Net Metering
nvyseal
Solar Expert Posts: 108 ✭✭✭✭
Hi all, been reading over your forums for a couple of weeks now. Great place!
Ive got a puzzling question for you all.
I had solar installed 1-10-09 and couldn't be happier I live in Southern California, and had a 4.7kWH, Sharp Panels and Fronius 5100 Inverter. (We overbuilt on the inverter to allow for more panels if necessary). The system was based upon my historical usage for the last past 2 years. Normal bills would average $350.00 and increase to $500.00+ in summer. Flat roof house, hardly no insulation between roof and ceiling, 5 ton Air Conditioner. Most of the time I was in the tier 3 heavy users and paying a premium price for a kWH. After installation I got greener. Put to pasture a 1950's Icebox, installed CFL's Got rid of the old rear projection TV and went to a LCD 46" HDTV, Powered down the desktop PC's and mainly use laptops and stopped [email protected] Basically just looked for unnecessary power usage.
Here's my question,
I'm now generating a surplus, not much mind you, just about 150-230kWH a month more than we use. My electric bills with Southern California Edison average $1.71 to $1.88 (meter read & maintenance) a month.
The key here is the kWH surplus, I give it to SCE as kWH and they give it back to me as $$ dollar credit i presume based on the baseline kWH.
Now what would happen if my solar went out for a summer month and i had to solely rely on living on grid using up those kWH i had given to SCE. When I exceed my baseline, and hit tier 2 and 3 am I having to buy my kWH back at a higher price from SCE than what they credited it to me for?
Food for thought!
Ive got a puzzling question for you all.
I had solar installed 1-10-09 and couldn't be happier I live in Southern California, and had a 4.7kWH, Sharp Panels and Fronius 5100 Inverter. (We overbuilt on the inverter to allow for more panels if necessary). The system was based upon my historical usage for the last past 2 years. Normal bills would average $350.00 and increase to $500.00+ in summer. Flat roof house, hardly no insulation between roof and ceiling, 5 ton Air Conditioner. Most of the time I was in the tier 3 heavy users and paying a premium price for a kWH. After installation I got greener. Put to pasture a 1950's Icebox, installed CFL's Got rid of the old rear projection TV and went to a LCD 46" HDTV, Powered down the desktop PC's and mainly use laptops and stopped [email protected] Basically just looked for unnecessary power usage.
Here's my question,
I'm now generating a surplus, not much mind you, just about 150-230kWH a month more than we use. My electric bills with Southern California Edison average $1.71 to $1.88 (meter read & maintenance) a month.
The key here is the kWH surplus, I give it to SCE as kWH and they give it back to me as $$ dollar credit i presume based on the baseline kWH.
Now what would happen if my solar went out for a summer month and i had to solely rely on living on grid using up those kWH i had given to SCE. When I exceed my baseline, and hit tier 2 and 3 am I having to buy my kWH back at a higher price from SCE than what they credited it to me for?
Food for thought!
Comments
pretty much appears it would be that way.
Well that kind of suks. How does one go about fixing this. I kind of look at the power company as a bank. I don't expect any interest, but if i deposit 1 dollar, I kind of expect to get 1 dollar back, not 60 cents
Not much you can do to change the economics of the situations... Just how you look at it...
For my utility (PG&E of Northern California)--I get a "cash" credit based on what month and how much power I generated (net metering, tiered, Time of Use, seasonal). And I have that money to buy back power at another time (some time in that one year metering cycle)--for me, that is usually winter, so I "get paid" $0.30 for weekday afternoon generation, and pay $0.09-$0.11 per kWhr for off-season during the winter.
When all is said and done--I still run ~$250-$350 unused credit per year (for that "electric car" and/or A/C system if we ever do).
Remember, that because you have tiered usage--your solar system has already knocked of those higher rate tiers that you used to pay (>300 kWhrs per month for my area).
Other option--if your utility has residential Time Of Use metering--depending on the Peak Hours (and your usage pattern, weekdays vs weekends, etc.)--Since Solar PV generates much of its power in the afternoons--generally the peak billing time--you will get your peak paybacks at this time too.
With PG&E--the current residential peak and partial peak times go to 7PM/9PM and are quite complex (winter 2 billing periods, 4 tiers, weekday vs weekend/holiday; summer 3 billing periods, 4 tiers, weekday vs weekend/holiday 2 billing periods)--I defy any one to "train" their family and "enforce" Time of Use energy use practices... It is just too complex to explain--and the partial/peak billing is quite wide (something like 10am to 9pm)... I am grandfathered (currently--that may change) with an older/simpler TOU plan which is more "solar friendly" (peak is noon-6pm--at least the sun is up then and we can use power after 6pm weekdays, all day on weekends).
Otherwise--conservation is the best place to put your energy "investments".
-Bill
Thanks bill for the reply.
Maybe is some time laws will change, and we, as generators will be recognized as a solution to our countries energy problems and be compensated as such. I personally plan if i have any credits left at the the end of my yearly cycle to use them for folding cycles. I am also looking into an electric car. been looking at that Aptera, but it sure is way out there, but could be a draw to my business if i wrapped it in advertising.