Greetings from cloudy Frederick, MD

[websterize]

So how big of a system did you install and what is your monthly average consumption?

About 900 kWh/month average consumption for the past 11 months. System is 39 x 260w at 10.14 kW. See the Sunny Boy details here.

[inetdog]

BTW your bill should have decreased when you powered on the system thinking that the panels would slow the meter rate of rotation

If nobody is home and no large loads are running during the day when the panels are producing, there will be no load to offset and the meter will happily count up almost the full value of your production. Your idea may be correct for the situation where somebody is running the AC full blast during the day.

[toddbailey]

I compared a daily consumption average to a 24-hour meter reading. Running the array with the old meter doubled our rate of consumption. Your electric bill will confirm but only after the fact.

Although it was a digital meter and the bars flashed right to left, the forum elders knew what they're talking about -- the utility charged for consumption *and* generation to the grid. Forward or backward pulse? Didn't matter in my case. There was no warning from the installer to keep the array offline with the old meter and to leave it offline until it passed inspection. In my haste, I wanted to see what the array could do on a sunny day, but you don't want to burn down the house. Not so smart in hindsight.

After nearly three months with a bi-directional net meter, the array has exceeded expectations. We have a month's worth of credit banked despite peak consumption during warm-weather months (have natural gas heat). I'm looking forward to seeing how it does with the cooler fall weather.

Last week, received word from an SREC aggregator that the array was registered with the PJM-GATS database. Now we'll be the ones double-dipping the utility.

So how big of a system did you install and what is your monthly average consumption?
I'm in the Seattle area with a monthly average of 1400 kw, so in order to get some serious payback the system has to be oversized,.

BTW your bill should have decreased when you powered on the system thinking that the panels would slow the meter rate of rotation

[websterize]

… is there a way to tell?

I compared a daily consumption average to a 24-hour meter reading. Running the array with the old meter doubled our rate of consumption. Your electric bill will confirm but only after the fact.

Although it was a digital meter and the bars flashed right to left, the forum elders knew what they're talking about -- the utility charged for consumption *and* generation to the grid. Forward or backward pulse? Didn't matter in my case. There was no warning from the installer to keep the array offline with the old meter and to leave it offline until it passed inspection. In my haste, I wanted to see what the array could do on a sunny day, but you don't want to burn down the house. Not so smart in hindsight.

After nearly three months with a bi-directional net meter, the array has exceeded expectations. We have a month's worth of credit banked despite peak consumption during warm-weather months (have natural gas heat). I'm looking forward to seeing how it does with the cooler fall weather.

Last week, received word from an SREC aggregator that the array was registered with the PJM-GATS database. Now we'll be the ones double-dipping the utility.

[toddbailey]

Yes this makes sense, This meter was replaced a few years ago and has a built in communications device that logs data with the Utility company to report billing.
I suspect it uses a pulse counter to tabulate usage. So regardless of direction it always counts up.

So to install Solar it will need to be a permitted and approved install in order to have net metering equipment installed.
However, feeding solar power back into the grid will slow the rotation but you won't see any gains in instances where production is higher than consumption, which in this case you'll get charged either way.
This time of year however, I doubt a small 2 kw system is going to make any dramatic effect, but probably best to do a "legal" install. Besides a permit from Dept of L&I isn't a deal breaker. It's like $90 bucks and includes a couple of inspections. The permit is also required to apply for production incentives, at least in my state. But for small systems is rather a pointless gesture, a $15,000 system will produce a $1000 /yr production payment.
My downsized 'starter' system will be much less.

[Naptown]

Didn't you mention that you have a "smart meter" that broadcasts billing information to the utility.
Generally meters that are less than 20 years old will only read up not bi-directional. This was changed a long time ago to prevent meter fraud from people turning their meters upside down and running them backwards.

[toddbailey]

he has been previously told.
he could also be running his electric bill up running it. Many of the meters that look analog are actually reading a magnetic impulse from the wheel. Wheel spins backwards meter still counts up.
his house may just be new enough to have one of these meters.

This is a scary throught, is there a way to tell?

[websterize]

1) Post the link to your system - not a problem as things like that are easy to see through. ...

OK, here goes: http://www.sunnyportal.com/Templates...f-d3be9d686a2b

Thanks.

[Naptown]

1) Post the link to your system - not a problem as things like that are easy to see through.

2) I have no idea how to edit a post without leaving the record - maybe it can be done but how.

3) 1.5 mW in June - wholesale about 45$ of power?

Maryland Net metering laws are credit/debit at retail level including transmission, distribution taxes etc until you produce over what you used in a year, then it reverts to the wholesale rate.
In his instance he is paying abut $.11 per KWH so the electric generated is about $145.00

[russ]

Right.


The aggregator said, per the Maryland PSC, that array size is based on AC size. I included their reply not as endorsement for the company, but confirmation from a second source. If the mod thought it were an ad, why wouldn't he have removed the company's name?

Whatever the case, June was our first full month with a net meter, and it was a terrific harvest. Even with the record heat, we generated nearly 1.5 MW and ended the billing period with a 140 kWh credit. The bill was $5.37, the price to connect to the grid each month, according to Potomac-Edison. It's never lower no matter how high the credit.

You can follow the array's performance by clicking my username above and following the homepage link to the array's Sunny Portal data page. I'd post the link here, but it might be interpreted as an ad for SMA.

1) Post the link to your system - not a problem as things like that are easy to see through.

2) I have no idea how to edit a post without leaving the record - maybe it can be done but how.

3) 1.5 mW in June - wholesale about 45$ of power?

[websterize]

No edits in 35 or 38. Edits would be noted at the bottom of the post.

Right.

53 & 54 - if an ad or such is deleted no explanation is given - there is just an empty place.

The aggregator said, per the Maryland PSC, that array size is based on AC size. I included their reply not as endorsement for the company, but confirmation from a second source. If the mod thought it were an ad, why wouldn't he have removed the company's name?

Whatever the case, June was our first full month with a net meter, and it was a terrific harvest. Even with the record heat, we generated nearly 1.5 MW and ended the billing period with a 140 kWh credit. The bill was $5.37, the price to connect to the grid each month, according to Potomac-Edison. It's never lower no matter how high the credit.

You can follow the array's performance by clicking my username above and following the homepage link to the array's Sunny Portal data page. I'd post the link here, but it might be interpreted as an ad for SMA.

[Naptown]

There is certainly missing information. Both his and my posts were edited.
I don't believe anything that was posted was in any way an advertisement.
and again an edit by a Moderator would leave a tag in the post saying it was edited.

[russ]

It's odd how information in posts 53 and 54 is missing. Mod edit? (If so, why no explanation of infraction?)

Update: Found additional edits in posts 35 and 38. As I recall, those posts included boilerplate replies from Matt Bartlett at AtisSun saying, to paraphrase, that they stand behind their work and will make whatever is wrong right. In the end, they did.

No edits in 35 or 38. Edits would be noted at the bottom of the post.

53 & 54 - if an ad or such is deleted no explanation is given - there is just an empty place.

[websterize]

It's odd how information in posts 53 and 54 is missing. Mod edit? (If so, why no explanation of infraction?)

Update: Found additional edits in posts 35 and 38. As I recall, those posts included boilerplate replies from Matt Bartlett at AtisSun saying, to paraphrase, that they stand behind their work and will make whatever is wrong right. In the end, they did.

[Naptown]

Well at least you are at the finish line.
Now it will rain for the rest of the week