The Benefits of Decentralized Power Production

Local goods are all the rage these days, manifesting itself in farm-to-fork restaurants, shop local campaigns, and farmers’ markets. But there is one element this local-first mindset forgets about – energy production.

Currently, most of our electricity is produced at large facilities and then transmitted around the country for local use. This system worked great to allow a few large facilities to provide power to a wide range of customers. But there are inherent risks and flaws in such a system – especially given the shift in power generating technology over the last half-decade.

A Decentralized Grid

While our current system helped our country grow and develop, there is now an opportunity to grow in an exciting new direction. There are several benefits to moving toward a decentralized power grid – and solar power can be a major component of that move. Let’s look at the benefits:

• More Secure: Our current system is highly vulnerable to disruption from either natural disaster or attack. A more decentralized system is naturally more resilient and greatly reduces the impact of damage to the electric grid.
• More Diverse: No one can say what the future of electricity production looks like, but there are plenty of exciting options. Nuclear, hydroelectric, geothermal, and solar will all likely play a role in that future. A de-centralized energy system will allow each of these to develop and grow in unique ways.
• Less Transmission Loss: Transmitting electricity from the power plant to its final destination. When you factor in transformers, transmission lines, and local distribution, losses are generally between 8 and 15%. Those losses could be dramatically reduced if we stopped shipping electricity across the country with transmission lines.
• Fewer Upgrades: Between maintenance and capacity upgrades, there is an ongoing need to invest in our existing power grid. But a de-centralized system spreads and defrays those costs significantly.

Decentralized and Off-Grid

The pinnacle of de-centralized power is an off-grid system. That’s why we at Mountain Power Solutions decided to focus on off-grid power systems for western Colorado and eastern Utah. Given the complexity of off-grid solar systems, there was a serious lack of companies providing off-grid systems around our home in Palisade, Colorado.
We started Mountain Power Solutions to help fill that void and provide high-quality solar services to our area. Whether you need service on an existing system or a complete design and build, we are the local experts for all your off-grid solar needs!
If you are interested in the benefits of a decentralized power supply or want to go off-grid with your property, contact us today! We’ll help you achieve your solar goals – no matter how complex or difficult.