mellowtigger (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mellowtigger) wrote2021-04-21 09:29 pm
mellowtigger) wrote2021-04-21 09:29 pm
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Xcel Energy's Windsource program
A few years ago, I tried to join a solar farm through Xcel Energy, which provides electricity to my house. They matched me with a provider looking for customers, and that company sent me a subscription packet. I couldn't make any sense of it. It was a huge stack of papers in legalese. I never signed it.
I went back later to the Xcel Energy website, and they had a new offering called "Windsource". No overwhelming legalese. I signed up for "100% renewable energy" right there on their website. Easy. I've been in it over 2 years now. They send an annual statement with some details about my usage and carbon impact. Here is the notice that I received today.
That sounds good. I guess? I have no sense of scale, though. I have nothing to compare it with. I'll take the "win" anyway. I'm at 100% renewable electricity, which is great. I still need to figure out how to eliminate my gas usage. That's something I don't think is feasible without just demolishing and rebuilding the whole house with a focus on solar thermal heating (both water and air). I once visited a house designed that way, so I know it's possible even in cold Minnesota.
Maybe someday. For now, I'll just take these numbers as a momentary "win". Still waiting for that Green New Deal to happen.
I went back later to the Xcel Energy website, and they had a new offering called "Windsource". No overwhelming legalese. I signed up for "100% renewable energy" right there on their website. Easy. I've been in it over 2 years now. They send an annual statement with some details about my usage and carbon impact. Here is the notice that I received today.
2020 Environmental Impact for Terry:
Last year, you purchased 4596 kilowatt hours of wind power. That’s equivalent to 6.2 hours of a 2 Megawatt wind turbine operating at capacity. You also avoided 4798 pounds of CO2 being released into the atmosphere, which is as much as 5459 miles driven in a car. We appreciate your commitment to wind energy. Together, the Windsource community purchased 641.7 million kilowatt-hours of wind energy in 2020. That’s enough electricity to power 76,820 homes!
Last year, you purchased 4596 kilowatt hours of wind power. That’s equivalent to 6.2 hours of a 2 Megawatt wind turbine operating at capacity. You also avoided 4798 pounds of CO2 being released into the atmosphere, which is as much as 5459 miles driven in a car. We appreciate your commitment to wind energy. Together, the Windsource community purchased 641.7 million kilowatt-hours of wind energy in 2020. That’s enough electricity to power 76,820 homes!
That sounds good. I guess? I have no sense of scale, though. I have nothing to compare it with. I'll take the "win" anyway. I'm at 100% renewable electricity, which is great. I still need to figure out how to eliminate my gas usage. That's something I don't think is feasible without just demolishing and rebuilding the whole house with a focus on solar thermal heating (both water and air). I once visited a house designed that way, so I know it's possible even in cold Minnesota.
Maybe someday. For now, I'll just take these numbers as a momentary "win". Still waiting for that Green New Deal to happen.
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I should check what kind of electricity source I can get. I think my provider has different options.
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