Solar Installation - 3 Years Later (Updated)

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Topic Author
mervinj7
Posts: 2496
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 3:10 pm

Re: Solar Installation - 0.75 Year Later

Post by mervinj7 »

av111 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 8:01 pm What pge rate plan works best for you?
I'm still on the now defunct EV-A for one more year before I lose it. Although the $0.60/kWh looks insanely harsh it starts at 2PM. That means I get a good chunk of net metering credit at $0.60/kWh. We schedule our heaviest loads during off-peak hours (e.g EV charging, dishwasher, washing machine, radiant heating).

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av111
Posts: 717
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2015 12:27 pm

Re: Solar Installation - 0.75 Year Later

Post by av111 »

mervinj7 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:29 pm
av111 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 8:01 pm What pge rate plan works best for you?
I'm still on the now defunct EV-A for one more year before I lose it. Although the $0.60/kWh looks insanely harsh it starts at 2PM. That means I get a good chunk of net metering credit at $0.60/kWh. We schedule our heaviest loads during off-peak hours (e.g EV charging, dishwasher, washing machine, radiant heating).

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Thanks. I am on E1 plan but none of the other rates plans offered compare better on their rate comparison tool. Logically it seems that time of use plans should be better because of solar production in those hours

Is there a different way to calculate / compare the costs
AV111
fogalog
Posts: 418
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:31 am

Re: Solar Installation - 0.75 Year Later

Post by fogalog »

mervinj7 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:29 pm
av111 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 8:01 pm What pge rate plan works best for you?
I'm still on the now defunct EV-A for one more year before I lose it. Although the $0.60/kWh looks insanely harsh it starts at 2PM. That means I get a good chunk of net metering credit at $0.60/kWh. We schedule our heaviest loads during off-peak hours (e.g EV charging, dishwasher, washing machine, radiant heating).

Image
I'm curious as to why you wouldn't switch to the EV2-A rate? I thought NEM2 was a simple kilowatt-for-kilowatt swap (ie rate didn't matter, except for overage / consumption)? I'm new to NEM2 so I could be misunderstanding completely!


Image
Topic Author
mervinj7
Posts: 2496
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 3:10 pm

Re: Solar Installation - 0.75 Year Later

Post by mervinj7 »

fogalog wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 11:17 am
mervinj7 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:29 pm
av111 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 8:01 pm What pge rate plan works best for you?
I'm still on the now defunct EV-A for one more year before I lose it. Although the $0.60/kWh looks insanely harsh it starts at 2PM. That means I get a good chunk of net metering credit at $0.60/kWh. We schedule our heaviest loads during off-peak hours (e.g EV charging, dishwasher, washing machine, radiant heating).

Image
I'm curious as to why you wouldn't switch to the EV2-A rate? I thought NEM2 was a simple kilowatt-for-kilowatt swap (ie rate didn't matter, except for overage / consumption)? I'm new to NEM2 so I could be misunderstanding completely!


Image
Excellent question. NEM2.0 is NOT a one to one kilowatt swap. You earn credit based on how much the electricity it displaces at the time of generation (minus some non bypassable charges). For example, if I export 10kWh between 7AM and 2PM, I'm credited at $0.36/kWh. At night, I can then charge my EV for 15kWh at $0.24/kWh. Neat, right...
Of course, if I used net grid energy between 2PM and 9PM, then I can only use 6kWh at $0.60/kWh.
fogalog
Posts: 418
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:31 am

Re: Solar Installation - 0.75 Year Later

Post by fogalog »

mervinj7 wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 5:37 pm
fogalog wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 11:17 am
mervinj7 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:29 pm
av111 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 8:01 pm What pge rate plan works best for you?
I'm still on the now defunct EV-A for one more year before I lose it. Although the $0.60/kWh looks insanely harsh it starts at 2PM. That means I get a good chunk of net metering credit at $0.60/kWh. We schedule our heaviest loads during off-peak hours (e.g EV charging, dishwasher, washing machine, radiant heating).

Image
I'm curious as to why you wouldn't switch to the EV2-A rate? I thought NEM2 was a simple kilowatt-for-kilowatt swap (ie rate didn't matter, except for overage / consumption)? I'm new to NEM2 so I could be misunderstanding completely!


Image
Excellent question. NEM2.0 is NOT a one to one kilowatt swap. You earn credit based on how much the electricity it displaces at the time of generation (minus some non bypassable charges). For example, if I export 10kWh between 7AM and 2PM, I'm credited at $0.36/kWh. At night, I can then charge my EV for 15kWh at $0.24/kWh. Neat, right...
Of course, if I used net grid energy between 2PM and 9PM, then I can only use 6kWh at $0.60/kWh.
Thank you so much for that explanation. My solar went live on November and I have just started seeing credits on my PG&E bill last month and was trying to figure out how it worked.

I have a hybrid car with a relatively small battery. Sometimes it runs out by lunchtime. I don’t currently charge after 3pm but was trying to figure out whether I should extend to, say, 6pm - since I’m net generating at that time. But given your explanation it seems not to be the case…? ie better to bank those credits and charge overnight. Right?

Thanks!
Topic Author
mervinj7
Posts: 2496
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2014 3:10 pm

Re: Solar Installation - 0.75 Year Later

Post by mervinj7 »

fogalog wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 8:58 pm Thank you so much for that explanation. My solar went live on November and I have just started seeing credits on my PG&E bill last month and was trying to figure out how it worked.

I have a hybrid car with a relatively small battery. Sometimes it runs out by lunchtime. I don’t currently charge after 3pm but was trying to figure out whether I should extend to, say, 6pm - since I’m net generating at that time. But given your explanation it seems not to be the case…? ie better to bank those credits and charge overnight. Right?

Thanks!
Correct. If you look carefully at the rate image, you will notice that the plug is "connected" during off-peak hours and "disconnected" during peak and partial-peak hours. That's your hint from PG&E that they would really prefer folks AVOID charging their EVs during peak hours. In the 4 years, I've had my Leaf, I've never charged between 4PM and 9PM. In addition, I'm in a pilot program where my EVSE will pause charging in 15 minute increments if the share of power on the grid provided by renewable energy drops below a certain threshold (e.g. the wind dies down in the Altamont Pass). I only get paid a few pennies extra to do this but it improves my carbon consumption for EV charging automatically and seamlessly in the background.

https://evcharging.enelx.com/juicepoints
How does this actually help the grid?
EVs are generally plugged in for much longer than it takes to charge them. Most of us leave our vehicles plugged in overnight, but the battery typically only needs a few hours, at most, to charge with a Level 2 charging station. JuiceNet automates your charging schedule to respond to instances when the level of overall consumption is high, meaning that more fossil-fueled power plants must be utilized, instead of relying mostly upon renewable energy to charge your EV.
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