another hiccup to going solar?

[bnold]

I don’t use it for free. Hence the minimum charge for distribution.

No matter what my power bill can’t go to $0 unless I disconnect service.

The usage is net metered by month. Consumption - Generated = Delta * Rate = Energy Bill + Min Connection Fee for distribution, admin, fluff = Total Bill.

I’m looking at expanding the solar. Produced about 20MWh in the past 12 months. I’d like another 10MWh/year

 

[LD1]

I don’t use it for free. Hence the minimum charge for distribution.

No matter what my power bill can’t go to $0 unless I disconnect service.

The usage is net metered by month. Consumption - Generated = Delta * Rate = Energy Bill + Min Connection Fee for distribution, admin, fluff = Total Bill.

I’m looking at expanding the solar. Produced about 20MWh in the past 12 months. I’d like another 10MWh/year

In your case if the "rate" you are multiplying your delta by is ONLY the generation portion....and has NO bearing on the transmission and distribution costs to you or anyone else.....

Then yes....that's basically wholesale costs and I'm fine with that.
But electric bills I get from two different companies separate into 3 parts:

Generation/transmission
Distribution
Connection fee/service charge.

During peak solar output when you are
Feeding back into the grid and supplying your neighbors with power.....YOU should only get credit for the generation of electric.IE: whole sale price. Because you do not own the distribution side of the network that is supplying it to your neighbors. So you should not get that credit

 

[JasperFrank]

"EVs are draining the grid at night." - Iman

LOL... How dare you point that out!

It was something I was not aware of till the installer said, a grid inner tie is basicly a two way system. At night, if the system isn't designed correctly, Utility power can flow TO the panels, cause diodes are not perfect: And no one is going to tell you this.

 

[bnold]

In your case if the "rate" you are multiplying your delta by is ONLY the generation portion....and has NO bearing on the transmission and distribution costs to you or anyone else.....

Then yes....that's basically wholesale costs and I'm fine with that.
But electric bills I get from two different companies separate into 3 parts:

Generation/transmission
Distribution
Connection fee/service charge.

During peak solar output when you are
Feeding back into the grid and supplying your neighbors with power.....YOU should only get credit for the generation of electric.IE: whole sale price. Because you do not own the distribution side of the network that is supplying it to your neighbors. So you should not get that credit

Agree. I’m paying for transformers, poles, lines, etc… separately.

I’m only credited for the same wholesale electric price my coop would otherwise be paying Brazos Electric to purchase the power.

The wholesale electric price is the majority of the cost on the bill.

I pay $36/month flat (up from $25/month on a non-bidirectional meter)

Without solar my bill would have been $36 + $400 last month. So I’m good at eating away at the generation portion of the bill.

(Actually more, because we are back paying Brazos due to the chapter 11 bankruptcy from the 2021 freeze, but that is another story)

 

[LD1]

Agree. I’m paying for transformers, poles, lines, etc… separately.

I’m only credited for the same wholesale electric price my coop would otherwise be paying Brazos Electric to purchase the power.

The wholesale electric price is the majority of the cost on the bill.

I pay $36/month flat (up from $25/month on a non-bidirectional meter)

Without solar my bill would have been $36 + $400 last month. So I’m good at eating away at the generation portion of the bill.

(Actually more, because we are back paying Brazos due to the chapter 11 bankruptcy from the 2021 freeze, but that is another story)

Thats good.

But there are some people with solar out there that have electric companies that are VERY generous in their net-metering practices.

In which peoples usage is directly offset by their production of solar power at the retail rate. Including the metering, distribution, lines, poles, etc. And these are the people that are upset because they are going to have to start paying their share of the distribution network.....and their solar is only gonna offset the generation fees that that would otherwise be charged.

Again they are wanting to use the distribution network of the grid, and all maintenance associated with it for free.....or should I say at the expense of non-solar customers. Kinda a "im better than thou" mentality just because they put panels on their roof. And now whining because the playing field is being leveled to be more fair.

Dont get me wrong....If my electric company offered such generous net-metering terms I would have jumped too, and enjoyed it for as long as it lasted. I would have gratefully accepted the use of their infrastructure for free to use as my battery for as long as they would allow. But I wouldnt start whining or making a bug fuss about it when the time came to as my to pay my portion of distribution and maintenance on the infrastructure I have been using for free

 

[Roric]

In your case if the "rate" you are multiplying your delta by is ONLY the generation portion....and has NO bearing on the transmission and distribution costs to you or anyone else.....

Then yes....that's basically wholesale costs and I'm fine with that.
But electric bills I get from two different companies separate into 3 parts:

Generation/transmission
Distribution
Connection fee/service charge.

During peak solar output when you are
Feeding back into the grid and supplying your neighbors with power.....YOU should only get credit for the generation of electric.IE: whole sale price. Because you do not own the distribution side of the network that is supplying it to your neighbors. So you should not get that credit

The reasoning behind providing any advantages to small solar, wind and alternative energy providers or any rebates for electric vehicles is to provide a voluntary incentive to adopt these technologies. It is not a mandate.

These are a carrot-on-a-stick method to make it a more livable world attainable.
The Rural Electrification Act was mandated.
Polio vaccines were mandated.
The unleaded gasoline change was mandated.

It is regrettable that you found to be an unfair burden.

Acting without consideration of the future will be the unfair burden of those who come after us.
Our children, our children's children, and our children's children's children benefit from how we act almost a quarter of the way through the 21rst century.


regards,

R

 

[LD1]

The reasoning behind providing any advantages to small solar, wind and alternative energy providers or any rebates for electric vehicles is to provide a voluntary incentive to adopt these technologies. It is not a mandate.

These are a carrot-on-a-stick method to make it a more livable world attainable.
The Rural Electrification Act was mandated.
Polio vaccines were mandated.
The unleaded gasoline change was mandated.

It is regrettable that you found to be an unfair burden.

Acting without consideration of the future will be the unfair burden of those who come after us.
Our children, our children's children, and our children's children's children benefit from how we act almost a quarter of the way through the 21rst century.


regards,

R

It's nice that you see it that way but sadly it is t reality....

99% of the solar installs I see are on homes of pretty wealthy people. People that can easily afford solar even without the subsidies of everyone else.

The only reason they choose it is a simple investment. They could care less about the "consideration" of future generations. They only do it because it makes financial sense. And the wealthy are the few that can even afford it....because most of America cannot afford the initial cost even if ROI was 10 years or less.

Now it's the same wealthy people complaining because they are loosing their free subsidy. And it's sickening. And the fact that you want to use bleeding heart rhetoric about the "consideration" of future generations is sad.

And the constant subsidies (either by taxpayer rebates or the generous net metering policies) is directly slowing down the decline in the cost of solar installs and keeping prices inflated.

Get the damn government out of the energy sector and let free market run it's course.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

The reasoning behind providing any advantages to small solar, wind and alternative energy providers or any rebates for electric vehicles is to provide a voluntary incentive to adopt these technologies. It is not a mandate.

These are a carrot-on-a-stick method to make it a more livable world attainable.
The Rural Electrification Act was mandated.
Polio vaccines were mandated.
The unleaded gasoline change was mandated.

It is regrettable that you found to be an unfair burden.

Acting without consideration of the future will be the unfair burden of those who come after us.
Our children, our children's children, and our children's children's children benefit from how we act almost a quarter of the way through the 21rst century.


regards,

R

Most utilities stated that when saturation of small Renewable Energy happens due to incentives they would no longer be able to bare the costs of infrastruction needed to maintain a stable grid.
A stable grid can only be maintained by ramping up and ramping down "Base Load Power Generation".
Renewable energy will never provide "Base Load Power Generation" that is affordable.
RE "Base Load Power Generation" and distribution requires expensive batteries. Not going to happen on a grid wide basis.

 

[Roric]

I respect you having a viewpoint. I don't share it.
Your perception is your reality and you are welcome to see things as you do.

Does this mean all subsidies, tax breaks, bidding advantages and any other government advantages are to be cast aside?

Farmers have millions of dollars of acreage; yet there are multitudes of breaks that they can take advantage of. Do we base aid on their net worth?

Oil and gas companies have a myriad of different incentives, tax breaks and increment finance options. Do we base incentive spending on what is in style?

The wealthiest could not get the tax rebates for every solar installation. the rebates were not structured that way. Income over a certain level didn't qualify.

If the government is the problem that is in the way of production, consumption and deciding where the public good best served, what is the alternative you seek?
Who, then gets to decide?

Predatory capitalism and cannibalistic socialism are not the only choices.
There is a prudent mean: a more measured middle ground.

That is my perception and my reality

regards,

R

 

[oosik]

I don't think I'll ever experience the ups/downs of solar. It has been determined that there is insufficient sunlight here to justify solar. This could change as solar becomes more efficient. The current systems are simply too expensive and would be needing replacement long before any benefits would be realized.