another hiccup to going solar?

[MAX-24-Dean]

Paying solar user wholesale price for what they produce isn't quite right either. Why should they be paid the same price when they can't be depended on to produce? Think of yourself as a purchasing agent. You have two suppliers. One consistently provides what you need when you need it. The other shows up at random times to sell you his product whether you need it or not. Would you pay them both the same?

Doug in SW IA

Winner here!! Very good explanation.

 

[Diggin It]

As far as I'm concerned, utilities should be paying homeowners and businesses to install panels and wind turbines to help provide power rather than funding huge industrial generation facilities or funding them with government incentives. Or at least installing their own on customer provided land and rooftops. Work out deals like Cell towers ... provide the equipment and maintenance with a service exchange incentive.

The business model has to begin to change.

 

[Torvy]

So, the utilities have invested in the power production and distribution over many years and are fully capable of producing enough power, but you want to force them to pay for less efficient production methods? Much better to build nuclear facilities, they are more efficient and take up considerably less real estate.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

As far as I'm concerned, utilities should be paying homeowners and businesses to install panels and wind turbines to help provide power rather than funding huge industrial generation facilities or funding them with government incentives. Or at least installing their own on customer provided land and rooftops. Work out deals like Cell towers ... provide the equipment and maintenance with a service exchange incentive.

The business model has to begin to change.

The only problem with a business model as you describe above, is everyones Utility rates would have to go up to a level to support the extra costs. The projected rate increases when I was working for a Utility was in the range of a 50% increase cost to customers to pay for something like this.
Please look at the Electric Kwh billing rates in California to see what this means (25 to 55 cents per Kwh). And thier rates are not quite high enough yet to cover the costs of all this green power.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

So, the utilities have invested in the power production and distribution over many years and are fully capable of producing enough power, but you want to force them to pay for less efficient production methods? Much better to build nuclear facilities, they are more efficient and take up considerably less real estate.

Nuscale Power is a start up in safe modular, small scale power production. There first power plant is scheduled to go online in 2029 in Utah. They recently recieved thier approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commision for thier "Small Modular Reactor".
As you can see by the 2029 date, building new nukes takes time.

 

[CoolTech]

As FYI, the new CA NEM 3.0 plan goes into effect after April 15, 2023. Applicants (like myself) have until April 15 to submit their application for NEM 2.0. Once the application is in, you can get on the NEM 2.0 plan and you will be grandfathered on this plan (like all other NEM 2.0 customers) for 20-years. I don't feel bad at all for SCE. Like other monopolies that I have been dealing with during the construction of our new home, they are very, very, poorly run - a far cry from a public company who actually has to COMPETE for business.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Another thread I just want to post in, before it gets closed.

Wholesale pricing is fair.

 

[cqaigy2]

This is what threw me and was just looking for clarification on where you stand.

The way this is worded, that they should get FULL credit....then you say "or at least wholesale price".....Not sure what you meant. The wholesale price is ALL they should get.

And honestly I can even understand paying LESS than wholesale to an extent.

ITs a business.....they have their current supplier already. If you are the new kid wanting to sell goods....and the best you can do is match my current supplier...I'd tell you to get lost. Gotta BEAT them. IE: Charge me less than wholesale for your electric.

The biggest problem with solar is its peak output is when the demand is the lowest.

Lowest demand during the day? I thought it was later at night, like when everybody is sleeping.

 

[Roric]

Let us just say I am selling a used car and I'm buying a new car.
State laws (or utility rules) will say I have to sell at wholesale and I have to buy at retail?

How about a fair or negotiated price for solar or wind arrived at with a fair accounting of the costs of transmission and delivery of power.

And not including what the CEO has to get, the board of directors have to get and what the shareholders get.

Perhaps a fair and more equitable way can be found?

regards,

R

 

[cqaigy2]

I don't see why utility couldn't pay a person for power and pay the going rate, whatever that is at the moment. They do that now, look at Texas. They have a number of providers and a person buys power from them. They don't have to care how expensive it is for you to produce, if you price it too high they don't buy it.