voltiar said:
Any SCE solar experts here? I am wondering how to maximize my savings with solar and SCE. I've had panels for about 3 months and am getting near a zero balance for this month. Next month I should start racking up credits, which is sooner than I thought. My question is, does it make sense to force myself into the Tier 2 rate (TOU-D-TEV) this summer by using up more electricity? The way I see it, the faster I am in Tier 2, the better the ratio of daytime credits to super off peak and off peak. So I'll be getting 3.5 times the credits at .60/.17 (Tier 2), rather than 1.75 times at .19/.11 (Tier 1). I'd like to be a little more generous with the A/C this summer too; although I realize that will tap into my credits most unless I run on the weekends. So far very happy with my 6000 watt solar system.
Also, is this bound to end? I'd imagine SCE will eventually close this loophole but am wondering if they'd be forced by law to grandfather us in. A lot of people factored in the cost of a system based on the ratios SCE set up and the net meetering system. And what of all the leasing companies who sell energy at a fixed rate? I'd imagine they'd go belly up if the model changed.
Nope, sorry, that plan won't work. One problem is that more of your Off Peak and Super Off Peak power use will also climb into Tier 2, and there are about twice as many Off Peak hours in most months than there are Peak hours. So more of your power use on weekends and evenings will get more than twice as expensive. Secondly, the formula that SCE uses is more complex than your math would predict. The actual math works against you because the more power you use in any time period, the lower the ratio of your solar Tier 2 credits to your total usage. So your credit dollars drop.
Same with increasing your AC use. As you say, for every kWh of AC that you use during PEAK hours, that's one kWh of solar generation that you're canceling out from helping to build your credit balance that you'll need later in the year. It's better to use AC in Off Peak hours, but increasing any power usage is detrimental to your bill compared with not increasing it. That's not to say that you shouldn't enjoy your solar and be comfortable. I'm just responding to your question about whether it will actually help you to build solar credits. It won't.
By the way, my most recent info about rates is as follows:
Home & Electric Vehicle Plan (TOU-D-TEV)
Summer
On Peak
Level 1 Rate - $0.19/ kWh
Level 2 Rate - $0.70/ kWh
Off Peak
Level 1 Rate - $0.13/ kWh
Level 2 Rate - $0.31/ kWh
Super Off Peak
Level 1 Rate - $0.10/ kWh
Level 2 Rate - $0.19/ kWh
Winter
On Peak
Level 1 Rate - $0.13/ kWh
Level 2 Rate - $0.30/ kWh
Off Peak
Level 1 Rate - $0.13/ kWh
Level 2 Rate - $0.27/ kWh
Super Off Peak
Level 1 Rate - $0.10/ kWh
Level 2 Rate - $0.19/ kWh
If you'd like to play with a spreadsheet so you can see what happens when you increase your usage during different time periods, send me a PM with your email address and I'll customize a sheet and send it to you.
As far as whether this will come to an end, that's not clear. If you play "what if" games, clearly if 90% of households had rooftop solar and paid no electric bill, the remaining 10% of ratepayers would be overburdened with paying for imported power and the upgkeep of the grid. But we're nowhere near those percentages. Solar rooftops are a tiny percentage of overall homes in the state. As I mentioned in this thread: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=11774" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; the utilities are trying to add charges for our use of their grid as a storage device. So far, the CPUC has denied their claims. However, there will be a hold on new net metering applications at the end of 2014 so that the CPUC can review the cost studies to make sure that regular rate payers aren't footing a bill for our use of the grid. In casual conversations with SCE staff, I've been told that we'll be grandfathered to some extent, but that remains to be seen. If you think as I do that the benefits of rooftop solar to the state outweigh the costs, sign petitions and let lawmakers and the CPUC know your feelings.
Thanks!
