another hiccup to going solar?

[caver]

I could watch the peaks at work in real time. You get a spike around 6am (coffee pots, hairdryers, electric water heaters, electric stove cooking breakfast). It drops but stays higher during the day with business using more electric. The next peak was around 6pm or supper time. I've said this before somewhere in this forum but coal plants run best wide open. Each 600 Megawatt unit would start to have trouble with slagging at the bottom of the boiler below around 300 MW. The coop added some peakers in the late 90's. Natural gas units. We also could use hydro off the Ozark lakes for peaking. We had the Noranda Aluminum smelter next door for a long time. A nice 400 MW round the clock load. Noranda wanted the coop members to subsidize the rates. Our CEO probably knew the Board of Directors would read him the riot act.

 

[Dftodd]

I have no issue with this.

However.....for the past 10 years ALOT of utilities have done 100% net metering. meaning if you use 2000kwh and make 2000kwh, their bill is $0......OR if they use 2000 and make 1000, they are only paying as if they used 1000.

Meaning that whatever electric was consumed.....they are getting FULL RETAIL PRICE as a credit and NOT at a WHOLESALE rate.

At a wholesale rate for generation of power.....(In my area thats about 50% of the bill).....If I used 2000 and made 2000....that should NOT be a $0 bill. Rather a bill at about 50% a normal bill. And that remaining 50%.....even though I generated as much as I used.....Is my charge for using the infrastructure of the grid as my battery

Is this some new kind of math???

If your using solar making 2000 and using 2000 you should only be paying the connection fee for the electric company.

If you used that month, then you pay for what you used, plus the connection fee and applicable taxes.

If you sent them a surplus of electricity that month, then that credit gets applied to your account. If what you sold them comes off the connection fee and applied as a credit if the amount you sold them is greater than the connection fee.

 

[LD1]

Is this some new kind of math???

If your using solar making 2000 and using 2000 you should only be paying the connection fee for the electric company.

If you used that month, then you pay for what you used, plus the connection fee and applicable taxes.

If you sent them a surplus of electricity that month, then that credit gets applied to your account. If what you sold them comes off the connection fee and applied as a credit if the amount you sold them is greater than the connection fee.

Not new math, just basic sense you fail to understand.

You should ONLY be credited what the wholesale cost to produce electric is. Which is only about half of what you are charged.

And that is the ONLY part of your bill that your panels replace. You are still dependent on their infrastructure, transmission, and distribution network. Why should you get all of that for free? Typical wanting something for nothing mindset that has plaged this country for the last few decades. Wanting a freaking handout instead of what is right and fair

Don't like it....spends thousands on your own batteries to act as your own infrastructure

Sorry you cannot understand my example and think it's "new math"

 

[ddbackhoe]

Winner here!! Very good explanation.

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.

I have not seen it mentioned where Ca adopted a requirement for solar installation on all new residential construction.
”In 2018, California created a mandate that new single-family homes and multi-family dwellings up to three stories high must install solar panels. The California solar mandate took effect on January 1, 2020, and is part of California’s building codes. The mandate was created by the California Energy Commission (CEC), was unanimously approved 5 to 0 and is the first such mandate in the United States.”

California Solar Mandate

California leads the way in photovoltaic installations with over 32 MW of installed capacity, enough to power 9.6 million homes. The Golden State is serious about transitioning to renewable energy to phase out fossil fuel consumption and reduce carbon emissions. In fact, the Golden State has...

www.greenlancer.com

 

[ddbackhoe]

EVs could be a resource to redistribute power during necessary times.

R

So, in this scenario the grid goes down and the ev’s supply the grid? What happens when the ev owner wakes up and wants to drive to school/work/etc and the batteries are dead?

 

[Torvy]

Is this some new kind of math???

If your using solar making 2000 and using 2000 you should only be paying the connection fee for the electric company.

If you used that month, then you pay for what you used, plus the connection fee and applicable taxes.

If you sent them a surplus of electricity that month, then that credit gets applied to your account. If what you sold them comes off the connection fee and applied as a credit if the amount you sold them is greater than the connection fee.

Connection fees are what consumers pay. Those feeding excess power into the grid want to be paid better than those producing more (and more consistent) energy. As a producer, you have to pay for your share of the lines and upkeep to transmit your power to others. And yes, the cost includes management and profit. We all make profit to survive. You may call yours a paycheck or interest. Most of those 'shareholders' are regular people that are employed and contributing to their 401k.

I like co-ops (a coop is something else). They tend to be more responsive to members and don't worry about profits as those get redistributed to the members. Plus, the members can vote on policies and management.

 

[Dftodd]

Not new math, just basic sense you fail to understand.

You should ONLY be credited what the wholesale cost to produce electric is. Which is only about half of what you are charged.

And that is the ONLY part of your bill that your panels replace. You are still dependent on their infrastructure, transmission, and distribution network. Why should you get all of that for free? Typical wanting something for nothing mindset that has plaged this country for the last few decades. Wanting a freaking handout instead of what is right and fair

Don't like it....spends thousands on your own batteries to act as your own infrastructure

Sorry you cannot understand my example and think it's "new math"

I understood you. That's the problem with common core math in schools A+B=X instead of C

Currently if you don't use any power at your home, you pay just the minimum connection fee. For example, close your home up for the winter months. Pay a flat fee of $20 since your not using any electricity.

Why should someone pay more than that if they have grid tied solar as your example suggests??? From your example, your paying for usage you didn't use, plus taxes and connection fees.

If your supplying more electricity back to the grid than what you use, why should the electric company get to use your investment for free???

 

[Williy]

As for me I would never have solar and
getting power from electric company. First
its a big expense for the equipment and you
have to have an electrician to hook you up.
You can spend that money on more batteries!
I use the power company for 220 volt items
water heaters. Never pay a company to install
solar for you! Buy used solar panels like 250
watt solar panels $50 ea. On controllers and
inverters ask around and watch and read on
the net. All kinds of info on how to assemble
the solar system. I prefer American made equip.

willy

 

[Jstpssng]

So, in this scenario the grid goes down and the ev’s supply the grid? What happens when the ev owner wakes up and wants to drive to school/work/etc and the batteries are dead?

I've been trying to figure this out, also. My biggest concern with an EV is getting stranded in the first place. Now I'm going to drain my battery with no way of recharging it? I guess that I still had better keep my gas tank filled in my other vehicle.

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.

If we hadn't taken it off the table 40 years ago we would be a lot farther ahead with the technology today. The biggest issue that I have with nuclear is that I don't trust the people who would be running it.

 

[LD1]

I understood you. That's the problem with common core math in schools A+B=X instead of C

Currently if you don't use any power at your home, you pay just the minimum connection fee. For example, close your home up for the winter months. Pay a flat fee of $20 since your not using any electricity.

Why should someone pay more than that if they have grid tied solar as your example suggests??? From your example, your paying for usage you didn't use, plus taxes and connection fees.

If your supplying more electricity back to the grid than what you use, why should the electric company get to use your investment for free???

They don't have to. Spends thousands and get batteries.

But the fact that the meter flows both ways....and you are using power from the grid in the evenings and nights because your system CANNOT satisfy your needs....and you choose to not spend more money on a bigger system and batteries.....you rely on the grid. You rely on it to supply your power in the evenings and nights in exchange for the power you give back during sunny days. You expect to be able to use this distribution network free of charge?

If you used NO power from the grid at all.....then disconnect from it. Otherwise pony up and quit wanting to use their distribution network for free