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CA Solar Use Falling Because of Economics
mdsolar writes "The LA Time reports that California is seeing a big drop off in rebate applications for solar power systems. It seems that to get a rebate you have to also switch to a time of use rate with your utility. The math is not working out, especially for smaller systems that don't fully cover use during peak hours. The result: homeowners are reluctant to go with solar energy. 'The difference between peak and off-peak rates is particularly large in the 11 counties of Central, coastal and Southern California, where Edison provides electricity service to 13 million customers. Edison charges summer time-of-use rates that range from 29.7 to 35.9 cents per kilowatt-hour between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. It drops to a range of 16.3 to 18.6 cents per kilowatt-hour from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays and all weekend days and holidays, according to documents filed with the PUC.' There is likely an optimal system size that reduces consumer costs, but with things in flux you'd want some flexibility in your system."
Peak means daytime. Solar only collects power during the day. The issue is that the panels were not collecting enough power to cover peak usage needs. Hence, there is nothing to store - it's all being used, and you still need to buy more at higher "peak" rates.
The biggest problem here is that solar panels are very expensive. You need a LOT to cover your usage unless you have also done MAJOR energy usage reduction efforts such as LED bulbs, better insulation, appliances, etc. If you don't take all those measures, the panel's don't make sense financially.
Because there are economic incentives to use solar paid by the state, via the power company. If you want that $3,000 incentive you have to tell the electric company, but when you do, they jack your rates. Basically the article is showing that the amount the electric company jacks the rates means that, in general, it will remain financially better for most homeowners to stay full time customers of the utility. Now who would have thought they would do that?
"Unheard of means only it's undreamed of yet,
Impossible means not yet done." ~~ Julia Ecklar
Burning fossil fuels in power plants is an extremely cheap method of power. It can generate power at a cost of ~4cents/kwh.
Only if you completely ignore the environmental impact. Aside from the power plants themselves making most superfund sites look like nice places to take a picnic, what comes out of the smokestacks eventually lands somewhere.
Currently in Northern New England we have a huge mercury problem - Not because we put it there, nor even because our power plants made it (we have one of the highest percentages of hydro and nuclear in the country); Rather, because midwest power plants, with their nice big smoke stacks, end up dumping most of the acids and metals in the smoke on us as rain.
So if you want to include the cost of cleaning up each and every lake in ME/NH, I suspect it would come out a hell of a lot higher than $0.04/KWh.
You're comparing the price of a base civic (manual trans, windows, etc) with a decked out hybrid version, with navigation, sunroof, power everything. Compare apples to apples, a Civic EX and the hybrid version, and you'll come out with a price difference closer to $2k. Using the above math, it'll pay off a little over 2 years. Sounds like good sense to me.
since you do not know howe any of this works and are making things up based on assumptions please let me enlighten you.
Syncing controllers feed power BACK to the system to hel the power companies during peak daytime hours. contrary to your understanding from 8:00am until 5:00pm the most power is being used, having solar back-feed with the RIGHT gear helps the grid greatly reduce loads. These controllers do it very safely and are specified by the power companies. if they dont see voltage from the line side they shut down until they are manually reset.
these systems are proven and in use everywhere. Just because you dont know anythign at all about the subject and jump to some really wild conclusions does not mean the power companies do.
The power companies STOPPED giving solar people the payback at the higher daytime feed rates but giving them the backfeed rates at the cheaper off-peak while they resell that solar power at the higher premium-plus-peak rates. It's a cash grab and nothing more.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.