SDG&E introduces EV rate pilot

[lonndoggie]

I'm guessing that the problem is indeed the triangulation of requirements as to siting (per @jcesare's comments) and the cramped space available on the preferred wall. I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a requirement as to height of placement (high enough to be line-of-site for the reader, possibly, although gas meters certainly don't have this problem).

The inverter for the PV system is way up on the wall due to this. It's LCD screen that provides rolling status is very difficult to read, given this (coupled with my need to get my eyes/glasses at just the right focal point).

Yes indeed, @davewill, wires (and 1 or 2 conduits) will have to go over to the new meter, then back to the garage wall.

Been a busy morning here at work, but have a bit of a break and will give a call, see if it can move back to THE wall. If it can, and the install is delayed, so be it; who knows if I'll get the car on the week of 22nd or not anyway? Given the track record, I kinda doubt it, and even if so, I can hang with L1 charging for a while.

 

[sdbonez]

I've been hanging for more than 2 weeks post-install myself on L1... a few close calls, a few adjustments to where/how I drive, but I've survived.

Finally got answers today. Despite SDG&E saying they had confirmation of sign-off, I got a hold of the of the planning department today and they had no record. With any luck, I'm finally looking at a meter set by Tuesday (fingers crossed)

 

[lonndoggie]

As with everything Leaf, the saga continues...

Spoke with the person who drew up our meter install order. The siting requirements are fairly simple: The center of the meter glass has to be between 4'3" and 6' high, and there can't be any other service items (electrical panels, conduits, cable TV boxes, etc.) any closer than 6" on any side (24", I think she said, for gas service, but that's not an issue here).

So there might be room, depending on the size of "thing" that contains the socket. Which she doesn't know. So I have a call in to Sunwest to try to get that info. Then my wife, who's home now, will go back outside and see if she can find such a spot that meets those requirements. If so, SDG&E planner will re-draw the order, based on our findings and the drawing she took at the site (no need for a new visit). That would be awesome, but I'm not holding my breath; it's gonna be tight.

 

[davewill]

As with everything Leaf, the saga continues...

Spoke with the person who drew up our meter install order. The siting requirements are fairly simple: The center of the meter glass has to be between 4'3" and 6' high, and there can't be any other service items (electrical panels, conduits, cable TV boxes, etc.) any closer than 6" on any side (24", I think she said, for gas service, but that's not an issue here).

So there might be room, depending on the size of "thing" that contains the socket. Which she doesn't know. So I have a call in to Sunwest to try to get that info. Then my wife, who's home now, will go back outside and see if she can find such a spot that meets those requirements. If so, SDG&E planner will re-draw the order, based on our findings and the drawing she took at the site (no need for a new visit). That would be awesome, but I'm not holding my breath; it's gonna be tight.

Sunwest did mine. IIRC, the box extended about an inch to each side of the hole for the meter. I'll measure and take a photo for you when I get home.

 

[lonndoggie]

Sunwest did mine. IIRC, the box extended about an inch to each side of the hole for the meter. I'll measure and take a photo for you when I get home.

Thanks, appreciate that. They did get back to me, said the panel is 8.5"w x 12"h -- so not a square, I assume the extra vertical length is for a breaker/connectors/what-have-you below.

Now waiting for my wife to get back and get out the measuring tape.

 

[jcesare]

I assume the extra vertical length is for a breaker/connectors/what-have-you below.

The "what have you" is a small box that contains a dual 40 amp breaker that goes to the 240V socket that the EVSE plugs into. There are actually 2 pair of 40 amp breakers. One pair on the main panel that bypasses the first meter and goes directly to the 2nd meter and one pair after the 2nd meter that goes to the socket. This allows the 2nd meter to be disabled without killing service to the entire house.

 

[davewill]

Sunwest did mine. IIRC, the box extended about an inch to each side of the hole for the meter. I'll measure and take a photo for you when I get home.

Thanks, appreciate that. They did get back to me, said the panel is 8.5"w x 12"h -- so not a square, I assume the extra vertical length is for a breaker/connectors/what-have-you below.

Now waiting for my wife to get back and get out the measuring tape.

That matches what I remember. I should have specified I was talking about space to the left and right of the meter hole. I didn't think that the clearance issue was vertical...but of course it could be. I'll still snap the pic...it might help you visualize your install.

 

[davewill]

There are actually 2 pair of 40 amp breakers. One pair on the main panel that bypasses the first meter and goes directly to the 2nd meter and one pair after the 2nd meter that goes to the socket. This allows the 2nd meter to be disabled without killing service to the entire house.

Correct, except that the 2nd meter is in series with the main. The main is not "bypassed". All of the usage, home and EV are logged by the main meter. The billing for the house is done by subtracting the EV usage from the total. You can, of course, cut power to the second meter without affecting the rest of the house. You can also cut it after the second meter, as well as by pulling the plug on the Blink. Multiple redundant cutoffs brought to you by the redundant redundancy dept.

 

[lonndoggie]

So, after all that, there's no place on the existing panel's wall that can fulfill their clearance requirements. And, my wife standing there, looking at it, talking to me on the phone, has come up with two placement options on the other wall that she thinks will be OK.

So onward with the install!

 

[davewill]

I thought this might help you visualize the install. The box on the right is the shutoff. Since the main panel is inset into the wall, the connection to the second meter runs on the interior.

 

[lonndoggie]

Thanks, that does help. I take it that's the garage behind, with unfinished walls (e.g., easy access to run the cable behind the wall)? Wish we could do that.

Any idea when your meter will show up?

 

[davewill]

Thanks, that does help. I take it that's the garage behind, with unfinished walls (e.g., easy access to run the cable behind the wall)? Wish we could do that.

Any idea when your meter will show up?

First, I have to get the city inspector to show up. After that, SDG&E says it'll only take 2-3 days.

Yes, That's the exterior of the garage, but the walls are finished, so I have conduit running on top of the drywall. Sunwest did a good job, though, and ran the conduit up next to the ceiling. Besides, it's a garage...naked conduit just gives it character.

 

[lonndoggie]

Any idea when your meter will show up?

First, I have to get the city inspector to show up. After that, SDG&E says it'll only take 2-3 days.

You have to get the inspector to show up? Hrm...somehow, I pictured this being a bit more turnkey than it's panning out to be! OK, good to know, another item on the to-do list.

Yes, That's the exterior of the garage, but the walls are finished, so I have conduit running on top of the drywall. Sunwest did a good job, though, and ran the conduit up next to the ceiling. Besides, it's a garage...naked conduit just gives it character.

Heck yeah, if I got to decorate the house, it'd be in neoclassical mancave, with exposed conduit and HVAC as part of the look!

 

[davewill]

You have to get the inspector to show up? Hrm...somehow, I pictured this being a bit more turnkey than it's panning out to be! OK, good to know, another item on the to-do list.

Well, I'm not supposed to need to do anything but wait for a call, set a time, and let him into the garage. Pessimism just seems to come naturally at this point.

 

[sdbonez]

You have to get the inspector to show up? Hrm...somehow, I pictured this being a bit more turnkey than it's panning out to be! OK, good to know, another item on the to-do list.

Well, I'm not supposed to need to do anything but wait for a call, set a time, and let him into the garage. Pessimism just seems to come naturally at this point.

Stay on top of it. I've been trying to deal with the whole charger install thing for a month now - don't even give them the benefit of the doubt.

(oh, and once your sign-off is done, make sure the city calls SDG&E to have the meter set and then call your planner at SDG&E to make sure they have the info - that's why I'm still waiting after 2+ weeks now)

 

[lonndoggie]

...and the saga continues...

Got a call today from Sunwest (yes, on a Sunday--they're pulling lots of overtime these days). When they surveyed my place way back in September (before I ordered), the second meter wasn't part of the equation, thanks to SDG&E and their particularly sloth-like behavior. So, they didn't cost that in.

It would've been no big deal, except that the second meter must come off the main panel, and ours is full. We have a secondary panel in the laundry room, just a few feet away, which has four open breaker slots, and that's where they were planning on running the Blink from. Still is.

BUT, they now need to move breakers and such from the main panel to that sub to accommodate for the second meter, which changes the estimate. We still had some headroom below the allowed $1200 max, and my contact thought there was some reason to think it could stay under that--but we'll probably have to pony up a little bit.

The good news is that we're sticking with the Tuesday install.

Then again, given that we have others getting that low-ratio second meter rate, going second-meter-less is sounding like a heck of a deal. Reckon I call SDG&E Monday and see if I can find out what rate I'm getting, and if it's The Bad One, see if I can back out now.

Anybody out there get either of the other two rates (the high- or medium-ratio rates)?

EDIT/PS: Also, I axed if they were doing any of the public infrastructure work. She said yes, they had lots of bids out to places like AM/PM and Target. She wasn't too sure about the biz aspects of this, but she thought that it was the case that these businesses would also get some funding from the EV Project for their installs, just as we do. But, she didn't indicate that any of the work was actually contracted, or in progress.

If that's the way it works, then the EV Project has funds to distribute, but it still relies on businesses to decide they want to buy these things, at a discount, as a boon to their businesses. If that's the case, small wonder we haven't seen any of these pop up yet. Given the market penetration of cars with the current plugin capability, I'm not sure I would, either (but I'd be getting closer to doing so now).

 

[jcesare]

Then again, given that we have others getting that low-ratio second meter rate, going second-meter-less is sounding like a heck of a deal. Reckon I call SDG&E Monday and see if I can find out what rate I'm getting, and if it's The Bad One, see if I can back out now.

It really depends on your current usage and if charging you car will push you into another tier. I am sometimes going into tier II and a car will push me into II and maybe III. I was notified by by SDG&E email about a week before the install, stating which TOU rate I was assigned (TOU-L). My gut is telling me the rate assignment was not random. I think they figured out their "sweet spot" for each rate payer. I won't get a lower rate for charging my car, but if I charge super off peak, I won't pay more for it.

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

BUT, they now need to move breakers and such from the main panel to that sub to accommodate for the second meter, which changes the estimate. We still had some headroom below the allowed $1200 max, and my contact thought there was some reason to think it could stay under that--but we'll probably have to pony up a little bit.

That's interesting, because SDG&E explained that THEY are picking up the cost for anything over and above the EV Project cost. You shouldn't see any extra cost or overage because of the second meter.

Otherwise, I doubt anyone would fit a two-meter install in under the $1200 budget.

 

[lonndoggie]

Right, @jcesare, due to our PV system, most of the time we're in tier 1, a few times in 2. The car with the single meter might nudge us into tier 2 more often. I wish Google Power Meter worked for those of us with Net Metering so I could easily assess if DR-SES would work for us (or, baring that, that I had my act sufficiently together to have manually taken meter readings at 11am and 6pm in the winter, when I'm most likely to be at risk). Adding the car, charging at night, it probably would be a good deal. But better than the second meter? Dunno.

Ay car-rumba!

 

[lonndoggie]

BUT, they now need to move breakers and such from the main panel to that sub to accommodate for the second meter, which changes the estimate. We still had some headroom below the allowed $1200 max, and my contact thought there was some reason to think it could stay under that--but we'll probably have to pony up a little bit.

That's interesting, because SDG&E explained that THEY are picking up the cost for anything over and above the EV Project cost. You shouldn't see any extra cost or overage because of the second meter.

Otherwise, I doubt anyone would fit a two-meter install in under the $1200 budget.

SDG&E kicks in $300 towards the meter socket install, per my Sunwest contact. So, given that, the total headroom I have for the project is $1500. The original estimate, sans meter, was $1050, so they have $450 to add the second meter. As she said, it may still all fit. We shall see. I'm assuming that, if things were actually working in the order they should, the EV Project installers would have info ahead of time about the 2nd meter requirement and would cost the install appropriately.

That said, I'll bring it up with the SDG&E folks when I call Monday.

On a similar note, my friend who ordered in Jan and is getting his car any day now (grumble, snarl) had his Blink install, and the installers said "we got no paperwork or news of a second meter for you, so we're not doing it and you may have to pay for it." SDG&E told him they were going to work with the contractor, try to get it straightened out so it'd get installed without any charge to him.

It's like a slapstick comedy.