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Demand Charges: What Are They?…How can Batteries Help?

Home Battery InstallAltSys Solar Inc.

AltSys Solar Inc – Blog Post #001
By Daniel Moreno and Eric Sustaita – May 7th, 2019

Your energy bill is not just how much energy you use but the “rate” at which it is used and also “when” you use it: a combination of consumption (energy), demand (power) and Time-of-Use. Demand is defined by Southern California Edison (SCE) as: “The measure of how much electricity is used at a single point in time” and is charged by kW (kilo-watts) vs energy use which is charged by kWh (kilo-watt hours). The utility infrastructure (“the grid”) must be prepared to provide a certain level of power demand, varying on the time of day – PEAK demand occurring around early evening (4pm-9pm). The Utility collects Demand Charges to cover the cost of Grid Upgrades necessary to be capable of providing power up to the level of Peak Demand. Generation and Distribution of Power requires sufficient powerlines, transformers, substation facilities, but most expensive of all Power Plants!

There are two different demand charges billed by the utility: Facilities Demand and Time-Related Demand.  According to SCE website, “Facilities Demand Charges apply at all times throughout the year, calculated per kilowatt (kW) according to your highest recorded demand during each billing cycle—no matter what season, day of week, or time of day, while Time-Related Demand Charges only apply during the summer season (June 1 through September 30), when demand reaches its peak and costs are highest. Time-Related Demand Charges are assessed each month during On-Peak hours & also during Mid-Peak hours. Time-Related charges are in addition to and separate from a Facilities-Related Demand Charge.”

Energy Storage for Lower Grid Demands = Happy Solar Consumers!

Energy bills come with so many charges, so what do we do?  ADD BATTERIES, of course! Solar combined with Storage allows for saving on not just Energy Consumption costs, but also Power Demand charges – this means Overall Bill is able to be reduced to lowest possible result. Solar generation generally happens during hours that fall within what is called “Off-Peak TOU rate schedule” (8am-4pm) times when value of energy is at its lowest. During the evening times, PV systems are not producing energy and ‘coincidently’ lines up with “On-Peak TOU schedule” (4pm-9pm) – when energy and power costs are at their highest.

With Batteries, energy produced during the day that isn’t immediately consumed can get stored for usage later in the evening to avoid (high cost energy) imports from “The Grid” and reduce Peak Power level that “The Grid” must provide (reduce demand charges). Good for everyone!

Value of Solar Energy MAXIMIZED with addition of BATTERIES!

When you ready to take control of your energy needs and protect yourself against rising electric bills give us a call at (559) 688-2544 to start saving now.

Click the link below to get started…
https://www.altsyssolar.com/quote/
CL#944549 C46 – C10

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Renewable energy to outpace coal for first time ever in US

Solar Roof Install

Phil Dzikiy – Apr. 30th 2019 10:54 am ET (https://electrek.co)

“Electrek’s Take – While the first chart in this article shows renewables and coal continuing to dance with each other over the next few years, so to speak, renewables are mostly on top. The IEEFA notes “renewable generation is catching up to coal, and faster than forecast.” An extended view would surely show renewables taking over for good at some point. This doesn’t seem to be a controversial statement — renewables are increasing every year while coal plants are being retired.

So while coal fades away, the next frontier will see renewables taking on natural gas, and perhaps even nuclear, which has re-entered the discussion in some circles recently as a way to provide more energy while cutting back emissions. (See this USA Today article today about some Democratic presidential candidates showing “openness” to expanding nuclear power.)”

Read More…

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Solar Homes Sold for 4.1% More Than Others in Past Year

Solar Roof Install

By Kelsey Misbrener | April 16, 2019

Customers have asked many times about how much solar will increase their property value. In a recent article by Kelsey Misbrener from Solar Power World, we find out that Zillow did an analysis on homes sold with solar and found positive results!

“A new Zillow analysis shows homes with solar energy systems sold for 4.1% more on average than others nationwide in the past year. The sale premium varies by market — 5.4% in New York, 4.4% in San Francisco and 3.6% in Los Angeles, for example.”

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PG&E’s future rests on board picks, CPUC president says

By: Gavin Blade Date: March 29, 2019

“PG&E’s future rests on board picks, CPUC president says…Picker said he is concerned PG&E may select board members more concerned with financial performance than correcting a safety record that’s seen the utility’s equipment ignite multiple deadly wildfires in recent years.”

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Electricity costs from battery storage down 76% since 2012: BNEF

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electricity-costs-from-battery-storage-down-76-since-2012-bnef/551337/?mc_cid=bb7ecb6c2f&mc_eid=9c15739d91

By: HJ Mai Date:March 26, 2019

“Meeting the morning and evening peaks of electricity demand has been a challenge for solar and wind energy, given their intermittent nature. As a result, technologies capable of delivering energy whenever the grid needs it, such as open-cycle gas turbines and gas reciprocating engines, had a competitive advantage, according to the report. This advantage is now disappearing.”

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California Lawmakers Grapple With Risks and Uncertainties of PG&E’s Bankruptcy

By: JEFF ST. JOHN MARCH 11, 2019

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

“Pacific Gas & Electric’s bankruptcy has become California’s most pressing policy crisis, forcing Gov. Gavin Newsom, state lawmakers, utility regulators and other key energy stakeholders to consider radical alternatives for the state’s largest utility in the face of its multibillion-dollar wildfire liabilities.”

Read more… 

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CA – SB 288 The Solar Bill of Rights

Feb 22nd 2019 Bernadette Del Chiaro, Executive Director CalSSA

This bipartisan bill would:

  • Protect the right of all California consumers – homeowners, renters, farmers, schools, etc. – to generate, store and shape their own energy onsite without threat of undue influence or discriminatory behavior of local utilities;
  • Remove barriers to local solar and storage, and other DERs, through streamlining and simplifying interconnection processes statewide, and;
  • Remove barriers to stand-alone storage by requiring storage-only export tariffs be created statewide. 

As you may have heard, CALSSA teamed up with the Solar Rights Alliance andVote Solar to pull together a broad coalition of solar farmers, solar schools, solar homeowners, disability rights advocates, workforce development organizations, environmental groups, and solar and storage businesses and workers to officially launch the Solar Bill of Rights on the steps of the state Capitol this week. You can watch the video of the entire press conference and you can read about the launch here.

Many thanks to our member companies who answered the call to action and came out for the bill launch event: Aztec Solar, Canadian Solar, Capital City Solar, Chico Electric, Clean Solar, Engie, Grid Alternatives, JKB, Luminalt, Natron, Owen Dunn Insurance, SepiSolar, SMA, Solar Technologies, Sunrun, TerraVerde, and Vivint, 

In addition to the crowded steps of the capitol backing the new bill, we have also garnered a bipartisan group of legislators as co-authors. In addition to our principal supports of Senator Wiener (D-SF) and Senator Nielsen (R-Gerber), SB 288 is also co-authored by Senator Jeff Stone (R-Riverside), and assembly members Gallagher (R-Chico), Friedman (D-Glendale), Bloom (D-Santa Monica), and R.Rivas (D-Hollister).

But we believe every legislator should support this bill. Please take a moment to email your local senator and assembly member and ask them to join this bipartisan and diverse group of legislators in co-authoring SB 288, the Solar Bill of Rights today! Click here to take action. 

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Starting March 2019, California Energy Price Increase TOU Weekdays 4pm-9pm

Photo Credit: REED SAXON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESSREED SAXON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo Credit: REED SAXON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS California’s Big Idea

For Cutting Emissions: Making You Pay More For Energy

By Rebecca Beitsch
02/19/2019 02:56 pm ET

“Starting in March, the state’s utility regulator will require major utilities to increase prices during the hours when electricity is in high demand and lower prices the rest of the time — a change that’s expected to affect some 6 million households. “

Read More here…

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My turn: Here’s how rooftop solar can combat wildfires

RoofTop Solar

Guest Commentary | Feb. 13, 2019 | CLIMATE CHANGE, COMMENTARY, ENVIRONMENT, MY TURN, WILDFIRE

” Local solar power paired with batteries can provide reliable energy and keep electricity running for communities in need, particularly at times when a power line needs to be turned off for safety reasons. This technology might also reduce the chances of electric sparks on overhead lines, which could result in dangerous wildfires.”

Click to Read More…

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Rules utility violated its felony probation

Solar Shade Structure

By Matthias Gafni | mgafni@bayareanewsgroup.com and John Woolfolk | jwoolfolk@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group

“The finding sets the stage for the judge to add additional and costly terms to Pacific Gas & Electric’s criminal probation for the deadly pipeline blast — requirements such as inspections and tree trimming the utility says could cost billions of dollars and lead to customer rates rising five-fold.”

Read More…

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