New True-up bill- another year on the books

Our yearly PGE bill for our electricity used that we did not produce-  The actually charges would have been $64.20 for the year, which would have been pretty good by itself.  But due to credits we get for being a grid-tied producer of electricity for PGE, that was knocked down to $15.38 for the year which is pretty close to free at that price. . .

Whats this? The next bill from PGE has a $31.00 climate credit which the bill says will be given to residential customers twice a year. That makes our electricity cost free for the year, and next year, and as long as we can keep our cost at or around $15 a year, free for the foreseeable future. . .

2012-2013 True-up period- PG and E and low rate of PG and E refund for excess production

We have just finished the most recent true-up period this month.  For the year, our electricity cost from the true-up bill was just under $20.00.  Not too shabby.

And, we wondered about adding a bit to the system to get to the point we would over produce for a change.  We were told that it would not work that way.  We could shoot for the $20 mark, which may only take an additional panel.  It would not be economical to just add a panel or two just to get that cost down.  And in the event we went over, PG and E would only reimburse us at the rate of four cents a Kilowatt hour.  What a deal for them. Not too different than it used to be actually when they would just lob off the excess production at year end and not let us use it or reimburse us for it.  Four cents?   Yikes. I guess we are at their mercy if we are on the grid.  Oh, and there is also this. . . No amount of any over production can be used in an off-set of other fees charged over the year. So the $5.00-$6.00 charged in taxes and other fees that everyone pays, would still have to be paid.

True-up Electric billing for 2011

Our true-up electricity bill for the year was $46.14 for electricity used that we did not create ourselves. Add in the monthly charges that are administrative in nature, and it goes up to $110. This is still pretty good. In 2008, our total cost was $125.00 with administrative cost added in. We could easily be using $100.00 per month in electricity at least in the summer months.

Cleaning Solar panels

Things are changing pretty fast in solar as far as cleaning goes. A couple of years ago when I searched for information about cleaning solar panels, it looked like no one had anything to say. Now it is different. Not only do you have information suggesting dirty panels can cost at least 10% loss in production, but there are cleaning services listed in some communities, and there are automated cleaning systems.

One is here: http://www.solarpanelcleaningsystems.com/solar-panel-cleaning-services.php#pl

This is a system that includes a sprayer for each panel, filters and soap dispensers. It can be set to rinse between wash cycles. I am not suggesting this is the answer. It is hard for me to see just how effective this system would be in my area where it takes a bit of scrubbing to get the dirt off. But if you are in a fairly low dirt area, it might be fine for you.

Unscheduled Solar panel maintenance

Actually, there is so little maintenance for these things. You may think though that you can just set up and let it go forever. That may be true, but you should check thigs out from time to time.

Here, in a quick check earlier today I realized that a tree branch had grown out over one section of the panels since I had looked a bit ago. It was shading the panels form around noon on. True, it was only a small portion of our total panel area, but that can add up to a big problem over the long haul. These things are wired in series, so a small area of shade can degrade production of the entire system.

I cut a few branches, and our output went from around 1100 watts to 1400 watts, and higher. That difference can add up to more than an extra kilowatt hour over the days production.

True up Bill Final after being moved up a couple of months

Remember I mentioned the California legislation changing how surplus power would be compensated in the future? Part of that bill also allows you to adjust when your “true-up” period starts. Since our was in June, and after the rate changes for summer, we decided to adjust it forward so all of our current production would be for the current year instead of having a couple of months be for the previous year.

So, that has happened, and the results for the period from June 2009 to March 2010 are in. We had 1916 KWh in use for the period, and a total true up amount of $7.38. Add that to the total monthly billed taxes and other charges not related to electricity use, and our bill for the 10 month period was $60.98. So, including all taxes and other monthly set fees, our cost for the 10 months was 3 cents per KWh.

Now, we start again. . .

Solar Updates

As of the February billing period, we have officially used up our credits for electricity. Our unbilled charge for the year (starting last June) is now $24.67 and our total KWh used since June is 1,638. If my math is right, that equates to 1.5 cents per KWh. The normal rate for residential use in my area starts at around 15 cents per KWh. We have been producing around 5 KWh a day on sunny days, and the sun is out again today. Of course, we still need more rain even though I am happy to see the meter going backward this time of year.

Jan 2010 electricity billing

January billing information is in, and we are now at 1,255 KWh used since June 1, and with $6.27 surplus from the summer production. All in all, this January is a bit better for us than last Jan 2009 with a few KWh less use. It will be interesting to see how this turns out in the next few months. In 2009, we were already out of our surplus, and behind by $20.00 by this month's billing.

Final bill for the "on-peak" time of use

Through the October bill for PG and E, we have a total of $78.25 in credit. Last year, we had $45.16 at this point. We go into the Off-peak mode at the end of October.

Sept Billing Period

Sept 2009 we used 92 KWh for credit of $9.19, bringing our total for the billing year beginning June 2009 to 205 KWh used, and $71.46 (credit). Last year in Sept we had $8.39 in credit with a use of 83 KWh, a total of 278 KWh used and $36.16 (credit).

Our yearly use for 2009 seems to be lower by 73 KWh, even with the addition of our pond pump running daily. Our credit for the year starting in June is running $35.30 above last year’s total through this Sept.

update Nearing 15,000 KWhs Produced

It happend a bit sooner than I expected. We are now at 15,148 KWh produced. If we had the correct orientation all along I wonder what our total would have been now? I could figure it out, but it would not change anything.

Taking a Dim View of Solar Energy

A Newsweek article suggests that utility companies may begin to fight the incentive programs now in place as their energy shares decrease in the wake of huge increases in roof-top energy production, suggesting that “So far, they're getting vastly outpaced by the decentralized rooftop approach. According to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's 2006-08 count, consumers added 522 megawatts to the grid; whereas utility generated sites added just 96 megawatts.” The increase is attributed in part to subsidies and also to lowering prices overall of solar panels.

It goes on to say “The disparity has utilities worried about loosing (sic) their grip on the country's energy industry, and the $130 billion residential electricity market. In some cases, utilities are actually taking direct steps to thwart rooftop solar. Two weeks ago in Colorado, the state's biggest utility, Xcel, tried passing a surcharge on homes and businesses using rooftop solar power. The rate hike would've generated $180 million, $55 million of which was slated to help fund Xcel's newest coal-fired power plant, the Comanche Unit 3, due to come online this fall. The public went ballistic, and with pressure from Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter, the proposal was eventually shelved.”

August 2009 PG and E unbilled credits in-

Well, the end of July was mostly in the mid 90’s to low 100’s, similar to how it was last year. Last year we used 132 KWh with an unbilled credit of only $2.57. It was a pretty hot month last year also, but to me it seems we ran the AC more this year than last. I think we must have increased efficiency other places. This year, we used 116 KWh- so right away; we had an improvement of 16 KWh in use. Plus, our unbilled credit for the month is $14.61. Our total unbilled credit for 2009 goes to $62.27. The rest of summer is looking pretty good at this point. Our total for last year summer production was only $45.00 through October.

Nearing 15,000 KWhs Produced

In a couple of months our PV array production should pass 15,000 KWh in around five years. Of course, most of that is with the inferior southeast orientation, but it is still pretty good even at that.

Let the consumer beware. . .

This thing about having to pay to have our panels moved still ticks me off. So, I went back to my contractor and showed him how big the difference in production was between the old location and the new, and asked him if- since he had mentioned that ‘we usually install them on the southwest side if it is available’- if he could help us out a bit in the fee to move them. To us, it seemed like paying to move them was rewarding them for making a mistake in the location in the initial installation.

Nope. They are not liable for placement of the panels being inferior to another placement. He claimed that the industry standards only suggest that the companies install panels in a generally southerly position within a range of degrees of direct south. And, they were within that range in the initial installation.

So, BEWARE consumers. Make sure that the location of your panels is correct and will maximize your production from the start. Most solar contractors now have access to equipment that can tell you the maximum exposure for your installation. Go with one of those. If you have a contractor without this equipment, even if they are the low bid- Get a new contractor. They are only guessing. And with your system costing as much as they can cost it is worth it to have them where you will get the maximum exposure to get a faster payback.

The July 2009 PG and E bill is in

Well, for our first full two month total credit for 2009, we have hit $47.66 which is just about what our total unbilled credit was through all of last year. This is looking pretty good. We did have a bit of AC use last month so our total electricity use is up to 10 Kilowatt Hours for July. Of course, putting that with our 13 KWh credit from June, we still have a 3 KWh credit over the first two months of this billing year. The 10 KWh use for July 2009 compares to a relatively high 63 KWh in July of 2008. It is amazing what moving those panels has done.

Oh, and the natural gas portion of the bill is pretty good also. For July, our gas bill was only $3.93 for 2 therms for the month. That is about equal number of therms compared to last year.

Cleaning your Solar Panels to get the maximum production

How many times have I seen Ed Begley Jr. hop up on his roof and clean his solar panels as if he was standing on solid ground without a care in the world? Too many times- actually, this is more a comment on how often the show “Living with Ed” is re-run. I guess a new season is not in the works? Too bad: I guess we will have to live with the limited series it was. Now, getting back to cleaning the panels, what do you do if you are not Ed Begley Jr., or do not at least have his “non-fear” of roofs?

I have already mentioned that a dirty panel can cut as much as 7% annually from your production. It would seem that you should try to find a way to get at least some of the dirt and grime off. There may be a way at “Real Goods”. This is a solution that comes pre-mixed in an applicator bottle. You simply connect it to a hose, get as close to your panels as you can without taking the inevitable plunge off the roof- and spray it on your panels as if you are applying fertilizer to your lawn through a hose end sprayer. That is basically it. You spray the surfactants on, and let it soak into the crud for a few minutes. Then you switch the sprayer to fresh water and rinse the dirty suds away. I am sure it would be better to actually have a brush to physically wash the heavier stuff away, but this is a pretty easy alternative to that heavier job. I am not 100% sure how it has worked yet, but the panels did appear to be cleaner after the treatment. Time and the next PG and E statement will tell if it has helped. It could at least work as in interim solution until you can locate someone else to do it in return of a six-pack of their favorite beer.

Best June PV production ever!!!

I knew our alteration to the panel orientation would work out. Of course, we had the usual monthly fees that they charge everyone no matter what. Those usually range between $5 and $6 dollars a month, and go towards the yearly total when they calculate the true-up bill at the end of the year. Here is the good part.

June of 2008, we had started out with a surplus for the month of $17.34 and had a use of 14 KWh for the month that we did not produce.

For June of 2009, we had a surplus of $25.07, and our total electricity used was -13 KWh. Yep, that is negative 13 KWh.

This is the first time we have ever created more electricity than we have used. The usual surplus we have had was based on the differential charges for peak compared to non-peak. That is amazing. And, it really makes me a bit angrier at our original solar company for putting our panels facing an inferior direction for the first few years.

Cooler June in progress- And a Prius mention

I guess this has its trade-offs. On the one hand, we are not making as much power on the partly cloudy days we have had the last week or so. But, it is staying cooler and there is not as much need to run the AC. We seldom run it much anyway, so all in all, I would rather make more electricity.

And, I see that some Toyota dealers are starting to get the 2010 Prius in: not mine, but that is OK. I would like to see one close up since this model includes some body changes and a more luxurious car-like interior. I am somewhat bummed that I cannot get one. I purchased the first Prius in my town in 2001, and the first one that was sold of the new body type 2004. Oh well. It is the economy. Maybe someday.

World Community Grid Clean Energy Project

You might have heard of the SETI@Home project which for the last ten years has used internet connected computers to search for signals with other worldly origins. That project has evolved over time, and now its success has spawned countless other projects that either search for things out there in the universe, track near earth objects, model climate change, look for cures to diseases, and others. This is possible due to a program called the Berkeley Open Interface for Network Computing, aka BOINC.

The original Seti@Home site is here if you want-

The BOINC site is here

You may ask what this all has to do with this blog? Well, if you go directly to a site called World Community Grid you will be able to download a version of BOINC to process data for the Clean Energy Project which is looking for the next generation of materials to use in cheaper solar panels. Of course, there are other projects you can support too. I will just concentrate on the Clean Energy one because it relates to the subject of this blog.

From the World Community Grid Clean Energy Project page, “The mission of the Clean Energy Project is to find new materials for the next generation of solar cells and later, energy storage devices. By harnessing the immense power of World Community Grid, researchers can calculate the electronic properties of tens of thousands of organic materials – many more than could ever be tested in a lab – and determine which candidates are most promising for developing affordable solar energy technology.”

If you are not familiar with the concept of network computing, once you have downloaded BOINC and chosen a project, your computer will download segments of data to process. This entire process will be done in the background as you do other things on your computer. When a segment is complete, your computer will upload the results and request more data to process. You can do as little or as much as you like, and designate your projects as you want. If you have more than one project, BOINC will distribute the computer time between them, again in the background.

Read more about the Clean Energy Project here at Green-Energy_News.