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SDGE plans questionl (DR-SES-G ending next month for me)

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  • #16
    Originally posted by jatin495 View Post
    Hi, Im new to the forum and couldnt find a link to open a new topic. Im using this topic since its somewhat close to what Im looking for.
    I currently have the Standard DR plan and SDGE is moving me to TOU-DR1 plan from Mar 6. I also have an EV car from few months, but only planning to charge at home occasionally.
    Im trying to install PV sometime end of this Feb. I see lot of changes happened last couple of years on the TOU plans. I have multiple basic questions below, could you pls help guide me on these?

    1. Can I grandfather any better tier-based plan at this moment (before SDGE moves me to TOU plan)?
    2. Once I have the PTO for solar, can I still choose between EV-TOU vs DR-SES vs TOU-DR plans? Which one would pay better in winter & summer?

    The TOU-DR plans seem to be confusing with both the TOU (timed) and baseline (tiered). But TOU-DR1 seems better from what I see.
    EV-TOU-5 plan seems better only if I charge the car very often. If not, then EV-TOU-2 seems better.
    DR-SES seems having high rate for all time periods - On-peak, Off-peak, Super-Off-peak.

    Thanks!
    Answers:
    1.) No.
    2.) Yes.

    Despite what SDG & E might want us to think, most (~ 85 % last time I checked) residential customers are still on tiered rates. Also, and in spite of what you and a lot of SDG & E customers may be duped into inferring, it seems you will be able to stay on tiered tares, at least for now. I know I am. At this time, at some future time you will be forced to "positively elect" to stay on tiered rates. That means that unless you tell SDG & E in writing, and most likely in ways they specify (probably some form), you will be automatically switched to some TOU rate.

    NOMB or concern, but I'd check and make sure of your billing and tariff options, and make anyone trying to B.S. you into something by innuendo prove it in writing - chapter and verse from the CPUC and or CA legislation.

    As for options you have, you can switch plans anytime you choose, but grandfathering to stay in the better grandfathered TOU times and rate schedules is no longer possible.

    The TOU-DR is a bastardized rate. It is both TOU and tiered. It's basically a TOU rate schedule. But, there is a "discount" per kWh applied to all use that amounts to "tier 1" use. All other use above "tier 1" use doesn't have that discount. In Effect, TOU-DR is a tiered TOU rate schedule.

    For better information than the PDF stuff I bet your looking at, Google "SDG & E +Effective and effective tariffs". You will get reality. You may not like it because it'll cause a lot of work, but it's the real deal and at the end of the analysis, if done correctly and diligently, you'll have answered your own questions.

    As for what to do about switching, if you have a lot of use at peak summer times and can't/won't shift away from it, stay on tiered rates for as long as you can, at least until you get enough knowledge to make an intelligent choice. If you can shift a significant portion of peak summer use to other times, and depending on you total usage, you may be better off switching to a TOU rate, and best if a non tiered TOU rate.

    BTW:
    - Most SDG & E TOU times are such that summer peak hours amount to only 765 hours/yr. out of 8,760 hours/yr. (8.73 % of the total hours in a year). Some think that little factoid may be a bit embarrassing to those who claim extreme hardship about having to shift some/any use off peak periods.
    - DR-SES - the schedule for use with residential PV systems is, at least at this time, a true TOU schedule with no tiers laid over it. As such, it's possible to estimate how much a PV system will generate in terms of both electricity AND revenue per year to offset a bill. I'll save you some work: Depending on orientation, in most of San Diego co., a decently oriented array with not much shade will generate ~ $450/yr. per installed STC kW of PV that can be used to offset DR-SES billing. That "revenue" can then be "spent" to offset electrical use billed as per schedule DR-SES without regard to when it's used. So, use all your power at peak time and you'll "spend" the "generated" revenue" faster than if all the use is at times other than summer peak. Lots of possibilities.

    To size a system to offset all but $120/yr. plus NBC (non bypassable charges) simply divide an annual DR-SES generated bill by $450 and that'll be the appox. system size in STC kW you will need under current rates and times and the usage pattern that generates the bill used.

    Every user is different and if you're looking for bulletproof guidance, you're dreaming in technicolor. Tools that can help are the green button stuff at SDG & E's website, including your use for the last 23 months in 15 minute increments. Another is PVWatts with the hourly output option. A third is combining the two in a spreadsheet. A fourth is a working familiarity with the SDG & E rate schedules as can be found by Googling as described above. That last one was the biggest PITA for me, but worth it.

    To reiterate, every user profile is different. Do your own and you'll do about as good as it's possible to get. Use rules of thumb and for this business, you'll screw yourself. In that sense, this business is more dichotomous than most.

    No warranties, expressed or implied, but I live in zip 92026 with a 5 kw array. I'm on tiered rates and under NEM 1.0. I intend to stay on tiered rates at least if/until I get an EV (and so maybe never). I may switch to TOU depending on what's available in the future or until I'm forced into TOU, EV or not. But that's what works best your me - not you. Your results and what works best for you will be different. Unfortunately or otherwise, the best and maybe (IMO anyway) the only good way for you to figure out what might be best for you is to run the numbers for your usage and situation.

    Good Luck.

    Take what you want of the above. Scrap the rest.

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    • #17
      Originally posted by J.P.M. View Post
      ..........

      Every user is different and if you're looking for bulletproof guidance, you're dreaming in technicolor. Tools that can help are the green button stuff at SDG & E's website, including your use for the last 23 months in 15 minute increments. Another is PVWatts with the hourly output option. A third is combining the two in a spreadsheet. A fourth is a working familiarity with the SDG & E rate schedules as can be found by Googling as described above. That last one was the biggest PITA for me, ....
      To emphasize the advice given in the above quote, every user is different, and I am one of those who is different. I may live and think in a bubble but it is one I have chosen over the other choices available. I have solar, 2 EVs and have benefited from being on a TOU rate. Until last year I was on NEM 1.0, consumed 5gigaWatthrs more than my solar generated in a year and paid $186 in charges. That was an overall rate of less than $0.04 per kiloWatt hour. I used the same analytical tools as mentioned above, but because I could shift the majority of my loads, I have benefited from a TOU rate more than I would have benefitted from a tiered rate.

      Since then. I have moved, installed more solar in the new home but will be subject to Non Bypassable Charges and no doubt will not be able to replicate those prior years.
      9 kW solar, 42kWh LFP storage. EV owner since 2012

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      • #18
        Originally posted by Ampster View Post
        every user is different, and I am one of those who is different. I
        You sure about that ? If that's a correct statement, you are the same as everyone else and at the same time different, right ?

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