4 ms·

It's a bit more complicated than that, too. I don't know about NV, but in California the power company never actually buys net power from you. At best you can o

It's a bit more complicated than that, too. I don't know about NV, but in California the power company never actually buys net power from you. At best you can owe $0, you never get a check from the power company, even if you pump all of your juice to the grid. So it's only paying "retail prices" insofar as it's offsetting the retail prices you're paying for your overnight/cloudy day power. And incidentally, overnight/cloudy days are off-peak times for power cos.

amluto 11y ago
Incorrect. http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/DistGen/netsurplus.htm http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/DistGen/netsurplus.htm
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- encoderer 11y ago
  Only somewhat -- but i can't edit the comment anymore. You carry a credit balance at retail prices but your refund is decimated and paid at wholesale prices.
  - mchahn 11y ago
    > your refund is decimated and paid at wholesale prices. No. It is paid at the same retail rate that consumers pay. However, because the amount paid is low, the retail rate used is tier 0, which is basically a lifeline rate. But it still isn't wholesale.
    - encoderer 11y ago
      I don't see a 3 cent rate tier. Do you have a link? http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/saveenergymoney/plans/tiers/index.page http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/saveenergymoney/plans/tiers/ind... The pay-out on the true-up statement is very clear about the 3.xx cent rate.
      - mchahn 11y ago
        You are correct. I was going by what a solar city engineer told me. I should have known better than to take them at their word. Our first year we didn't go negative so we had a payment to make at the end of the year. Now that I know the return rate is so low I'll try to stay positive, switching some appliances to electric if I have to.
        encoderer 11y ago
        I think it's fair to say that the situation is pretty opaque and confusing. For 2 years I thought we lost our credit balance. I didn't notice the small credit that applied because in effect it only offset about half of our gas bill each January (which, with PG&E is on the same bill for us)
jhall1468 11y ago
You can get compensated, but doing so is opt-in. You have to fill out a form.
- encoderer 11y ago
  Edit: Ok, this makes more sense to me now. It's really more nuanced. On my rate plan, retail cost for electricity is ~20c. (link below). So as my bill, over the year, accrues a negative balance, that balance reflects a retail rate. For example, on my final true up statement, by balance was -$360. But, my end of year true-up compensation was $72. How is this? First, they deduct their minimum monthly charges of $72 which I have no issue with. If my negative balance doesn't cover that, i owe them cash. But if it does, they then ignore that credit balance, and they use the number of surplus kw/h, multiplied by a wholesale rate of $0.03403, and use that to arrive at what they owe me. So there's the whole story. They do not refund your credit balance at the end of the year. Rates: http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/saveenergymoney/plans/tiers/index.page http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/saveenergymoney/plans/tiers/ind...?

amluto 11y ago

Incorrect. http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/DistGen/netsurplus.htm http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/DistGen/netsurplus.htm

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
encoderer 11y ago
Only somewhat -- but i can't edit the comment anymore. You carry a credit balance at retail prices but your refund is decimated and paid at wholesale prices.
- mchahn 11y ago
  > your refund is decimated and paid at wholesale prices. No. It is paid at the same retail rate that consumers pay. However, because the amount paid is low, the retail rate used is tier 0, which is basically a lifeline rate. But it still isn't wholesale.
  - encoderer 11y ago
    I don't see a 3 cent rate tier. Do you have a link? http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/saveenergymoney/plans/tiers/index.page http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/saveenergymoney/plans/tiers/ind... The pay-out on the true-up statement is very clear about the 3.xx cent rate.
    - mchahn 11y ago
      You are correct. I was going by what a solar city engineer told me. I should have known better than to take them at their word. Our first year we didn't go negative so we had a payment to make at the end of the year. Now that I know the return rate is so low I'll try to stay positive, switching some appliances to electric if I have to.
      - encoderer 11y ago
        I think it's fair to say that the situation is pretty opaque and confusing. For 2 years I thought we lost our credit balance. I didn't notice the small credit that applied because in effect it only offset about half of our gas bill each January (which, with PG&E is on the same bill for us)

jhall1468 11y ago

You can get compensated, but doing so is opt-in. You have to fill out a form.

encoderer 11y ago
Edit: Ok, this makes more sense to me now. It's really more nuanced. On my rate plan, retail cost for electricity is ~20c. (link below). So as my bill, over the year, accrues a negative balance, that balance reflects a retail rate. For example, on my final true up statement, by balance was -$360. But, my end of year true-up compensation was $72. How is this? First, they deduct their minimum monthly charges of $72 which I have no issue with. If my negative balance doesn't cover that, i owe them cash. But if it does, they then ignore that credit balance, and they use the number of surplus kw/h, multiplied by a wholesale rate of $0.03403, and use that to arrive at what they owe me. So there's the whole story. They do not refund your credit balance at the end of the year. Rates: http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/saveenergymoney/plans/tiers/index.page http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/saveenergymoney/plans/tiers/ind...?