California Climate Law Boosts Solar Power and Building Retrofits

Watch what is coming down the road... I just got a notice that my minimum charge went from $4.50 per month to $10.00 per month with GT solar (still cheap)... But the reshuffling of solar power subsidies are coming and if you have a small system, can change the economics pretty quickly.

-Bill

California state PUC have played with solar rates a lot over the decade or two... I am not sure right know, but in the past we had the choice of flat rate or time of day (and seasonal) rate plans.

And, for a while, they forced new GT users to go on a Time of Day rate plan--For some folks (large day times loads and a small solar system)--It made for some home owner bills to go higher with solar rather than less.

Here is our utility pricing for Time of Use (note base line is around 300 kWH per month for me):

http://www.pge.com/tariffs/tm2/pdf/ELEC_SCHEDS_E-6.pdf  

Total Energy Rates $ per kWh) PEAK PART-PEAK OFF-PEAK

Summer
Baseline Usage $0.32654 (I) $0.21127 (I) $0.13449 (I)
101% - 130% of Baseline $0.35778 (I) $0.24251 (I) $0.16574 (I)
131% - 200% of Baseline $0.41064 (R) $0.29537 (R) $0.21859 (R)
201% - 300% of Baseline $0.47952 (R) $0.36425 (R) $0.28747 (R)
Over 300% of Baseline $0.47952 (R) $0.36425 (R) $0.28747 (R)

Winter
Baseline Usage – $0.15566 (I) $0.13883 (I)
101% - 130% of Baseline – $0.18690 (I) $0.17007 (I)
131% - 200% of Baseline – $0.23976 (R) $0.22293 (R)
201% - 300% of Baseline – $0.30864 (R) $0.29181 (R)
Over 300% of Baseline – $0.30864 (R) $0.29181 (R)


-Bill