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Old 06-01-14, 06:32 PM   #281
where2
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How did your system do last month?
May produced 632kWh from my 4.4kW PV system. $34.43 electric bill last month (last 8 days of April, first 22 days of May). Best day was a 25.7kWh day on May 5th. Two of my three best days this year were in May.

Collected 2.65MWh year to date.

If I could only figure out how to ground mount another 10 panels in the yard to withstand a 3-second gust of 160mph to kick my electric bill down to the $7.57 base fee and roll some credits into summer to cover a portion of the A/C bill. As it is, the A/C ran 88 hours last month.


Last edited by where2; 06-01-14 at 10:48 PM..
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Old 06-01-14, 09:08 PM   #282
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My brother has a system, but I do not, yet.

His system (6.37kW) collected 774kWh in May, and 797kWh in April. 2.98 MWh for this year to date.

They are coming up on the 1 year anniversary of having their system online. Lifetime output (a few weeks shy of the full year) is 6.92MWh.

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Old 06-02-14, 08:35 AM   #283
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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”
What's going on here is that there is a powerful movement spearheaded by Charles Koch (pronounced Coke for all those not familiar with him). Koch is calling all net metering advocates "free riders" and has started a defensive group called ALEC.

The bottom line is that Koch is an oil and energy conglomerate (read monopoly) not simply happy with the fact that Koch industries made him nine billion dollars last year, he wants to control ALL the energy. PV and wind represent autonomy to him and money he is not getting when we use EV's (electric vehicles) or sell energy back to the grid. So ALEC is attempting to control the PV, etc. and deter new PV systems by individuals. PV systems established by power companies are OK because the wealth, through energy, is still controlled by the power company and thus they have the advantage of charging anything they want along with the fact that they eliminate those of us who are working towards energy independence.
No one told Charles Koch that the sun is still free and the energy from fossil fuel he's selling is still energy that was created by the sun!

So think about this, why should any power company have the right to zero out our gain? Do they zero out customers' bills every year?

Last month Germany produced 74% of its power from alternates, I'm wondering if the Koch brothers can stop that movement. The twenty first century will be the century of alternate energy, no country will be able to compete in the industrial world without adopting a massive alternate energy infrastructure. China, Germany and a bunch of other countries already know that... we're already behind.

Rob
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Old 06-02-14, 07:48 PM   #284
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Yes it very familiar
The Koch brothers are going after solar panels - Salon.com


Duke Energy is trying to make us look like the bad guys.

http://www.duke-energy.com/south-car...ergy/solar.asp

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Old 06-02-14, 11:53 PM   #285
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Duke Energy is trying to make use look like the bad guys.
Duke's little PDF editorial in the side bar read like every other ALEC based model.

I still do not understand why a system with meters that keep track of what you send from your PV system to the grid and what your home recovers from the grid cannot determine what to charge for grid infrastructure costs? The Utilities always seem to lean toward "fixed monthly cost" solar connection pricing models, in which case why is my distribution charge without a PV system all relative to the total kWh consumed?

I continue to automate my home in an effort to minimize my net meter kWh every month.
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Old 06-03-14, 09:51 AM   #286
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I talked to one environmental group that was working with duke energy and they said duke was pushing for a fixed charge pre KW installed per month like $5 pre KW.
That would not be good for me at all 62.50 + meter fee 70.79 + new solar fee 71.79 a month + my eclectic usage. This sounds fair to them.

If they can get this approved I need battery tech to improve at a lower cost. Maybe EV batteries that we no longer work in cars but are great for solar storage will be cost effective.

I guess I would switch to gas dryer and gas stove and look at AC coupling to get off grid.
For right now I have to wait and go to every meeting I can to help promote good change.


It is funny electric companies want guaranteed returns on all their investments but we invest in solar under current rules and they want to change the rules to and kill our investments in solar.
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Old 06-04-14, 07:11 AM   #287
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I talked to one environmental group that was working with duke energy and they said duke was pushing for a fixed charge pre KW installed per month like $5 pre KW.
That would not be good for me at all 62.50 + meter fee 70.79 + new solar fee 71.79 a month + my eclectic usage. This sounds fair to them.

If they can get this approved I need battery tech to improve at a lower cost. Maybe EV batteries that we no longer work in cars but are great for solar storage will be cost effective.

I guess I would switch to gas dryer and gas stove and look at AC coupling to get off grid.
For right now I have to wait and go to every meeting I can to help promote good change.


It is funny electric companies want guaranteed returns on all their investments but we invest in solar under current rules and they want to change the rules to and kill our investments in solar.
I just got this email:



While I have Solar World modules here I'm wondering if this isn't a way to cut diminishing PV install costs and slow down US PV growth. Hike the price of modules and hike up the intertie costs to slow things down.
These guys are ruthless, I don't put anything past them! What Duke is doing to you is a crime and I know people on ConEd in the lower part of the state with the same type of fees. Keep the money in the monopoly, keep control and keep high end user costs.

Rob

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Old 06-04-14, 12:12 PM   #288
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All their rates have to be approved but the give big money to everyone in the Gov and they get a good return on their investment. I guess that is why they keep doing it.

I have not had any issues with my Enphase 215 microinverters but a solar installer sold new unused extra one on ebay. It was a decent deal so I picked up an extra one. I have 54 microinverters one will go bad at some point. They have a 25 year warranty but it will take some time to get a replacement. So now if one goes bad I can just swap it out with the spare microinverter.

Mark
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Old 06-04-14, 03:03 PM   #289
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Duke Energy just emailed me

Historic solar law signed in South Carolina
This week, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley signed into law a consensus solar bill that will open up the state for more solar power development.

Supported by utilities like Duke Energy - plus a number of environmental and consumer groups - the law opens up the possibility of Duke Energy expanding its generation base in the state by building solar power facilities. It also opens the way for residents to lease solar panels without paying high up-front installation costs. Plus, it includes special programs to bring solar to schools, churches and other nonprofits.

The South Carolina Public Service Commission is now tasked with implementing the new law. As a first step, it is expected to examine net metering, which is a billing option that credits solar customers for the full retail value of the energy they generate and send back to the grid. Those customers remain connected to the electric grid 100 percent of the time and use the utility to balance their electricity needs when their solar panels can't produce enough power. In many states, net metering rules are being modified to be fairer to all customers - solar and non-solar.

Now we wait and see what South Carolina Public Service Commission comes up with.

It looks like I will be grandfathered in "Through December 31, 2020"

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Old 06-05-14, 11:03 AM   #290
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I just got the word that the Zero out date was changed yesterday. Duke power will not zero us out this year and the new zero out date will be March 1. This is good news and I will be able to push or carry over my spring surplus to summer and then winter.

NetZero could be within reach!

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