[strider3700]

I've thought about maybe putting this post into the economics forum or the planning for the future forum but I'm not really sure it fits in either. So here it goes for now.

Anyways, I've been thinking about diversifying my income. I'm employed as a programmer/analyst for a logging company and I can already see what high fuel costs are doing to the industry. I figure I can get 1 more year out of the company at least but it's hard to say. My GF is employed by the federal government and is very safe there until things are very very bad. I hope to be married in the nearish future. That helps spread the income around. In order to not end up as a sponge on my wife I have been thinking about starting a company in the meantime. Not a quit my job and work for myself sort of thing though, I'm much too risk adverse for that move right now.

What I've been thinking of is the following.

Here in BC our electricity comes from BC hydro. They have a net metering plan in place that pays 5.4 cents/kwh generated. There is a limit of 50 kw to the size of the generator.

so assuming I have a system capable of generating 50 kw of excess that means I can generate 438 megawatts/year and at the end of the year they will cut a check of the excess which should come out to $23,652

Now the only way to feasibly make 50 kw year round in a system that qualifies for net metering and makes economic sense is microhydro. Green power is required for Net metering.

There are properties around here that I was looking into purchasing that have enough water flow in creeks to generate 50 kw continuous I believe. However they are quite expensive here on the island.

Up north however there are much cheaper properties with lots of creeks on them.

So my plan/idea is

Start a company to do everything as. Total employees Me.

Apply for government grants - kyoto has forced the government into making quite a few of these up here. The GF spends all day working on various government forums like these and has a good understanding of where to look, who to talk to and what is needed to get them.

Purchase a piece of property with crap loads of fast moving water that is relatively cheap and is very close to power lines.

Purchase a generator/invertor the appropriate size

put the system on the land in a small building and sell the power back to bc hydro.

Now since there are a lot of upfront costs and cheques come in annually so I'm assuming if the grant wasn't enough to cover everything up front ( I'd expect it to not come close) that I'd take a loan as the business to cover costs for the first year.

I'm thinking that the loan should be possible if I can get all of the numbers and paperwork inline.

The issues I'm running into at the moment is finding pricing on generator/invertors that are the right size is proving damn hard. If it's 10,000 or 100,000 I don't know. All of the manufacturers want to know about the head/flow before giving me any numbers. Since I don't have the site I don't know. and since I don't have the prices I don't know how much site I can afford and have it all work out.

There is also the issue of I'm not really using net metering like it's intended. I intend to use zero and generate lots. It's meant for people that use some and generate some and BC hydro may be hoping for people to break even at best.

Anyways, does anyone have any thoughts? I'm not thinking of doing this this weekend or anything but i figure all business's start with an idea somewhere and I'm not sure if this is a good one or not. I can picture how it works though and thats a start at least.

[holmes]

Get all the land first then deal with the other aspects. I am doing things very similar. But the land grab comes first. do not even begin to clog your mind before the land is acquired. and Hydro is the best. If u get hydro on your land build earthships for christ sakes. U can sell these self running thermal mass structures to wealthy folk for big bucks. Then u have another business building pure green homes. the real deal post PO homes.
talk about being needed in an expensive energy future..
http://earthship.com/?osCsid=e6f049e426 ... 6e4b68f14f

[SurvivalAcres]

Need a partner? (hint, hint, wink, wink

This sounds like a pretty good idea. It would seem like you could come up with an head estimate by looking at prospective properties - before you buy and determine if you will have the funds to complete the project.

The green building idea is also a great concept. I'm assuming (rightly, I think) that the future will remain big for alternative energy efficient houses.

[holmes]

I have been meeting new and prospective partners now for some time. However I am not finding too many that would do well in what I am building. I already have a partners but am always willing to accept a couple more. What I am building is very diversified for sure. several businesses that is. Its not about the cash but quality of life.
The first sign is anti-consumerism. My test is to take backpacking trips with said person. Grueling hikes, etc.. If I hear complaining and whining The prospective partner is basically done. I also see what level of consumption and tv they adhere to. I also talk about organic farming and wild things in general. If they show contempt for ma nature and those "icky" weeds than its over unless they can sow or build/create things. These are the first preliminary tests.
But sure I am willing to take some hikes with folks here on PO. com and elsewhere in the GNW or migrators.
i met a couple folk from PO.com here and they were viable.

[MacG]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('strider3700', ' ')Now since there are a lot of upfront costs and cheques come in annually so I'm assuming if the grant wasn't enough to cover everything up front ( I'd expect it to not come close) that I'd take a loan as the business to cover costs for the first year.

I'm thinking that the loan should be possible if I can get all of the numbers and paperwork inline.

[strider3700]

I have a couple of problems with the home construction

1 - I don't have the capital to cover them

2 - I'm not convinced that people will have the resources to purchase new housing when they find out that their current places are unsustainable. (I'm a medium to fast crash kind of doomer)

It's good to hear that others are thinking along the same lines as I am though.

Just wondering where are you located at holmes?

[NEOPO]

organic farming is where I am headed.
I think food will = gold in the very near future and if I am wrong...we wont starve

[holmes]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NEOPO', 'o')rganic farming is where I am headed.
I think food will = gold in the very near future and if I am wrong...we wont starve