First SCE Bill with Solar- newb questions

[Redhill_qik]

@Dee_M3 I forgot to ask, but did you get Powerwalls along with solar or just solar? If you have Powerwalls how have you configured them in the Tesla app?

 

[Dee_M3]

Not sure how much 2,000 kWh represent for you, my guess from your single bill is that annual usage is likely 9,000-11,000 kWh, so that is about 20% over. Should get you close to $0, but maybe not all the way there.

Pretty darn close to what my solar company estimated. Based off usage from Oct 2021 to 2022 they calculated that I consumed around 8800kwh. I’m sure my usage will be much higher now with EV charging added to the mix and I used my heat pump more this winter due to the colder than usual temps.

I think what @Redhill_qik was thinking is that the billing period you posted is close to the Vernal Equinox, which makes the solar production you saw in that month similar to what a break-even month may look like in your climate zone. So if you had a NEM deficit in that near-Equinox month, then you'd expect your full year NEM to be an overall deficit (in terms of dollars) too.

While I can't speak to the motives of your solar company's salesperson, you were actually a net producer in that recent billed period. So it stands to reason your system is a bit over-sized and generates more than you use. It's just as you observed, the value of the generation is less than your consumption.

Also, charging a BEV can change how solar-sales-spreadsheet calcs end up playing out in real life. Many times the installers simply use a snapshot of historical data from the utility, and that snapshot may not be a good proxy for your forward looking energy demand. Some variance is to be expected, but the overall kWh of the solar system each year should be close to what they explained during the sale.

Thank you all for your feedback in helping me understand the complexities of solar and the power companies. I have a lot to learn but I’m getting there. I’m glad I am a few steps closer to being less reliant on the grid, especially here in California. Next up is energy storage.

 

[Dee_M3]

@Dee_M3 I forgot to ask, but did you get Powerwalls along with solar or just solar? If you have Powerwalls how have you configured them in the Tesla app?

No Powerwalls yet. Hopefully very soon but I’m hoping and waiting for Tesla to switch to LFP’s. Then it’s an instant buy for me.

 

[Redhill_qik]

No Powerwalls yet. Hopefully very soon but I’m hoping and waiting for Tesla to switch to LFP’s. Then it’s an instant buy for me.

Ok, so you won't be able to use them to power the house during your Peak for now. At least adding these in the future won't cause a shift from NEM 2.0 to NEM 3.0 if you decide to add them.

 

[SageBrush]

Baseline credit is a negative amount times your usage. Since your usage was negative, it becomes a charge (negative x negative is positive). This is normal for NEM with generation.

Arithmetic aside, what is the rationale ?

 

[power.saver]

Since the energy consumed below the baseline is discounted when charged, the energy generated below the baseline is also discounted when credited.