Going Solar

Post by **ColdHouse** » Tue. Mar. 26, 2024 4:39 pm

BigBarney wrote: ↑Tue. Mar. 26, 2024 3:30 pm That is a good deal but could be ending soon as in California now...

Only get avoided energy cost by the utility....

Getting full value also gives you the delivery charge ...

That's not right only the energy cost part of your bill...

BigBarney

I signed 20 year contract last year.
Full retail including delivery charge. Everything at full retail.

Post by **ColdHouse** » Wed. Mar. 27, 2024 9:40 am

BigBarney wrote: ↑Tue. Mar. 26, 2024 12:34 pm You need to look at a way to use that energy and not export it...

What do you get paid for the exported energy???

How do you heat your house??

BigBarney

Here’s a quick example of how it all works:
A customer installs a solar system on their roof. In the first month, the solar panels send 500 kWh of electricity to the grid during the days when they produce more energy than the customer needs. During the evenings, the customer draws a total of 400 kWh from the grid. This means the customer has generated an excess of 100 kWh during the month.

The utility multiples those 100 kWh by the retail rate (we’ll just use a ballpark figure of $0.21/kWh for simplicity), which generates a $21 credit that will be applied to the customer’s bill the next month.

If the customer’s system generates a surplus again the next month, the new credit will be added to the old credit. These credits will be used during a month in which the customer’s solar system sends less excess energy to the grid than the customer draws from the grid at night.
https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/connecticut-net ... nt-program

Post by **BigBarney** » Wed. Mar. 27, 2024 10:06 pm

I had a contract like that for a windmill in 1980...

The problem with that is TIME when you produce the surplus...

The value of the power is constantly changing by the time of day...

Why should a utility buy energy from solar providers when they

can get low cost or free energy at the same time??

There are even times when power suppliers pay for someone to

take the energy...

BIgBarney

Post by **ColdHouse** » Thu. Mar. 28, 2024 9:13 am

BigBarney wrote: ↑Wed. Mar. 27, 2024 10:06 pm I had a contract like that for a windmill in 1980...

The problem with that is TIME when you produce the surplus...

The value of the power is constantly changing by the time of day...

Why should a utility buy energy from solar providers when they

can get low cost or free energy at the same time??

There are even times when power suppliers pay for someone to

take the energy...

BIgBarney

The rate is not based on time produced or consumed. There is a summer rate and a winter rate. I get full retail at those rates.
They actually pay a few cents above full retail.
Anything exported in a month offsets anything imported in the same month with zero money exchanged. Any surplus or deficit is charged or credited at the full retail rate including all costs, and fees.
So surplus in Spring, Summer, Fall will end up in money at the end of each month into my account and when winter comes or any month where I consume more than I produce, the money in my account will pay the bill.
Cannot cash out the account unless you move or discontinue service.
So all that surplus that you think I should find a way to consume rather than export actually goes to the grid and I get it back at no cost when I need it. As mentioned I actually make a few pennies extra for every KWH I produce. Note that few extra cents per kwh produced is for every kwh generated whether I used it or sent it to the grid.

Post by **BigBarney** » Fri. Mar. 29, 2024 11:58 pm

Are they paying you on the total cost of electric??

With the delivery costs and the energy cost added together...

Or only on the avoided energy costs?

My delivery is almost always more than energy costs ...

You have no way to provide delivery ...

BigBarney

Post by **ColdHouse** » Sat. Mar. 30, 2024 4:26 am

BigBarney wrote: ↑Fri. Mar. 29, 2024 11:58 pm Are they paying you on the total cost of electric??

With the delivery costs and the energy cost added together...

Or only on the avoided energy costs?

My delivery is almost always more than energy costs ...

You have no way to provide delivery ...

BigBarney

Are they paying you on the total cost of electric??

With the delivery costs and the energy cost added together...
Asked and answered many times already. YES

All the costs and delivery charges and fees to get the electricity at the current retail rate being charged. And, they even pay a little extra for every kwh produced.

Post by **ColdHouse** » Wed. Apr. 10, 2024 4:51 am

Screen Shot 2024-04-10 at 4.48.20 AM.png

Screen Shot 2024-04-10 at 4.49.07 AM.png

Post by **Hootyburra** » Wed. Apr. 10, 2024 6:25 pm

ColdHouse wrote: ↑Wed. Apr. 10, 2024 4:51 am Screen Shot 2024-04-10 at 4.48.20 AM.pngScreen Shot 2024-04-10 at 4.49.07 AM.png

Nice curve! Where's the eclipse dip?

Post by **k-2** » Wed. Apr. 10, 2024 7:37 pm

My friend with the north facing panels said today that his 16 panels produceas little as 5kw in winter and 30 to 40 a day in summer. Does that sound right? Im surprised he even gets 5 in the shade.

Post by **ColdHouse** » Wed. Apr. 10, 2024 7:57 pm

k-2 wrote: ↑Wed. Apr. 10, 2024 7:37 pm My friend with the north facing panels said today that his 16 panels produceas little as 5kw in winter and 30 to 40 a day in summer. Does that sound right? Im surprised he even gets 5 in the shade.

I have 40, 400 watt panels all south facing. I have a hill behind me. In winter the hill blocks the sun most of the day and on the best day of the worst month I get less than 10kwh of production. As you can see on April 9 almost got 80kwh. However everyday is not sunshine. Today was worse. On overcast rainy days it is not good. I am hoping that some great days of sun will help for bad days and months.

Screen Shot 2024-04-10 at 7.55.50 PM.png

Screen Shot 2024-04-10 at 7.56.01 PM.png

Post by **Freddy** » Wed. Apr. 10, 2024 9:28 pm

Hootyburra wrote: Nice curve! Where's the eclipse dip?

Here's two photos of my eclipse dip. They show April 8th & 9th. One shows the time of deepest dip.... exactly 3:30 (15:30)

Post by **ColdHouse** » Thu. Apr. 11, 2024 5:01 am

Day of eclipse.

Screen Shot 2024-04-11 at 5.02.59 AM.png

Post by **Hootyburra** » Thu. Apr. 11, 2024 4:55 pm

Nice dips. Wish it weren't cloud covered and raining here... I barely even noticed it.

I'd belive the winter vs summer, I have ~8000W facing S and ~2800W facing W.
(I added panels in November.)

Post by **ColdHouse** » Wed. Apr. 24, 2024 6:51 am

On a perfectly sunny day in mid April I am now producing over 90kwh per day. On a rainy overcast day earlier in the month 7.8kwh.

The worst month so far was January producing only 221.7 or average 7.15kwh per day. The best day in January produced 15.4kwh. The worst day 0. The best day in December only produced 12.8.