More anti-Solar shenanigans :(

[nwdiver]

I came across another attempt by a utility in NM to stifle their distributed competition and preserve their profits. You have to admit... what these guys lack in morals they make up for with cojones...

Rate 3 for the Jemez mountains electric coop states that for solar PV systems >30kW you are still required to pay all demand and energy charges at full retail including for the what you produce. You have to pay Jemez retail rates for your own production. Jemez will then credit you 'cost avoided' for your production (typically fuel-based only ~$0.03/kWh)

This is another case were you get no credit for self-consumption... no credit for generating clean energy... no credit for relieving stress on the grid by generating locally...

 

[ggr]

That's insane. But to do that, wouldn't they have to have your PV system connected through its own meter to the grid, and then back through the normal meter to the house/factory/whatever? If the system was connected behind a single meter, they'd never know how much you used or produced, right?

 

[nwdiver]

That's insane. But to do that, wouldn't they have to have your PV system connected through its own meter to the grid, and then back through the normal meter to the house/factory/whatever? If the system was connected behind a single meter, they'd never know how much you used or produced, right?

NM requires a production meter.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

Textbook example of rent-seeking!

Edit: Also too: will make 29.999 kW systems more popular than they would have been

 

[Skotty]

Surely they won't get away with that. I can understand utilities complaining about load balancing and net metering, but this policy is totally off the wall wacko evil clown car rabid monkey bananas.

 

[dhrivnak]

Appalachian Electric Power (part of American Electric Power) is attempting a massive anti solar billing. They will slap Solar generators, and only solar generators, with a massive demand charge. Looking at my bills my power rates will be 75% higher than my bills before solar. And I now generate 95% of my usage. So installing solar will result in a negative return.

 

[RichardC]

Appalachian Electric Power (part of American Electric Power) is attempting a massive anti solar billing. They will slap Solar generators, and only solar generators, with a massive demand charge. Looking at my bills my power rates will be 75% higher than my bills before solar. And I now generate 95% of my usage. So installing solar will result in a negative return.

That is completely outrageous! How is this rate change regulated in your state? What can be done to mobilize public support to have this reversed?

 

[dhrivnak]

That is completely outrageous! How is this rate change regulated in your state? What can be done to mobilize public support to have this reversed?

A group of us met with the regulators and we gave them copies of bills and proposed bills but we received virtually no feedback. We are unsure of the best way to fight this as the official hearings are 300 miles distant from us.

 

[RubberToe]

... this policy is totally off the wall wacko evil clown car rabid monkey bananas.

Thats an understatement!

 

[nwdiver]

Hot off the presses from Earth Justice.

Honestly this is more a stalemate than a victory... there's still a $0.036/kWh fee on self-consumption. So even if I used my batteries and never used the grid; if I produced/consumed ~1500 kWh I'd pay ~$60/mo just to have the grid available... Repeal of net-metering is no where near the greatest threat to solar.

Your town could be next... please stay vigilant.

 

[dhrivnak]

Appalachian Electric Power (part of American Electric Power) is attempting a massive anti solar billing. They will slap Solar generators, and only solar generators, with a massive demand charge. Looking at my bills my power rates will be 75% higher than my bills before solar. And I now generate 95% of my usage. So installing solar will result in a negative return.

I am happy to report KINGSPORT power FULLY retracted the proposed demand charge for solar. Sometime we can win.

 

[wycolo]

If you can avoid "air conditioning" and electric heating it should not be that hard to go off grid. Your main usage is refrigeration, typically 1 kw, and charging the EVs and these could be done while the sun is out. Most consumer devices today are very efficient. If one refrains from opening the freezer at night one might actually begin to lose some weight! A single Tesla Powerwall just might be able to bridge usage from 4pm until 9am the next day.
--

 

[evjc]

Personally, and especially in such situations as described in the OP, I favor going totally off-grid if financially possible. A combination of solar, wind, and battery storage (PowerWall?) should be possible (but may not be affordable) in many instances.

In my case, affordability is the reason why I have not gone off-grid.

 

[alseTrick]

Personally, and especially in such situations as described in the OP, I favor going totally off-grid if financially possible. A combination of solar, wind, and battery storage (PowerWall?) should be possible (but may not be affordable) in many instances.

In my case, affordability is the reason why I have not gone off-grid.

Should Tesla get into wind energy? I'm not sure of the energy efficiency of wind turbines, but a few small ones on the roof or a larger one in the backyard would actually be pretty sweet.

 

[nwdiver]

Should Tesla get into wind energy? I'm not sure of the energy efficiency of wind turbines, but a few small ones on the roof or a larger one in the backyard would actually be pretty sweet.

Residential wind turbine are almost universally a terrible idea. The only areas where they make sense would be somewhere with really terrible sun (worse than Seattle) and with very consistent wind. Small wind (<100kW) is now ~4x the cost with 1/2 the life span of solar.

 

[miimura]

I have read that most small wind turbines are better described as "Kinetic Sculptures" than actual productive energy producers. A productive wind turbine really has to get up into the undisturbed flow high above the ground.

 

[Merrill]

I agree, I looked into wind turbines for residential use and even though they have come a long way in the past few years they need at least 6mph of consistent wind and a minimum of 30 feet above any obstructions. They just did not pencil out for me and I do not have consistent wind like they recommend.

 

[brucet999]

…and charging the EVs and these could be done while the sun is out.
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Leaving your Tesla plugged in at home all day and going out only at night? Might work if you happen to be a vampire.

 

[gavine]

Leaving your Tesla plugged in at home all day and going out only at night? Might work if you happen to be a vampire.

I work from home so I charge my car during the day. I have solar panels.

 

[nwdiver]

A single Tesla Powerwall just might be able to bridge usage from 4pm until 9am the next day.
--

I'm by no means an off-grid advocate... I really hope that the we can find common ground with the utilities so excess distributed generation can be utilized instead of curtailed. But there are A LOT of cheap tricks that can be cheaply employed to reduce dependency on the grid. My favorite is adding a timer to your hot water heater. $50 = ~3kWh of 'storage'... can't beat that.