BasilHayden
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Solar Update specifically for Southern California.
It seems the battle between the utilities and the consumers will never end, but we are actually approaching an interesting time in solar. Due to the greed of the utilities they are trying once again to change the "deal". The good news is that the CPUC is being reasonably fair to the consumers of California, but that doesn't mean the utilities are not winning small battles. Just such a battle is about to be won by the utilities, the question is when it goes into effect. As a result there is actually an opportunity for Solar Customers to take advantage of an opportunity.
The back story is this in a very simplified discussion. In order to slow down solar growth in Ca, the utilities have decided to change the Time of Use windows. Currently as you probably would assume the Peak rates are from 11am - 6pm while off peak is morning and evenings. It makes sense and of course they spent the last decade getting us to do our laundry and running our dishwashers in these off peak hours. Well with Net Metering, which all solar customers have, you over produce during peak hours and then buy your power back overnight when the system isn't producing. Well if they shift the Peak until 4pm to 9pm that changes the game a bit. If you were on time of use, you would be buying high and selling low under the new program. While it is a small setback for my industry, it is only estimated to be a 12% shift in the matrix. Being as you all just got another 10% increase last month, I'm going to be ok :eek. Plus pretty soon I will selling batteries in order to load shift out of peak rates.
Well if you took the time to read to here, and you have solar on your house, here is the prize. You need to change to the Solar TOU rates now.
If you are a NEM 1 customer -
You have a 20 year agreement with your utility whether SDGE, SCE, PGE etc. But you can still pick a rate plan.
Under the proposed ruling you will be grandfathered into the current TOU time periods for a period of 5 years.
In SDGE choose the DR-SES plan this has TOU payments.
In SCE you should choose TOU-DT for the TOU payments.
After that 5 year period expires and you have been gaming the utility for a little bonus arbitrage, you are able to switch back to the simple rate plan. In SDGE that is the DR plan, this has no TOU.
If you are a NEM 2 customer -
You also have a 20 year deal, but you already agreed to change to their upcoming TOU program once they like it. Sorry
But you can also lock in to the current time periods for 5 years!
This allows your system to give you the bonus arbitrage for the next five years before the utility can force you into their then current Solar TOU program.
BE CAREFUL - you will see when you go to the utility website they will try to tell you this is your worst choice. Well I will just let you decide who cares more for you. The utility has always had your back right?
These tips are for you whether you bought from Palomar or not...
Lastly, there are a few more SCE customers who can still get into NEM-1 if you call me NOW and you live in the right cities, ie. I may say no to Irvine as I just don't have time for their foolishness. It is still estimated that NEM 1 will expire in SCE in July though it could come sooner. I also am almost overbooked for May and June due to commercial deals that also have to beat this deadline. I care about all my customers but Im pretty sure the 800 panel customers are going to take precedent when they are holding very large checks pushing me to beat the deadline. If you are serious, and you give me the green light this month I will get you in before the lock. But if you wait until May, good luck to you.
Don't forget to tell my team RDSUX if you call the office so you get tagged as an inmate who gets special attention.
It seems the battle between the utilities and the consumers will never end, but we are actually approaching an interesting time in solar. Due to the greed of the utilities they are trying once again to change the "deal". The good news is that the CPUC is being reasonably fair to the consumers of California, but that doesn't mean the utilities are not winning small battles. Just such a battle is about to be won by the utilities, the question is when it goes into effect. As a result there is actually an opportunity for Solar Customers to take advantage of an opportunity.
The back story is this in a very simplified discussion. In order to slow down solar growth in Ca, the utilities have decided to change the Time of Use windows. Currently as you probably would assume the Peak rates are from 11am - 6pm while off peak is morning and evenings. It makes sense and of course they spent the last decade getting us to do our laundry and running our dishwashers in these off peak hours. Well with Net Metering, which all solar customers have, you over produce during peak hours and then buy your power back overnight when the system isn't producing. Well if they shift the Peak until 4pm to 9pm that changes the game a bit. If you were on time of use, you would be buying high and selling low under the new program. While it is a small setback for my industry, it is only estimated to be a 12% shift in the matrix. Being as you all just got another 10% increase last month, I'm going to be ok :eek. Plus pretty soon I will selling batteries in order to load shift out of peak rates.
Well if you took the time to read to here, and you have solar on your house, here is the prize. You need to change to the Solar TOU rates now.
If you are a NEM 1 customer -
You have a 20 year agreement with your utility whether SDGE, SCE, PGE etc. But you can still pick a rate plan.
Under the proposed ruling you will be grandfathered into the current TOU time periods for a period of 5 years.
In SDGE choose the DR-SES plan this has TOU payments.
In SCE you should choose TOU-DT for the TOU payments.
After that 5 year period expires and you have been gaming the utility for a little bonus arbitrage, you are able to switch back to the simple rate plan. In SDGE that is the DR plan, this has no TOU.
If you are a NEM 2 customer -
You also have a 20 year deal, but you already agreed to change to their upcoming TOU program once they like it. Sorry
But you can also lock in to the current time periods for 5 years!
This allows your system to give you the bonus arbitrage for the next five years before the utility can force you into their then current Solar TOU program.
BE CAREFUL - you will see when you go to the utility website they will try to tell you this is your worst choice. Well I will just let you decide who cares more for you. The utility has always had your back right?
These tips are for you whether you bought from Palomar or not...
Lastly, there are a few more SCE customers who can still get into NEM-1 if you call me NOW and you live in the right cities, ie. I may say no to Irvine as I just don't have time for their foolishness. It is still estimated that NEM 1 will expire in SCE in July though it could come sooner. I also am almost overbooked for May and June due to commercial deals that also have to beat this deadline. I care about all my customers but Im pretty sure the 800 panel customers are going to take precedent when they are holding very large checks pushing me to beat the deadline. If you are serious, and you give me the green light this month I will get you in before the lock. But if you wait until May, good luck to you.
Don't forget to tell my team RDSUX if you call the office so you get tagged as an inmate who gets special attention.
