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Old 05-20-14, 11:38 AM   #271
pinballlooking
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We are 1.25 MWh or $125 ahead for this year and increasing. Normally this would all be zeroed out June 1 with no payment for any of this power. We typically don’t need much heat or AC April and May and this is some of best solar producing months.

I have been working for months with the man in charge of “Regulatory Affairs” at Duke Power to change this date to March 1. This will allow people to build solar arrays and not over size them. Then they could maybe be able to Zero out their power bill. Net zero is want I am looking for as well (we still get a meter charge). I had also contacted to number one solar power installer in SC to help get this change.

I just received an email from Duke Power Manager - Regulatory Affairs and it has paid off.
They have put in for a zero out date change to change it to March 1 starting 2015 and if passed they will not zero us out this June 1. He expects it to be passed May 28.

I just spoke to the Office of Regulatory Staff in SC and they are going to endorse this change (or not oppose it) same thing in government talk. This makes a very good chance this will be approved on 28 may. (As Duke Energy stated)

I am so excited I was able to help in getting this change for us and all solar users in SC that use Duke Power. This is a big win for us.


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Old 05-21-14, 05:43 AM   #272
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Cool. I can see why they chose june 1 originally. Zero it out just before your biggest energy usage months so you will be buying more power from them instead of using accrued credits. I'm surprised they were willing to do the change at all.

Oh we are trying to get down to Spatranburg on the 31st and rent a car and check out the area. So if all goes well I might want to take a look at your system if you are available.
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Old 05-21-14, 08:25 AM   #273
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I sent you a PM

They are also trying to change ne meeting right now in SC Bill S 1189 and only grandfather current solar users for 6 years. They only want to credit us less for the solar we generate. (This is gray area right now) But they are going to allow leasing solar so they are saying it is good for SC. they are going to charge everybody $12 more a year to support solar development. They are raising the cap on business to add more solar.
S 1189 - South Carolina 2013-2014 Regular Session - Open States

I guess the zero out date change was an olive branch with a shot gun in the other hand.

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Old 05-21-14, 10:55 AM   #274
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pinballlooking View Post
They are also trying to change net meeting right now in SC Bill S 1189 and only grandfather current solar users for 6 years. They only want to credit us wholesale for the solar we generate. But they are going to allow leasing solar so they are saying it is good for SC. they are going to charge everybody $12 more a year to support solar development. They are raising the cap on business to add more solar.

I guess the zero out date change was an olive branch with a shot gun in the other hand.
Interesting shift if you encourage more businesses to use solar, but discourage the average homeowner who works an 8-5 job away from home and tends to produce credits during the day and debits at night, especially those homeowners who might be tempted to drive an EV.

Not sure where everyone's $12/yr will go. Does the electric company or the state collect the $12?
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Old 05-21-14, 01:29 PM   #275
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I have been talking to people all morning. Here are two parts of the bill for net metering customers.

This sounds what I have today except annually you pay us wholesale for extra power. (this is good)
(4) The utility shall maintain an account of any net excess kWh credits accruing from the customer-generator's excess generation and allow those kWh credits to be used to offset the customer-generator's energy usage during future billing periods. Annually, the utility shall pay the customer-generator for any accrued net excess generation at the utility's avoided cost for qualified facilities, zeroing-out the customer-generator's account of net excess kWh credits.

This is not clear what is this new rate? is it rate I will pay for extra power I use and not generate? I am only grandfathered for 6 years. Section 58-40-20. (A) Net energy metering rates approved by the commission under the terms of this chapter shall be the exclusive net energy metering rates available to customer-generators. Upon commission approval, such net energy metering rates shall supersede all prior net energy metering rates. Customer-generators whose net energy metering facilities were energized prior to the availability of net energy metering rates approved by the commission under the terms of this chapter may remain in historic net energy metering programs through December 31, 2020.
This is not very clear.

The $12 a year from everyone that get power from them extra will go to the power CO for “support solar development”

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Old 05-31-14, 11:02 PM   #276
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I am very excited we broke over 2 MWH in one month or 2,076 KWH. We should carry forward 1,700 kwh this should cover next winters heating. ( 750 was carried from last month)
We have made 8,267 KWh so far this year.

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Old 06-01-14, 07:15 AM   #277
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That is a very good thing!
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Old 06-01-14, 07:40 AM   #278
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That is a very good thing!

How did your system do last month?
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Old 06-01-14, 08:16 AM   #279
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Quote:
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How did your system do last month?
Pinball,
We had a very good month here too. I didn't measure my offgrid/interite but just with the intertie system I made 817KWH. I figure with both systems I made around 1.2MWH or a little more. As of the middle of May I'm up around $250.00 profit plus my free electricity for the year. Now we're coming into my best months, I should see close to $1k profit for the year which will cover my winter heating costs.
Rob
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Old 06-01-14, 08:55 AM   #280
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Quote:
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Pinball,
We had a very good month here too. I didn't measure my offgrid/interite but just with the intertie system I made 817KWH. I figure with both systems I made around 1.2MWH or a little more. As of the middle of May I'm up around $250.00 profit plus my free electricity for the year. Now we're coming into my best months, I should see close to $1k profit for the year which will cover my winter heating costs.
Rob
That is excellent. It looks like you make enough power to cover a EV.
We actually save more money on gas with the Volt than electric savings. You can't get much greener driving than a solar power car.

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