De-mystifying your PG&E Solar Power Bill

Aaron Sal

We’re trying to decide now on which plan to use (the peak/off-peak or the standard rates plan). The PG+E person told me that if we’re having someone at home during the peak hours, we may be better off with the standard plan. Does that sound right? We have a 2.4kWp system installed. Does that matter? Or should we just go with the TOU plan? Thanks

David Llorens

Aaron, What PGE is telling you doesn’t make a lot of sense.

The bottom line is that if you have a solar system of any type, you want to rock the PG&E time of use schedule (E7). The solar powered energy you’re producing is often worth four times as much as the non-peak hours, because peak hours are during the sunniest periods (For the moment, peak hours are noon-six).

Doesn’t matter if you have someone home during the day or not, the power you are produce with your system is constant, and that power is worth more if you use TOU.

Dan Hahn

Dave,

Let’s say you go on vacation and you’re on the E7 rate plan. Are you able to sell the peak power you produce back to PG&E for more than off-peak rates?

David Llorens

Dan,

You are credited for the power your produce at the same rate you are charged for it. So if you are producing net power, you’re getting credited…. If you’re using net power, you’re getting charged.

If you go on vacation, PGE would be crediting your account more cash with E7 since the photovoltaic system is pumping out the most power during peak hours.

You can’t “SELL” your power to PGE unless you setup a contract to sell solar credits with them. To most people this doesn’t matter because they will be net power consumers at the end of the year.

Here is some more info about “net metering.”

Dan Hahn

Right Dave,

So, if you’re on vacation and you’re on the E7 rate plan, PG&E is crediting your account during noon-6pm using the PEAK rate schedule above?

[...] De-mystifying your PG&E Solar Power Bill – 1 emails [...]

Dave Bagshaw

I have a solar electric system on my house. I also have an electric hot tub and pool. I am on E1 because in the summer I have to run the pool pump to send water thru the pool solar collectors. Should I be on E7? Do you ever do consulting to help people decipher the bill and figure out whether E7 is better? Do you know anyone who does?

Thanks Dave B.

MHS

I have the same pool pump situation, but I am doing better on E-7. If you did not install enough solar capacity E1 might be better, but during the summer I am still selling power to PG&E on peak so E7 is worth it.
If you run your pool pump during they day in the winter E-6 might be worth it, but I have not checked.

Paul Hernday

Hi,

I like the idea of your website, as I am an activist too. But I can’t read it given the unfortunate choice of black background and type font. Also, I can’t make paper copies because it eats black ink.

Any chance you could lose the black?

Paul

Nelle

Hi.
My usuage is higher than what my solar system is generating. I generate about 100 kw per day on a clear day. I use in summer months between 5-6,000Kw in the summer with air conditioning and about 3,000 in the winter. I am on E-8 which I think is the correct plan due to usuage is higher in the summer. Is that correct? Also, I was told I would check monthly check’s for the power I am generating as a rebate for 5 years instead of one lump payment. Is that correct or does that just show up as a credit on my power bill?

Linda Agerbak

I put in pv 2 years ago. Every day I go out and enjoy seeing the numbers going down on the meter. Perfect! I look forward to the day when people put in bigger, more efficient arrays, so that through their extra Kw, PG&E will pay them in effect for the installation.

Maureen

We live in Humboldt county close to the ocean. We get a lot of fog and don’t have anywhere near the sun that we did in So CAL. We are ready to install solar because our PG and E bills are on a tiered system and are charged 30-34 cents Kw. once we reach the top two tiers. Because we are not sure how much electricity this solar system will generate, do you have any recommendations as to how we should go about selecting the rate plan?

R. Krinsky

Hi;
We are about to install a Solar Voltaic system with 24 panels which the installer estimates will generate 3.7KWH he also tells us that PG&E keeps changing things like the rate plans. We live in Northern California and do not get as much sun as other areas. We may try to install another 12 panels depending on the engineers report regarding the roof. This is now the beginning of June 08. Can you tell us what the current rate plans are? We have also been told that we must get a TOU meter but that it will not cost anything to install. Does that sound right?

[...] This is a great time for his system to be “selling” electricity back to PG&E. Solarpowerrocks provides a great look at how to go about picking the interconnection agreement that’s best [...]

Tom Jolly

Our house was not south-facing and we ending up with panels pointing pretty far to the west. The interesting result of this is we hit peak power around 2-3PM. Now I’m wondering if E7 people are better off with panels that AREN’T directly south facing, since you can get a better power return between 12-6 (peak usage) set up like I am.

Eric

I am confused about one aspect of E6:
how much of baseline usage allowance
(12kw per day in my case) is assigned to
the off peak , partial peak, and peak times?
PG&E can’t answer this for me, but one
person at their solar office indicated it was divided into thirds–4kW per day for each
of the three periods. This would be a problem for me since I would end up in expensive tiers during the off peak period

JB Cockrell

I’m looking at installing a solar system that will also be tied to the grid. (PG&E)

What happens if my system produces more power than I use on an annual basis?

think

i dont know what to do! we can no longer afford to pay $2000. a month for power there is only two of us and we are on a master meter (is that right or is it working agenst me?) I would love to go green but dont think i can afford to have it installed what can i do? please help!!!

M Light

We are in the process of installing a 5.5Kw system on our home in Aptos, CA. Our installer told us we’d need to whack down some ugly eucalyptus trees and that we could add the cost for Fed solar credits. Is this true?

BTW, your site was really “insightful”. Thanks, ML

matt

We have a 5kw system in Soquel, CA.
We’ve been up and running years but PB&E just installed the NEMeter last week.
We are on E1 now and need to decide a swith to E6 or E7. Questions: since we’ve been approved and operating sine 5/07 do we have the E7 option still? We run a hot tub, a six hundred foot well and pressure pumps for out water system, and an an apartment above our gargage. Each month we’ve hit the 41cent/kw. Is E1 a better call. can we swith back to E1 if this doesn’t work in our favor. How do i get the “all electric” rate.

Bob

I plan to install a 3kwh photovoltaic system on my home. The system should produce around 15 kw each day during the peak time-of-use period (1-7pm). Will PG&E credit me at the peak Tier 1 rate (29 cents) for each kw produced during the peak period, or some other amount? And what will the credit amount be for kw hours produced during the part-peak hours and the off-peak hours?