PG&E discontinuing EV-A rate

[ohmman]

If I stay on NEM 1.0 by only expanding by 1kw, can I keep EV-A for 5 year? Or do I have to convert to NEM 2.0?

I tried to call PG&E again, but today they just drop all the non emergency calls. I am wondering if anyone knows this or have already called PG&E and asked about this. Thanks.

You have to convert to NEM 2.0, based on what's been said in this thread and by representatives from PG&E. I believe it's because it shifts your earliest PTO on the current tariff to be the one associated with NEM 2.0. Otherwise your PTO will be associated directly with NEM 1.0 and will be the original install date. At least, that's my interpretation, but once the PSPS is done (next week, hopefully) you can hopefully get some answers.

 

[aesculus]

but once the PSPS is done (next week, hopefully) you can hopefully get some answers.

This appears to be a revolving door. So bad you cannot even check if you are impacted for the next one because the website is still dealing with decommissioning the prior.

 

[aesculus]

If I stay on NEM 1.0 by only expanding by 1kw, can I keep EV-A for 5 year? Or do I have to convert to NEM 2.0?

Only NEM2 are grandfathered. If you are a NEM (1) you are done.

The 1kw (or 10% change, whatever is the lessor) is what would be forcing you from NEM to NEM2.

 

[Scrith]

I'm in the same boat as some people here and I'm not sure what plan of action to take. I have EV-A with NEM 1.0 for a small (4 kWp) solar system that has been up and running for about 5 years. I usually have a ~$300 credit at true-up (I generally charge at work for free, and the house is quite energy efficient).

Should I just let the change happen and hope everything works out?

Or should I add more solar (ASAP) and get it converted to NEM 2.0 so I can stick with EV-A? Is that really going to be a big win vs. staying NEM 1.0 with the new rate plan?

 

[SongjinDK]

You can log in to your pg&e account and try ev2a to see how much it will cost you. In your case, I think likely you will end up breaking even or pay a couple hundred at most. So it may not justify adding more solar.

In my case, I will pay about $800 instead of breaking even with only one of my EVs changing at home. If I will have to charge my MX at home, that's another 4000 kWh or $600. Total $1400. If I spend $6000 (after incentive) to add 3 to 4 kW, I can make it back in 4 to 5 years. Another idea is to lease 3.8kw from Tesla at $65/mo.

 

[miimura]

Only NEM2 are grandfathered. If you are a NEM (1) you are done.

The 1kw (or 10% change, whatever is the lessor) is what would be forcing you from NEM to NEM2.

It's actually the greater of 1kW or 10%. Anyone can add 1kW but if your solar is greater than 10kW, you can add 10%.

Just in case anyone is wondering, the calculation is:

No of Panels x Panel PTC in Watts x CEC Inverter Efficiency / 1000 = CEC AC Rating in kW

That is the figure that is used for determining whether you are within the allowable increase. You can get the official PTC and CEC values for all approved equipment at the GoSolarCalifornia web site.

 

[bmah]

Potentially stupid question: How do you know what the cutover date is from EV-A to EV2-A? I have a "30-day notice" from PG&E dated October 4 (delivered on October 21, but that's another story), my billing cycle ends on November 6, and I've heard various things about "in November".

The reason for asking is that I would like to know when I should change my Powerwall TOU settings...ideally that would happen right around the date I switch rate plans.

Thanks,

Bruce.

 

[SongjinDK]

I guess one way is to poll you pge account and one day it will change from eva to ev2a. Or call them.

 

[MikeW]

How do you know what the cutover date is from EV-A to EV2-A?

The PG&E rep told me the rate will stay the same through last day covered by your November bill. The new rate will start the next day. I'm planning to check my current rate plan on the PG&E web site and the December bill.

 

[miimura]

The PG&E rep told me the rate will stay the same through last day covered by your November bill. The new rate will start the next day. I'm planning to check my current rate plan on the PG&E web site and the December bill.

This matches my understanding too. My billing cycles are the 19th through the 18th of the following month. So, for me EV2-A should be effective November 19th and I will see that bill showing EV2-A around December 23rd. Merry Christmas.... NOT.

I was looking for a place on the web site in My Account that showed the current rate plan in effect, but the best I could come up with was the Rate Comparison tool where it compares your current rate to other rates. Anybody find a more direct indication?

 

[wwu123]

This matches my understanding too. My billing cycles are the 19th through the 18th of the following month. So, for me EV2-A should be effective November 19th and I will see that bill showing EV2-A around December 23rd. Merry Christmas.... NOT.

I was looking for a place on the web site in My Account that showed the current rate plan in effect, but the best I could come up with was the Rate Comparison tool where it compares your current rate to other rates. Anybody find a more direct indication?

My billing cycle typically ends on the 18th of each month, but it's really varied from anywhere the 16th to the 19th over the past 12 months. This month my billing cycle actually ended on the October 17th, a 29-day billing period for whatever reason. Somewhat more odd about the billing cycles, is that the gas billing cycle is often different on the same bill - for this October bill, gas period went from 20th to 18th, whereas electricity went from 19th to 17th.

But it often takes several days to see any solid indication on the website that the billing cycle has turned over. If someone really wants to time it, I was able to verify the day it switched over, by looking at the Rate Comparison Tool. I decided to proactively switch to E-TOU-A in October, rather than wait for them to switch me to EV2-A in November. Looking at the comparison, it confirmed I was on E-TOU-A on the day I was switched over.

 

[astrorob]

You can log in to your pg&e account and try ev2a to see how much it will cost you. In your case, I think likely you will end up breaking even or pay a couple hundred at most. So it may not justify adding more solar.

In my case, I will pay about $800 instead of breaking even with only one of my EVs changing at home. If I will have to charge my MX at home, that's another 4000 kWh or $600. Total $1400. If I spend $6000 (after incentive) to add 3 to 4 kW, I can make it back in 4 to 5 years. Another idea is to lease 3.8kw from Tesla at $65/mo.

this is also true for me... going to go from roughly breakeven to spending between 800 and 1000 dollars per year.

so upthread there was some speculation that if you have storage, EV2 is not an applicable tariff but it now seems that there's some question about that. so then the adjunct question is, will adding storage cause you (or will they permit you) to move to NEM2? i have one more year on EV so there's a little bit of time to do something. i don't think i can fit any more solar on my roof (and my inverter is maxed out anyway...)

i have 2 powerwalls on order with tesla... this is going to happen either way so it would be a nice bonus to be able to stay on rate EV.

 

[MikeW]

will adding storage cause you (or will they permit you) to move to NEM2?

As far as I know the answer is yes, adding storage will require a new interconnection agreement, which has to be NEM2.

 

[wwhitney]

As far as I know the answer is yes, adding storage will require a new interconnection agreement, which has to be NEM2.

No, adding storage without adding PV capacity does not require you to change from NEM1 to NEM2. You can stay on NEM1 if you are on it already. That is what I did. As a result, I am being transitioned to EV2-A.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[dmunjal]

As far as I know the answer is yes, adding storage will require a new interconnection agreement, which has to be NEM2.

What if you don't have solar? I'm adding a Powerwall and on EV1 going to EV2-A. Is NEM better?

 

[ohmman]

No, adding storage without adding PV capacity does not require you to change from NEM1 to NEM2. You can stay on NEM1 if you are on it already. That is what I did. As a result, I am being transitioned to EV2-A.

Cheers, Wayne

My experience was the opposite - they moved me to NEM2 when I installed my Powerwalls without adding any PV.

 

[miimura]

My experience was the opposite - they moved me to NEM2 when I installed my Powerwalls without adding any PV.

Perhaps @wwhitney and I went through the system earlier and the policy changed. I am still on NEM1 from my solar installed in 2012 and Powerwalls installed in Feb 2018.

 

[ohmman]

Perhaps @wwhitney and I went through the system earlier and the policy changed. I am still on NEM1 from my solar installed in 2012 and Powerwalls installed in Feb 2018.

My Powerwalls were turned up May of 2018, so just slightly behind. Who knows? I get the feeling not even PG&E, based on the variation in responses we're hearing here.

 

[wwhitney]

My experience was the opposite - they moved me to NEM2 when I installed my Powerwalls without adding any PV.

Did Tesla handle your interconnect? They were probably just lazy and did it in a way that moved you to NEM2. But it was not required to change to NEM2.

I handled my own interconnect, because, among other reasons, when I asked Tesla whether I would be moved from NEM1 to NEM2, the answer was basically "I don't know". And so when I went through the process, I saw that both options were available, staying on NEM1 or switching to NEM2.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[ohmman]

Did Tesla handle your interconnect? They were probably just lazy and did it in a way that moved you to NEM2. But it was not required to change to NEM2.

I handled my own interconnect, because, among other reasons, when I asked Tesla whether I would be moved from NEM1 to NEM2, the answer was basically "I don't know". And so when I went through the process, I saw that both options were available, staying on NEM1 or switching to NEM2.

Cheers, Wayne

Tesla did handle it. You’re probably right. I guess it worked out in the long run for me..