Case Study
Affordable Internet Services Online (AISO)
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Affordable Internet Services Online (AISO) is a 100% solar-powered Internet Services Provider (ISP), and the host for the 2020-Gre Website. Their entire operations center, including servers, air conditioning, and everything else, is powered by the sun. Their monthly electric bill is zero. The current from the solar panels is fed into a bank of inverters, which convert it to alternating current. From there, the current goes to an uninterruptable power supply (UPS), where it is converted again to direct current and stored in a bank of batteries until needed. The UPS then supplies the Operations Center by drawing direct current as needed from its batteries, and again converting the direct current to alternating current. Enough energy is stored in the batteries when the sun is shining for round-the-clock operations, with some left over. The surplus current is fed into the power grid, which causes the power company's electric meter to run backward. |
At night, or whenever there’s not enough sunlight to charge the batteries, the system can draw from the power grid to make up the shortfall. This causes the meter to run forward. The meter runs backward more than it runs forward, and the net usage of power from the grid is negative. Since the electric utility won’t yet pay for the excess energy which it gets, the net amount for billing purposes is pegged at zero. The batteries of the UPS also enable AISO to stay up and running even if everyone around them is in the dark from a power failure. AISO is owned and operated by Phil and Sherry Nail, with help from other family members. Because solar energy has lowered their operating costs and enabled them to provide more reliable service for their customers, the Nails have become genuine solar evangelists and solid supporters of 2020GreenEnergy. |
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