PGE: TOU rate, 4pm to 9pm - good?

[Wannaretire]

I'm confused as to whether the plan I got moved to is good (you 4-9pm) I dont even know what my options are. Got solar, but no pw or ev, if that matters.

I'm easily confused, but pge doesn't make this easy on us either.

Any thoughts? Nor Cal bay area if it makes a difference.
Thanks!

 

[getakey]

did you just ad solar and were moved to this plan?
basically means most of you solar production will occur before Peak, so if sending back to grid, your credit will be lower. Then after sunset, you will be using Peak rates from the grid.

PG&E is not going to make it good for you

 

[h2ofun]

I'm confused as to whether the plan I got moved to is good (you 4-9pm) I dont even know what my options are. Got solar, but no pw or ev, if that matters.

I'm easily confused, but pge doesn't make this easy on us either.

Any thoughts? Nor Cal bay area if it makes a difference.
Thanks!

You online PGE webpage will say what you are on.

If you are solar, you have a choice of TOU-c of TOU-d. Either way, IMO, the cost difference between peak and non peak is not worrying about. Now with ev2-a, that is a different story

 

[cwied]

E-TOU-C has 4-9 pm peak and a baseline allowance that is 7 cents cheaper. E-TOU-D has 5-8pm peak and no baseline allowance. Both plans have minimal price differences between peak and off-peak during the winter months, so it's really only during the four summer months (June-September) that the time of use matters.

The calculation of which rate is better is complicated since it depends on whether or not you go over baseline usage in any month and your solar production and usage in the summer afternoons/evenings.

If I were in your place, I would probably not worry about it too much. Note that if you produce more solar electricity than you consume over a year, this choice will make no difference at all. I'm assuming you're still consuming some amount of electricity from the grid.

 

[Zorg]

While both TOU C and D have jacked up the rates quite a bit, it actually works out well for a PW user as I can pretty much avoid the peak pricing and then sell enough during the day to offset the car charging at night.

 

[charlesj]

May want to ask PG&E how they net you out at end of year, kWh for kWh or what. Also, are your part of a community power agency?

 

[h2ofun]

While both TOU C and D have jacked up the rates quite a bit, it actually works out well for a PW user as I can pretty much avoid the peak pricing and then sell enough during the day to offset the car charging at night.

Why with an EV would you not want to be on EV2-a?

 

[getakey]

Why with an EV would you not want to be on EV2-a?

because the rate is very low after 11pm

 

[Wannaretire]

Thanks for the responses! I guess I'll wait it out with the current plan. Likely not much difference as mentioned above

 

[h2ofun]

because the rate is very low after 11pm

The rate is lower on ev2-a than tou-c

 

[hayhayday]

All the senarios I ran for myself had C cheaper than D unless I was a net consumer of almost 1mwh per month

 

[Zorg]

Is ev-2a even available for solar plus pw users?

 

[h2ofun]

Is ev-2a even available for solar plus pw users?

Yep. In some cases when one gets batteries they force you on ev2-a

 

[Zorg]

Yep. In some cases when one gets batteries they force you on ev2-a

Good to know. My production offsets my consumption, so not that big a deal so far. We'll see if that changes post pandemic

 

[h2ofun]

Good to know. My production offsets my consumption, so not that big a deal so far. We'll see if that changes post pandemic

If I had a choice, I would not go to ev2-a. peak rates are nuts for pge

 

[Vines]

Agree, I am getting pushed onto EV2A for my Powerwall install as well and the peak rates are pretty crazy. Since my PV wont be producing much at all over those hours, I just will be doing everything I can to reduce my usage on peak.

I am adding another 8 kW PV system to my existing 7 kW system to try and bank an much off peak credit as I can, since the PV panels are so cheap these days.

 

[h2ofun]

Agree, I am getting pushed onto EV2A for my Powerwall install as well and the peak rates are pretty crazy. Since my PV wont be producing much at all over those hours, I just will be doing everything I can to reduce my usage on peak.

I am adding another 8 kW PV system to my existing 7 kW system to try and bank an much off peak credit as I can, since the PV panels are so cheap these days.

Is PV cheap enough to put on North facing roofs? Or should they be tilted?

I understand the EV forces to ev2-a, but do not see the logic with batteries, especially since they will not let us charge from the grid.

Yep, I have a 14.5K PV, since I assumed banking in the summer months was my only chance to try to break even.

At least if I get 2 inverters, I am set if I wanted more panels which I hope would be cheaper with inverter and wiring ready to go.

 

[Vines]

PGE will allow grid charging. Keep pushing to get Tesla to support it. If it is a competitive advantage this may give them reason to change stance. Otherwise a 3rd party small market will grow to fool the Powerwall into grid charging during cheap ToU power prices. I am not sure this is easily automated but I imagine it can be done. There are other folks using a 3rd party API with a Rasberry pi to force multiple peak ToU pricing because in some states its not currently supported in the app.

Depending on roof slop North roofs are ok...ish especially northwest ones. Pure North Roofs are probably losers unless 18 degrees or less, and even then its a 25% hit or so in annual production and worse in Winter. With steep north facing roofs, the sun might not even shine on it all winter. A slight tilt to 5 degrees south will do wonders for production at the cost of aesthetics.

Try to optimize afternoon production after 3 pm if you have the roof open. Those pure west facing summer production hours are worth triple, so whatever you can do to get more of them is ideal.

 

[Ampster]

PGE will allow grid charging.

More importantly, we don't even have to ask their permission. They and the other power companies are happy to send is as much power as our sevice panel can safely provide.
I have a DIY installed hybrid inverter that can charge from the grid any time I want to. I am on NEM2.0 so I dont do it unless necessary or economic because I don't want excessive NBCs. I am also conservative about pushing the limits imposed by ITC.
You also make good points about west facing panels.

 

[h2ofun]

PGE will allow grid charging. Keep pushing to get Tesla to support it. If it is a competitive advantage this may give them reason to change stance. Otherwise a 3rd party small market will grow to fool the Powerwall into grid charging during cheap ToU power prices. I am not sure this is easily automated but I imagine it can be done. There are other folks using a 3rd party API with a Rasberry pi to force multiple peak ToU pricing because in some states its not currently supported in the app.

Depending on roof slop North roofs are ok...ish especially northwest ones. Pure North Roofs are probably losers unless 18 degrees or less, and even then its a 25% hit or so in annual production and worse in Winter. With steep north facing roofs, the sun might not even shine on it all winter. A slight tilt to 5 degrees south will do wonders for production at the cost of aesthetics.

Try to optimize afternoon production after 3 pm if you have the roof open. Those pure west facing summer production hours are worth triple, so whatever you can do to get more of them is ideal.

I have like 16 panels that face west, so those should have for the after 4pm costs. I filled my my easy south facing with 31 panels. I really would have to tilt stuff since the rest is close to north facing. I keep thinking should I replace my 47 310watt panels with better ones, but. cost.

I have not given up on tesla grid charging. I have questions into SGIP. I have my installer asking. But bottom line, it actually is very easy to change an installer setting, and one gets the batteries to charge off grid. I am just trying to do things above board. No fancy stuff needed.