98¢

[Spiky Bugger]

The fun part is standing at the meter and watching the arrow go LEFT, showing we are selling SoCalEdison a little electricity.

 

[Munchkin]

Very excited for both of you! And the heat wave is coming!!!!

I have some hope that replacing the dark brown shingles with white energy star ones will help a little. I have also become convinced solar is not that hard to do and maybe I should just do my own system!

It should also help that the roofer found I was paying to air condition all of Las Vegas and I was able to get that fixed. Maybe it's just my imagination but the house feels cooler.

 

[JackieOnLine]

I have also become convinced solar is not that hard to do and maybe I should just do my own system!

very impressive

 

[Munchkin]

very impressive

Not really... Look at most of this stuff and the people doing the work are NOT mental giants!

 

[DianaCox]

If you think about how many people could be employed making and installing photovoltaic systems, and how much it would improve our carbon footprint and decentralized the energy production in the country ... ah, but that would be a CONSTRUCTIVE solution, and not in favor of gas, oil and coal companies.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

If you think about how many people could be employed making and installing photovoltaic systems, and how much it would improve our carbon footprint and decentralized the energy production in the country ... ah, but that would be a CONSTRUCTIVE solution, and not in favor of gas, oil and coal companies.

This morning's news covered the what-to-do-about-too-much-electricity problem.

What?

Apparently, between existing power plants and people/companies who are producing their own solar power, and neighboring states don't have a ned to purchase power from us, there are occasions when the utility companies have to pay other, out-of-state utilities to take the excess power. (Because we don't have enough batteries to store it all...and having too much power on the system is as big a problem as not enough power.)

And yet...the power companies are still applying to build more generating facilities.

 

[k9ophile]

This morning's news covered the what-to-do-about-too-much-electricity problem.

What?

Apparently, between existing power plants and people/companies who are producing their own solar power, and neighboring states don't have a ned to purchase power from us, there are occasions when the utility companies have to pay other, out-of-state utilities to take the excess power. (Because we don't have enough batteries to store it all...and having too much power on the system is as big a problem as not enough power.)

And yet...the power companies are still applying to build more generating facilities.

Too bad water doesn't work that way. I remember restrictions and debates over selling "Colorado's water" to other states. People who live in arid parts of the country and want their lawns to look like a horse farm in Kentucky are a major peeve of mine.

 

[DianaCox]

We got turned on today - it was 116 outside, both A/Cs were running, the electric dryer too, plus 2 TVs, 2 fridges (one in the unairconditioned garage), multiple computers, fans, lights - and the meter ran backwards! And the solar guy said we were not operating at full capacity because of the heat. Yay!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

We got turned on today - it was 116 outside, both A/Cs were running, the electric dryer too, plus 2 TVs, 2 fridges (one in the unairconditioned garage), multiple computers, fans, lights - and the meter ran backwards! And the solar guy said we were not operating at full capacity because of the heat. Yay!

That ain't happening here. We "needed" about 21 panels this size and bought only 14.

Two reasons...
1: +/- $20k vs +/- $30k
2: the 14 panels are relatively invisible and on areas where our lives will only be moderately in chaos in the event of a leak. The 21 panels would be over the actual living areas.

That said...our June bill will be about $50. Last June it was $228. I'm guessing that we will have smallish bills during the summer and produce more than we need the rest of the year.

 

[DianaCox]

With all the crap on, our dashboard says since our system was turned on yesterday, we've made $9.77.

 

[JackieOnLine]

that's fantastic - everybody should be doing this!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

That ain't happening here. We "needed" about 21 panels this size and bought only 14.

Two reasons...
1: +/- $20k vs +/- $30k
2: the 14 panels are relatively invisible and on areas where our lives will only be moderately in chaos in the event of a leak. The 21 panels would be over the actual living areas.

That said...our June bill will be about $50. Last June it was $228. I'm guessing that we will have smallish bills during the summer and produce more than we need the rest of the year.

I was wrong. The June bill is $1.01. The fifty bucks is being added to the bill we will owe at the end of the year, assuming that WE owe THEM at the end of the year. Right now, if we were to pay up and move out, our bill for mid-March through the end of June is about $66.

So 98¢ for May, $1.01 for June.

 

[Munchkin]

I was wrong. The June bill is $1.01. The fifty bucks is being added to the bill we will owe at the end of the year, assuming that WE owe THEM at the end of the year. Right now, if we were to pay up and move out, our bill for mid-March through the end of June is about $66.

So 98¢ for May, $1.01 for June.

I just got mine and it's $250. Outrageous but lower than last year. And it has been quite hot!

 

[DianaCox]

Ours (at least for July) is not going to be anywhere near that low. We are producing about 65% of our electricity needs, including what we are selling back, and that we need A/C 24/7, including at night when we are not producing any electricity. The balance should get better starting in September/October.

I spent about 2 hours on the phone with the electric company the other day, and (1) switched to an on ($0.24/kwh from noon to 7 PM weekdays) and off ($0.09/kwh) peak rate plan, instead of our standard ($0.19/kwh at all times) plan; (2) pledged to not run the dryer during on-peak hours; and (3) moved the old second fridge out of the garage and into our family room for the summer (it was working overtime and still not keeping the ice cream cold).

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Ours (at least for July) is not going to be anywhere near that low. We are producing about 65% of our electricity needs, including what we are selling back, and that we need A/C 24/7, including at night when we are not producing any electricity. The balance should get better starting in September/October.

I spent about 2 hours on the phone with the electric company the other day, and (1) switched to an on ($0.24/kwh from noon to 7 PM weekdays) and off ($0.09/kwh) peak rate plan, instead of our standard ($0.19/kwh at all times) plan; (2) pledged to not run the dryer during on-peak hours; and (3) moved the old second fridge out of the garage and into our family room for the summer (it was working overtime and still not keeping the ice cream cold).

We didn't opt for high-low rates based on time of day. SoCal Edison increases the rate (16¢, 25¢, 31¢ per kWh) as you use more. Last month,we stayed in the first tier. This month, maybe not...A/C and figuring the cheapest way to run the pool filter.

Well, last summer, the July and August bills were each over $420. I think we will improve on that. F I can get my pool pump figured out.

But it's old retired folks (and babies and disabled) who are screwed on most rate plans! We are supposed to reduce usage during the time of day the young folks are at work. Easy for the younger people. But we are home! And it's hot and I'm not going to my city's rec center to save on power grid demands, dammit!

Too bad you can't find a way to "buy" a bunch of that 9¢ electricity and store it for use during peak hours!