Tuscon Electric Power to offer solar energy purchase plan

drees
drees Solar Expert Posts: 482 ✭✭✭
in Solar Product Reviews & Opinions #1
http://www.tucsonelectric.com/Company/News/PressReleases/ReleaseTemplate.asp?idRec=332

Interesting - they will be selling power from a new 1.6 MW PV plant at an up charge to your existing rate of $3 / 150 kWh or 2c / kWh.

Seems like a bargain to me, no? Too bad I don't live in Tuscon.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #2
    Re: Tuscon Electric Power to offer solar energy purchase plan

    Last year, there was an article posted here where (IIRC) that an Arizona solar plant was operating around $0.08 per kWH--piggy backing on the infrastructure from the coal fired plant next do...

    Sounds like they are pricing the power pretty fairly.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Tuscon Electric Power to offer solar energy purchase plan

    It seems AZ is running head strong to get out of the coal fired business with the 2 major solar projects of APS and the consumer grid tie pushes they have made in recent years.

    I like my up charge rates better, 4.5 years ROI with excesses paid annually as a billing credit to cover access expenses, and FREE power there after. Just have to watch the load creep! :p
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Tuscon Electric Power to offer solar energy purchase plan

    Arizona wants as much solar installed, so they can sell the surplus to Calif as Green power. Calif will not be buying their coal power, because it fails Arnolds Greenhouse Gass test.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • drees
    drees Solar Expert Posts: 482 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Tuscon Electric Power to offer solar energy purchase plan
    mike90045 wrote: »
    Arizona wants as much solar installed, so they can sell the surplus to Calif as Green power. Calif will not be buying their coal power, because it fails Arnolds Greenhouse Gass test.
    I would be more than happy to pay an additional 2c / kWh for power that my system doesn't cover...

    Anyway - I hope to see more projects like this in the future.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #6
    Re: Tuscon Electric Power to offer solar energy purchase plan

    In northern California, we pay from ~$0.13 to ~$0.40 to $0.60 per kWatt*Hour because of the environmental (and other) concerns...

    Make sure you keep these guys honest. Else-wise, you may end up paying the Solar RE Power Producers $0.85 or so per kWH like in parts of Canada.

    It is not pretty.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,022 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Tuscon Electric Power to offer solar energy purchase plan

    Bill,
    It's gorgeous!!!

    Ralph
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  • solarix
    solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: Tuscon Electric Power to offer solar energy purchase plan

    Talked to an APS inspector recently who thought that the added solar wasn't even keeping up with the state's increasing demand. My impression of APS is that they like the good PR that solar is giving them but are unofficially just fine with burning coal. You should see how many Steve Nash commercials they run. Here, the solar rebate program is being scaled back because "they have too many customers wanting it" and yet they continue to advertise it heavily. I'd like to see the money being spent on commercials going into actual construction.
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Tuscon Electric Power to offer solar energy purchase plan
    solarix wrote: »
    Talked to an APS inspector recently who thought that the added solar wasn't even keeping up with the state's increasing demand. My impression of APS is that they like the good PR that solar is giving them but are unofficially just fine with burning coal. You should see how many Steve Nash commercials they run. Here, the solar rebate program is being scaled back because "they have too many customers wanting it" and yet they continue to advertise it heavily. I'd like to see the money being spent on commercials going into actual construction.


    Well the way I understand it is the demand for the solar rebates are higher than the dollars they had to spend so to get more systems installed they lowered the per watt rebate to allow more overall systems to get installed. I am not sure it has been successful however and the only way to tell would be to see what the commission report on installed watts really is. Most of the installers I have talked to seem to be challenged to find work and the work that do find is for less money per hour.

    PS glad I did mine under the wire before the rebate change. It would make a big difference in the payback decision for ROI.
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