I think this represents what our peak demand was over the past year.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Energy monitoring
As we have been planning on the solar system expansion we have been increasing our awareness of energy usage. The local utility still needs to capture operating costs while we are connected to them. They are going to do this by charging a base connection charge around $25-30 and a peak consumption charge each month. I think the peak connection charge will be about $7 per kwh. What this means is that if we use 4 kwh we will have to pay $28 plus the base rate. Here is a copy of the net metering rate
This new rate schedule brings on two different things for us. First off, it allows us to calculate the utility of something like the Tesla Wall. If a single Tesla wall costs $3500 and we end up having $600 a year in utility costs, perhaps a single Tesla Wall and going off grid makes financial sense. The second thing this does is have us try to limit the controllable peak demand charge.
In order to learn our energy usage patterns we bought a PowerCost wifi bridge and monitor off Amazon. Our utility meters have a LED that can be read to know the energy used. I wanted to learn what each appliance or fixture or consumed in power before net metering started. This product installs on the exterior meter and gets read via the wifi system in the house. I found this product difficult to get set up. Despite following directions and accessing online support videos I could not get it working. I had ignored the online reviews of the product. Even if people got this product working it frequently died after less than a years worth of use. Click on picture below to see this product. I now wish we had bought a Ted Energy Pro monitoring system.
This new rate schedule brings on two different things for us. First off, it allows us to calculate the utility of something like the Tesla Wall. If a single Tesla wall costs $3500 and we end up having $600 a year in utility costs, perhaps a single Tesla Wall and going off grid makes financial sense. The second thing this does is have us try to limit the controllable peak demand charge.
In order to learn our energy usage patterns we bought a PowerCost wifi bridge and monitor off Amazon. Our utility meters have a LED that can be read to know the energy used. I wanted to learn what each appliance or fixture or consumed in power before net metering started. This product installs on the exterior meter and gets read via the wifi system in the house. I found this product difficult to get set up. Despite following directions and accessing online support videos I could not get it working. I had ignored the online reviews of the product. Even if people got this product working it frequently died after less than a years worth of use. Click on picture below to see this product. I now wish we had bought a Ted Energy Pro monitoring system.
Site under Construction
We are finally in the process of expanding our solar system. Our local utility has adopted net metering and tax incentives for our state expire at the end of 2015. We are adding another 20 panels, perhaps doubling our generating capacity. We hope this will leave excess to help power up an electric car in the future. Click image for larger. 12 panels on the third row and 8 on a new lean to addition on the garage.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Greenville and GUC not so green
Thank you for taking the time to read the following discussion about solar energy and the need for the city of Greenville and the Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) to offer net metering.
The bulk of local residential solar photovoltaic development has come about with the assistance of North Carolina Greenpower . When a solar system generates power, the system generates Solar Energy Renewable Credits (SRECs). NC Greenpower and other organizations serve as SREC aggregators that buy and sell the SRECs. Historically the GUC based solar generators were connected to the grid using a buy all sell all arrangement wherein two electric meters are installed on a structure, one to purchase electric at the going retail rate and another to sell generated electric back the GUC at the wholesale rate. Residential solar generators would then collect their bills for three months and submit them to NC Greenpower for SREC reimbursement. Agreements with NC Greenpower are only good for 5 years, they do not renew the contract, and there is no ready market for SRECs after this contract.
Without a market for SRECs, GUC based solar generators remain stuck with a buy all sell all arrangement. Solar systems designed to produce enough electric for a household continue to have to pay GUC for electric as they only get credited for power generation at the wholesale rate while needing to buy power at the retail rate. The solution for this is to have net metering.
What is net metering? Net metering is the process where the utility meter spins one direction for power generation and another direction for power consumption. Solar generators thus pay only for the power consumed beyond what they produce.
Who supports net metering? The North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) mandates net metering for all investor owned utilites. The United States Department of Energy (USDOE) published Solar Powering Your Communities: A Guide for Local Governments that supports net metering. The Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act supports net metering.
Who does not support net metering? GUC does not offer net metering.
Why do solar generators want net metering? Solar generators want net metering to fully capture their investments in renewable energy. Current buy all sell all generators also have the burden of having to pay GUC a monthly fee for the extra required meter.
Why should the community around us want net metering? GUC pays only pennies per kilowatt hour. During peak demand times GUC may pay nearly $20 per kilowatt hour. Residential retail solar mitigates the need for peak demand purchases, overall lowering demand expenses. Without net metering it is not economically feasible to install residential solar systems. If net metering were started it is reasonable to expect an increase in solar installations and thereby the building trades that install and monitor such systems. Solar electric generation avoids the need for dirtier forms of generation such as coal and nuclear plants.
How can the community help? There are many ways to help:
1. Engage with your local community leaders.
2. The Pitt County Commissioners send two people to the board of GUC. Virginia Hardy's term expires June 2015, get involved to have a solar friendly board installed.
3. Get involved with GUC board members. One is the city manager for Greenville. Four are appointed by Greenville City Council.
4. Push Greenville City Council to send solar friendly board members to GUC.
5. Greenville City Council member Dr. Richard Croskery is the board liason to GUC. Please encourage him to support net metering. His email is: rcroskery@greenvillenc.gov
6. Share this site with others in the Greenville area that care about renewable energy generation.
7. Are you willing to put a sign in your yard in support of net metering? These signs are getting designed and printed over the next several weeks. Send an email to nm4guc@gmail.com.
8. Consider a donation to defer costs of signage and a future media campaign. Email nm4guc@gmail.com.
The bulk of local residential solar photovoltaic development has come about with the assistance of North Carolina Greenpower . When a solar system generates power, the system generates Solar Energy Renewable Credits (SRECs). NC Greenpower and other organizations serve as SREC aggregators that buy and sell the SRECs. Historically the GUC based solar generators were connected to the grid using a buy all sell all arrangement wherein two electric meters are installed on a structure, one to purchase electric at the going retail rate and another to sell generated electric back the GUC at the wholesale rate. Residential solar generators would then collect their bills for three months and submit them to NC Greenpower for SREC reimbursement. Agreements with NC Greenpower are only good for 5 years, they do not renew the contract, and there is no ready market for SRECs after this contract.
Without a market for SRECs, GUC based solar generators remain stuck with a buy all sell all arrangement. Solar systems designed to produce enough electric for a household continue to have to pay GUC for electric as they only get credited for power generation at the wholesale rate while needing to buy power at the retail rate. The solution for this is to have net metering.
What is net metering? Net metering is the process where the utility meter spins one direction for power generation and another direction for power consumption. Solar generators thus pay only for the power consumed beyond what they produce.
Who supports net metering? The North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) mandates net metering for all investor owned utilites. The United States Department of Energy (USDOE) published Solar Powering Your Communities: A Guide for Local Governments that supports net metering. The Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act supports net metering.
Who does not support net metering? GUC does not offer net metering.
Why do solar generators want net metering? Solar generators want net metering to fully capture their investments in renewable energy. Current buy all sell all generators also have the burden of having to pay GUC a monthly fee for the extra required meter.
Why should the community around us want net metering? GUC pays only pennies per kilowatt hour. During peak demand times GUC may pay nearly $20 per kilowatt hour. Residential retail solar mitigates the need for peak demand purchases, overall lowering demand expenses. Without net metering it is not economically feasible to install residential solar systems. If net metering were started it is reasonable to expect an increase in solar installations and thereby the building trades that install and monitor such systems. Solar electric generation avoids the need for dirtier forms of generation such as coal and nuclear plants.
How can the community help? There are many ways to help:
1. Engage with your local community leaders.
2. The Pitt County Commissioners send two people to the board of GUC. Virginia Hardy's term expires June 2015, get involved to have a solar friendly board installed.
3. Get involved with GUC board members. One is the city manager for Greenville. Four are appointed by Greenville City Council.
4. Push Greenville City Council to send solar friendly board members to GUC.
5. Greenville City Council member Dr. Richard Croskery is the board liason to GUC. Please encourage him to support net metering. His email is: rcroskery@greenvillenc.gov
6. Share this site with others in the Greenville area that care about renewable energy generation.
7. Are you willing to put a sign in your yard in support of net metering? These signs are getting designed and printed over the next several weeks. Send an email to nm4guc@gmail.com.
8. Consider a donation to defer costs of signage and a future media campaign. Email nm4guc@gmail.com.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Net metering
First an update on our solar. We remain pleased with system performance. Overall we think we use more than we generate, especially this past winter. We have also had electric fencing on and the new garage has increased our demand. We have kept all the data but not analyzed it to know for sure. One panel went down, it took us months to figure it out and then months more to get it replaced. Joe Sheffield of Alternative Energy Concepts has left that company but was gracious to help us with the warranty repair.
We have been using the system for just over 4 years. We remain with a buy all sell all arrangement. Our local utility sells us everything we use at the full retail rate. We have a second meter that the utility purchases electricity we produce at the wholesale rate. The info we get from the utility indicates that we pay them a fee each month for the second meter. My wife keeps track of the system generation data and every three months submits the info to NC Greenpower, selling them our renewable energy credits (REC). The reimbursement rate for our current contract is 15 cents per kwh. With one year left to go on this contract we are looking at what the future holds for us.
NC Greenpower still purchases RECs but only for 6 cents per kwh. This would basically eliminate a lot of incentive for new solar installations. It also changes the payback to us on our current system to perhaps being equal. A local installer suggested to me that the local utility sells electric at 13 cents per kwh, buys generated power at 7 cents per kwh. As solar PV generators we have to keep track of the data, submit to NC Greenpower (or another broker in the future), wait for the check to come, and pay for an extra meter each month. This will be extra frustration and expense on our part with no additional benefit.
There is a solution to this issue that is available in most of the United States. This solution is called net metering. One single meter is used to keep track of net energy usage. If extra power is generated it is credited with the local utility each month. After a year of use any excess credit is lost, though in some areas different things happen such as the generator getting paid either the wholesale, the retail, or some other rate based upon incentives. RECs can be kept by either the utility or the generator.
My local utility does not currently offer net metering. I would like to begin net metering next year.
In 2005 the Attorney General ( I think this is of my local state) in a brief filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) supported the adoption of net metering. NCUC has the following info about their position regarding net metering:
We have been using the system for just over 4 years. We remain with a buy all sell all arrangement. Our local utility sells us everything we use at the full retail rate. We have a second meter that the utility purchases electricity we produce at the wholesale rate. The info we get from the utility indicates that we pay them a fee each month for the second meter. My wife keeps track of the system generation data and every three months submits the info to NC Greenpower, selling them our renewable energy credits (REC). The reimbursement rate for our current contract is 15 cents per kwh. With one year left to go on this contract we are looking at what the future holds for us.
NC Greenpower still purchases RECs but only for 6 cents per kwh. This would basically eliminate a lot of incentive for new solar installations. It also changes the payback to us on our current system to perhaps being equal. A local installer suggested to me that the local utility sells electric at 13 cents per kwh, buys generated power at 7 cents per kwh. As solar PV generators we have to keep track of the data, submit to NC Greenpower (or another broker in the future), wait for the check to come, and pay for an extra meter each month. This will be extra frustration and expense on our part with no additional benefit.
There is a solution to this issue that is available in most of the United States. This solution is called net metering. One single meter is used to keep track of net energy usage. If extra power is generated it is credited with the local utility each month. After a year of use any excess credit is lost, though in some areas different things happen such as the generator getting paid either the wholesale, the retail, or some other rate based upon incentives. RECs can be kept by either the utility or the generator.
My local utility does not currently offer net metering. I would like to begin net metering next year.
In 2005 the Attorney General ( I think this is of my local state) in a brief filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) supported the adoption of net metering. NCUC has the following info about their position regarding net metering:
There is a summary of the above available at the following link: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=NC05R&re=0&ee=0
The United States Department of Energy has a publication called Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments (click for this document to open in a new window)
On page 89 of this document is the following:
They then follow up with the following:
Today I am going to go to my local utilities board meeting to request they start net metering. My local utility is guided by the local city council so I anticipate going to the city council meeting tonight to also ask for their assistance.
If you are a solar advocate in my area, please contact those you know on the boards of the utility and city council to ask for net metering. Thank you for your assistance.
4/27/14 update: NC Greenpower said they do not renew contracts at any rate.
Another company said they would not purchase my RECs.
GUC says they will do a rate study that might get net metering started.
GUC already has rates to buy and sell electric so it seems they could just make the decision to net meter?
Friday, April 9, 2010
Financial update
1. We are starting to see credit on our utility bill. The one that arrived today credits us 21.06
2. We have received our federal tax refund and therefore have 30% of our expense back already.
2. We have received our federal tax refund and therefore have 30% of our expense back already.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Utility Company data
I am going to try and paste images of an email I got from the local electric company that details energy generated. Click for larger if you wish.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
QA3
Q
Hi guys,
Congratulations on your startup. Interesting monitoring site with neat data presentation.
What do you estimate the annual kwh production of this array ?? Take care
Thanks
A
We asked for a system that would produce what we were currently using. We forwarded utility records to our installer and he told us this was the size system we would need. I went back in the blog to look at records and for the previous year we used 7984 kwh, 665/month, or 21.87 per day on average. So that is what we expect to produce over the course of the year.
Discussion
We expect more light in the summer but the panels will be less efficient due to warmer temperatures. So as time goes on we hope to see increased production just at lower numbers. Our panels are 215 watt rated, so that would be the maximum number we could see on the monitoring site. For efficiency sake, if we see 188, that means that panel is converting 87% of maximum. We also expect we are using more energy with the garage addition.
The reason we went with this size system rather than the breakeven point that a smaller system offered was we wanted to be able to convert to net metering without any subsidy like payout down the road and still make all we need. With selling the renewable energy credits we will make an extra seven cents per kwh, not sure how long this will stay around.
Hi guys,
Congratulations on your startup. Interesting monitoring site with neat data presentation.
What do you estimate the annual kwh production of this array ?? Take care
Thanks
A
We asked for a system that would produce what we were currently using. We forwarded utility records to our installer and he told us this was the size system we would need. I went back in the blog to look at records and for the previous year we used 7984 kwh, 665/month, or 21.87 per day on average. So that is what we expect to produce over the course of the year.
Discussion
We expect more light in the summer but the panels will be less efficient due to warmer temperatures. So as time goes on we hope to see increased production just at lower numbers. Our panels are 215 watt rated, so that would be the maximum number we could see on the monitoring site. For efficiency sake, if we see 188, that means that panel is converting 87% of maximum. We also expect we are using more energy with the garage addition.
The reason we went with this size system rather than the breakeven point that a smaller system offered was we wanted to be able to convert to net metering without any subsidy like payout down the road and still make all we need. With selling the renewable energy credits we will make an extra seven cents per kwh, not sure how long this will stay around.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Usage vs production
My off the cuff calculations suggest that over 10 days we averaged just over 20kwh production per day. Our most recent utility bill suggests we used 33 kwh per day. Hmm!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
QA2
sounds interesting...I have so many questions. cost to install and maintain, durability and life after install, how many days can you go without sunlight. does it store energy for a rainy day...hahahaha
Cost to install: Both my father and I found systems to be about 7K per kwh, ours is a 5.16 kwh system. It gets a little cheaper as you get larger. If this industry grows hopefully prices will come down.
Maintain: I do not know yet but do not expect to spend anything unless a panel goes bad. I recall them being tested for good 25 year life or better. With my system I have more parts, but they are smaller and if something goes bad the replacement should be cheaper (this refers to my microinverters compared to my fathers). The system I have does have a $2 per panel per year fee for the internet interface, so $48 per year to have the enphase link work.
Without sunlight? No problem as we have two meters. We still pay local utility normally, sell ours through the other meter. In the end, we should make money at this, my rough estimate is 10% return each year.
Electrical storage? We did not install a battery backup system. This would allow us to live off grid but would add five thousand to the system cost and require more maintence.
A note on system cost: NC offers 35% tax rebate on system costs, maximum is $10,500. Federal government offers 30% tax credit, no limit. So while we had to get a bank note to pay for this up front, we will only be responsible for about 35% of the system costs. With the payments for energy generated, most systems will pay for themselves in 5-10 years.
See link at topleft for my father sharing his solar experiences pittsolar.blogspot.com
Cost to install: Both my father and I found systems to be about 7K per kwh, ours is a 5.16 kwh system. It gets a little cheaper as you get larger. If this industry grows hopefully prices will come down.
Maintain: I do not know yet but do not expect to spend anything unless a panel goes bad. I recall them being tested for good 25 year life or better. With my system I have more parts, but they are smaller and if something goes bad the replacement should be cheaper (this refers to my microinverters compared to my fathers). The system I have does have a $2 per panel per year fee for the internet interface, so $48 per year to have the enphase link work.
Without sunlight? No problem as we have two meters. We still pay local utility normally, sell ours through the other meter. In the end, we should make money at this, my rough estimate is 10% return each year.
Electrical storage? We did not install a battery backup system. This would allow us to live off grid but would add five thousand to the system cost and require more maintence.
A note on system cost: NC offers 35% tax rebate on system costs, maximum is $10,500. Federal government offers 30% tax credit, no limit. So while we had to get a bank note to pay for this up front, we will only be responsible for about 35% of the system costs. With the payments for energy generated, most systems will pay for themselves in 5-10 years.
See link at topleft for my father sharing his solar experiences pittsolar.blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
QA
From a friend:
Congratulations on the successful solar project. It was a good reminder to check in on your blog. That new site is cool, too.
I meant to ask a few questions earlier but I'll ask now.
1. What sort of bracket holds the panels on and is it just nailed screwed through the shingles into the roof with some patch or rubber seal around the hole?
2. In 20, 30, 50 years when the roof needs replacing, do the panels come down for that and then go back up? Does the installer do that or the roofer or Joe's nephew?
3. Does having solar panels on the southern roof affect the passive solar qualities of the building (does it make a building hotter or colder and would it depend on the type and color of roof)?
Congratulations again.
1. Our brackets are roof mounted prior to the shingles. It lifts the panels off about 6 inches. The distance should help with cooling airflow in the summer, a good thing since panels run more efficient when cooler.
2. The panels and racking material come off the roof for roof work. Likely extends a reroofing job by a week or so. Hopefully a solar company does this.
3. Solar panels should make the building cooler as they are the object that receives the heat. The shingles beneath them should be in the shade and cooler. As a side note, we went with light colored shingles to enhance the new building looking like our house and also to keep the panels cooler.
Congratulations on the successful solar project. It was a good reminder to check in on your blog. That new site is cool, too.
I meant to ask a few questions earlier but I'll ask now.
1. What sort of bracket holds the panels on and is it just nailed screwed through the shingles into the roof with some patch or rubber seal around the hole?
2. In 20, 30, 50 years when the roof needs replacing, do the panels come down for that and then go back up? Does the installer do that or the roofer or Joe's nephew?
3. Does having solar panels on the southern roof affect the passive solar qualities of the building (does it make a building hotter or colder and would it depend on the type and color of roof)?
Congratulations again.
1. Our brackets are roof mounted prior to the shingles. It lifts the panels off about 6 inches. The distance should help with cooling airflow in the summer, a good thing since panels run more efficient when cooler.
2. The panels and racking material come off the roof for roof work. Likely extends a reroofing job by a week or so. Hopefully a solar company does this.
3. Solar panels should make the building cooler as they are the object that receives the heat. The shingles beneath them should be in the shade and cooler. As a side note, we went with light colored shingles to enhance the new building looking like our house and also to keep the panels cooler.
Production
We have been producing for about a week now. We have produced around 100kwh that the in house monitor has picked up though it likely is more due to early technical difficulties. Today is expected to be nice and clear. We hope to outproduce our best day of 28.8 kwh. The enphase website does not yet have us on their reference installations list, it seems like they might have a minimum kwh total to list, today should get us to that point. We will post a link when that happens.
Edited update: See links at left. Visit the enlighten one to see near real time production and history.
Edited update: See links at left. Visit the enlighten one to see near real time production and history.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
What I see
Click image for larger version. Bottom right is the enphase unit, I think it is close to "real time". Bottom row of numbers indicates what is being made now, total since power on, and number of solar modules being read.
Sunrise!
Yesterdays generating total might be a little low as I changed outlets in the morning. So far it appears that we have generated 381W this am, all panels up and running though at low production. The inhouse monitoring unit, aka Envoy, gives data prior to the website. I think it sends data over net at regular intervals.
This is exciting.
This is exciting.
Friday, January 8, 2010
LIVE 18kwh today
We went live on Tuesday as the sun was going down. The picture shows the final connection being made so the switches could be turned on. Since then it has been interesting to see just how much there is yet to learn. The meters are set up to be read early each am by some kind of a silent phone call. I've heard of one company called Badger Meter that does this with cell phones, I think ours are tied into the landlines here, requiring DSL internet filters. Then it took a few days to recognize that our monitoring unit was not working well as it was plugged into an outlet that was on the same breaker circuit as most of the computer gadgets are in, as these are in a surge protector the signal did not make it to the monitor. These signals get transmitted via the neutral/ground wire. We had some loud background noise on our telephone, at least for tonight it has gone away.
Our home monitoring unit relays data via broadband connection to the Enphase Enlighten web site. I've set ours up to be available for the public to see. It is not yet listed but I expect it will be in the coming days. When it is I'll try and post a link. If you follow the following link you can view reference installations of others.
https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/systemslist
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Time to go live
We have been told that the local utility has received the interconnection agreement and that we can now go live as a generator. We expect this to happen at 3 pm today. I think this should be a simple task with flipping a few switches and installing two fuses. I will likely activate the monitoring unit before then.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunshine
Pic is of similar view after trees were cut down. We will likely get the system turned on once our local utility receives the interconnection agreement from their electric provider.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Here comes the Sun
When we started this we thought our location was ideal with no shade areas. At least in winter we now see that we will lose out on generating capacity. We are having a lot of trees removed starting today. We would have preferred to have done this prior to building but the crew could not get here fast enough. They look like they know a bit of what they are doing, should leave the building intact. This is a before photo.
Monday, December 21, 2009
All I want for christmas
We think all that is left to do is to have local inspector for final on the solar work and then for power to be turned on. It sure looks like we could flip the switch on our own. Our local utility requires some kind of an agreement from their power supplier to buy power from us also. We have full use of our garage and are grateful to our builder for the incredibly fast and efficient work.
If you have not yet, check out my father's blog about his solar PV system here: http://pittsolar.blogspot.com/ He is all set to flip the switch also.
If you have not yet, check out my father's blog about his solar PV system here: http://pittsolar.blogspot.com/ He is all set to flip the switch also.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
An Examination of the Regional Supply and Demand Balance for Renewable Electricity in the United States through 2015
51 page pdf here
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/45041.pdf
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/45041.pdf
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