My solar panels with R1T are costing me money.

[Polar]

I called enphase and it would be $600 for a new gateway and current sensors to do a zero export setup.

So at least it’s possible for you - but how much would that cost to recoup in your current power situation? That’s always the question isn’t it?

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[blturner]

Typically the peak rates are going to be in the evening when your solar is not generating (no export) and everyone is home from work running appliances etc. My utility defines peak as 4-9pm. My solar array produces from roughly 10am to 4pm, which is off-peak. So if I don’t either have a different net-metering plan that is a single rate 24hrs/day OR a battery to charge from 10-4 and then use/export after 4, I basically give the utility free juice all day then pay top dollar to take it back out of the grid in the evening.

If your time-of-use is similar you would not accomplish much by exporting during the hours your solar system produces. You’d be best off getting a battery as already mentioned.

even better would be if you could switch to a net-metering plan that did not have time-of-use rates.

They will only let me net meter with virtually no time of use or a good time of use with no net metering. Also when I stop net metering they would be charging rather than paying me for each exported kWh.
I think that because I already have the net metering meter that as long as they don't replace the meter with a regular one it will not actually bill me for exported power.

I am going to have to talk with someone at the utility that knows more about what would really happen. I am starting to think that just changing to the time of use plan without doing anything else will work. I will loose the credit I get for export but that is small potatoes compared to charging savings.
Adding a battery pack may pay in the long run. But the battery pack costs are a bit out of hand right now and I think it makes sense to wait for that.

It would also probably make sense to use my truck as a battery pack to avoid the peak costs but alas, this is not an F-150. An extension cord into the bed of my truck will not cut it.

 

[blturner]

Finally got the utility and my electrician to talk. They will be able to install a EV only meter and panel and let me keep my net metering. But all of this will cost $5000. About a thousand of that is because they want to raise the incoming line higher over the shed that I installed a few years back.
It will take at least 4 years to make that back with the lower night charging rate.
It will let me up my charging circuit from 30amp to 60amp and I have had issues with that charging speed not getting me to 100% for a road trip. It will also let my wife buy a plug-in hybrid and charge both of them.

However I feel like this may be like the compact fluorescents. LEDs were so much better, if I had just waited 2 more years I could have replaced all my bulbs just once and saved more money. Maybe I should wait for whole house battery systems to drop in price. Or give my solar panels to my son to put on his house.

I also suspect that the public service commission will change the rules in less than 4 years to let me have time of use and skip net metering. Spending thousands extra because they just did not think about this use case seems... bad.

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