10 points to best answer!!?

Question

Some rural homes use a Remote Area Power Supply (RAPS) system instead of being connected to the electricity grid. Could RAPS be used in small urban ecosystems as well? Why/why not?

Answer 1

it wont be cost effective.

System costs

A RAPS system to provide all of the power requirements for an energy-efficient house with a typical range of appliances can cost between $15,000 and $50,000. The size of the system needed will depend on the number of people in the home, what appliances are in use, and how often they are used. Rebates are available to pay for up to half of the system costs.

Connecting to a grid may cost $10,000 per kilometre of power lines, making the option of a RAPS system a viable alternative.

The cost of a small renewable energy system to run a farm shed light using one panel and a small battery can be as low as $200.

Typical RAPS include one or more methods of electricity generation, energy storage, and regulation.

Electricity is typically generated by one of the following methods:

Solar panel

Wind turbine

Micro hydro

Diesel generator

Storage is typically implemented as a battery bank, but other solutions exist including fuel cells. Power drawn directly from the battery will be direct current extra low voltage (DC ELV), and this is used especially for lighting as well as for DC appliances. An inverter is used to generate AC low voltage, which more typical appliances can be used with.