PG&E Rate Schedules: "Home Charging" (EV2-A) Goes Live vs. Others

[ChrisJ]

Does your cost modeling take into account NBCs under NEM2? Because unless you consider NEM2 NBCs, or you have Powerwalls for time-shifting, then under NEM your usage pattern is immaterial to the economically optimal generation choice. The two are decoupled.

I'm not using Powerwalls right now. If my usage pattern is immaterial, then maybe my hour by hour model is flawed from the start. It does not factor in Non-bypassable charges either but it could if I could figure it out. Any pointers? On the rate schedules breakdown I couldn't see anything beyond that I'm not except from it.

In the long run, adding West facing solar is likely to be better for society in terms of balancing the grid. It's not clear to me that the extra 680 kWh/year the South facing option would generate will displace CO2 generating production.
Cheers, Wayne

I just modified my model to break out the production after 4PM , and you're right, West produces almost 2X during that time (490 kWh vs 990 kWh). But overall the system West facing will not generate enough to cover all the kWh's I use in a year. I was hoping to get to zero. Maybe I should add a few more panels

If you have any pointers how to add in NBCs then that would help a lot.

Cheers

 

[ChrisJ]

Found this good article on NBCs

The Ultimate Guide to NEM 2.0: Non-Bypassable Charges Explained

 

[mblakele]

Found this good article on NBCs

The Ultimate Guide to NEM 2.0: Non-Bypassable Charges Explained

That isn't a bad article, but I read that well before my first NEM2 true-up and it didn't really prepare me. The surprise was that I had a slightly positive NEM balance, but owed almost $200 in NBCs. That's because I was away at work all day, and charging 3-5 hr every night. So I hardly self-consumed at all, which racked up NBCs. The way PG&E does billing didn't help much either: my bills showed near-zero NEM right up until true-up. Apparently it's up to the consumer to track NBCs.

As I see it, NBCs are a way to punish the idea that "the grid is my battery". Future rate plans are likely to follow suit, closing the arbitrage with spot prices. The only way out is to self-consume as much as possible, and maybe add some battery storage.

 

[jjrandorin]

Found this good article on NBCs

The Ultimate Guide to NEM 2.0: Non-Bypassable Charges Explained

I just read the info at the link you sent, and it does a VERY good job of explaining the difference in NEM 1.0 and 2.0 in Layman's terms. It doesnt even cover time of use, and certain time of use rates (like the one they have for EVs) have what I consider to be very high non bypassable charges.

 

[ChrisJ]

I think I have a pretty good handle on NBCs now and half way thru rebuilding my model. Based on current usage I'd pay around $80-100 in NBCs regardless of South/West. Once I'm forced to switch from EV-A in a few years, I hope the rate plans (like current E-TOU-A) are favorable enough for me to charge the car from excess solar during the day when PG&E doesn't want my over production, and hence minimize the NBC charges.

 

[ChrisJ]

I just read the info at the link you sent, and it does a VERY good job of explaining the difference in NEM 1.0 and 2.0 in Layman's terms. It doesnt even cover time of use, and certain time of use rates (like the one they have for EVs) have what I consider to be very high non bypassable charges.

As far as I can tell, all the current PG&E TOU rate plans have the same value for NBC charges.

 

[miimura]

PG&E also has significant "NBC Net Usage Adjustment" that I have never seen explained anywhere. Example in this NEM 2.0 thread.
That bill shows $28.30 in NBCs and -$15.95 in NBC Net Usage Adjustment for a total of $12.35, which is much less than described in the Aurora Solar article linked above.

 

[ChrisJ]

PG&E also has significant "NBC Net Usage Adjustment" that I have never seen explained anywhere. Example in this NEM 2.0 thread.
That bill shows $28.30 in NBCs and -$15.95 in NBC Net Usage Adjustment for a total of $12.35, which is much less than described in the Aurora Solar article linked above.

Thanks for the link, reading it now.

 

[cwied]

PG&E also has significant "NBC Net Usage Adjustment" that I have never seen explained anywhere. Example in this NEM 2.0 thread.
That bill shows $28.30 in NBCs and -$15.95 in NBC Net Usage Adjustment for a total of $12.35, which is much less than described in the Aurora Solar article linked above.

I believe that this adjustment is due to the fact that NBC's are charged on hourly net usage, not on raw import/export. I think the base NBC number is the number calculated without doing the hourly roll-up.

 

[miimura]

I believe that this adjustment is due to the fact that NBC's are charged on hourly net usage, not on raw import/export. I think the base NBC number is the number calculated without doing the hourly roll-up.

That's an interesting idea. The meter PG&E uses reports raw export and import figures separately from the interval data. So, I think you're saying that they are billing NBC on net consumption from the interval data, not the actual raw import. That begs the question - why not calculate it from the interval data to begin with and forget about making it an adjustment?

 

[cwied]

That's an interesting idea. The meter PG&E uses reports raw export and import figures separately from the interval data. So, I think you're saying that they are billing NBC on net consumption from the interval data, not the actual raw import. That begs the question - why not calculate it from the interval data to begin with and forget about making it an adjustment?

This is just a guess, but it feels to me like a workaround to coerce their ugly billing system to do the correct calculation. They probably need to list the NBC as an unbundled rate component but are unable to have unbundled components calculated over intervals. Therefore they have to apply a correction to the reported value to get the right end result.

 

[SameerUCLA]

Hi there - newbie. I’ve read through the whole thread and still am not sure of the answer.

I have a 7.2 kw system and just installed a Powerwall. I’m in Monterey with MBCP as my CCA.

which TOU plan should I pick? I can’t pick EV-A, so my choices are TOU-A/B or EV-2A.

thanks much for the help!

 

[ChrisJ]

Hi there - newbie. I’ve read through the whole thread and still am not sure of the answer.

I have a 7.2 kw system and just installed a Powerwall. I’m in Monterey with MBCP as my CCA.

which TOU plan should I pick? I can’t pick EV-A, so my choices are TOU-A/B or EV-2A.

thanks much for the help!

Without looking closely at your usage patterns, it's hard to say. But I suspect TOU-A would probably be best. I know I'll be switching to it once I'm kicked off EV-A. But I don't have a Powerwall, so your mileage may vary.

 

[SameerUCLA]

Without looking closely at your usage patterns, it's hard to say. But I suspect TOU-A would probably be best. I know I'll be switching to it once I'm kicked off EV-A. But I don't have a Powerwall, so your mileage may vary.

thanks. Here’s a pretty typical day for us (home use + Powerwall shown)

 

[Sherlo]

Did anyone of you see a switch over to EV2-A this month?

 

[Braxus]

Did anyone of you see a switch over to EV2-A this month?

Been logging in every couple days to see when they'll be switching. Still on EV-A here.

Was hoping to get two powerwalls before the EV2-A switch. Started the process in early September and as hoping for December for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, looks like Tesla Energy doesn't have any availability until February in my area.

 

[Sherlo]

Been logging in every couple days to see when they'll be switching. Still on EV-A here.

Was hoping to get two powerwalls before the EV2-A switch. Started the process in early September and as hoping for December for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, looks like Tesla Energy doesn't have any availability until February in my area.

Same here nothing so far. Billing cycle was the 19th.

 

[R1Bill]

Very strange. I got a letter from PG&E saying that I was going to be switched to EV-2A But when I looked a few minutes ago I'm still EV-A. Looks like I'm grandfathered in. Anyone know what triggers the switch? I currently have NEM.

 

[davidg42]

I was just switched from EV-A to EV2-A today. I'm not sure it's worth it. I need to research the TOU plans because we are eligible for a medical baseline allowance that isn't allowed on the EV2-A plan.

 

[aesculus]

I am not sure what/when you get sent to EV2-A. I also got the letter for the Nov 1 cutover. I had a solar upgrade in the works from February that got stalled by some miss communications with PG&E (app turned in then). Finally got that straightened out and the PTO was issued on Nov 20th. Just got a true up bill (normally would be March) because of the switch. There was never any notice of being off of EVA on the bill. Just the switch to Winter rates. I also called the Solar line and they said that I was still on EVA too and there was nothing pending on my account. It stills says I am on NEM too and not NEM2. On the app I just selected "Stay on existing rate".