Should you’re a buyer of San Diego Fuel & Electrical, you’re paying a few of the highest electrical energy charges within the nation. Should you’re sick of it (and also you most likely are), then it is likely to be time so that you can contemplate switching to photo voltaic.
Putting in photo voltaic panels helps you scale back your utility payments by producing electrical energy to your house to make use of as an alternative of getting to purchase electrical energy from SDG&E. This implies you keep away from the excessive electrical charges, with the added bonus of utilizing clear, environmentally pleasant energy.
However are the financial savings photo voltaic panels can present you definitely worth the upfront funding? Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at what it is advisable to learn about going photo voltaic as a SDG&E buyer.
How a lot does a photo voltaic system value in California?
Most SDG&E owners pays round $2.65 per watt of photo voltaic put in on their roof. As a way to cowl a $200 electrical invoice, you would wish a 3.34 kilowatt system, which might value about $8,851 to put in, earlier than any incentives are thought of.
The price would drop to $6,549 when you issue within the federal photo voltaic tax credit score, additionally known as the Funding Tax Credit score or ITC, which covers 26% of set up prices.
| Month-to-month invoice | System measurement* | System value earlier than ITC | System value after ITC |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200 | 3.34 kW | $8,851 | $6,549 |
| $250 | 4.28 kW | $11,342 | $8,393 |
| $300 | 5.03 kW | $13,329 | $9,863 |
| $350 | 5.79 kW | $15,343 | $11,354 |
*Estimated system measurement wanted to cowl month-to-month invoice
Does San Diego Fuel & Electrical supply internet metering?
Sure, SDG&E does supply a internet billing program that means that you can get credit score for extra photo voltaic electrical energy you ship to the grid.
How does SDG&E’s internet metering program work?
If we’re getting technical, this system provided by SDG&E is just not a internet metering program per se; as an alternative, it’s a ‘internet billing program’. Principally, below a internet metering program, you’d be compensated on the full retail fee of electrical energy for every extra kilowatt-hour (kWh) of photo voltaic power you ship to the grid.
So, what’s the distinction? SDG&E, and all utilities in California, use a program construction known as NEM 2.0, which credit extra photo voltaic power despatched to the grid at a fee simply shy of the retail fee of electrical energy. You may be taught all the things it is advisable to learn about NEM 2.0 by trying out our in-depth article right here.
Now, let’s get into a few of the specifics about NEM 2.0 because it pertains to San Diego Fuel & Electrical.
Non-bypassable costs
NEM 2.0 requires photo voltaic owners to pay one thing known as “non-bypassable costs” on the electrical energy they ship to the grid. Non-bypassable costs fund issues like power effectivity applications and are rolled into your electrical fee. So meaning once you ship extra photo voltaic power to the grid, you’ll get credit score for the price of electrical energy, minus these non-bypassable costs.
In different phrases, you’re going to be credited at a fee that could be a little bit lower than what you purchase electrical energy for from SDG&E as a result of it’s important to pay non-bypassable costs.
Time of Use charges
While you go photo voltaic with SDG&E, NEM 2.0 requires you to modify over to a Time of Use (TOU) fee plan. Underneath this fee plan, the utility costs you a distinct worth for electrical energy, primarily based on the time of day. When there’s a greater demand for electrical energy, the utility costs extra. When the demand is low, they cost much less.
Right here’s what SDG&E costs for his or her default solar Time of Use rate plan as of January 2022:
| Weekdays | Summer time hours* | Summer time worth | Winter hours** | Winter worth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-peak | 4 PM – 9 PM | $0.65 / kWh | 4 PM – 9 PM | $0.42 / kWh |
| Off-peak |
6 AM – 4 PM;
9 PM – 12 AM
|
$0.39 / kWh |
6 AM – 4 PM**;
9 PM – 12 AM
|
$0.37 / kWh |
| Tremendous off-peak | 12 AM – 6 AM | $0.31 / kWh |
12 AM – 6 AM;
10 AM – 2 PM in March and April
|
$0.31/ kWh |
*Summer time: June 1 – October 31
**Winter: November 1 – Could 31
*** Excludes 10 AM – 2 PM in March and April
| Weekdays and holidays | Summer time hours | Summer time worth | Winter hours | Winter worth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-peak | 4 PM – 9 PM | $0.65 / kWh | 4 PM – 9 PM | $0.32 / kWh |
| Off-peak |
6 AM – 4 PM;
9 PM – 12 AM
|
$0.39 / kWh |
2 PM – 4PM;
9 PM – 12 AM
|
$0.37 / kWh |
| Tremendous off-peak | 12 AM – 2 PM | $0.31 / kWh |
12 AM – 2 PM
|
$0.31 / kWh |
The excellent news is, SDG&E means that you can select different Time of Use charges, so in case you are not happy together with your plan, you’ll be able to choose one other one on the finish of your billing cycle.
Interconnection price
SDG&E costs a compulsory $132 interconnection price to ensure that a residential photo voltaic system to be linked to the grid.
Annual True-Up
When your photo voltaic panel system produces extra electrical energy than your own home makes use of in a month, these credit will be utilized to your subsequent month’s invoice. On the finish of the 12-month billing cycle, any unused internet metering credit will expire.
Does SDG&E have any photo voltaic rebates or incentives?
No, San Diego Fuel & Electrical doesn’t supply any photo voltaic rebates or incentives.
The state of California, then again, does supply a handful of photo voltaic rebates for owners who qualify, together with two completely different low-income photo voltaic rebates. You may learn extra about these applications right here.
California additionally has one of many main photo voltaic battery incentive applications within the nation, known as the Self Era Incentive Program (SGIP), that has the potential to scale back power storage set up prices by 1000’s.
And naturally, Californians qualify for the federal photo voltaic tax credit score, which covers 26% of photo voltaic set up prices.
Steps to going photo voltaic with SDG&E
Putting in photo voltaic takes extra than simply screwing panels into your roof. It takes considerate planning and a little bit of paperwork. General, the set up course of will take round six weeks from the time you select your installer to the time the system is turned on.
Let’s check out what SDG&E requires for his or her prospects to go photo voltaic.
1. Figuring out what measurement photo voltaic system you want
As a way to set up photo voltaic, it is advisable to work out what you’re trying to get out of your system, as nicely your power consumption. Do you wish to cowl your total electrical invoice? How a lot electrical energy do you employ every day? As soon as you discover the solutions to those questions, you’ll be able to work out what number of photo voltaic panels it is advisable to meet your targets.
2. Discovering a photo voltaic set up firm
When on the lookout for a photo voltaic installer, you need to look for a corporation that has been in enterprise for greater than 5 years and has optimistic buyer critiques. The California Public Utilities Fee (CPUC) has put collectively the Photo voltaic Client Safety Information to assist owners select the fitting contractor. Your photo voltaic installer will provide help to design your system, in addition to information you thru the interconnection course of.
3. Submit internet metering interconnection utility to SDG&E
Your contractor will work with you to fill out the web metering utility and a one line diagram outlining the system’s design to SDG&E.
4. Allowing
Your photo voltaic installer will go to your own home to ensure it is proper for photo voltaic and can ship out allowing functions so you’ll be able to formally set up your system. The permits required range by municipality.
5. Utility approval
Upon SDG&E’s approval, the utility will schedule a date to interchange your electrical meter with a bidirectional meter that permits SDG&E to trace how a lot electrical energy your panels are sending to the grid.
6. Set up
Your installer can start putting in photo voltaic panels in your roof as soon as your allowing and internet metering utility have been submitted.
7. Metropolis/county inspection
As soon as the set up is full, your contractor will coordinate with metropolis and county officers for the right inspections. When inspections are accomplished, SDG&E can be notified.
8. SDG&E inspection and bi-directional meter set up
SDG&E will ship out their very own inspector to try the finished set up. The utility can even change your electrical meter so that you will be billed correctly to your photo voltaic era.
9. Permission to function
Should you go SDG&E’s inspection and your bidirectional meter is put in, you’re prepared to show in your system and begin saving in your electrical payments!
SDG&E’s Quick Monitor utility
We all know that appears like loads of steps. However, there’s excellent news! Most residential photo voltaic panel methods will qualify for SDG&E’s Quick Monitor utility, which helps you to skip a few of the steps we listed within the interconnection course of.
The steps which are bypassed with Quick Monitor functions are unclear, however it doubtless means you received’t have to attend round for the SDG&E inspection.
As a way to get on the Quick Monitor:
- Your system should be lower than 30 kW in measurement (which most residential photo voltaic methods are)
- Your utility should be submitted 5 days earlier than any metropolis or county inspections
- There are not any points accessing your property at any time, any day of the week
Ought to SDG&E prospects contemplate putting in a photo voltaic battery?
Photo voltaic batteries are the recent new factor within the photo voltaic business, however they aren’t proper for everybody.
Whereas it’s true that you should utilize a photo voltaic battery to assist save a bit of more money in your electrical invoice with Time of Use by lowering how a lot electrical energy you’re taking from the grid when electrical energy is costliest, these financial savings usually received’t make up for the $10,000+ upfront value of a battery.
The place batteries actually come in useful is in terms of holding the lights on when the grid goes down, like when the utilities throughout California began instituting deliberate energy shut offs to forestall wildfires. So, whereas the battery won’t offer you large further financial savings in your electrical invoice, it can offer you peace of thoughts that when the utility goes down, your energy will keep on.
Goes photo voltaic with SDG&E value it?
Contemplating the truth that San Diego Fuel and Electrical has such excessive costs for electrical energy and that their service territory will get loads of daylight, we positively suppose it is value it to go photo voltaic with SDG&E. You’ll get monetary savings, plus you’ll get to make use of clear renewable power to energy your own home. It’s a win-win!
Nevertheless, we do wish to warn you – the earlier you go photo voltaic with SDG&E, the higher. Proper now in California, there’s a huge fats query mark over the way forward for internet metering and utilities are preventing to enormously scale back how a lot owners get compensated for solar energy.
If you wish to maximize your photo voltaic financial savings, you’ll wish to set up photo voltaic earlier than January 2022, when the CPUC makes their ultimate resolution on a brand new internet metering program. You may learn all about what’s taking place with internet metering in California right here.
One of the best ways to start out your change to photo voltaic is by utilizing our photo voltaic panel financial savings calculator. You will discover out how a lot it can save you by going photo voltaic with SDG&E, see what measurement system you want, and get an estimate of how a lot power your photo voltaic panels will produce.
