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Future of TOU plans for CA IOU's

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  • #16
    Do these TOU plans (SDGE specifically) have any impact on which azimuth folks are putting panels on? I have both south and west options on my house. If the afternoon and early evening sun is crediting me at double the rate that I'm getting out of the morning sun, that would seem to argue for a western orientation.

    In my particular case, I don't have an EV yet, but was thinking of getting one next year. I'm not incorporating it into my system sizing because I'm not married to it yet. Since it isn't incorporated into the system sizing, I am starting to think about how the energy for it will be generated and at what rate, which led me to the TOU discussion, and then back to my panel orientation . . . Thanks.

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    • #17
      Originally posted by mungosocal View Post
      Do these TOU plans (SDGE specifically) have any impact on which azimuth folks are putting panels on? I have both south and west options on my house. If the afternoon and early evening sun is crediting me at double the rate that I'm getting out of the morning sun, that would seem to argue for a western orientation.

      In my particular case, I don't have an EV yet, but was thinking of getting one next year. I'm not incorporating it into my system sizing because I'm not married to it yet. Since it isn't incorporated into the system sizing, I am starting to think about how the energy for it will be generated and at what rate, which led me to the TOU discussion, and then back to my panel orientation . . . Thanks.
      On tiered rates, the optimum azimuth is the one that maximizes production. On T.O.U, the optimum azimuth is the one that maximizes revenue. The two orientations are probably not the same. In/around San Diego, the op. if on tiered rates is about 30 deg. tilt and 5-10 deg. west of south or so. On T.O.U. it's a bit more complicated.

      For T.O.U., west facing is probably better than east facing, but true south is probably still better than either of those extremes. The optimum is probably at a tilt slightly less than latitude, and an azimuth of about 20-30 deg. west of south.

      As a practical matter, one possible compromise for fixed roofs not set/designed with solar orientation in mind is to have some (most ?) panels face south and the remainder west (2/3 -1/3 ?). PVWatts can be a big help. Run both orientations and vary the South/west # mix. That however will take some knowledge of the T.O.U. payment schedule to optimize revenue and a spreadsheet.

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