Tesla Solar Rental - No removal cost in Sept

[akkord]

It'd pull from the grid since you're not generating anything from the panels at night.  Assuming no battery or credits.

This is a bonus. So would this pull from the grid at night?

 

[eyephone]

I?ll just wait. Maybe a better deal?

 

[Cares]

Looks like I can also plug in an EV directly into the Solar Edge single phase inverter.  Saves me the cost of getting an EV plug installed.

This is a bonus. So would this pull from the grid at night?

I looked into this and while it sounds attractive, for me it was impractical. My inverter is installed outside my house whereas I want to park my car inside the garage. I don't want to run a charging cable all the way around. Plus the only benefit of it is if you can charge during the daytime which most people work.

 

[woodburyowner]

Looks like I can also plug in an EV directly into the Solar Edge single phase inverter.  Saves me the cost of getting an EV plug installed.

This is a bonus. So would this pull from the grid at night?

I looked into this and while it sounds attractive, for me it was impractical. My inverter is installed outside my house whereas I want to park my car inside the garage. I don't want to run a charging cable all the way around. Plus the only benefit of it is if you can charge during the daytime which most people work.

Any particular reason why you installed the inverter outside your house vs. inside? 

Also with a TOU plan, it's always better to charge during non-peak hours.  With net metering all that matters is when you are using the electricity.  The generation is separate and doesn't matter if you use it at the same time or if you send it back to the grid.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Also with a TOU plan, it's always better to charge during non-peak hours.  With net metering all that matters is when you are using the electricity.  The generation is separate and doesn't matter if you use it at the same time or if you send it back to the grid.

That's what I thought.

If you generate X Kw per day, you should be able to use close to X Kw at night right? Or else you would really need the Tesla Powerwall.

 

[woodburyowner]

Got the proposal today for a 3.78kw system.  Uses Solar Edge single phase inverter + power optimizers due the panels being installed on multiple areas of my roof.  Panels are Hanwha Q Cells.  Total expected generation is 6100 kWh annually.

Got an update from the Tesla sales rep stating that the Solar Edge inverter they install does NOT come with an optional EV charging port.  Let's see what actually shows up at my house.

 

[woodburyowner]

Also with a TOU plan, it's always better to charge during non-peak hours.  With net metering all that matters is when you are using the electricity.  The generation is separate and doesn't matter if you use it at the same time or if you send it back to the grid.

That's what I thought.

If you generate X Kw per day, you should be able to use close to X Kw at night right? Or else you would really need the Tesla Powerwall.

I think it's better to view it as a house generating X dollar amount and then it's up to you on how you want to use it.  Burn through the $ during the day or get 3x the value during the night.

 

[eyephone]

Also with a TOU plan, it's always better to charge during non-peak hours.  With net metering all that matters is when you are using the electricity.  The generation is separate and doesn't matter if you use it at the same time or if you send it back to the grid.

That's what I thought.

If you generate X Kw per day, you should be able to use close to X Kw at night right? Or else you would really need the Tesla Powerwall.

Battery is the way to go

 

[Cares]

Looks like I can also plug in an EV directly into the Solar Edge single phase inverter.  Saves me the cost of getting an EV plug installed.

This is a bonus. So would this pull from the grid at night?

I looked into this and while it sounds attractive, for me it was impractical. My inverter is installed outside my house whereas I want to park my car inside the garage. I don't want to run a charging cable all the way around. Plus the only benefit of it is if you can charge during the daytime which most people work.

Any particular reason why you installed the inverter outside your house vs. inside? 

Also with a TOU plan, it's always better to charge during non-peak hours.  With net metering all that matters is when you are using the electricity.  The generation is separate and doesn't matter if you use it at the same time or if you send it back to the grid.

The advantage is that you have less energy loss conversion from DC to AC etc if you charge directly from the inverter. So you gain some efficiencies so it does make a difference.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Hmm... I actually never broke down the math with net metering using the TOU exchange rate (but someone says I'm bad at math anyways).

For example (hypothetical numbers), I generate 10kW during the day and the rate is $0.40/kW so I create $4 credit? And at night, if I use 10kW and the rate is $0.20/kW, I only use up $2 of that credit?

Hmm... makes buying seem better. Are there restrictions to the credits? I know you guys mentioned that these plans change all the time but can SCE change the exchange rate?

EDIT: Stuff I read on SCE says they just use kWH generated/consumed... but does mention TOU. Confused.

 

[Kings]

For example (hypothetical numbers), I generate 10kW during the day and the rate is $0.40/kW so I create $4 credit? And at night, if I use 10kW and the rate is $0.20/kW, I only use up $2 of that credit?

if you were to net generate a flat 10 kW when the rates are $0.40/kWh, then yes you would receive a credit on your bill for $4 for that hour.  same for the hour using 10 kW at $0.20/kWh charging you $2.  unfortunately, with the new tou periods, your ability to generate electricity with solar is very low during the $0.40/kWh tou period (4 pm - 9 pm), as the sun is on its way out.  too much solar on the grid has caused sce and other investor owned utilities to change their tou periods because there is a big drop off in renewable generation put onto the grid when the sun goes down and when people get home and blast their air conditioner and run their appliances.

Hmm... makes buying seem better. Are there restrictions to the credits? I know you guys mentioned that these plans change all the time but can SCE change the exchange rate?

your system must be sized "appropriately" for your consumption (i.e. you can't build a system that generates you 5x your annual consumption).  at a certain point, you no longer receive full value (i.e. $0.40/kWh) for your generation if you generate too much.  and yes, rates change as often as quarterly.

EDIT: Stuff I read on SCE says they just use kWH generated/consumed... but does mention TOU. Confused.

kWh at different tou periods return different $ values, as you explained in the initial part of your post.  this will all be totaled at the end of the month for you on your bill.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Hah. That?s why TOU changed.

I?m on an old plan that ends at 6pm.

 

[Kings]

Hah. That?s why TOU changed.

I?m on an old plan that ends at 6pm.

The utilities and several major environmental groups see time-of-use rates as a valuable tool to help clean up the state?s power supply. California has a growing abundance of cheap solar power during the middle of the day, so much that utilities sometimes have been forced to pay other states to take it. But the sun goes down every evening just as people get home from work, forcing utilities to fire up expensive, polluting gas plants.

Time-varying rates are meant to encourage homes and businesses to shift their power use away from high-demand periods, when energy is dirtier and more expensive, and toward low-demand periods when energy is cleaner and less expensive.

https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-time-use-electricity-rates-20190103-story.html

 

[eyephone]

That?s why I mentioned the battery.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

So the utilities should start buying Tesla Powerwalls to store that excess clean energy for evening usage.

 

[eyephone]

There?s a DIY battery storage video (at your own risk) 

 

[irvinehomeowner]

There?s a DIY battery storage video (at your own risk) 

Hah. I?ll just string together a bunch of Eneloops from Costco.

 

[woodburyowner]

Looks like I can also plug in an EV directly into the Solar Edge single phase inverter.  Saves me the cost of getting an EV plug installed.

This is a bonus. So would this pull from the grid at night?

I looked into this and while it sounds attractive, for me it was impractical. My inverter is installed outside my house whereas I want to park my car inside the garage. I don't want to run a charging cable all the way around. Plus the only benefit of it is if you can charge during the daytime which most people work.

Any particular reason why you installed the inverter outside your house vs. inside? 

Also with a TOU plan, it's always better to charge during non-peak hours.  With net metering all that matters is when you are using the electricity.  The generation is separate and doesn't matter if you use it at the same time or if you send it back to the grid.

The advantage is that you have less energy loss conversion from DC to AC etc if you charge directly from the inverter. So you gain some efficiencies so it does make a difference.

The Solaredge inverter spec sheet states 99.2% maximum efficiency / 99% CEC weighted efficiency.  Sounds more like a rounding error unless I am misinterpreting this spec. 

 

[Cares]

Looks like I can also plug in an EV directly into the Solar Edge single phase inverter.  Saves me the cost of getting an EV plug installed.

This is a bonus. So would this pull from the grid at night?

I looked into this and while it sounds attractive, for me it was impractical. My inverter is installed outside my house whereas I want to park my car inside the garage. I don't want to run a charging cable all the way around. Plus the only benefit of it is if you can charge during the daytime which most people work.

Any particular reason why you installed the inverter outside your house vs. inside? 

Also with a TOU plan, it's always better to charge during non-peak hours.  With net metering all that matters is when you are using the electricity.  The generation is separate and doesn't matter if you use it at the same time or if you send it back to the grid.

The advantage is that you have less energy loss conversion from DC to AC etc if you charge directly from the inverter. So you gain some efficiencies so it does make a difference.

The Solaredge inverter spec sheet states 99.2% maximum efficiency / 99% CEC weighted efficiency.  Sounds more like a rounding error unless I am misinterpreting this spec.

So when your panels generate solar energy and feeds back to the grid for credit you don't get 100% of the generation. But if you directly charge from the solar energy generated you get 100% of the generation. It might be negligible but it is better than nothing. Either way, I'm not a fan of it and it doesn't charge as fast as my 60 amp installation.

 

[eyephone]

I might do the monthly.