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.

California Bill to change the way power companies compensate net energy producers- AB 920- Huffman- Solar and Wind Generation

It appears that the new law would require net energy producers to be compensated for that production. In my case that would mean PG and E would have to provide compensation for my net production at the time of my yearly “true-up”. Currently, if I have surplus production at year end true up time, it is zeroed out before the new billing cycle starts.

Quote from http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/Bills/AB_920

“The bill would require the electric utility to
offer a standard contract or tariff to eligible customer-generators
that includes compensation for the value of net surplus electricity.
The bill would require the electric utility, upon an affirmative
election by the eligible customer-generator to receive service
pursuant to this contract or tariff, to either: (1) provide net
surplus electricity compensation for any net surplus electricity
generated in the 12-month period, or (2) allow the eligible
customer-generator to apply the net surplus electricity as a credit
for kilowatt hours subsequently supplied by the electric utility to
the surplus customer-generator.“

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.

New Season of "Living with Ed" ???

I just saw Living with Ed come up on my TV selection screens, and noticed an episode date of 2009. Yikes. They are back at it.

Living with Ed
BRAND NEW Episodes on Planet Green TV
Wednesdays at 9PM EST
Repeat on Mondays, 9PM PST

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.