Purchased Home Solar Do Not Understand Power Bill Need Help

[garymkrieg]

Purchased a home with solar panels in Las Vegas, using NV Energy grid. Got my first months bill, for 29 days. I'm trying to understand the kwh information provided. Below are the numbers I am seeing on the bill:

Total amount generated: 1198 kwh
Energy delivered to the home from the grid: 869 kwh
Excess energy generated push back to the grid: 761 kwh
Accumulated Net Metering excess: 20 kwh
Billable KWH: 128 kwh

How does the number I generated relate to to any of the other numbers? I was expecting to see a bill that said here is what you generated, here is the additional power the grid had to supply, here is what you owe. How do I read this bill?

Gary

[ButchDeal]

The utility has no idea what you actually generated or consumed. They only know what they sent to you and received from you.
so is the 1198kWh from your inverter? if so then it is your actual generated.
then your consumption would be 1198 - 761 + 869 kWh or 1,306kWh

[SunEagle]

Interesting. It looks like you used 869kWh and sent the POCO 761kWh.

That difference comes to 108kWh which you should be billed for. But they then added another 20kWh due to "Accumulated Net Metering excess " which I guess is a penalty for sending them more then your contract was for so your bill was for that 108 plus 20kWh for 128kWh combined

[garymkrieg]

The utility has no idea what you actually generated or consumed. They only know what they sent to you and received from you.
so is the 1198kWh from your inverter? if so then it is your actual generated.
then your consumption would be 1198 - 761 + 869 kWh or 1,306kWh

No, the 1198 kwh number was on the NV Energy bill. The inverter monitoring showed that I generated 1236 kwh.

Gary

[emartin00]

It sounds like you must have 2 meters. So the 1198 comes from the production meter, which only the inverter feeds through. Then your net meter says you consumed 869kWh during the night time, and exported 761kWh during the day.
As with SunEagle, I'm not really sure what the extra 20kWh is.

[ButchDeal]

No, the 1198 kwh number was on the NV Energy bill. The inverter monitoring showed that I generated 1236 kwh.

ok so you must have a generation meter. the difference between it and your inverter is time of measurement and the fact that the generation meter is revenue grade (slightly more accurate).
so like has been mentioned a few times the 20kWh doesn't really make a lot of since. your bill should be for 108kWh but they seem to have some sort of penalty of 20kWh

[garymkrieg]

I talked to NV Energy, they do not understand the bill either, ie the 20 kwh. I'm waiting to see what they come up with. And yes I do have two meters.

Gary

[Sunking]

The 20 Kwh is likely a carry over credit. I would not worry much about it because you are talking about $2 worth of power.

One issue you have is Inverter total is not synced with the utility. You would have to reset at the exact same time the utility reads the meter to ZERO your Inverter out. If that can be done then you can determine how much you used. Assuming the 1198 Kwh was correct the math is simple.

Inverter Generation + Kwh Delivered - Excess = Consumption

so

1198 + 869 - 761 = 1303 Kwh consumed.

Billable Kwh = Delivered - Excess

so

869 - 761 = 108 Kwh Billable to you. Roughly $11 @ $0.10/Kwh plus fees.

Billable can be a negative number and would be carried over to next month as a credit. I suspect that might be the 20 Kwh. Keep in mind your Inverter is not likely synced.

[garymkrieg]

The 20 Kwh is likely a carry over credit. I would not worry much about it because you are talking about $2 worth of power.

One issue you have is Inverter total is not synced with the utility. You would have to reset at the exact same time the utility reads the meter to ZERO your Inverter out. If that can be done then you can determine how much you used. Assuming the 1198 Kwh was correct the math is simple.

Inverter Generation + Kwh Delivered - Excess = Consumption

so

1198 + 869 - 761 = 1303 Kwh consumed.

Billable Kwh = Delivered - Excess

so

869 - 761 = 108 Kwh Billable to you. Roughly $11 @ $0.10/Kwh plus fees.

Billable can be a negative number and would be carried over to next month as a credit. I suspect that might be the 20 Kwh. Keep in mind your Inverter is not likely synced.

Your math is ok except the billable kwh was 128 not 108. That's what has the power company scratching their heads. They think there is an error, I'll have to wait and see.

Gary

[ButchDeal]

Your math is ok except the billable kwh was 128 not 108. That's what has the power company scratching their heads. They think there is an error, I'll have to wait and see.

Gary

well I think the power companies math is wrong. The billable should be 108kWh.
They apparently are adding this 20kWh to it. You however listed it as " Accumulated Net Metering excess: 20 kwh"
This would indicate to use that if it was accumulated excess (from the previous month), then it should actually be subtracted from the 108kWh making your billable actually 88kWh.

[garymkrieg]

Butch, you could be right, I'm going to have to wait and see what their response is.

Gary

[SunEagle]

well I think the power companies math is wrong. The billable should be 108kWh.
They apparently are adding this 20kWh to it. You however listed it as " Accumulated Net Metering excess: 20 kwh"
This would indicate to use that if it was accumulated excess (from the previous month), then it should actually be subtracted from the 108kWh making your billable actually 88kWh.

Or that 20kWh could be a penalty for over generating and sending it to the grid. Maybe that is why they call it "excess"

You have to read the tariff and see if there is a limit to how much you can "co-generate" and sell back to the POCO.

[garymkrieg]

This is how they define the Accumulated Net Metering excess:

"This credit only applies to Customers who are users of a net metering system as defined by NRS 704.771. The Excess Energy Credit Rate provides compensation for any kilowatt-hour of energy not consumed by the Customer that is fed back onto the Utility"

Sounds like a bank of credit.

Gary

[DanKegel]

Here's the document Gary probably quoted:
nvenergy.com/brochures_arch/understand/North-RES-Net-TOU-understand-your-bill.pdf

When was the house's solar installed - before or after Jan 2016?

[garymkrieg]

I just bought the house but I believe it was after.

Gary