My utility, the Withlacoochie Coop in central Florida, went from full 1:1 net metering to 4:1, which was a slap in the face. To add insult to injury, for those on their “solar” plan, there’s a mandatory $35 monthly connection charge. Getting socked by Florida man…
2 месяца назад+1
We get 1:1 in New Brunswick, Canada. However we also have a fixed $28.27 monthly connection charge, so even if we are exporting more than we are importing, we have to pay a fee. On top of that, we get taxed for our usage, not on what we purchase. So if we give 10kWh of solar production to the grid during the day, we are taxed on this 10kWh when I use it in the evening.
What I had done is setup off grid solar system separate from grid on my home. I power living room ( with Midea ) and fridgerator. I still use grid for electric stove and central ac when needed. My 1000 sq ft home I installed u-shaped Midea 1200 btu ac. I just wanted to learn what I can do with solar. With 8 400w bifacial panels to Eg4 6000xp with eg4 power pro battery 14k. I set window ac to 72 degrees and central ac to 75 degree. Here in Texas through the summer it has cooled living room and kitchen area great. When the bedroom area reaches 76 the central air run only a few times a day. This has cut my bill to less than half, never over $75.00 a month. I have been well pleased with keeping it separated from the grid and getting to learn what solar can do.
When we added rooftop solar last year (no battery, yet) everything the sales team told us pretty much was accurate in terms of cost, timeline, generation, etc. The big surprise was that, while our usage from SRP was cut in half, our electric bill only went down a third. We failed to realize we couldn't stay on our usual rate plan, they make you go onto a more complicated/diabolical peak demand thing. So mostly as a spite thing, less a pure financial thing, we added two batteries this year. Like you say, it seems they are changing the game so gotta use all the tools and strategies. If I had to guess, the power companies figure if a customer can afford solar then they aren't doing too bad and so what if they have a worse deal than 'regular' customers. But why are we different than a customer that adds insulation, upgrades the AC, fills in their pool, and cuts consumption in half?
Im on that off grid rate, i bought 32 eve LF280K cells(4p8s) with a ElectroDacus bms and made a box for them inside a 3/4in plywood with black epoxy and ran trippl 4ga wires to my 2 X MPP LV2424s wired in sieries for a split phase 240v. They are powered by 40 X 100w newpawa solar pannels but im going to 16 x 415w sirus bifacial pannels.
Big energy and big government see the writing on the wall - at the rate solar & EV is getting cheaper - in a few decades you would be stupid not to have it, ROI will be in a few years. Civilians having more money in their pockets instead of handing it over to the corporate donor class is a threat. Less profits for oil, gas & energy companies, less "Donations" to politicians, more independent individuals - what a nightmare!
Here in UK I have 2 rate purchase price 25pence per kWh 0530-2330 and just 7pence from 2330-0530. Any excess I export I can get 15pence per kWh. In the summer months I rarely have any bill to pay.
Wonderful video. I'll add that in some markets, solar never took off at all due to extra solar fees, taxation, etc. (protectionist policies). I live in one such market. As such, residential grid-tie solar simply doesn't exist here. However, a bypass for such taxation (which I plan on enacting) is the new breed of hybrid AC/DC (latter from direct solar) powered mini-split HVAC units. No grid-tie (exporting power to the grid), no problem. Thus, in the highest period of AC usage (summer, mid-day), drastically reduced power bills. Changing to a heat pump water heater, heat pump dryer, etc. (both cooling the interior air) also helps.
When the grid is down you get no solar power. That's why I have a Ecoflow solar generator And I keep 100 percent of my power. Also when the grid is down, I still have power.
Net metering works. Private corporations in control of utilities doesn’t work. Publicly owned utilities in CA still do 1:1 net metering. They don’t need to make a profit or do stock buy backs and dividends, so it works. They also ENCOURAGE their customers to go solar.
With APS and the Time-Of-Use Demand charge rate plan, the off-peak rate and buyback rate (at least for those before Sep 1, 2024) are about the same (within a cent). For winter the super-off-peak is over a cent lower than the buyback rate.
Here in Ohio they have basically got things setup as distribution and generation along with riders. And with this the kw rate is set at like .03c. I’m fairly certain that this is to eventually pay home solar nothing. So my solution especially since batteries are incredibly cheap. Is just to basically go off grid. Payback still works the same because they are raising the prices significantly.
Whole house batteries are too expensive - $20k is almost as much as my solar system costs by itself! We're still 1:1 Net Metering here in the Seattle area.
Battery costs have continued to come down, but with 1:1 NEM it’s going to be really hard to justify for sure. I didn’t know Seattle had full 1:1. Thanks for sharing!
Most utilities will not allow this. However - You could always “go off-grid” while still on-grid. Just build a system with enough generation and storage to offset your 24/7 energy demand. You won’t be able to avoid the fixed charges and fees though.
Thanks for discussing an issue that will continue until homeowners get a Solar Bill of Rights that allow us homeowners to generate are own electricity without penalties
jamaicas export structure is... we have a MONOPOLY. So they dont pay you shid for nothing.. in fact a couple years ago i had a friend that grid tied himself and quickly learned they charged him when he pushed back to grid..
The changes in net metering rules were always inevitable to balance the interests of all parties. It takes investment and expenses to manage the flow of electricity in both directions.
Emporia has a charger and panel monitor, it can automatically ramp up or down your EV charging based upon your solar output. I have one and it works well.
If you are in certain areas of Texas, you can get a free night's electric plan. With solar and batteries you can set it up so that during paid hours you are off grid and at night use all the free power you want.
Zach, good post! My thought is that as batteries grow more affordable, more people throughout the world will be able to generate and store their own energy. My thought is that in ten years, a 50 kWh battery will be the standard for the typical American home.
@@ZachSolar well it’s set to get worse. Australia government passed a bill so now we will be charged to send power back to the grid at peak times of solar. So I’ve just ordered a battery. Although expensive the payback is quite quick now that you get nothing for excess solar.
We keep our solar and grid landline power seperate, solar powers our office building (consisting of mine and my wifes "offices") 24/7 and can run both fridge and freezers in case of grid down on a line hooked into the house. Nothing solar is connected to grid. We use solar powered lighting with motion detection outside, and am concidering using the same units for inside as well, to further cut on grid electricity use (also hands free lighting) 😚
Is the energy from solid different from energy from fossil fuels? Like electricity is electricity no? Why do companies not just shut off coal during times of expected energy surplus?
A bit of a spread between the but and sell rates is fair. But here in California, the spread is abusive. California electricity providers act more like a drug cartel than a conventional utility. They don’t want the competition from home solar.
So, in California it makes sense to produce and store your own energy. And, it makes switching to EVs even more important. Yes, batteries are still way, way too expensive. But as battery prices drop, more and more home and business owners will reduce their consumption of corrupt electricity cartel power.
No, you can get any battery you want. There are a lot of great options out there. The Powerwall is just a personal favorite is all. Plus, they have a lot of b-roll I can use.
I agree with everything except the purchase of a variable speed pool pump. I purchased a variable speed pool pump and it runs for just as long as the old fixed speed pump and draws almost the same amount of energy. I do run it at 80% of full RPM but that RPM is higher than my old pump so pretty much a push, I lowered the RPM to increase life of pump but it costs > 2X the single speed so no savings. FYI I live in Anaheim CA I installed a Tesla Solar system all south facing 7.29 kW, 2 power wall 3s, coat before incentives $39K on average we generate 40kHh per day and use 35kWh, 15kWh used by pool pump. Average month our old bill was $250 now $15, expect payback to be around 12 years. Plus my Model Y fill up for free Electricity cost $0.14 for 1st 10 kWh and $0.22 for excess, exporting pays $0.07 off peak and $0.14 at peak. Utility is Anaheim Electric
What's your utility export structure? Do you receive full 1-1 net metering or a reduced export rate?
I get 1:1. My utility company (Entergy Arkansas) discontinued that at the end of October 2024 but I am grandfathered in.
1:1 with illuminating company/first energy. Also just registered to sell green credits (~$30/mWh) since the electric production is green.
My municipal coop offers no net metering at all. I get nothing for the solar I export. I'm getting batteries to keep it for myself instead.
My utility, the Withlacoochie Coop in central Florida, went from full 1:1 net metering to 4:1, which was a slap in the face. To add insult to injury, for those on their “solar” plan, there’s a mandatory $35 monthly connection charge. Getting socked by Florida man…
We get 1:1 in New Brunswick, Canada. However we also have a fixed $28.27 monthly connection charge, so even if we are exporting more than we are importing, we have to pay a fee. On top of that, we get taxed for our usage, not on what we purchase. So if we give 10kWh of solar production to the grid during the day, we are taxed on this 10kWh when I use it in the evening.
What I had done is setup off grid solar system separate from grid on my home. I power living room ( with Midea ) and fridgerator. I still use grid for electric stove and central ac when needed. My 1000 sq ft home I installed u-shaped Midea 1200 btu ac. I just wanted to learn what I can do with solar. With 8 400w bifacial panels to Eg4 6000xp with eg4 power pro battery 14k. I set window ac to 72 degrees and central ac to 75 degree. Here in Texas through the summer it has cooled living room and kitchen area great. When the bedroom area reaches 76 the central air run only a few times a day. This has cut my bill to less than half, never over $75.00 a month. I have been well pleased with keeping it separated from the grid and getting to learn what solar can do.
Sweet setup! Thanks for sharing 👍
I have no idea why your channel doesn't have tons more subscribers. Great info and presented in an easy to understand method.
Thank you very much, LJ! I appreciate your support 👊🏻
When we added rooftop solar last year (no battery, yet) everything the sales team told us pretty much was accurate in terms of cost, timeline, generation, etc. The big surprise was that, while our usage from SRP was cut in half, our electric bill only went down a third. We failed to realize we couldn't stay on our usual rate plan, they make you go onto a more complicated/diabolical peak demand thing. So mostly as a spite thing, less a pure financial thing, we added two batteries this year. Like you say, it seems they are changing the game so gotta use all the tools and strategies. If I had to guess, the power companies figure if a customer can afford solar then they aren't doing too bad and so what if they have a worse deal than 'regular' customers. But why are we different than a customer that adds insulation, upgrades the AC, fills in their pool, and cuts consumption in half?
My solar system is programed to switch to battery power during on-peak time 5-9pm
Being on the grid is more costly now than DIY solar with batteries.
Im on that off grid rate, i bought 32 eve LF280K cells(4p8s) with a ElectroDacus bms and made a box for them inside a 3/4in plywood with black epoxy and ran trippl 4ga wires to my 2 X MPP LV2424s wired in sieries for a split phase 240v. They are powered by 40 X 100w newpawa solar pannels but im going to 16 x 415w sirus bifacial pannels.
Lots of good tips and info. Nicely done!
Hey, thank you! Glad it was helpful 😀
SOLID into video Zach. I will be sending people to it to learn more. :)
Thank you Aaron! I appreciate that 😃
Big energy and big government see the writing on the wall - at the rate solar & EV is getting cheaper - in a few decades you would be stupid not to have it, ROI will be in a few years.
Civilians having more money in their pockets instead of handing it over to the corporate donor class is a threat.
Less profits for oil, gas & energy companies, less "Donations" to politicians, more independent individuals - what a nightmare!
another great presentation 👍
As always, much appreciated! 😀
Here in UK I have 2 rate purchase price 25pence per kWh 0530-2330 and just 7pence from 2330-0530. Any excess I export I can get 15pence per kWh. In the summer months I rarely have any bill to pay.
That’s a very solid export rate 👍
Top tier information here. Thanks for putting this together, Zach.
I appreciate that, thank you!!
I really like you explanation of solar export. Very clear. Thanks!
Thank you, I appreciate that!
Wonderful video.
I'll add that in some markets, solar never took off at all due to extra solar fees, taxation, etc. (protectionist policies). I live in one such market. As such, residential grid-tie solar simply doesn't exist here. However, a bypass for such taxation (which I plan on enacting) is the new breed of hybrid AC/DC (latter from direct solar) powered mini-split HVAC units. No grid-tie (exporting power to the grid), no problem. Thus, in the highest period of AC usage (summer, mid-day), drastically reduced power bills. Changing to a heat pump water heater, heat pump dryer, etc. (both cooling the interior air) also helps.
Thank you for watching! And these are good points that I overlooked re: those utilities with miscellaneous fees and charges for just having solar.
When the grid is down you get no solar power. That's why I have a Ecoflow solar generator And I keep 100 percent of my power. Also when the grid is down, I still have power.
Nice. How do you like your EcoFlow setup?
Wish we had cold storage in our hvac we could use the cold water later to cool the house.
Net metering never could work long term. It was never sensible for the utilities to pay above supplier costs to homeowners.
Agreed. As much as I wish it did stick around, it makes sense as to why export rates are lower.
Utilities should just pay solar panel owners the same rate they pay to large solar farms
Agreed
Net metering works. Private corporations in control of utilities doesn’t work. Publicly owned utilities in CA still do 1:1 net metering. They don’t need to make a profit or do stock buy backs and dividends, so it works. They also ENCOURAGE their customers to go solar.
@@freeheeler09that’s what they’re doing now when they cut the net metering rate
Excellent points! Newcomers to solar should definitely check out your videos.
Thank you! I appreciate that 👍
As always, excellent informative videos. Thanks for all the information you're getting out there Zach!
Hey, I really appreciate that! 😀 thank you for watching!
Man, things have really changed. Here in Central florida we pay 16 cents per kw and sell it for a measely 2 cents per kw.
Dang! Are you with a co-op utility?
@@ZachSolar
It’s the same for us in Louisiana.
12 to 2 cents. Completely killed the math of my installation.
@@SmallTownSolar I've heard Louisiana utilities are tough on solar.
With APS and the Time-Of-Use Demand charge rate plan, the off-peak rate and buyback rate (at least for those before Sep 1, 2024) are about the same (within a cent). For winter the super-off-peak is over a cent lower than the buyback rate.
Oh yeah! Arizona Demand TOU plans are fantastic when paired with solar & battery. Cuts down on the import-export spread for sure.
Solid advice! As someone who lives in a state that still has one to one net metering, I might want to expedite my solar install.
You should at least check it out! Get a couple quotes and see if it makes sense for you. Thanks for watching!
Here in Ohio they have basically got things setup as distribution and generation along with riders. And with this the kw rate is set at like .03c. I’m fairly certain that this is to eventually pay home solar nothing. So my solution especially since batteries are incredibly cheap. Is just to basically go off grid. Payback still works the same because they are raising the prices significantly.
Are you going to oversize the system to make up for the winter months when solar output is lower?
That’s a great strategy with the rates you’re seeing out there.
Whole house batteries are too expensive - $20k is almost as much as my solar system costs by itself! We're still 1:1 Net Metering here in the Seattle area.
Battery costs have continued to come down, but with 1:1 NEM it’s going to be really hard to justify for sure. I didn’t know Seattle had full 1:1. Thanks for sharing!
Just go OFF GRID and be done with the utility companies.
The sad truth is, in many counties, this is literally illegal 💀
If you’ve got 1 to 1 credits, the grid is like a free battery. It’s harder to meet energy requirements during winter with an off grid setup.
Most utilities will not allow this. However - You could always “go off-grid” while still on-grid. Just build a system with enough generation and storage to offset your 24/7 energy demand. You won’t be able to avoid the fixed charges and fees though.
@@DigitalBenny just don't pay the electric bill and they will shut you off. easy peasy.
That's why I have an ecoflow solar generator with solar panels. I keep 100 percent off my power. Not going to the free loaders and neighbors.
Great job with the subject 👏
Thank you!
Thanks for discussing an issue that will continue until homeowners get a Solar Bill of Rights that allow us homeowners to generate are own electricity without penalties
Thanks for watching!
jamaicas export structure is... we have a MONOPOLY. So they dont pay you shid for nothing..
in fact a couple years ago i had a friend that grid tied himself and quickly learned they charged him when he pushed back to grid..
That’s wild! What a shame.
The changes in net metering rules were always inevitable to balance the interests of all parties. It takes investment and expenses to manage the flow of electricity in both directions.
I agree. I think there should be a fair balance between both sides.
Emporia has a charger and panel monitor, it can automatically ramp up or down your EV charging based upon your solar output. I have one and it works well.
This is really cool. I’ve heard of Emporia’s charger but will have to check it out. Thanks for sharing!
Battery storage increases the amount of solar energy that can be used in the home; and reduces what (if anything) needs to be imported from the grid
✅
If you are in certain areas of Texas, you can get a free night's electric plan. With solar and batteries you can set it up so that during paid hours you are off grid and at night use all the free power you want.
You'll still pay the $50ish basic connection fee. But that's a good suggestion.
@@macmcleod1188
It's six bucks with my plan.
That free nights & weekends plan is popular in our Houston market. Wish we had something like that to leverage here in AZ.
@@macmcleod1188
It's just 6 per month with my provider
@@ZachSolar
It's the best. I charge 2 EVs for free with it.
Yes, California does not have enough batteries to store all the solar energy generated.
Fortunately, their battery attachment rate has sky-rocketed of late. More and more storage is getting installed every day.
Zach, good post! My thought is that as batteries grow more affordable, more people throughout the world will be able to generate and store their own energy. My thought is that in ten years, a 50 kWh battery will be the standard for the typical American home.
Thanks for watching! 50 kWh of home storage would be great 🔋
I’m in Australi and I’m having to pay 32c per kw. Every ke I send back I only get 3c credit. So I have to send 10kw for every kw I use from the grid.
Woah! Now that’s a rough ratio. Is battery storage a must out there or what’s the strategy to combat those rates?
@@ZachSolar well it’s set to get worse. Australia government passed a bill so now we will be charged to send power back to the grid at peak times of solar. So I’ve just ordered a battery. Although expensive the payback is quite quick now that you get nothing for excess solar.
Net billing is rip off .01 to .02 cents. Sell it to me at .25 cents. What a bull shit. Why would I. Spend money installing solar
Self consumption is what you want. So you can reduce how many kWh you buy from the utility.
Good tips
I appreciate it!
It should be 50percent credit. They have expenses to maintaining the grid.
I agree, and think that'd be a fair compromise. It's gotta make sense for both sides.
On 1:1 net metering here in Illinois. After December 13th 2024 if not approved I believe you go into new rates. .75:1. Not exact on new rates.
Nice, enjoy that 1-1!
We keep our solar and grid landline power seperate, solar powers our office building (consisting of mine and my wifes "offices") 24/7 and can run both fridge and freezers in case of grid down on a line hooked into the house. Nothing solar is connected to grid. We use solar powered lighting with motion detection outside, and am concidering using the same units for inside as well, to further cut on grid electricity use (also hands free lighting) 😚
Very cool setup! Thanks for sharing
Is the energy from solid different from energy from fossil fuels? Like electricity is electricity no? Why do companies not just shut off coal during times of expected energy surplus?
My guess is it’s due to the complications of starting and stopping these huge power plants.
Solar export is complete BS in California right now. I get $0.03 per kwh for export and pay $0.60 per kwh on peak hours.
That’s a huge spread! Do you have a battery system?
@@ZachSolar Yes. I have two tesla power walls, and I let it run all the way down to 5 percent to avoid using any power from the grid.
They’ve got more solar than they k ow what to do with
Still 1:1 in eastern Nebraska.
Cherish it 🥲
I suggest buying Solar and Batteries now because next year Trump will impose a 100% import tariff.
Even if that happened, manufacturers would pivot fast. Most of them have already due to the domestic content tax credit.
A bit of a spread between the but and sell rates is fair. But here in California, the spread is abusive. California electricity providers act more like a drug cartel than a conventional utility. They don’t want the competition from home solar.
So, in California it makes sense to produce and store your own energy. And, it makes switching to EVs even more important. Yes, batteries are still way, way too expensive. But as battery prices drop, more and more home and business owners will reduce their consumption of corrupt electricity cartel power.
The spread between California’s import-export rate is insane. In Arizona, we are about a 3:1 ratio for most major utilities. Not completely terrible.
I don't think the demand was ever there to be honest. But that's a non researched opinion
The demand for rooftop solar generation from utilities? This would be an interesting topic to dig in on.
like Bitcoin, it's time for everyone to "self custody" their star power generation
I like that analogy haha
Is this an advertisement for Tesla batteries?
No, you can get any battery you want. There are a lot of great options out there. The Powerwall is just a personal favorite is all. Plus, they have a lot of b-roll I can use.
I agree with everything except the purchase of a variable speed pool pump. I purchased a variable speed pool pump and it runs for just as long as the old fixed speed pump and draws almost the same amount of energy. I do run it at 80% of full RPM but that RPM is higher than my old pump so pretty much a push, I lowered the RPM to increase life of pump but it costs > 2X the single speed so no savings.
FYI
I live in Anaheim CA I installed a Tesla Solar system all south facing 7.29 kW, 2 power wall 3s, coat before incentives $39K on average we generate 40kHh per day and use 35kWh, 15kWh used by pool pump. Average month our old bill was $250 now $15, expect payback to be around 12 years. Plus my Model Y fill up for free
Electricity cost $0.14 for 1st 10 kWh and $0.22 for excess, exporting pays $0.07 off peak and $0.14 at peak. Utility is Anaheim Electric
Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience! I appreciate the feedback 👍