Does Installing Powerwalls Affect PG&E Grandfathered NEM/TOU Plan?

[miimura]

PG&E talks about system size in panels. What I have is 128 (85 watt) + 12 (205 watt) panel system. I think I need to get this corrected since I think they're limiting what they credit me on export based on what they think the size of the system is.

This is the most important point. You need to look at the detailed NEM-PS billing to see if they are allowing all your solar exports for NEM credits. However, since you have Powerwalls, this may not be an issue due to significant self-consumption, even with TBC. If they are disallowing ANY of your solar NEM credits, you need to press them on correcting their records and recalculating your bills.

 

[israndy]

I had a friend in Pacific Grove who was on one rate plan and when he had Tesla solar and PW installed they changed his plan but he didn't know. When he had his True-Up after a year of saving solar power to his PW and using it during (what he thought were) the high rate times he was shocked to get a bill for $1500. He recently sold the house and was researching WHY the power was so expensive and only after arguing and getting supervisors involved was he informed that he had signed the rate plan change as part of the Tesla paperwork.

Hope nobody else is getting screwed like this.

 

[jjrandorin]

I had a friend in Pacific Grove who was on one rate plan and when he had Tesla solar and PW installed they changed his plan but he didn't know. When he had his True-Up after a year of saving solar power to his PW and using it during the high rate times he was shocked to get a bill for $1500. He recently sold the house and was researching WHY the power was so expensive and only after arguing and getting supervisors involved was he informed that he had signed the rate plan change as part of the Tesla paperwork.

Hope nobody else is getting screwed like this.

they force you on a time of use plan (SCE/ PGE / SDGE), that information would have been in there, and your friends rate plan would have been detailed on every monthly bill he / she received (you still get a monthly bill even though the true up is yearly).

If they didnt look at their bills, especially after install for the first few months to see what was going on, that sucks but its also kinda on them.

 

[getakey]

when I got PWs installed, I stopped getting detail on the normal bill, but instead get the "B&W Bill" which is about 14 pages. Very convoluted. First bill I got, it was difficult to figure it out so I just filed it. Then I got second bill and decided to decipher it. Looked like I was not getting any credit for my solar back to grid. It showed kWh going to grid, but no cost credit against the NEM charges. I called them and they created a Case. Got third bill and no changes. Called them back and they said Case was closed and that charges were correct.
I insisted on talking to Manager and said that "correct" was impossible. Finally got them to sort of agree and she said they would re-open the Case. Never got the 4th bill, so figured something was up. Two days ago, I got my 5th bill and a copy of previous 4 bills which have all been corrected. I went from a positive NEM of over $400 on the 3rd bill to now a cumulative NEM of -$1,133.
I was told that they would call me when they figured it out. Never got a call, but at least they did fix it.

 

[israndy]

If my friend was going to continue to live there he might fight it, but he suffers from having a local power company that resells PG&E so he cannot even see his actual PG&E, he describes the bill as indecipherable. His new house is only a couple miles away, but he is now a PG&E customer, not as good as being an Alameda Municipal Power customer where I am, but at least he now has only one company to lodge any complaints with.

 

[DoyleS]

I added two power walls to existing 7.5KW solar panel system. I am on E6 and adding the power walls did trigger a change from E6. As others have mentioned it did change my TrueUp date. Powerwalls have made a huge difference in my summer PGE bills. Last year they averaged $80-$100/mo. This year we are running a lot more AC in the Sacramento area and also with all of the smoke, we do not use our whole house fan but run AC at night. Last 3 months, June, July August my bills have been $10-$12/mo. System is set to sell all Solar to the grid during peak starting at 3 PM. Batteries are always fully charged at that time. As a side note, I am not caring for the new App with its graphic display.