August 7, 2004: Living off the Power Grid - Richard Perez
Podcast: The Art Bell ArchivePublished On: Mon Sep 08 2025
Description: Art Bell welcomes Richard Perez, publisher of Home Power Magazine, for a comprehensive discussion about energy independence and living off the electrical grid. Perez, who has been powering his Oregon home with solar and wind energy since 1970, shares practical insights on reducing household energy consumption through efficient appliances, compact fluorescent and LED lighting, and proper insulation.The conversation covers the fragile state of America's aging power grid, which Perez describes as a stressed house of cards vulnerable to cascading failures. He explains how net metering laws allow homeowners to sell surplus solar electricity back to utilities, turning individual homes into distributed power generators that strengthen grid reliability. Perez argues that upgrading to Energy Star appliances alone can cut household electricity bills by 25 percent or more.Art and Richard discuss the full cost of going off-grid, estimating roughly $15,000 to $20,000 for a complete solar electric system. Perez details his own setup of 4.2 kilowatts of photovoltaic panels, a wind generator, and a battery bank storing five days of power. The episode opens with lively open lines covering the 2004 presidential race, pet cloning, and a caller living inside a Cold War bomb shelter.
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