In years past, I consumed about 8100 kWhr per year +/- 300 kWhr.
This system was switched ON 19 December 2024 (yes, two days before winter solstice) so it’s pretty easy to baseline my system’s production whether you want to use the solstice or the new year.
In its first year, this system exported 5806 kWhr of energy to the grid, and my meter tracked a total import of energy of 5876 kWhr. An almost perfect balance. I have digital energy meters installed on the electrical panel of my house, which recorded 7858 kWhr used by the house during the year. As the PV panels produced 7790 kWhr during the year, here is another near-perfect balance. Because only 5878 were imported from the grid, that means that PV supplied 1980 kWhr of the energy consumed by the house, or 25%.
This 25% reduction in consumption from the grid significantly reduced the costs of energy that I imported, but it gets better. All of the energy I could export was paid with a premium rate. Basically, when exporting to the grid, I am paid 3x the going rate for electricity I buy. From May to September, my system was exporting much more than my needs (in addition to supplying much of my own needs). During this time I accumulated a credit on my bill which I have not yet used up (by the end of February I will). What this all means is that my energy costs have gone from about 2500 dollars per year to nearly nothing.
I can’t tell you all how pleased I am with how well the system has been performing.
Thorough planning and preparation truly aids in execution and implementation. In this case, a remarkable achievement in identifying the needs and planning the design to sufficient details for a “smooth” construction and implementation.
Ya did good!
I typed my questions in other posting before reading this one, so i am still curious as to what the plans are. My guess would be to generate the power and get credits, but i wonder if the power company limits credits or otherwise.
Heck, as long as the power comany can buy your power and sell it for a profit, why worry about limiting credits. i am sure there is a simple answer.
@pmover
I’ll answer your questions here, for both threads.
After the 2024 PV installation, I watched the system at work carefully and saw initial good results. That encouraged me to proceed with the battery installation. I put in the new battery set in the fall. They’re doing fine, too, BTW.
The EV is next, then putting up the new free panels soon after.
I will need to contact the utility about the PV upgrade. They may balk at first, since the won’t want to add panels to a system that’s already meeting my needs. I haven’t explored how strict they are about producing equally to your consumption, and since I’ve been lucky to have a system that does just that exactly, no opportunity to find out. I assume that keeps me in their good graces for the time being.
When I get an EV I think I’m going to be pushing my utility connection rating. I have a house rated at 100A, and two garages with 60A panels. But only 15/25KVA on the pole. Getting an EV will add another 40A+ load into my system, so it may be time for me to do an upgrade at the utility feed-in. That’s an engineering consideration, not a regulatory or contractual one, but making this change will be constrained by regulatory requirements. They may charge me to upgrade the transformer as well as the busbars. $$
The best strategy, I think, is to combine both of these efforts, since the EV will increase my consumption, upsetting the PV balance, thus requiring more PV, which I now have available. I’ve been getting my plans in order, so that I can pick up the phone and start asking smart questions in the right places.