Thank you for providing input on the 'Equitable funding' thread. There are many, many variations of grid fees for people that produce their own power. But it really boils down to one question... should you pay based on energy used/produced or pay based on grid use. I thought this would be a more simplistic way to discover what people saw as a 'fair' or 'accurate' billing process. We really need to encourage the development of distributed resources like storage and demand response.
ONLY GRID USE
- Utility profits by crediting less for exports than they charge for imports, connection fees and possible a peak demand charge.
- A slight surplus will result in no bill.
- Large benefit to Demand Response and storage.
(Ex: TXU in TX)
MOSTLY GRID USE
- Utility profits by charging a small fee (<$1/kW or <$0.002/kWh) on installed solar, a connection fee; any excess power beyond net is usually credited at wholesale rates <$0.03/kWh.
- Export credit per kWh > Production fee per kWh.
- A large surplus is needed to not have a bill.
(Ex:APS in AZ)
MOSTLY ENERGY USE
- Utility profits by charging a 'LARGE' fee (>$5/kW or >$0.01/kWh) on installed solar and a Connection Fee.
- Export credit per kWh < Production fee per kWh.
- Impossible to not have a bill even during months with no GROSS consumption.
- Assumption is made that the size of the PV system is tailored to expected consumption.
- Penalty to installing more solar than is needed.
- No advantage to reducing consumption < production
- No benefit to Demand response or Storage.
(Ex: Xcel in NM)
ONLY GRID USE
- Utility profits by crediting less for exports than they charge for imports, connection fees and possible a peak demand charge.
- A slight surplus will result in no bill.
- Large benefit to Demand Response and storage.
(Ex: TXU in TX)
MOSTLY GRID USE
- Utility profits by charging a small fee (<$1/kW or <$0.002/kWh) on installed solar, a connection fee; any excess power beyond net is usually credited at wholesale rates <$0.03/kWh.
- Export credit per kWh > Production fee per kWh.
- A large surplus is needed to not have a bill.
(Ex:APS in AZ)
MOSTLY ENERGY USE
- Utility profits by charging a 'LARGE' fee (>$5/kW or >$0.01/kWh) on installed solar and a Connection Fee.
- Export credit per kWh < Production fee per kWh.
- Impossible to not have a bill even during months with no GROSS consumption.
- Assumption is made that the size of the PV system is tailored to expected consumption.
- Penalty to installing more solar than is needed.
- No advantage to reducing consumption < production
- No benefit to Demand response or Storage.
(Ex: Xcel in NM)
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