Permitting Requirements for Off-Grid

[liquidDog]

We are in a strange area just on the edge of unincorporated land, but we are still in city limits. We have Austin water/trash service, no cable provider (Satellite only), pay ACC taxes, and Pflugerville school tax. Four houses down in our same neighborhood is unincorporated county land. They have to use a contractor for their trash service. I imagine somebody else meters their water.

I use Reliant for my billing company. I just re-signed and will stay at around .10/kWh but I get some cash back (credit on bill) for electric usage at night.

[Sunking]

Who are the providers in Austin beside Oncore?

One sad thing about Tx electric utilities, most do not know how to shop for electric rates. They just call TXU and asked to be connected and take whatever rate they charge. There are lots of options and the best place to start is Texas Electricity

I do this about every year. Last time I did it in 2009, I got a locked in rate for 36 months @ $0.096/Kwh. When this contract expires I will go shop again, and I suspect even a lower rate in 2012 locked in for 2 to 3 years.

[liquidDog]

We got slammed with .15/kWh when oil got close to $100/barrel. Right now we are getting .10/kWh. Again, I haven't looked into the basis for why that is, but it did seem to move with the price of oil.

I agree on the EPA. They are destroying our ability to compete globally. The EPA is not "cleaning up the earth." They are forcing pollution to move to China. All the jobs are following the pollution. CO2 emissions are not being lowered as a result of this completely misguided agency. We are regulating ourselves into the ground.

[Sunking]

but the electric rates move in tandem with oil prices.

Not in TX, they follow the price of NG and coal, and in TX electric rates have dropped 20% since 2008. In 2008 I paid $0.131/Kwh and now pay $0.096/Kwh.

Not only is that happening in TX, but all US states who are energy exporters, 39 of the lower 48 states have lowered electric rates.

The USA has more oil, NG, coal, and uranium that what we know what to do with. Millions of high paying jobs could be open tommorow if the EPA and government would just get the heck out of the way.

[liquidDog]

There are many doubts about the validity of OPEC claims of true oil reserves. Industry insiders seem to point to about 20 years left of "easy oil."

Canada has a lot of oil, but they tend to be finicky about running elk off of wildlife preserves to get to the oil out. (That could change) The point is, we won't "run out" of oil, it will just become extremely expensive to get a hold of. $1,000/barrel oil is not hard to imagine.

Our electric provider claims 80% of their power comes from natural gas. We have an abundance of natural gas in this country. My central heat, dryer, hot water heater, and oven/stove all run off natural gas. I've never looked into exactly why, and I'm sure it's very complicated, but the electric rates move in tandem with oil prices.

[Sunking]

I just want to get this system up and running before the oil fields in the Middle East dry. Credible estimates show we have no more than 20 years left of easy oil. We won't "run out," but it will be extremely expensive to get to and pump out what is left.

You will never live to see us run out of oil, neither will your children. Besides we have all we need right here in the USA.

Oil is not used to make electricity in the USA. We use coal, natural gas, and uranium which we have over a 500 year supply of right here in the USA, and millions of years of uranium.

[liquidDog]

Yes, that is how I read it. You still have to get the permit and go through the inspection process. But you don't have to have a contractor do 100% of the work. It's interesting that it says a electrician can't do *any* of the work.

It also reads that if you were to do a on-grid system in this city you wouldn't be able to touch it. The ideal scenario is you would assemble your team. An electrical architect, roofer, drywall guy, and electrician. You could take bids on different parts of the system. You could even do some of the grunt work yourself. Not here though. That's what I was saying about too many fingers in the pie. Soon enough you won't be able to plug a toaster in without a contractor getting in on the action.

I just want to get this system up and running before the oil fields in the Middle East dry. Credible estimates show we have no more than 20 years left of easy oil. We won't "run out," but it will be extremely expensive to get to and pump out what is left.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2048242,00.html

[Sunking]

I believe this is the exemption from the permit:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/development/onestop/downloads/permits_homeowners.pdf

I'm still researching it.

You lost me.The link says if you own the home, you can pull a permit and do the work yourself. However that does not mean you do not have to jump through all the hoops, comply with building codes, and pass inspection.

[liquidDog]

I believe this is the exemption from the permit:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/development/onestop/downloads/permits_homeowners.pdf

I'm still researching it.

Halon would be the best (and most expensive) choice, but sprinklers are required in electrical rooms in buildings containing a sprinkler system. I imagine it ruins all equipment, but must be better than nothing...

http://www.hsbplc.com/myths.aspx

See also: Section 8.15.10.1 of NFPA 13

You did get me looking, and I found an automatic fire extinguisher on Amazon that is basically a fire extinguisher with a sprinkler head on it, that you mount to the ceiling. It says it activates at 155F, and is Type A,B,C

[Sunking]

Unfortunately just because you move to the country does not mean you don't have permit rules from the county.

Very good Sir.

[raydias]

That's great news, because that means every golf cart running around here is in violation. I guess theoretically they are nuclear bombs just waiting to happen.

I can't wait to get out of the city. We are looking at 5-10 acre tracts, where the biggest concern is having friendly relations with your neighbors in case a snake bites you and you need help. Or you run out of sticks of butter and don't want to drive 20 miles to get more.

I am researching fire sprinkler heads to install in the power shed. It would not take a rocket scientist to plumb one in. I do take safety seriously. We have to keep the dog safe!

Unfortunately just because you move to the country does not mean you don't have permit rules from the county. just a different organization to work with who probably has the same NEC guidelines etc as everyone else.

[russ]

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-2...prinkler-heads

That should get exciting in the event they were ever activated - this would be an electrical fire.

[axis11]

http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-2267872/stock-photo-sprinkler-heads

[liquidDog]

That's great news, because that means every golf cart running around here is in violation. I guess theoretically they are nuclear bombs just waiting to happen.

I can't wait to get out of the city. We are looking at 5-10 acre tracts, where the biggest concern is having friendly relations with your neighbors in case a snake bites you and you need help. Or you run out of sticks of butter and don't want to drive 20 miles to get more.

I am researching fire sprinkler heads to install in the power shed. It would not take a rocket scientist to plumb one in. I do take safety seriously. We have to keep the dog safe!

[Mike90250]

And often in a "city" dwellings are expected to have sewer, water and electric connections to be habitable. Get rid of any one of them and the city can and will, red tag your house, till you correct the flaw.

And you may not even be allowed to have 8 or 16 deep cycle batteries, because they are listed as hazardous materials.

It's very hard to fight city hall.

My system is in a rural area, and PV installs over 50 watts require permits