As far as I can tell, those are all requirements for new construction or major remodel. New construction is the easiest of all mandates.
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Solar PV News
- Thread starter mspohr
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mblakele
FSD Beta (99)
Correct, and the reach codes tend to include exemptions for just about everything. But hopefully it’ll turn out to be the camel’s nose.
The REGRowth program lets owner/occupants produce as much solar as the roof can support, with 100% of the energy sold to the power grid. John Weaver says the program should be a model for the nation.
A look inside Rhode Island’s most successful solar incentive program
A look inside Rhode Island’s most successful solar incentive program
TLDR: Rhode Island has copied approaches from other countries, using feed-in tariffs, instead of using the typical net-metering approach used in the USA.
I feel that it's a much better approach.
House lawmakers reintroduce the GREEN Act, a ‘critical’ bill for solar
According to a bill summary, the solar ITC would be extended at 30% through the end of 2025, then phase down to 26% in 2026, 22% in 2027 and 10% thereafter. That compares to the two-year extension secured in late 2020 which began at 26% through the end of 2022, with a phase-down to 22% in 2023 and 10% in 2024. The GREEN Act would also establish an ITC for energy storage technology on a stand-alone basis. That benefit would start at 30% through the end of 2026 then phase down to 26% in 2027 and 22% in 2028.
According to a bill summary, the solar ITC would be extended at 30% through the end of 2025, then phase down to 26% in 2026, 22% in 2027 and 10% thereafter. That compares to the two-year extension secured in late 2020 which began at 26% through the end of 2022, with a phase-down to 22% in 2023 and 10% in 2024. The GREEN Act would also establish an ITC for energy storage technology on a stand-alone basis. That benefit would start at 30% through the end of 2026 then phase down to 26% in 2027 and 22% in 2028.
Sunrise brief: Good solar makes good neighbors, researchers say
A professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Technological University has shown that grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) owners subsidize their non-PV neighbors. Solar homeowners also help utilities avoid making many infrastructure investments, and shave peak demand when electricity is the most expensive.
The researchers also found that grid-tied PV-owning utility customers largely are under-compensated for their neighborliness. That’s because the value of solar eclipses both the net metering and two-tiered rates that many utilities pay for solar electricity. The research is published online and will be in the March issue of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.
A review of the value of solar methodology with a case study of the U.S. VOS - ScienceDirect
A professor of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Technological University has shown that grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) owners subsidize their non-PV neighbors. Solar homeowners also help utilities avoid making many infrastructure investments, and shave peak demand when electricity is the most expensive.
The researchers also found that grid-tied PV-owning utility customers largely are under-compensated for their neighborliness. That’s because the value of solar eclipses both the net metering and two-tiered rates that many utilities pay for solar electricity. The research is published online and will be in the March issue of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.
A review of the value of solar methodology with a case study of the U.S. VOS - ScienceDirect
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
Starting at 30 cents a kWh as a baseline seems off.
And most of the savings is enviro + health. Not that I disagree, but it is something of a separate argument from the utility's POV
I expect the REAL (tm) curve to show a maxima. After all, if all customers go solar but one it is pretty darned obvious that the last customer is paying all the fixed costs of the utility.
Would be nice to see the whole article.
I don't pretend to fully understand the economics but high per kWh pricing is a bit artificial. We have customers getting charged rates that are oversimplified. The free market part of me blames the government regulation. People should pay some semblance of what it costs but they really don't.
At least in my area, the average monthly bill is about $100. $50 of that is for infrastructure costs - not that it is spelled out that way. We pay $12 a month for the hookup despite it being more like $50. Then we pay an artificially high per kWh cost to make up for it. The structure encourages conservation which is great. But it isn't that rational either.
What should happen is that we all pay $50 a month even if we net out at zero. I think most solar customers wouldn't be happy with that - although they do pay that in many areas. Heck I got frustrated when I zeroed out some credits last May. Since I wasn't driving as much, we had about $100 in credits disappear (end of May we zero out - with no compensation). But what I should remember is that I underpay $40 a month - every month.
That is just basic infrastructure and only looking at personal solar as a problem. Yes, it also has a benefit - by reducing peak demand. But at some point, because of inertia and regulation, our peak is getting closer to 5pm in December. That has to be accounted for. I say that because we have zero TOU and increasing EV's. I suspect most people on my street come home and plug in between 5 and 6 pm. Lots of electric ovens too. I am waiting for the lights to dim right about 5:30pm. Tesla has 10% penetration on my street. I know it is my single biggest load by far. My backup electric strips are only 5 kw.
And for that matter, A/C is pumping at 7pm in September when most of the panels are shaded. And peaks tend to be on superhot days when the panels are not producing optimally because of the heat.
I suspect a large company like Duke Power can not change fast enough for the growing EV load. They are so stupid that I have a 2 year old house with solar and then have to come manually read the meter. The converted our entire city in 2020 to remote read. But in 2019, they installed a bidirectional meter that can't be. I wouldn't be surprised if the remote read meters they put in can't be TOUed. They currently will not allow me to switch to TOU - not available in NC at all.
So stupid that they send techs out now - just to read the solar houses. And mine is locked so they have to call me and 2/3 of the time they drive away because I don't answer. And all to collect my $12 a month - the labor to read my meter costs more!
I don't pretend to fully understand the economics but high per kWh pricing is a bit artificial. We have customers getting charged rates that are oversimplified. The free market part of me blames the government regulation. People should pay some semblance of what it costs but they really don't.
At least in my area, the average monthly bill is about $100. $50 of that is for infrastructure costs - not that it is spelled out that way. We pay $12 a month for the hookup despite it being more like $50. Then we pay an artificially high per kWh cost to make up for it. The structure encourages conservation which is great. But it isn't that rational either.
What should happen is that we all pay $50 a month even if we net out at zero. I think most solar customers wouldn't be happy with that - although they do pay that in many areas. Heck I got frustrated when I zeroed out some credits last May. Since I wasn't driving as much, we had about $100 in credits disappear (end of May we zero out - with no compensation). But what I should remember is that I underpay $40 a month - every month.
That is just basic infrastructure and only looking at personal solar as a problem. Yes, it also has a benefit - by reducing peak demand. But at some point, because of inertia and regulation, our peak is getting closer to 5pm in December. That has to be accounted for. I say that because we have zero TOU and increasing EV's. I suspect most people on my street come home and plug in between 5 and 6 pm. Lots of electric ovens too. I am waiting for the lights to dim right about 5:30pm. Tesla has 10% penetration on my street. I know it is my single biggest load by far. My backup electric strips are only 5 kw.
And for that matter, A/C is pumping at 7pm in September when most of the panels are shaded. And peaks tend to be on superhot days when the panels are not producing optimally because of the heat.
I suspect a large company like Duke Power can not change fast enough for the growing EV load. They are so stupid that I have a 2 year old house with solar and then have to come manually read the meter. The converted our entire city in 2020 to remote read. But in 2019, they installed a bidirectional meter that can't be. I wouldn't be surprised if the remote read meters they put in can't be TOUed. They currently will not allow me to switch to TOU - not available in NC at all.
So stupid that they send techs out now - just to read the solar houses. And mine is locked so they have to call me and 2/3 of the time they drive away because I don't answer. And all to collect my $12 a month - the labor to read my meter costs more!
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bkp_duke
Well-Known Member
I agree with your assertion in principle, but I would bet your usage of the infrastructure is far lower than $50 per month, and here is why:
The power you generate and is being back-fed into the grid is going to service your neighbors. Especially in a relatively low PV penetration area like NC, there is practically zero chance that your power makes it beyond 1/2 a mile from you before being used. This distinction is VERY important, because local power infrastructure (smaller poles and wires) is MUCH cheaper to maintain than the larger long-distance, high voltage wires that go from power station to sub-station, before being transformed down to a more usable voltage (also more expensive equipment).
And then the question beckons, what would be fair for those of us that are nearly 100% power self-sufficient with Powerwalls and the like installed in our homes? I closely track my usage, and I'm a net exporter and very VERY rarely pull power from the grid.
I would be happy with a higher per kW usage charge for when I draw power, and even a lower feed-in credit when I supply excess to the grid. A per-use model seems far more fair than a high flat-rate connectivity charge.
My situation is similar to yours. High solar production, no TOU, manual meter read, near net zero. I don't know the real cost of local distribution but I would be happy to pay a fixed charge as long as I was compensated fairly for my production... i.e. TOU.
I think the cost of long distance distribution should be calculated separately and incorporated into TOU since it is demand driven. I could use batteries to eliminate most high TOU but no incentive now.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
I think you are talking about long distance transmission, not distribution.
It is first and foremost a sunk cost related to its construction. The value of the electricity flowing through it is secondary.
Yes, I agree.
However, I think it should be billed by use since most long distance transmission in a highly distributed system would be to meet peak TOU demand.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
I *really* doubt that is the case. I'm not saying that that the line would be quiet during peak -- hopefully not.
I'm saying that it will be active most hours of the day.
Yes, that is true now. However, as we move to a more distributed energy generation and storage model, there will be less of a need for long distance transmission. That is one of the big benefits of DER. The transmission lines will only be used during peak demand and that is why their cost should be apportioned to peak energy rates.
Utilities install expensive to build and run NG peaker plants and only use them occasionally. It makes sense since they can charge a lot for the electricity when they are needed. Should be same model for long distance transmission.
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SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
They pay for the sunk cost of NG peaker plants by selling expensive electricity. Transmission lines could work the same way. If you want that expensive imported electricity, it's going to cost you.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
The peaker plant electricity is expensive because it is not used much, not because the plant was expensive to build
California is questioning the validity of across the board stand-by charges for microgrids which support transmission lines, etc. These flat charges are an impediment to microgrids. Hopefully will be eliminated. Power companies can always charge for any excess energy needed.
Standby Charges for Microgrids Under the Microscope in California
“Standby charges ensure customers pay for the critical transmission and distribution infrastructure for the investor-owned utility to provide safe and reliable service,” Shiroma said.
The question the commission aims to tackle in the third track is whether Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric should be required to waive standby charges for a customer operating a microgrid, regardless of fuel sources, as long as waiving the charge will enable the microgrid to benefit other customers in an amount at least equal to the standby charges.
Standby Charges for Microgrids Under the Microscope in California
“Standby charges ensure customers pay for the critical transmission and distribution infrastructure for the investor-owned utility to provide safe and reliable service,” Shiroma said.
The question the commission aims to tackle in the third track is whether Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric should be required to waive standby charges for a customer operating a microgrid, regardless of fuel sources, as long as waiving the charge will enable the microgrid to benefit other customers in an amount at least equal to the standby charges.
Not having a standby charge would be wrong. The connection is analogous to renting a generator. You wouldn't expect to get the generator provided and maintained for free and only to have to pay for the fuel.
People with solar have already paid for standby power with their solar and battery installations. Why should they pay again?
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