Official California SDG&E Thread

[Coffee_Slurry]

Thanks GroundLoop, this is great! Sorry to be a pest, but what does "Only F+H" mean?

The "Only" goes with "Del" or "Rcvd", "delivered only" or "received only" (not combined total)

And I can't answer the other half.. I have no idea what "F+H" means. I did my best Googlin and couldn't figure it out. Anyone?

 

[DaveEV]

ugh. so i just found out today that after going through 1 cycle of Blink install, city inspection, and 2 visits to drop the 2nd meter, i'm missing the switch/disconnect for the 2nd meter. Sunwest is coming out again to install the switch but then another inspection is required. so FYI for those that still have to go thru this in San Diego - make sure you have the disconnect switch installed before the vendor finishes! when all is finally done, I'll have had to support 7 separate house calls.

Are you talking about the disconnect between the meter and EVSE or something else?

My setup goes: Main panel -> 40A breaker -> EV meter -> 40A breaker (this acts as a lockable disconnect) -> 6-50 receptacle -> Blink.

I learned the other day that I'm on the low-spread rate. Would have much preferred to be on the medium or high spread rate to get the lower off-peak pricing, but at least in the winter months I can pretty much charge whenever without worrying about the cost. I sent [email protected] an email asking if I could get another "roll of the dice" - unfortunately they declined.

Here are the quoted rates - I think they're slightly different than the other numbers I've seen?

Summer (May 1 - Oct 31)
On-Peak 12pm-8pm        $0.27027
Off-Peak other hours    $0.16480
Super Off-Peak 12am-5am $0.13860

Winter (Nov 1 - Apr 30)
On-Peak 12pm-8pm        $0.17681
Off-Peak other hours    $0.17001
Super Off-Peak 12am-5am $0.14259

 

[lonndoggie]

Here are the quoted rates - I think they're slightly different than the other numbers I've seen?

Have a look at EPEV-X here: http://www.sdge.com/tm2/pdf/2219-E.pdf

Those are the right numbers, if you take that chart as correct anyway.

Sorry the "roll the dice" thing didn't work for you. I'm still surprised it worked for my friend, his neighbor, and one other person I heard from.

 

[gbarry42]

Thanks GroundLoop, this is great! Sorry to be a pest, but what does "Only F+H" mean?

The "Only" goes with "Del" or "Rcvd", "delivered only" or "received only" (not combined total)

And I can't answer the other half.. I have no idea what "F+H" means. I did my best Googlin and couldn't figure it out. Anyone?

Man...hand me a good riddle...!

Would you believe...Fossil and Hydro?

I did find two cats down in Florida Power and Light territory, Faherty and Heran, but I couldn't come up with a joke.

 

[opencar]

Yea, sun west never installed the disconnect but it passed the first inspection anyway. :?: I'm also bummed about being on the x rate but sure beats what I'm paying now on trickle. Thanks for the info.

ugh. so i just found out today that after going through 1 cycle of Blink install, city inspection, and 2 visits to drop the 2nd meter, i'm missing the switch/disconnect for the 2nd meter. Sunwest is coming out again to install the switch but then another inspection is required. so FYI for those that still have to go thru this in San Diego - make sure you have the disconnect switch installed before the vendor finishes! when all is finally done, I'll have had to support 7 separate house calls.

Are you talking about the disconnect between the meter and EVSE or something else?

My setup goes: Main panel -> 40A breaker -> EV meter -> 40A breaker (this acts as a lockable disconnect) -> 6-50 receptacle -> Blink.

I learned the other day that I'm on the low-spread rate. Would have much preferred to be on the medium or high spread rate to get the lower off-peak pricing, but at least in the winter months I can pretty much charge whenever without worrying about the cost. I sent [email protected] an email asking if I could get another "roll of the dice" - unfortunately they declined.

Here are the quoted rates - I think they're slightly different than the other numbers I've seen?

Summer (May 1 - Oct 31)
On-Peak 12pm-8pm        $0.27027
Off-Peak other hours    $0.16480
Super Off-Peak 12am-5am $0.13860

Winter (Nov 1 - Apr 30)
On-Peak 12pm-8pm        $0.17681
Off-Peak other hours    $0.17001
Super Off-Peak 12am-5am $0.14259

 

[ENIAC]

And I can't answer the other half.. I have no idea what "F+H" means. I did my best Googlin and couldn't figure it out. Anyone?

It stands for Fund+Harmonics (see this presentation). Now the question is, what the hell is Fund+Harmonics?
.

 

[Coffee_Slurry]

And I can't answer the other half.. I have no idea what "F+H" means. I did my best Googlin and couldn't figure it out. Anyone?

It stands for Fund+Harmonics (see this presentation). Now the question is, what the hell is Fund+Harmonics?
.

Ah! Fundamental and Harmonics.
Nice find.

Fundamental is the "perfect" 60hz A/C power they deliver, and harmonics are induced by your non-resistive loads.. things without a perfect power factor.
Together they represent the metered 'power'.

:ugeek: I'm faking it -- I have no idea.

 

[rickbecker]

I have online paperless billing and I just received my first bill covering the period 4/5 - 5/4/2011. I had my Blink installed on 4/1, my EV meter installed on 4/11 and my car delivered on 4/20. The bill detail shows two electric services, one DR-Residential and one EPEV-Residential. My EV meter recorded 80 kWh of charging during this period which was all at super off-peak rates. Total EV cost was $3.95. In these 15 days I had driven 268 miles resulting in a cost of 1.5 cents per mile. :lol:

This rate is a bit less than I anticipated; perhaps it is due to us having Medical Rates for our baseline usage.

 

[OilFreedom]

Unfortunately, I am indeed in the worst part of La Jolla for the marine layer--right at the SW base of Mt. Soledad, 4 blocks from the ocean. We seem to be the first place to fog in and the last place to burn off. Plus I have a 3-story apartment building across the street to the west that blocks the setting sun about 4:30PM, even if it is shining then.

Hi Tom. You're in a beautiful area, but I see what you mean about the PV challenges! I posted a couple of items under another topic that may be of interest: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4280&start=31.

If PV doesn't make sense for your location, there is an easy way to offset the CO2 from the electricity production to charge your EV. Or, if you really, really want PV, then my other post in the same thread offers a suggestion.

 

[prmiller]

When I brought my Leaf home on June 2, the Blink unit would not charge the car , so I had to use the 110V trickle charger. On the following Monday (June 6) the Blink unit was inspected by the city. After the inspection it charges just fine.

Does that make sense? I read that the Blink unit was not sufficient for SDG&E and they still needed to add a meter. Could that have changed? Did they activate the Blink, or was that just a fluke of timing.

I have a letter from SDG&E from February stating that I am part of the SDG&E TOU study. The letter said to contact them only if I did want to be a part of the program. The letter came with a flyer stating that a second meter would be installed 1-2 business days after the inspection.

 

[ttweed]

Hi Tom. You're in a beautiful area, but I see what you mean about the PV challenges! I posted a couple of items under another topic that may be of interest: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4280&start=31.

Thanks for the link. Interesting information, very helpful.

When I brought my Leaf home on June 2, the Blink unit would not charge the car , so I had to use the 110V trickle charger. On the following Monday (June 6) the Blink unit was inspected by the city. After the inspection it charges just fine.

Does that make sense? I read that the Blink unit was not sufficient for SDG&E and they still needed to add a meter. Could that have changed? Did they activate the Blink, or was that just a fluke of timing.

I have a letter from SDG&E from February stating that I am part of the SDG&E TOU study. The letter said to contact them only if I did want to be a part of the program. The letter came with a flyer stating that a second meter would be installed 1-2 business days after the inspection.

So are you saying that they did NOT install a second meter with your Blink? You had to contact SDG&E after you got that letter to decline it. If you didn't, you should have gotten a second meter installed. The Blink would not have been energized after the final inspection until SDG&E came out and installed the second meter in the socket the contractor provides. That usually happens within 48 hours of the final inspection by the city. If you didn't get the second meter installed, you need to contact Ecotality, because you are NOT on the TOU schedule without the second meter. If this is the case, and you still have a single meter, and the Blink suddenly started working after the inspector came, all I can guess is that the contractor left the 40A breaker for the Blink off, and when the inspector came and signed off on the installation, he flipped it on, thereby energizing the Blink for your first usage.

TT

 

[prmiller]

So are you saying that they did NOT install a second meter with your Blink? You had to contact SDG&E after you got that letter to decline it. If you didn't, you should have gotten a second meter installed. The Blink would not have been energized after the final inspection until SDG&E came out and installed the second meter in the socket the contractor provides. That usually happens within 48 hours of the final inspection by the city. If you didn't get the second meter installed, you need to contact Ecotality, because you are NOT on the TOU schedule without the second meter. If this is the case, and you still have a single meter, and the Blink suddenly started working after the inspector came, all I can guess is that the contractor left the 40A breaker for the Blink off, and when the inspector came and signed off on the installation, he flipped it on, thereby energizing the Blink for your first usage.

The Blink had power to its display immediately, but wouldn't charge until after the inspection. That must mean the display is wired to a different circuit than the main charger itself. After the inspection it charges fine, but I assume I am paying regular top tier rates at the moment.

SDG&E made it sound like the notification by the City after inspection is quick and automatic, but that is probably a bad assumption. I'll check with them today to see what is up. It has only been a week but they said 1-2 days, and since I have the car now I would like to get it installed and a TOU plan ASAP.

 

[davewill]

The Blink had power to its display immediately, but wouldn't charge until after the inspection. That must mean the display is wired to a different circuit than the main charger itself. After the inspection it charges fine, but I assume I am paying regular top tier rates at the moment.

SDG&E made it sound like the notification by the City after inspection is quick and automatic, but that is probably a bad assumption. I'll check with them today to see what is up. It has only been a week but they said 1-2 days, and since I have the car now I would like to get it installed and a TOU plan ASAP.

They got my meter in 3 days after the inspection. You must have misinterpreted the situation on the Blink power. There is no "separate circuit". If you have the socket for the second meter, at install time, the installer temporarily bridges the meter socket so they can test the install using the "car in a box". Afterwards they will pull that bridge out, leaving the Blink with no power. That would mean no power at all until SDG&E installs the second meter. The inspector doesn't need the circuit powered, he just visually inspects the install to make sure that it meets code.

From the sound of things, I'm beginning to think that you did NOT have the second meter installed. If you have the second meter, your install should look something like this picture I took before my inspection:

From left to right: Main service panel with house meter, second meter socket that SDG&E will install the new meter in, shutoff for the EVSE.

 

[gmuzhik]

Thanks for the picture. I was wondering what the second meter install looked like. I opted out because SDG&E would have charged me full peak for my own solar output if I would have needed to charge during peak! That was a deal killer for me. I have a 2.7Kw system, almost enough to charge the Leaf. The other reason I opted out of the second meter is the possibility of getting the low ratio of $.14 off peak and $.28 peak. My solar will keep me in tier 1 most of the time at $.14/kWh. The low ratio option would only make me pay equal or more. The Blink is "Vampiring" at 10-24W during peak as well as off peak.

I was wondering how many of you out there got the low ratio second meter?

 

[prmiller]

From the sound of things, I'm beginning to think that you did NOT have the second meter installed. If you have the second meter, your install should look something like this picture I took before my inspection:

I definitely do not have a second meter installed currently. Based on the letter I received, SDG&E is supposed to come out and install it. The question I have is whether the installation is prepped for a second meter. There was room to add a circuit for the charger in my existing box, but I don't know what they need for a second meter. It looks like you have an entirely separate box just for your charging circuit and separate charger. Mine would be off the existing box.

I don't know what the situation was with the power. I just know that it had a live display that made it appear ready to plug in. I tried plugging it in a couple of times over the first weekend and monkeyed with it, but it wouldn't charge. I knew the inspection was Monday, so I waited until Monday night to try again, at which time it just worked, with no additional fiddling. I have no idea what mode it was in or what the ECOtality guy and/or the inspector did to activate it.

 

[davewill]

I definitely do not have a second meter installed currently. Based on the letter I received, SDG&E is supposed to come out and install it. The question I have is whether the installation is prepped for a second meter. There was room to add a circuit for the charger in my existing box, but I don't know what they need for a second meter. It looks like you have an entirely separate box just for your charging circuit and separate charger. Mine would be off the existing box.

Mine is wired off the main panel, the conduit for the connection from the main panel to the second meter is just on the inside of the garage wall. If you don't have a meter socket like that one, then SDG&E can't install the meter. To get one, you'd have to have the electrical contractor pull a new permit, come back out to install it, have it inspected, etc...

P.S. I'd appreciate it if you'd edit my photo out of the quote in your post above.

 

[prmiller]

P.S. I'd appreciate it if you'd edit my photo out of the quote in your post above.

Sorry, I didn't preview my message.

 

[lonndoggie]

prmiller--sorry to hear you've been hit by the communication issues that exist between the SDG&E TOU study folks and Ecotality and their contractors. I have a friend who got the second meter installed after the EVSE install, like you'll have to, but he was able to do so without having to pay for it; whether you will or not depends on how complicated it will be. In any case, you likely need to lobby SDG&E and Ecotality to make sure it happens that way. Good luck.

BTW, I got my first EVSE bill, For five days, with no car. $.85 (the minimum $.17 per day). At least I now know the Blink doesn't draw enough juice on its own to cost more than that!

 

[DaveEV]

Thanks for the picture. I was wondering what the second meter install looked like. I opted out because SDG&E would have charged me full peak for my own solar output if I would have needed to charge during peak! That was a deal killer for me. I have a 2.7Kw system, almost enough to charge the Leaf. The other reason I opted out of the second meter is the possibility of getting the low ratio of $.14 off peak and $.28 peak. My solar will keep me in tier 1 most of the time at $.14/kWh. The low ratio option would only make me pay equal or more. The Blink is "Vampiring" at 10-24W during peak as well as off peak.

I'm in a similar situation - my PV system accounts for pretty close to 100% of my usage (net usage was about 750 kWh for a year) - but for my mid Jan bill I nearly got into Tier 3 - with the LEAF, I will definitely get there and that means 27c / kWh for that whole month. I'm expecting around 175 kWh / month of usage due to the LEAF (maybe more as we drive our other car less) so that would likely push a few other months into Tier 3 as well.

Without the 2nd meter, the only other viable option would be to go whole-house TOU - but then the minimum rate is 17-18c / kWh and I'd have to be certain that we minimize our summer on-peak usage - not easy to do when you need laundry done ASAP! I would really want to analyze our usage for a year to make sure that our on-peak summer generation is enough to offset the higher base rate and on-peak usage.

I was wondering how many of you out there got the low ratio second meter?

Should be about 33% - FWIW - I got the low ratio rate.

 

[prmiller]

prmiller--sorry to hear you've been hit by the communication issues that exist between the SDG&E TOU study folks and Ecotality and their contractors. I have a friend who got the second meter installed after the EVSE install, like you'll have to, but he was able to do so without having to pay for it; whether you will or not depends on how complicated it will be. In any case, you likely need to lobby SDG&E and Ecotality to make sure it happens that way. Good luck.

I spoke with the contractor today. He couldn't guarantee what SDG&E and ECOTality will do, but he said that the situations like this he is aware of have been taken care of quickly and with no additional charge. I have about as simple an install as there is. Newer construction house with the meter directly on the other side of the garage wall from the Blink charger. At this point it's about a 15 minute job to install the socket for the second meter.