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Sorry if this is a noob question. I am a SCE customer in southern CA who just had solar installed w/ Solarcity. The size of my system 6.240 kW and according to my their monitoring website, I'm generating approx 30kwh per day. Which would put me at 900kwh for the month. My first 2 net metering bill shows that for the past 2 months, I have consumed around 900kwh per month and my net generation was around 600kwh. The consumption number of 900kWh is consistent with what I have been using for the month for the past 3 years. So being that my usage was 900 and my solar production according to solarcity is 900, my net usage should be a fat zero. Instead my bill shows a net usage of 300 kWh (based on my usage of 900kWh minus the net production of 600kWh via solar) When I called Solarcity for an explanation, they told me that the net metering system of SCE works in a way such that the consumption number on the bill shows not my raw usage but the usage based on raw usage minus what the panels produced during my time of use (assuming it was during sunlight hours). This makes absolutely no sense to me as the number Edison gave me as my usage is consistent with what I've been using for the past 3 years. So can anyone explain to me if the explanation Solarcity gave me is legit? Is there any other logical reason based on SCE net metering system why I should only be credited with a net production of 600 while I should be producing 900kWh?
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Something is wrong
The explanation you got does not make sense. My bill shows what I used and what the solar sytem produced which of course is deducted. If I produced more then I used (which is the case most months) then a get an accumlative credit. I now have enough credits for about 2 months.
Some utilities (like mine) show on there web site how a net meter works. You might want to check your utility to see if they provide that information. I could send you a copy of mine but I don't know if it would help. At lease it would show you how net metering works. I think Solar City is pulling your chain. -
Web Site
You might want to check out this web site for SCE
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Your 100% correct
Although I cannot speak for Verengo Solar (I am on the East coast) I can tell you as I previously posted, Solar City has recently started in NJ (less then a year) and are known for having extremely exgressive sales people. They also have these little tiny green trucks running around that can't possably hold much equipement. I have seen on occasion "workman" in these trucks that look like they are just out of high school. Granted even kids just out of high school need a job but not when it comes to making holes in my roof and doing a professional electrical job.
I have also seen old beat up cars pull up to residents homes were the guy gets out and slaps a magnetic sign on the door of his car. I might add that non of these guys are in any kind of "professional" work uniform.This does not instill a good company image with professional workman.
Some people in my community have fallen for there high sales pitch and one joke is that there is a house that Solar City is doing wereby 75% of available sun light is in the wrong direction of the panels. The rest of the panels would not get sun until about 3:00 PM Very professional !!!!!!!! Good luck with this one.Comment
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thanks for your replies
Thanks for your replies. Solarcity insists that Edison has no way of knowing how much "solar" we are producing. They just track what is fed into the system. Either way, none of this makes sense as my net generation number doesn't match what I'm supposedly generating. Nobody is able to tell me with a reasonable explanation why on my edison bill, the generation number doesn't match what I'm supposedly generating according to solarcity.
I paid for 900kWh per month and I'm only geting 600kWh. I'm getting ripped off here. Not sure who's ripping me off, Edison or Solarcity.
Should have gone with Verengo. Oh well. I'm not being facetious, but how hard is it to break the lease? Do I need lawyers involved?Comment
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Your electric bill will never show what your solar is generating. It will only show your net usage. A net meter keeps tracks of kilowatt hours used in excess of your solar generation and kilowatt hours sent back if your solar is overproducing. Those two numbers are subtracted and you have your net usage. If you have monitoring setup with your solar system, you will be able to see your full generation and full consumption there. That is what you want to go by.
So in your case, your electric bill is saying you used 900 kwh, that is with the solar already accounted for. In other words, your home consumed the solar electricity right away and 900 kwh was used on top of that for the month. Then it says you have sent back 600 kwh, so you have overproduced during the afternoon time more than your home needed, so this power was sent back to the electric company and credited to you. You have net used 300 kwh and that is your bill. Now, you have not actually used 900 kwh as the bill says. You have actually used 900 kwh plus whatever the solar generated for the month minus the 600 kwh you sent back so you have used approximately 1200 kwh for the month in question.
Probably no one is screwing you over, it is just a matter understanding how net metering works.Comment
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OK, I hope that is the case. And what you are saying is exactly what Solarcity is telling me. But the problem with that is I've never actually used 1200kWh in the past, peak month or not. My usage has been pretty consistent over the past 4 years right at around 900kWh, which is consistent with what my Edison net metering bill is telling me. That's why I'm at a loss. My habits for this past month hasn't been any different, if anything, I've been more conscientious about my use ever since going to solar. Hmmm.....Comment
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Great explanation
Lomag gave you a great explanation. One other thing you might try. My production meter transmits my daily usage to the solar company and there main system. The following day I can go on there website to see my exact production for the day before. I made up an Excel spread sheet and keep track of my daily production. At the end of the month I can see what I made and what they billed me for. Again, my utility PSE&G has a great explanation of the entire net metering bill on there web site. You could try checking your utilities web site for a better explanation. Good luck. By the way my system is currently producing about 30% more then they said it would. Really loving it. My electric bills are $0. Of course PSE&G still charges you $ 2.52 for whatever.
BobComment
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900 kWhrs a month?
The explanation above seems correct to me. SCE only monitors the amount of kWhrs you use from them. The solar only measures how much you produce. If you are producing 900 kWhrs in Aug/Sept I'm not convinced you will average 900 a month over the course of the year I'm thinking closer to 750kWhrs a month. However you should in your lease docs have some sort of guaranteed production number which will compensate you for under production about 9 cents a kWhr. Unless there is a provision that allows the leasing company to reevaluate the guaranteed production amount after the first year. It will all be spelled out in attorney speak clear as mud for you. Getting out of the lease is real easy just sell your house to someone else and make them take over the payment. If you find some time figure out what is written in the contract about your performance guarantee and let us know.Comment
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