Bangs head against the table.
What are the service dates on the top of the first page of the black bill?
and what does the SolarEdge or Tesla app report as the total for the same time period?
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Estimated PV Generation PGE
- Thread starter h2ofun
- Start date
What are the service dates on the top of the first page of the black bill?
and what does the SolarEdge or Tesla app report as the total for the same time period?
Well, based on comments here, I called PGE back, and pushed some more about how are they coming up with the estimated. After lots of hold times, I got this is the website they use.
I kept asking questions and he put to a supervisor. He was able to give me the number of panels sets and what they assume they made. Seemed low but, was a new data point. We continued to talk and I asked would love to have the calculations. So he decided to put some panels in the website, and with using about half, it was more than the estimated. He then made a comment about true up. The bulb went on and I said but I never got the 3rd true up for the last PTO set of panels. Well, he said seemed logical that if that did not happen, that yep, my newest set of panels may not be there.
So he opened up a bit request he is send up the chain, and will see what happens, which he said would be months.
Seems very logical without a true up, which shows everything is done, yep, maybe half are missing, which would support numbers I am seeing.
I kept asking questions and he put to a supervisor. He was able to give me the number of panels sets and what they assume they made. Seemed low but, was a new data point. We continued to talk and I asked would love to have the calculations. So he decided to put some panels in the website, and with using about half, it was more than the estimated. He then made a comment about true up. The bulb went on and I said but I never got the 3rd true up for the last PTO set of panels. Well, he said seemed logical that if that did not happen, that yep, my newest set of panels may not be there.
So he opened up a bit request he is send up the chain, and will see what happens, which he said would be months.
Seems very logical without a true up, which shows everything is done, yep, maybe half are missing, which would support numbers I am seeing.
h2o,
It sounds like you may be making progress. When we were kids, my family called PG&E Pigs Goats and Elephants. So, yeah, progress may be slow.
But clearly they messed up, or perhaps your installer didn't make it clear when they submitted the NEM request, who knows. I got an email from PG&E showing the info my installer gave them on the application, and I can see that they simplified a bit. I have some panels at 150º and some at 240º azimuth, but the app had them all at 240.
But seeing how messed up yours is, I figured I should double check my much smaller system's numbers. 14 270W panels, Enphase inverter on each one, all at 240º and 23º tilt. For the month ending 2/11/22, my B&W bill estimate says -293 kWh. I ran the calculator online, and for Jan it said 233 kWh and Feb 305. So it is in the ballpark. My actual production from those 14 panels, was 294 kWh, so PG&E's estimate was right on. It should not be so close, given ageing weather shading, wrong azimuth for some of the panels, etc, etc, etc. But their estimate checks out as damn close for my system.
Yours, however, as you knew, is way off. Your 30 kW is roughly 8 times my 3.85kW, so your Febuary estimate should be somewhere around 2,300 kWh. Clearly a case of garbage in. Somewhere they messed up the parameters in your account setup.
If I recall correctly, SGIP helped with your batteries, and batteries is why PG&E does this estimation thing. So maybe, just maybe, the SGIP people might be able to put you in touch with the right person to fix the screw-up on a more reasonable time frame. I have found them pretty responsive, just a few days to respond to email at [email protected]. Anyway, I hope PG&E fixes this for you soon.
I gather your heat pumps were working overtime to keep you warm, over 2 mWh. On the other hand, Tesla just ended my free supercharging for our Model Y, so our usage is shooting up. 50 kWh more tonight, to recharge after a run to Santa Cruz today.
SW
It sounds like you may be making progress. When we were kids, my family called PG&E Pigs Goats and Elephants. So, yeah, progress may be slow.
But clearly they messed up, or perhaps your installer didn't make it clear when they submitted the NEM request, who knows. I got an email from PG&E showing the info my installer gave them on the application, and I can see that they simplified a bit. I have some panels at 150º and some at 240º azimuth, but the app had them all at 240.
But seeing how messed up yours is, I figured I should double check my much smaller system's numbers. 14 270W panels, Enphase inverter on each one, all at 240º and 23º tilt. For the month ending 2/11/22, my B&W bill estimate says -293 kWh. I ran the calculator online, and for Jan it said 233 kWh and Feb 305. So it is in the ballpark. My actual production from those 14 panels, was 294 kWh, so PG&E's estimate was right on. It should not be so close, given ageing weather shading, wrong azimuth for some of the panels, etc, etc, etc. But their estimate checks out as damn close for my system.
Yours, however, as you knew, is way off. Your 30 kW is roughly 8 times my 3.85kW, so your Febuary estimate should be somewhere around 2,300 kWh. Clearly a case of garbage in. Somewhere they messed up the parameters in your account setup.
If I recall correctly, SGIP helped with your batteries, and batteries is why PG&E does this estimation thing. So maybe, just maybe, the SGIP people might be able to put you in touch with the right person to fix the screw-up on a more reasonable time frame. I have found them pretty responsive, just a few days to respond to email at [email protected]. Anyway, I hope PG&E fixes this for you soon.
I gather your heat pumps were working overtime to keep you warm, over 2 mWh. On the other hand, Tesla just ended my free supercharging for our Model Y, so our usage is shooting up. 50 kWh more tonight, to recharge after a run to Santa Cruz today.
SW
Yes, it seems something is not right. When I called in like October, they said I would get another true up so just wait. Well, its is March and no true up, which I assume is when everything has been updated. All I can do is stay on them. At least I have a Bit case number now. Yes, the batteries is what changed everything. Even though I do not need anymore credits, since I am over 3000 now, with true up in April.
I use like 70 to 80 kwh per day with my heat pumps, and my up stairs is 72. But, as you know, we have had, overall a super warm winter, so my numbers should be much higher.
h2o, aka DC,
I had another thought on maybe how to get this straightened out. It is just a thought, but your battery installer and/or solar installer is who filed the interconnection application, and is responsible for its accuracy. So when PG&E misinterpreted the data, it would be the installer's responsibility to get it corrected. I think the application goes to the interconnection department, and they must then give the info to the billing people. If this is true, it is probably the interconnection folks who can fix it, and your installer knows how to talk with them.
Besides, you have probably never seen the interconnection application, so you can not yet know wether it was the installer or PG&E who messed this up in the first place. Pure speculation here, but the application perhaps should include the whole system instead of just an addition. But without seeing the application it is hard to know what went wrong.
It should take minutes to fix, not months, once the right person sees the problem.
SW
Okay, did some calculations based on the website PGE said they used. CSI EPBB Calculator
I also looked at my solar plans and they had the tilt and azumith data for the panels. So, I put in each set and it gave me the calculations for each month.
I then added them all up and did Jan and Feb. Since my bill is to like the 18th, I split each one in half, which gave me 1468 kwh. PGE estimate was like 1000kwh. So this is like 50% less than expected. So it again says either I am totally messing up, they have bad data, or they just never completed my last 15kw of panels. At least if and when they come back, I have numbers now.
I also looked at my solar plans and they had the tilt and azumith data for the panels. So, I put in each set and it gave me the calculations for each month.
I then added them all up and did Jan and Feb. Since my bill is to like the 18th, I split each one in half, which gave me 1468 kwh. PGE estimate was like 1000kwh. So this is like 50% less than expected. So it again says either I am totally messing up, they have bad data, or they just never completed my last 15kw of panels. At least if and when they come back, I have numbers now.
Well, looks like by me calling, things got finished. I just got my latest bill and they changed my true up from April to July, and gave me the credit for
my true over overage, like 10 cents on the dollar.
But, the big change is my PV estimated generation! For the bill for mid feb to mid march, it is now -2,737 kwh!! And this is not even the best month so shall be interesting what they calculate. From the numbers I ran, this seems to say they may have taken all my panels and assumed real nice South direction. Either way, sure makes sense to watch ones bills and ask what is going on. Thanks of the idea from this group about they have not given me my last true up for the second set of panels!!
my true over overage, like 10 cents on the dollar.
But, the big change is my PV estimated generation! For the bill for mid feb to mid march, it is now -2,737 kwh!! And this is not even the best month so shall be interesting what they calculate. From the numbers I ran, this seems to say they may have taken all my panels and assumed real nice South direction. Either way, sure makes sense to watch ones bills and ask what is going on. Thanks of the idea from this group about they have not given me my last true up for the second set of panels!!
Is the estimate kWh on the form the amount of energy we can export can to the grid or is it a fraction of that?
The PV estimate is the maximum amount of kWh that you can export and get credit for. This is in place to prevent people with Powerwalls from charging them during Off-Peak and then exporting during the Peak and getting solar NEM credits. If you exceed the estimated number you are still exporting to the grid, but you just aren't getting credits for the excess. In @h2ofun 's case, PG&E had an incomplete data for the total installed solar panels after an upgrade, so the estimate was much lower than what the system was generating which was a problem for the getting all of the NEM credits that should have been allowed.
And because of those comments, I contacted PGE, they fixed, and now what I can get credit for is off the charts. I never have to worry about sending too much.
