Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Solar?

rollandelliott · February 2011

Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Solar?
http://www.palmettocleanenergy.org/producer/default.asp
For a limited time, PaCE offers a premium of $0.15 per kWh for new small solar or wind generators of 6 kW or less.

http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=SC49F&re=1&ee=0
Duke Energy is gonna give me $31/MegaWH for SREC's?

http://www.palmettocleanenergy.org/about/how-pace-works.asp
Gives residential consumers $4 for every green block of energy produced (100kwh)

My system I want to put in is estimated by BP Solar calculator ot have the following:

Production of 30% of the electricity you need 
with your BP Solar systemMonthly Electricity Savings

[FONT=Fixedsys]kWh    utility    Solar Excess solar power
Jan    1,185       361     0
Feb    1,057       402     2
March    935       436    41
April    842       474    60
May      850       483    37
June     971       509     3
July   1,151       486     0
August 1,105       489     0
Sept     982       444    11
October  943       421    34
Nov    1,106       374     0
Dec    1,269       333     0
TOTAL 12,396     5,211   188[/FONT]

From the above spread sheet I have about 5400kwh/year ( 5211 Plus 180 )

So 5400Kwh/100kwh/Green block = 54 green blocks X $4 = $216
$0.15/kwh * 5400kwH= $810
SERC $31x 5.4Mwh = $167

total of $1193

Seems too good to be true. I wonder if this only applies to Electricity that is Fed back to the Grid, as opposed to electricity that I generate and use. I already emailed SC PACE to see how long they expect these utility programs to last.

BB. · February 2011

Re: Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Sola

I am not sure--It depends on how your state manages all of these subsidies...

Some countries (like Spain) are already cutting back on the contracted subsidies because they are bankrupting the country.

How long can South Carolina or their utility customers subsides small solar? My state is already functionally bankrupt (California) but it has not slowed them down yet.

If I get your numbers correct, they are "buying" power from you at $0.22 per kWH... And I guess you are buying power from them at ~$0.10 per kWH or so... So, while you are getting $1193 from them, you are having to pay ~$540 dollars to buy the power back--Putting you at a in-pocket subsidy of ~$0.12 per kWHr for every kWH you generate.

Certainly possible... I am on a time of use metering program. I buy power power around $0.09 per kWH (nights and weekends) and typically sell power back to the utility at $0.29 per kWH (weekday afternoon peak).

In parts of Canada, they have a FIT (Feed In Tariff) of around $0.80-$0.85 per kWH for solar power (up to 10kW systems) if I recall the numbers correctly.

-Bill

russ · February 2011

Re: Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Sola

I have not heard of anyone getting paid per kWh that they generate and use -

I have heard of getting paid for export only - sometimes not even getting paid for that.

Russ

Solar Guppy · February 2011

Re: Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Sola

REC pay for raw generation, doesn't matter if its used on site or exported though SC is not listed as a State that has REC's

http://www.srectrade.com/background.php

rollandelliott · February 2011

Re: Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Sola

Nevermind SC PACE program has not had a new application accepted for over a year, apparently lack of funding. Apparently it wasn't too good to be true, just didn't last long enough for me to take advantage of it.

That being said other states like NEW Jersey have amazing SREC rates and I can't believe more people are not going solar with such a quck return on Investment.

Peter_V · February 2011

Re: Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Sola

russ wrote: »

I have not heard of anyone getting paid per kWh that they generate and use -

I have heard of getting paid for export only - sometimes not even getting paid for that.

Russ

I do.

I get paid 18.7 cents per kwh that I generate regardless of whether I use it or export it. If I export more than I use in a year, I get paid another $0.04 per kwh that I export.
I have two meters installed, one measures my arrays output and the other is a typical "Net meter" that measures how much I push to or pull from the grid.

The 18.7 cents is a "Performance Based Incentive" that my power company offers for solar installs in lieu of a lump sum rebate.
My power company offers either a lump sum worth up to 50% of the installed cost, or a PBI worth up to 60%. The PBI is paid out over 15 years or until you hit the 60%.
However, right now they have a 4-5 year waiting list for the 50% lump sum, the PBI is available now.

ggunn · February 2011

Re: Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Sola

russ wrote: »

I have not heard of anyone getting paid per kWh that they generate and use -

As someone else has posted, PBI's (Performance Based Incentives) do just that. Here in Austin the PBI system is the only rebate offered for PV systems owned by commercial and non-profit interests. It pays about 14 cents per kWh for all the power produced by the PV system for 10 years as measured at the output of the inverter(s). Add that to the 10 cents or so that those kWh's would have cost had they been purchased from the utility, and a system returns about 24 cents per kWh for power that you produce and use on-site.

One benefit of a PBI system over the traditional PV rebate where you are paid a flat up-front lump sum for the DC or AC capacity of the system you install is that it encourages effective installation practices. It also involves less immediate cash outflow (at least in the beginning) for the rebating authority so they don't run out of money as quickly. The traditional rebate structure often results in a "land rush" mentality when the new fiscal year opens up as integrators fight to get their funds reserved before they run out.

drees · February 2011

Re: Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Sola

ggunn wrote: »

One benefit of a PBI system over the traditional PV rebate where you are paid a flat up-front lump sum for the DC or AC capacity of the system you install is that it encourages effective installation practices.

Definitely. I think that even traditional rebates based on system size need to have some performance monitoring in place with annual output checks to make sure that they are performing as expected (the CA CSI program does this).

ggunn wrote: »

It also involves less immediate cash outflow (at least in the beginning) for the rebating authority so they don't run out of money as quickly.

Not necessarily - because of the previous benefit where systems have tended to outperform the estimated output by a decent amount, this has caused the CA CSI program to run a bit short of funds early - they have had to adjust PBI payments downwards for non-residential projects because of it.

My system is outperforming the CA CSI estimate by about 10% (based on PVwatts) so far. Haven't had a full year yet, but we'll see.

Is the South Carolina Utilities Really Putting $1193/year into my pocket for Solar?

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