Connected Solutions Real-World Experiences (MA - National Grid / EverSource)

[jsurpless]

Hey everyone

I was hoping that folks in Massachusetts could share their real-world experiences with Connected Solutions so far this year.

Asking because my mom lives in SE MA and has EverSource - her experience so far this year has been a bit disappointing. She's had overwhelming 3-hr events (18/20) with EverSource calling events almost every weekday for the last 3 weeks even when it was cool weather and/or cloudy out. This has resulted in only a 6.6 average kW discharge for the season which is a good deal lower than the relatively conservative estimates I'd made. Perhaps my estimates were too optimistic but also perhaps it has something to do with my estimates being based on National Grid events, as opposed to EverSource. Of course, they were also based on last summer so there's that possibility too.

So... could anyone share how their events are so far this year? I live in Bellingham and have National Grid - anyone out this way? I ask predominantly because I was counting on CS as a major offset to the cost of the PWs and this is weakening that offset.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Er1c*]

Me too! better late than never.

 

[cfbackrow]

haven't recieved my check National Grid MASS

 

[solarAddict]

I just received a follow up call from NG (as a response to my tweet) . Checks were mailed last Friday, so monitor your mailbox

 

[qnzkrew]

I just received a follow up call from NG (as a response to my tweet) . Checks were mailed last Friday, so monitor your mailbox

Hey is there anyways that we can share some info on the payment see receive and try to make sense of how Tesla calculates payments

 

[qnzkrew]

Hey is there anyways that we can share some info on the payment see receive and try to make sense of how Tesla calculates payments

No check in the mail today. I bet you they did not mail the checks last week. They only sent the email

 

[kb1ibt]

I received my check today, it is lower than some of yours since I didn’t get PTO until July 28th, so I missed 1/2 of the events, but the check was for $945 and some change. I have 2 PowerWalls.

 

[qnzkrew]

Received my payment today. 7.8 kw system and 2 powerwalls. Check is for $2,914.15
I basically prioritized export during events and minimized usage to compare to other people and see if there was a difference. My powerwalls were fully charged for almost every event except one day they called for an event the next day after an event and there was zero sun so even with an 8 kw system the batteries couldn’t charge. Another day an event was called while my neighborhood had lost power during a storm and my powerwalls were half discharged from my own use.

 

[solarAddict]

No check in the mail today. I bet you they did not mail the checks last week. They only sent the email

Got the check today. Date on the check 1/12/22. $1600. I have two PWs

 

[qnzkrew]

Got the check today. Date on the check 1/12/22. $1600. I have two PWs

Did you participate in all the events. Not sure if you saw my previous post. I also received my payment and two powerwalls. Payment was 2900

 

[Er1c*]

3 Powerwalls 10 kw system, got my check $3700 just about the same as last year.

 

[solarAddict]

Did you participate in all the events. Not sure if you saw my previous post. I also received my payment and two powerwalls. Payment was 2900

I did not track if I "participated" in all events. It was always on. Next season I might be proactively reduce (or at least try) our own usage during the event - just to see if it makes any difference. I also believe that your compensation rate could be higher, judging by your zip, you are in RJ - I think I read somewhere that our rate is lower.

 

[qnzkrew]

I did not track if I "participated" in all events. It was always on. Next season I might be proactively reduce (or at least try) our own usage during the event - just to see if it makes any difference. I also believe that your compensation rate could be higher, judging by your zip, you are in RJ - I think I read somewhere that our rate is lower.

Oh never thought of that. Yes Rhode Island rate is much higher. Sorry forgot about that

 

[adspguy]

I did not track if I "participated" in all events. It was always on. Next season I might be proactively reduce (or at least try) our own usage during the event - just to see if it makes any difference. I also believe that your compensation rate could be higher, judging by your zip, you are in RJ - I think I read somewhere that our rate is lower.

FWIW how much you use during an event doesn't change the rate you get paid on. It is solely based on what gets discharged from your powerwalls. Doesn't matter if you use it or it goes to the grid. The Gateway also tries to "fill" your powerwall prior to the event.

 

[djlandkpl]

Received my MA NG payment, $1440. Last year was $1560. I have 2 PW.

 

[kp80]

Anyone know the best way to calculate the incentive from Tesla to cross check the amount you get? I just received my summer incentive check and it has no data on the actual way the check was calculated. I downloaded my data from the Tesla app from June-Sept and added up the "Grid Services" amount, divided by the number of "events" and multiplied by the National Grid incentive amount ($180/kwh) yet it doesn't seem to add up. What am I missing?

 

[jhn_]

Anyone know the best way to calculate the incentive from Tesla to cross check the amount you get? I just received my summer incentive check and it has no data on the actual way the check was calculated. I downloaded my data from the Tesla app from June-Sept and added up the "Grid Services" amount, divided by the number of "events" and multiplied by the National Grid incentive amount ($180/kwh) yet it doesn't seem to add up. What am I missing?

The payment is not measured by kWh which is I presume what you are adding up from the Tesla app from Grid Services.

The payment is measured by average kw sent to the grid over the events. So if you have two Powerwalls and you sent 10kw continuously for each three hour events then your contribution is 10kw and multiple that by the dollar amount in the program you get (maybe $180). So your payment would be around $1800.

Obviously I used nice round numbers above to make a point. But peoples average contribution is usually higher than just the PW contribution because solar going to the grid during an event counts too. Or it could be lower if you didn’t maintain the max from each Powerwall for the length of each event.

 

[kp80]

The payment is not measured by kWh which is I presume what you are adding up from the Tesla app from Grid Services.

The payment is measured by average kw sent to the grid over the events. So if you have two Powerwalls and you sent 10kw continuously for each three hour events then your contribution is 10kw and multiple that by the dollar amount in the program you get (maybe $180). So your payment would be around $1800.

Obviously I used nice round numbers above to make a point. But peoples average contribution is usually higher than just the PW contribution because solar going to the grid during an event counts too. Or it could be lower if you didn’t maintain the max from each Powerwall for the length of each event.

Thanks for the details, I have 3 powerwalls and tried to reserve power through the summer instead of using it for my own home to maximize the amount sold back. I would say 80-90% of the summer my batteries were full at the start of an event (or at least close to full) and I used the formula from the masssave website below but it still doesn't seem to add up. If there is a single event on a day and it draws down a certain amount as indicated from the tesla app "Grid Services", I assume you just add each day as an event and divide by the number of events to get the average. Does the event duration also need to be factored in? Its interesting they factor in events with 0kW (from the below table).... I assume that means if an event occurs but your powerwalls are empty at the time, it goes against you and brings your average down? Its hard to tell from the Tesla output if an event occurred on days where it shows 0kW for "Grid Services" vs no event at all.

 

[jhn_]

Duration of event is not a factor in payment. But of course if your powerwalls are not full and the event is the full three hours then your average may go down.

 

[jhn_]

Received my summer 2021 check today from Tesla. It’s was $2349 for 3 Powerwalls. Guess my average contribution was ~4.3kw per PW.

$2349 / 3 PWs = $783 per PW
$783 / $180 per kw incentive = 4.35kw

I didn’t track it too close. But definitely had an event or two when solar was good when we output more than 15kw during an event. But also had o e or two events when our PWs were not fully charged and brought down our average.

 

[kp80]

I have 3 PWs and my check was $1852.... Looking at the Tesla App, I had 28 days of events over the 4 months (still not clear how many 0kW event days I should add) and a total of 365.7 kW exported, so (365.7kW/28 days) * $180 = ~$2350... I must of had a handful of 0kW event days bringing my average down