Thoughts on Solar

Recently, I was talking to a client of ours about why they were so fortunate to be going solar as a Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) customer instead of being an SCE customer.  He expressed confusion when I said this, because everything that he had heard made him think the opposite was true!  That made me realize that some education was called for; hence this post!

I can think of three key reasons why going solar in PWP territory is more desirable than it is with SCE:

• True net metering;
• Tiered, not time-of-use rates; and
• No batteries needed! 

There are others - to be sure - such as the ease of dealing with the respective bureaucracies, but for now we will focus on these big three.  Let’s take ‘em one at a time.

True Net Metering

As readers of this blog know only too well, last year brought draconian changes to how solar system owners in SCE territory got compensated for energy that they put onto the grid.

WHAT SOME FOLKS SEEM TO HAVE MISSED IS THAT THESE CHANGES DID NOT AFFECT
PWP CUSTOMERS - AT ALL!!! 

PWP customers who install solar get full retail value for every kWh that they put onto the grid, which ranges from 20¢ - 33¢/kWh, based on the tier that you are in (more on that in a moment).  Pity the poor folks in SCE territory who are getting closer to 7¢/kWh.

PWP is not governed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) so their shenanigans in San Francisco do not torment us.  Rather, it is the Pasadena City Council that has the final say in how solar customers are treated, and let’s just say they have your back in ways that the CPUC clearly does not!

Tiered Versus Time-of-Use (TOU) Rates

SCE is forcing all of their customers onto TOU rates and that means that energy used between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. can cost more than double what it does during the other hours of the day - as much as 61¢/kWh! Ouch!  Of course, most of the year, your solar system is not producing anything during that time period. 

But in PWP territory, the excess energy that you put onto the grid helps drive you out of the top tiers and lowers your overall bill.  Tiered rates are the most beneficial for solar, and PWP has them!

No Batteries Needed!

Batteries - or to use the more technically correct term Energy Storage Systems (ESS) - are costly, take up a lot of space on the wall, and in some areas - Altadena we’re looking at you - there are crazy restrictions on where they can be placed.  Sadly, if you are an SCE customer, the double whammy of no net metering and TOU rates, means you almost have to add an ESS to make going solar sensible.  Oh, and SCE’s power goes out - like a lot.  So having batteries can save you money in the long run and be there when the grid goes down.

Meanwhile, because energy from PWP isn’t priced based on when during the day you use it, you don’t need to store it during the day to offset costs from 4-9 p.m. (What is known as time-of-use arbitrage.)  Moreover, since you get full retail credit for every kWh you put back onto the grid, the grid itself acts very much like a battery for you!  Plus, PWP’s grid rarely goes down - Public Safety Shutdowns are unheard of in PWP territory, but they are a common occurrence for some SCE customers, especially at times of high winds or high heat. (It is 108 as I write this - yikes!)

TL;DR

PWP customers have it sooo good when it comes to adding solar! And while it is too late to save you from that crushing bill you are going to see in October, acting now means you will reap the benefits of adding solar for the next 20+ years! Let’s get started, shall we?

The Washington Post is out today with a disturbing article titled, Where heat waves may cause blackouts, and no surprise, Southern California is one of those places!  The rationale for the headline is straightforward enough: climate change is bringing more consecutive days of heat wave weather, and those extended days of heat cause stress on the electrical grid, including on those transformers you see on power poles in your neighborhood, maybe even in your own backyard.  When overloaded, by both heat and increased demand (from air conditioning, pool pumps, and increasingly EV charging), those transformers can fail, sometimes spectacularly!

SCE is well aware of this issue.  From the article:

The power company Southern California Edison recently warned that climate change will make it so “existing infrastructure will become less efficient, especially inland, resulting in reduced capacity on lines and higher losses in transformers.”

Even if the transformers do not fail, SCE might be required to cut off power during heat wave events, compounding the impact on consumers who now find themselves without AC - or even a fan - during a high heat crisis!

It doesn’t have to be that way!

Adding solar and sufficient storage is a way to thrive during those heat waves knowing that whatever the grid does, your life will pretty much continue as normal.  We are certified installers of Enphase equipment, including their more powerful 5P battery systems.  Get ahead of the curve and give us a call today.  One of these summer days you will be glad that you did!