Discussion on:

10 steps toward making your home 'net zero'

Re: Take your refrigerator out of the garage - does this still apply in
cold climates and unheated garages?

Much of our focus is on centralized generation and distribution. Maybe we are underestimating what can be done at the point of use. Distributed generation and storage seem highly efficient ways to augment smart grids.

Solar water heating, electric vehicle batteries, heat storage/recovery, grid-tie solar, cooling storage, and co-generation at homes, building and factories can lower energy demand peaks on the grid and, utilize intermittent and excess generation capacity during points of low demand.

Perhaps instead of more regulation and subsidies we could develop energy "contracts" between the utilities and their customers. The customers contact to use, supply and/or conserve energy on demand as needed for grid balancing.

Guilty...I live in Ohio, and my 30 year old refrigerator is in the garage. It will run in winter when it shouldn't and freeze the contents because it's trying to keep the freezer at zero, and then in summer it's working against the trapped 90 degree heat. I'd love to get rid of it, but am now firmly addicted. Where to keep the overflow and especially the beer and pop? I think moving it to the basement may be the only responsible solution.

Very nice article. I think solar is the way to the future. Since the cost of living is increasing day by day. And solar is easy to maintain, with low cost required.
http://garageheatershop.com

We have not had any luck finding information on residential solar. We live in Oklahoma and our Electric Companies do not pay for overproduction of electricity. Does anyone have any info to help us get started?