Official California SDG&E Thread

[garygid]

I signed up for a A/C Off-Cycle program like this about 20 or 25 years ago. It was installed, and stayed for about 4 or 5 years, and then SDG&E removed it. I do not know if it was ever activated.

 

[indyflick]

I was able to get in touch with a tech at Comverge. The Digital Control Unit SDG&E is using for the Summer Saver Program, to control customers ACs, is the DCU-200. It's a receive only unit in the VHF spectrum. The unit consumes 4 watts, so that would be 35kWh per year. It's not much, but vampire loads rarely are. I'm throwing the breaker for the winter.

 

[wsbca]

The unit consumes 4 watts, so that would be 35kWh per year. It's not much, but vampire loads rarely are. I'm throwing the breaker for the winter.

When you put seemingly tiny loads like this in terms of Leaf miles, and from there into equivalent ICE gas dollars, they start to grab your attention....140 LM, $17 in ICEG (@25mpg). That's about 30 carbon-free trips to the grocery store for us. I think I'm with you on throwing the breaker.

The relative value of the ability to tweak peak demand vs. that cumulative vampire load is interesting - they'd need to cycle a 2KW AC unit 5 times during the year for 3.5 hours, when it was in fact on, just to offset the raw the power lost to the radio, but the nature of that peak power (so dirty/expensive) presumably makes it well worth it - so much so that they can pay you relatively handsomely to make it possible.

 

[indyflick]

The unit consumes 4 watts, so that would be 35kWh per year. It's not much, but vampire loads rarely are. I'm throwing the breaker for the winter.

When you put seemingly tiny loads like this in terms of Leaf miles, and from there into equivalent ICE gas dollars, they start to grab your attention....140 LM, $17 in ICEG (@25mpg). That's about 30 carbon-free trips to the grocery store for us. I think I'm with you on throwing the breaker.

This is exactly how I'm looking at it. My goal is to conserve enough kWh's to offset my miles driven in the LEAF year over year. I'm almost there and last thing I want is to add additional 4 watts of vampire load. I have additional conservation measures planned, which don't make economic sense in terms of costs per kWh. However, they make perfect sense in terms of LM's and ICEG, as you point out.

 

[indyflick]

SDG&E has their CFL instant rebate program going again with Cosco. I was at the San Marco Cosco and they had several pallets available. They are offering the Feit Electric four-pack of 13-watt (60W equivalent) as well as the 23-watt (100W equivalent) for $1 (0.25 per bulb). You can purchase up to four packs. These CFLs are energy star rated. I've read some reviews where bulbs have failed in less than a year. Maybe I'm an exception, but I've had good luck with them so far.

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

I'm on Summer Saver as well, and SDG&E activated it on September 27, from 2 to 6PM.

That's the only time I've seen it switch all summer. For $184/yr, they can add a 4W load to my house.

 

[SanDust]

For those who might be interested, you can find the three experimental TOU rates for participants in the Ecotality project in Table 2 of this document -- High, Medium, Low. Rates are supposedly randomly assigned. Note these rates include the power rate as well as the distribution and transmission charges.

http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/word_pdf/AGENDA_RESOLUTION/119477.pdf

 

[lonndoggie]

Looking again at the existing EV-TOU rates, there is a metering charge for each:

http://www.sdge.com/documents/customer/totalrates/050109/schedule_ev.pdf

At the end of the study using the three experimental rates, the there will apparently be some as of yet undetermined rate plans to chose from, or you'll default to the current EV-TOU-3. The metering charge for that is $13.13/month! Yikes!

I haven't seen any metering charge rate attached to the experimental rates--anyone have any info on this?

 

[garygid]

I thought I read a post that reported there are no extra-meter charges on the 3 "forced" EVProject EV electricity rates.

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

Correct.

For the duration of the EV Project, participants won't be charged for the second meter itself, the electrical structure/installation needed for the second meter, or the monthly second-meter charge.

After the experimental period, you can choose any of the available EV rate plans to move to, and SDG&E expects the available menu of plans to have changed by then. (None of the existing EV-TOU-X rates today look very attractive.)

 

[garygid]

Being in the SDG&E district, but not in an EVProject area, my rate choices are limited, and I need to consider how to best use my PV generation.

Probably just staying on NET Metering will be cost effective, and then I can charge at any time, though not "cheaply".

 

[wsbca]

Correct.
After the experimental period, you can choose any of the available EV rate plans to move to, and SDG&E expects the available menu of plans to have changed by then. (None of the existing EV-TOU-X rates today look very attractive.)

I was told (but don't have it in writing) that when the project ends we'll also have the option of just going back to schedule DR with net-metering, which may be our best option since our solar should cover most if not all of our house+car usage, and certainly keep us in tier 1. Hopefully that's true - it would seem a little oppressive for them to be able to force us away from that standard rate structure just because we happen to own an EV. It would be like saying if you have a pool or a pot farm or a Griswold-level holiday light display, you can't use DR.

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

I didn't word that correctly. My understanding is that you can go to any rate plan you like, including DR. Like today, there is no hard requirement that you must switch to an EVTOU plan to charge an electric car.

If you can keep your house+car under baseline, then DR is certainly the way to go.

 

[Frank]

When I recently signed the EV Project Agreement I noticed something I hadn't seen before:

Each EV Project Participant will be assigned a PEV-TOU rate schedule by SDG&E. The PEV-TOU rate will remain in effect throughout the EV Project. At the end of the EV Project, the PEV-TOU rates will terminate. At that time, Participants must change to an applicable SDG&E rate schedule. Participants are able to change to another applicable rate schedule prior to the end of the EV Project, provided the Participant has received service on the PEV-TOU rate schedule for at least 12 consecutive months.

I previously thought that you had to stay on the randomly assigned rate for the 2-year project duration. The above wording in the agreement seems to allow you to switch after 12 months into the project. I'm going to assume that it means that you can switch to one of the other two experimental rates. This is a good thing if you get randomly assigned a rate schedule that you don't like.

 

[Frank]

This was another pleasant surprise in the agreement:

Without Cause: This Agreement will terminate at the end of its Term or may be terminated early by ECOtality without cause at any time and for any reason, including the termination of the EV Project or a reduction in EV Project funding. Upon termination of this Agreement without cause by ECOtality, the Participant will allow ECOtality to leave the Equipment in place at the Location. ECOtality agrees to transfer ownership of the Equipment to the Participant and allow the Equipment to retain its basic charging capability. Additional functionality for the Equipment may be available to the Participant after the Term of this Agreement by enrolling in a membership network.

It doesn't mention any cost to the participant for the equipment when the project is over or terminated without cause. I thought that I read somewhere that ECOtality would charge us some small amount for the equipment at the end of the EV Project. In any case, it looks like there won't be a charge for the equipment when the participant takes ownership of it.

 

[sdbonez]

I didn't word that correctly. My understanding is that you can go to any rate plan you like, including DR. Like today, there is no hard requirement that you must switch to an EVTOU plan to charge an electric car.

If you can keep your house+car under baseline, then DR is certainly the way to go.

That's certainly my plan (DR) - and have no plans on paying for a 2nd meter at the conclusion of the agreement unless TOU rates get really good and it's cloudy all day/every day...

 

[sdbonez]

So I just got a call from SDG&E... sounds like they're finally going to try and install a smart meter on my home in the next few days.

The history is that my area was one of the first to get outfitted with Smart Meters back when they first started the installs...of course, when they got to my home, the meter wouldn't spin backwards and hence wasn't compatible with my PV system. The result: I got a smart gas meter and was left with my standard electrical meter.

Now, it seems, I'm going to get a smart meter finally (and I'm guessing, am one of the first PV owners around here to get one) - anyone in SDG&E territory on this thread have a smart meter and a PV system yet? Wondering what kind of interesting things happen when it comes time to install the secondary downstream meter for my Leaf shortly... shouldn't be a problem as far as I can see but you never know...

Also wondering if it's the same smart meter used for non-PV owners (updated h/w, s/w versions) or something totally different (smarter?) altogether...

 

[DaveEV]

anyone in SDG&E territory on this thread have a smart meter and a PV system yet?

Nope - let us know how it goes...

 

[Jimmydreams]

S
Now, it seems, I'm going to get a smart meter finally (and I'm guessing, am one of the first PV owners around here to get one) - anyone in SDG&E territory on this thread have a smart meter and a PV system yet? Wondering what kind of interesting things happen when it comes time to install the secondary downstream meter for my Leaf shortly... shouldn't be a problem as far as I can see but you never know...

...

Same with me. New smart gas meter, same digital, but non-smart electric meter. I was told that it would be at least a year before they had smart meters for PV systems. That was about 2 months ago. If your switch goes without a hitch, maybe I can call and make myself enough of an annoyance that they switch mine.

 

[sdbonez]

we'll see... even the letter I just got said they wouldn't be dealing with folks on 'net metering' until 2011... but when I called SDG&E back to ask they said that I was on the front-side of the rollout. Will let you know how it goes.