Farmers’ Electric Cooperative
Ask The Energy Guys General Manager Lance Adkins Clovis Office 3701 Thornton Clovis, NM 88102 575-762-4466 Ft. Sumner Office 618 East Sumner Ft. Sumner, NM 88119 575-355-2291 Santa Rosa Office 1169 Historic Route 66 Santa Rosa, NM 88435 575-472-3971 Toll-Free 800-445-8541 Website www.fecnm.org Office Hours 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (M-F) “Owned By Those We Serve” Board of Trustees President Michael B. West Fort Sumner, District 3 Vice President George Dodge, Jr. Santa Rosa, District 4 Secretary-Treasurer Donnie Bidegain San Jon/Logan, District 7 Vacant Tucumcari-Ragland, District 5 Ernest Riley Melrose, District 2 Justin Barnes Clovis, District 1 John Pat Woods Broadview/Grady, District 6 Board Meeting The Board of Trustees meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at 9:00 a.m. in the Clovis Cooperative boardroom.
Q. Hey Energy Guys, what’s the difference between Net Zero and Off Grid?
A
zero-energy home, also known as a net zero home, is a home with zero net energy consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building on an ANNUAL BASIS is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site. They do, at times, consume non-renewable energy and produce greenhouse gases, but at other times reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas production elsewhere by the same amount. Most zero net energy homes get half or more of their energy from the grid, and return the same amount at other times. Again, on an annual basis. Off-the-grid is a system and lifestyle designed to help people function without the support of remote infrastructure, such as an electrical grid. Off-grid electrification is an approach to access electricity used in countries and areas with little access to electricity, due to scattered or distant population. The term off-the-grid (OTG) can refer to living in a self-sufficient manner without
Standby Generator Safety
D
uring power outages, many members use backup generators for their emergency electrical needs. If installed properly, use of generators to power your home, farm, or business poses little danger. But, if installed incorrectly, your generator system could threaten the lives of family, friends, and electric utility line crews trying to restore service. There are specific ways to properly install generators in your business or home. Farmers’ Electric Cooperative (FEC) strongly suggests you have a qualified professional electrician assist you. To safely operate a standby generator, make sure it has a transfer safety switch to isolate the load from the normal utility source. Without this safety switch, there is a good chance electricity
16 July 2020 • enchantment.coop
reliance on one or more public utilities. People who adopt this lifestyle are called off-gridders. OTG homes are autonomous; they do not rely on municipal water supply, sewer, natural gas, electrical power grid, or similar utility services. A true OTG house is able to operate completely independently of all traditional public utility services. OTG homes are often much smaller than most homes and at times have no electricity, since they have no connection to power lines and the electric grid. Hope that helps!
can travel back through the lines causing “back feed.” Back feed creates a dangerous hazard for anyone near the power lines, particularly the utility crews working to restore power. The transfer safety switch, also known as a "double-throw switch," should be installed near the service entrance panel or breaker box in your home or business by a licensed, professional electrician. If you would like a copy of Connecting Your Standby Generator Safely, a brochure published by the National Food and Energy Council, call FEC today and a copy will be sent to you at no charge. FEC’s toll-free number is 800-445-8541.
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