HECO TOU and PV question

[drrhm]

I did read the other HECO thread on TOU and EV's but had a question.
We have a PV system now that just about covers our electricity bill every month, this includes my Leaf that I charge fully every night. I'm currently putting in about 20Kwh a day into the leaf. Most months our bill is just the 18.00 fee, unless we go heavy with the AC or we have a lot of cloudy days during the winter months our bill has sometimes gone over 100.00.

My question is, IF we generate the same Kwh from our PV system that we use during a given time period does it matter if you get the TOU meter? My understanding was it was net metering so I thought it wouldn't matter.
Thanks

 

[Akikiki]

I did read the other HECO thread on TOU and EV's but had a question.
We have a PV system now that just about covers our electricity bill every month, this includes my Leaf that I charge fully every night. I'm currently putting in about 20Kwh a day into the leaf. Most months our bill is just the 18.00 fee, unless we go heavy with the AC or we have a lot of cloudy days during the winter months our bill has sometimes gone over 100.00.

My question is, IF we generate the same Kwh from our PV system that we use during a given time period does it matter if you get the TOU meter? My understanding was it was net metering so I thought it wouldn't matter.
Thanks

Hi. Here's my understanding of how its working for me. I have the TOU meter. I have only one meter. So my charging is measured via this single meter before TOU and after TOU. My PV is generating juice and selling/storing back to HECO at 32+ cents per KW. I charge after 9 p.m., so I am taking/using my juice at a TOU discounted rate. I think its about 26 cents per KW. So I am using at a lesser rate than I sold/stored it during the day. (Then, there's also the other parts of the house that are using juice at the cheaper rate after 9). Remember, all that's required to join the TOU program is fill out a form, sign it and turn it in to HECO. If I am wrong, don't tell me. I like how this sounds, since it cost me no out of pocket costs.

 

[drrhm]

If I am wrong, don't tell me. .

That is a hilarious statement! I was laughing out loud. I'll try and do a little more research with HECO.
BTW when I start discussing this with my wife she tells me if I wanted to save money I'd keep my leaf.

 

[Akikiki]

That is a hilarious statement! I was laughing out loud.

That's my mission statement. Glad to be of service.

 

[drtko147]

I too have TOU agreement with HECO. When I do charge at home, I usually charge my MS at 10 pm (I set the charging for home for this automatically on the screen). You get a lower rate for charging. I also only have one meter. It also helps use of the electricity after 9 am so I tend to run the dishwasher after 9 pm as well. We sometimes will run the washer and dryer after 9 pm to save on electricity. We have not seen our bill go any higher than $18. FYI. We don't have air conditioning. We just use fans when it is hot.

One comment comes from HECO's request that they submitted to the PUC about charging PV owners a higher rate for being hooked up the grid as well as paying us less per kwh for energy we sell back to them via net metering. I thought it was a terrible idea. Basically, in my opinion, HECO was just trying to make up money lost by customers having PV systems and making their shareholders happy. Okay, off my soapbox now.

 

[drrhm]

DrTKO, do you have net metering or you sell your power back to HECO?

If I have net metering and I produce say 100Kwh in 30 days, and I use 100Kwh in that same 30 days why would it matter when I use my electricity?
Am I misunderstanding something? I'm assuming if I use more than I produce in Kwh then it would be prudent to go with the TOU meter and charge late at night.
Correct?
Thanks guys!

 

[drtko147]

DrTKO, do you have net metering or you sell your power back to HECO?

If I have net metering and I produce say 100Kwh in 30 days, and I use 100Kwh in that same 30 days why would it matter when I use my electricity?
Am I misunderstanding something? I'm assuming if I use more than I produce in Kwh then it would be prudent to go with the TOU meter and charge late at night.
Correct?
Thanks guys!

Sorry about the confusion. Yes, I have net metering. I am not doing Fee in Tariff. If you use more kwh than you produce, then, yes, TOU would be good. Like I said, if you are using only one meter and not a separate meter for charging your Leaf, then TOU is good for the entire house, not just charging your Leaf. The process is pretty easy to apply for. You just need to fill out the application online and take a picture of your EV registration and send that in via email. You can search online for TOU for HECO. http://www.hawaiianelectric.com/heco/Clean-Energy/Electric-Vehicles/EV-Rates-and-Enrollment

 

[spleen]

My understanding is the same as Akikiki. You store energy at the rate during the daytime during regular rate time (don't remember the actual name for this but let's call it that for the purposes of this post). Then if you charge late at night when it's off peak hours, you essentially save money by "putting into" the system at a higher rate than what you actually use.

 

[drrhm]

Thanks Masaki,
I didnt know that HECO rates the energy produced by PV systems. I'm gonna apply for the TOU on monday. I heard the program was extended until oct 2015, hopefully longer.

 

[Akikiki]

My understanding is the same as Akikiki. You store energy at the rate during the daytime during regular rate time (don't remember the actual name for this but let's call it that for the purposes of this post). Then if you charge late at night when it's off peak hours, you essentially save money by "putting into" the system at a higher rate than what you actually use.

Exactly correct.
drrhm, There's a catch to the Fee in Tariff method. You in effect become a producer even though you are residential. With the Fee in Tariff method, you must pay HECO $25.00 a month to be able to sell to them. So, you must make more than $25.00 extra just to break even.

When you are signing up, either Net Metering Agreement or Fee in Tariff, you only get one time to choose. When your PV installer is setting you up, they submit the paperwork to HECO. At that time you must decide and you don't get to change it to the other method. Then you have the chance to switch from Net Metering to Fee in Tariff or vice versa.
The only way to make a change is IF you add more solar, you must submit a new agreement

 

[gmtom1]

I have TOU-EV with PV net metering and I agree with everyone's comments above, except I did it a bit backwards in that I got TOU-EV then PV, so HECO changed my meter twice - once to get a TOU EV meter, then again when the PV was installed to get net metering. I try to do all my heavy electric drain activities after 9pm (washer/dryer, showers, charging).

Even before I had PV, the TOU EV schedule was saving me, on average, $30-40/month from my HECO bill due to the reduced rates after 9pm.