will basically do away with the generator. Last year a house was built close by, bringing the power grid closer and reducing the connection cost. “We never even considered it, as we wanted to reduce our diesel emissions to zero, not replace them with carbon dioxide from the power company’s lignite furnaces. As strange as it seems, whoever uses renewable energy sources finds it hard to compromise with conventional solutions. ”