What is next after NEM?

[solar_newbie]

Anyone know what PG&E will have after completing all required NEM ?
Plus I hear they might eliminate the E6 program soon is that true?

[sensij]

Still unknown. You can watch for NEM 2.0 updates here, or subscribe to Proceeding R1407002 at the CPUC site to see the discussion as it is documented in the proceeding.

Discontinuation of the E-6 tariff was requested in the recent rate reform proceeding, but TOU development was pushed into the general rate case proceedings. It is likely that there will be some kind of transition period where it gets closed to new customers but existing customers have a couple years to migrate to a new plan, but not a sure thing.

Even when E-6 is discontinued, at least one new TOU plan will exist to take its place. In 2019, all customers will default to TOU, with the ability to opt back in to a tiered plan like most have now.

[solar_newbie]

Still unknown. You can watch for NEM 2.0 updates here, or subscribe to Proceeding R1407002 at the CPUC site to see the discussion as it is documented in the proceeding.

Discontinuation of the E-6 tariff was requested in the recent rate reform proceeding, but TOU development was pushed into the general rate case proceedings. It is likely that there will be some kind of transition period where it gets closed to new customers but existing customers have a couple years to migrate to a new plan, but not a sure thing.

Even when E-6 is discontinued, at least one new TOU plan will exist to take its place. In 2019, all customers will default to TOU, with the ability to opt back in to a tiered plan like most have now.

Thank you. Should I change to E6 now to lock it? One installer suggests me do this year.

[sensij]

Just double-checked, and it turns out that E-6 was addressed in the rate reform proceeding (R120613) decision (D1507001) .

The decision states (page 157):

PG&E Schedule E-6 Closed to new customers on 1/1/16.
Transition period toward elimination
of at least five years begins on 1/1/16.

If E-6 looks good to you, you should probably get your request to change rates in before December. If they function like SDG&E, the change doesn't kick in until the following billing cycle, so if you request it too late into December, it may be too late.

[solar_newbie]

Just double-checked, and it turns out that E-6 was addressed in the rate reform proceeding (R120613) decision (D1507001) .

The decision states (page 157):


If E-6 looks good to you, you should probably get your request to change rates in before December. If they function like SDG&E, the change doesn't kick in until the following billing cycle, so if you request it too late into December, it may be too late.

Great. That installer is right...

[skipro3]

Using PVOutput website, and my data gathered from inception of July 23rd to now, I set up two tariff scenarios; one using PG&E's E-6 rate and one using the E-1 rate. For the past 63 days, I'm dollars ahead with E-6 by double the E-1 rate; $45 with E-1 and $95 with E-6. So, I signed up for E-6 while I still can.

Thanks PVOutput and SolarPanelTalk for providing the tools and the discussion to realize the advantage of one rate over the other.

[Yaryman]

So, I signed up for E-6 while I still can.

Thanks PVOutput and SolarPanelTalk for providing the tools and the discussion to realize the advantage of one rate over the other.

Question, if you sign up for E-6, can you later switch back to E-1 without penalty?

Since PG&E is phasing out the E-6 rate, I would imagine they would be quite happy if you opted out.

Of course that doesn't mean that wouldn't charge you to switch and save less money.

[skipro3]

According to their website, there is no obligation to stay on E6 and I can change back any time.

[w00dy]

I switched to E-6 last month (will be effective in 2 days), to make sure I got in before it wasn't available. I think once our panels are up it will help us out a bunch based on our usage pattern. Getting in before it is no longer available is something I am glad I was able to do.

[Yaryman]

Using PVOutput website, and my data gathered from inception of July 23rd to now, I set up two tariff scenarios; one using
PG&E's E-6 rate and one using the E-1 rate. For the past 63 days, I'm dollars ahead with E-6 by double the E-1 rate; $45 with E-1 and $95 with E-6.

Did you make any adjustments to your electrical usage times, or was it just electricity as usual during those 63 days?

[skipro3]

Did you make any adjustments to your electrical usage times, or was it just electricity as usual during those 63 days?

I guess you are not familiar with PVOutput's web site?

Here's a screen shot of today's energy use. It shows my real time generation, real time consumption, accumulated generation and consumption.
This data is gathered 24/7. Notice the timeline shows shoulder and peak times. I have some morning shading this time of year, but this also shows morning shade is better than evening shade if I'm going to go with TOU.



Here is a link to my solar on PVOutput. You can play around with it and see all sorts of stuff!

http://pvoutput.org/intraday.jsp?id=43187&sid=39456

[solar_newbie]

How PVoutput gets your solar production live and your usage live also?

[Yaryman]

Here's a screen shot of today's energy use.

I might have phrased the question poorly.

Did you make any changes in your personal power use to avoid using electricity during peak rates in the 63 days.

Or did you just use electricity like you normally would have during that time frame.

[skipro3]

I might have phrased the question poorly.

Did you make any changes in your personal power use to avoid using electricity during peak rates in the 63 days.

Or did you just use electricity like you normally would have during that time frame.

I've always been on the flat rate, both before and now after getting solar. I figured TOU would be better after solar because the sales pitch was heavy that way. However, I figured I needed to see the data before making that decision. I knew I'd be o.k. sitting on the flat rate so I did for a couple months. Then I modified my parameters for tariff on PVOutput and refreshed the past 60 days with the new TOU rates I plugged in.

So, to answer the question; I just used electricity as if I were on flat rate since day one. I imagine I'll save or bank even more if I actually consider the peak periods by doing stuff like setting a timer on when the hot tub runs, or shift AC use to set back the thermometer a couple degrees. However, I don't want to do anything that changes my quality of life with regards to electric usage. I've replaced some appliances, installed LED light bulbs, a bit more diligent with turning things off when I leave a room, but nothing that affects my comfort of changes how I enjoy my home.

[skipro3]

How PVoutput gets your solar production live and your usage live also?

The solar production is gathered from the Solaredge web server where my inverter sends data over the internet. Then I just configure my PVOutput account to gather the data from the Solaredge server.

The consumption is gathered using a Rainforest Eagle that sends it's data to a website called wattvision. Then I just configure my PVOutput account to gather the data from the wattvision website as a second source. Since wattvision's data is basically my smart meter data, it's a summation of generation and consumption, so I've also configured my PVOutput account to subtract the Solaredge data from the wattvision data to break out the consumption.

It sounds complicated and it is when you look at it as a whole picture. But if you start small, just post up your data from your inverter, then build from there as you read the PVOutput's documentation and understand it, soon you have pretty much everything you could imagine charted and graphed. I even can compare my data overlaid with other site members data to see how my system stands up to other similar systems. I have a couple near me geographically that are similar in size that prove to me my system is performing on an even footing as other sites of like-type.