Going all the way with solar

[hill]

Have you people seen this article?

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Solar-power-adds-to-nonusers-costs-4124277.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Solar power adds to nonusers' costs .............snip...........

wow, that author for SF Gate really has his/her head up their bung :lol: Under CA reg's, surplus PV juice gets paid for at the utility company's wholesale rates (appx 3¢ per kWh) ... and they sell it back at a higher rate. Wacky as it sounds, that's what natural gas fired generators do too ... as do coal, geothermal, wind etc. What ... are they supposed to give juice away free? Now if SF has a more onerous regulation regarding PV than other fuel sources, so be it. It'd be interesting to hear what the rational / legislative purpose is.

It sounds like the utility is crying because, as they say in the article, the more folks adding PV that zero out their bill, the less customers that pay money to the utility. oh boo hoo
so - it doesn't matter that PV keeps our "WAY under-maintained" grid just a tad more stable during peak loads? ... it's more important to have cash flow - which seems to never get used towards grid maintenance? ... Wouldn't building a few extra nuke facilities / natural gas electricity generating facilities be a tad more costly then folks who pay to add solar to the grid? Wow ... who knew.

 

[Weatherman]

Perhaps a distinction should be made between those who generate excess power during some part of the day, or during some month(s) out of the year, and those who are net producers for the entire year.

I don't know how the California utilities handle things, but in Florida, I have a meter that counts the amount of energy coming in and the amount of energy going out. I pay for, or get a rolled-forward credit in kWh for, the difference. So, from FPL's perspective, they "pay" me retail rates for taking my excess power. However, they won't keep rolling forward my kWh credits forever. At the end of the year, if I have a net credit, they send me a check for the wholesale cost.

I happen to think this is a pretty fair arrangement that doesn't cost my utility much, if any, to maintain. Yes, they get to be my "free" backup battery. But they also get to turn off my solar array whenever they happen to cut my power (a most unpleasant reality following a major storm).

 

[dgpcolorado]

Perhaps a distinction should be made between those who generate excess power during some part of the day, or during some month(s) out of the year, and those who are net producers for the entire year.

I don't know how the California utilities handle things, but in Florida, I have a meter that counts the amount of energy coming in and the amount of energy going out. I pay for, or get a rolled-forward credit in kWh for, the difference. So, from FPL's perspective, they "pay" me retail rates for taking my excess power. However, they won't keep rolling forward my kWh credits forever. At the end of the year, if I have a net credit, they send me a check for the wholesale cost.

I happen to think this is a pretty fair arrangement that doesn't cost my utility much, if any, to maintain. Yes, they get to be my "free" backup battery. But they also get to turn off my solar array whenever they happen to cut my power (a most unpleasant reality following a major storm).

We had a similar arrangement to yours until recently, except that the "true-up" period was at the worst possible time: mid June, right after peak solar production in this area. So the PV net-meter customers—of which there are only a few dozen—lobbied our co-op utility Board of Directors to change it to March, which they did. Shortly afterward, they went one better and got rid of the true-up entirely so that we can carry over credits for as long as we like. Saves them a lot of bookkeeping hassle.

However, the co-op utility limits solar production to 120% of household use. Any more than that and one is a power supplier and needs a negotiated contract for power purchase, presumably at something close to wholesale rates.

Meanwhile, they have been raising the service charge to more fairly distribute the costs of maintaining the grid among all customers, including those of us on net-meter. While I grumble about the increased costs—currently about $15 a month—I have to agree with them that it is fair that net-meter customers be assessed a share of paying for the lines, maintenance, and necessary staff regardless of net power use. Since the co-op is non-profit and owned by the customers, the costs have to be distributed somehow.

 

[billnsasha]

Good luck to everyone here with the solar. I looked into it but I thought I would wait a year or two longer and see how it all develops. I am always hoping that they can keep making the systems better at harnessing electricity to the point of where everyone will want to jump in.

 

[Christopher]

I don't know how the California utilities handle things, but in Florida, I have a meter that counts the amount of energy coming in and the amount of energy going out. I pay for, or get a rolled-forward credit in kWh for, the difference. So, from FPL's perspective, they "pay" me retail rates for taking my excess power. However, they won't keep rolling forward my kWh credits forever. At the end of the year, if I have a net credit, they send me a check for the wholesale cost.

Yes, that's also how it works with PG&E in California.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I just got my monthly production report from Enlighten. In the week of 12/22-12/28, my 3kW system peaked at 5W. From 12/29-12/31, it peaked at 0W. I guess 3' of snow isn't very permeable to light...

 

[dgpcolorado]

...From 12/29-12/31, it peaked at 0W. I guess 3' of snow isn't very permeable to light...

:lol: No, I wouldn't think so! One nice thing about ground mounted panels is that it is easy to pull snow off them—I use a window squeegee on a long painter's pole. And I have them at a steep 55º angle this time of the year, because the sun is low in the sky, so the snow falls off fairly easily.

Of course, you get a lot more snow than I do here in sunny (mostly) dry Colorado.