Solar Panels on or off before PTO form SCE?

[Cali_wete]

Solar Panels without PW were installed and I'm waiting for the City Inspector then the PTO from SCE (Southern California Edison).

1. Keep the system on or off?
2. How long will take for SCE to give PTO?
3. Any cons of turning it on before PTO? or pros?
4. Will giving back to the grid okay before PTO?

TIA.

 

[jjrandorin]

Your agreement says you will not run them other than to test them before PTO. Since you do not have powerwalls and thus no way to run your home grid disconnected, other than for an hour or two to verify the panels work, your answer is "off".

PTO could take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months.

Cons = your agreement says you wouldnt, you dont have powerwalls to keep from pushing power back to the grid so they will know, and they could possibly deny your PTO (permission to operate) because you operated the system before being given permission to.

Additionally, if you dont have the right kind of meter, its possible for you not only to not get credit for the energy pushed back to the grid, but be charged for it, if your meter is not the right kind to measure that direction (or it has not been enabled).

If you read about people in this section doing otherwise, it is, in almost all cases, coupled with them having home storage (powerwalls or some other form of battery) so they are NOT pushing anything substantial back to the grid, but operating in a microgrid state.

No, giving back to the grid is not ok for any long length of time before PTO, with solar only, as you have no way to microgrid.

 

[h2ofun]

Your agreement says you will not run them other than to test them before PTO. Since you do not have powerwalls and thus no way to run your home grid disconnected, other than for an hour or two to verify the panels work, your answer is "off".

PTO could take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months.

Cons = your agreement says you wouldnt, you dont have powerwalls to keep from pushing power back to the grid so they will know, and they could possibly deny your PTO (permission to operate) because you operated the system before being given permission to.

Additionally, if you dont have the right kind of meter, its possible for you not only to not get credit for the energy pushed back to the grid, but be charged for it, if your meter is not the right kind to measure that direction (or it has not been enabled).

If you read about people in this section doing otherwise, it is, in almost all cases, coupled with them having home storage (powerwalls or some other form of battery) so they are NOT pushing anything substantial back to the grid, but operating in a microgrid state.

No, giving back to the grid is not ok for any long length of time before PTO, with solar only, as you have no way to microgrid.

I had no PW's and I pushed a lot back for many months. Got no credit for any of the push back.

 

[jjrandorin]

I had no PW's and I pushed a lot back for many months. Got no credit for any of the push back.

I will repeat that it is entirely possible for someone to not only not receive credit for any energy pushed back, but be charged for same (billed for it as if they used it). Additionally, if permission to operate has not been granted and a customer chooses to operate their equipment, they must be prepared to accept whatever outcome of that (if any) may arise.

In most cases its none (especially if one has storage and is not pushing much back). In some cases people are double billed, and then have to try to explain why they were operating their equipment before PTO.

Unless a person has a way to absorb what they are generating (operating in a microgrid), I would recommend to anyone who asks NOT to operate their equipment for any real length of time before receiving official PTO. If you have storage its murkier because you can absorb it yourself, so are not really impacting anything.

Here is one such thread here, for example:

PG&E charges double for energy put onto grid as a penalty without PTO

Got my first bill for the first full month with my solar + PWs WITHOUT PTO. I sent, unintended, $0.81 to the grid. This was treated as a charge * 2 so instead of my bill being $115.14 - $0.81 it was $115.14 + $0.81 x 2. So energy put back on the grid was not just treated as a charge but charged...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[h2ofun]

I will repeat that it is entirely possible for someone to not only not receive credit for any energy pushed back, but be charged for same (billed for it as if they used it). Additionally, if permission to operate has not been granted and a customer chooses to operate their equipment, they must be prepared to accept whatever outcome of that (if any) may arise.

In most cases its none (especially if one has storage and is not pushing much back). In some cases people are double billed, and then have to try to explain why they were operating their equipment before PTO.

Unless a person has a way to absorb what they are generating (operating in a microgrid), I would recommend to anyone who asks NOT to operate their equipment for any real length of time before receiving official PTO. If you have storage its murkier because you can absorb it yourself, so are not really impacting anything.

Here is one such thread here, for example:

PG&E charges double for energy put onto grid as a penalty without PTO

Got my first bill for the first full month with my solar + PWs WITHOUT PTO. I sent, unintended, $0.81 to the grid. This was treated as a charge * 2 so instead of my bill being $115.14 - $0.81 it was $115.14 + $0.81 x 2. So energy put back on the grid was not just treated as a charge but charged...

teslamotorsclub.com

yep

 

[Cali_wete]

Your agreement says you will not run them other than to test them before PTO. Since you do not have powerwalls and thus no way to run your home grid disconnected, other than for an hour or two to verify the panels work, your answer is "off".

PTO could take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months.

Cons = your agreement says you wouldnt, you dont have powerwalls to keep from pushing power back to the grid so they will know, and they could possibly deny your PTO (permission to operate) because you operated the system before being given permission to.

Additionally, if you dont have the right kind of meter, its possible for you not only to not get credit for the energy pushed back to the grid, but be charged for it, if your meter is not the right kind to measure that direction (or it has not been enabled).

If you read about people in this section doing otherwise, it is, in almost all cases, coupled with them having home storage (powerwalls or some other form of battery) so they are NOT pushing anything substantial back to the grid, but operating in a microgrid state.

No, giving back to the grid is not ok for any long length of time before PTO, with solar only, as you have no way to microgrid.

Thanks a lot! Tesla installer told me to leave it on and the City Inspector will turn it off but its been a week and there is no inspection yet. I'll just turn it off.

 

[Cali_wete]

I had no PW's and I pushed a lot back for many months. Got no credit for any of the push back.

Pushed back prior to PTO?

 

[h2ofun]

Pushed back prior to PTO?

I sent months and months back over the amount my house was using. I got zero credit, but at least I was using the solar on my house.

 

[Electrph]

to OP @jjrandorin gave good examples of why you would not want to send out energy to grid pre-pto also i would add i would personally despite inspection completed not want to be liable for any damage / injury resulting from sending power back to grid pre- PTO .. i know it's a very slim chance / ppl will reply "but but i exported 100,000 kwh before PTO" .. but thats just me I am not gonna risk my personal / financial liablility for just what $100 "lost" by not yet being able to use solar .. makes no risk / reward sense to me .. but your call