Comments on: Interview: My experience as a battery energy storage homeowner

By: Larry West

Larry West — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 03:28:41 +0000

This is pretty similar to my experience with panels installed (SW San Diego County) in 2020 & 2021, but with a 24kWh battery made in California (NeoVolta), we only draw (net) from SDG&E when it’s been cloudy a lot. But, for black-outs, the battery is in a mode where it tops off during off-peak periods, which makes sense with NEM 2.0 but maybe not with 3.0 … but we’ve not been without electricity since installing, and even ran extensions to our neighbors twice.

My advice is to get the biggest battery you can afford, and the most panels: the technology is already good enough and electricity prices are only going to rise.

And, yes, we replaced our 17-year-old gas water heater with a Heat Pump one – a no-brainer in California.

By: E-lectric

E-lectric — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 01:37:11 +0000

The state PUCs are badly outmatched by the utilities. Public employees vs profit motivated IOUs who will engage expensive experts to bolster their case.

All the utility has to do is cry bankruptcy or infrastructure decline. They regularly demonstrate the potential power outages on a regular basis.

By: Barry Cinnamon

Barry Cinnamon — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 20:39:26 +0000

In reply to Gregory Devlin.

Hi Gregory – The California Solar and Storage Association, or CALSSA, is the non-profit organization that lobbies on behalf of the rooftop solar industry and homeowners. CALSS was fighting tooth and claw against the change in net metering, but was outspent 10-1 by utilities. Check out http://www.calssa.org for more.

By: Jerry Wagner

Jerry Wagner — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 15:02:20 +0000

A heat pump water heater & heat pump central heating/ AC system would have been a better choice. I live in the north SF Bay Area, & had a 10 panel Enphase micro-inverter solar system installed in 2016, along with a HP water heater, high efficiency gas FAU & a forced air gas fireplace. I’m now replacing the gas FAU with a heat pump. The gas fireplace is my backup heater. In 2016, my solar cost $8.5k, and so did the gas FAU + new ducts. The new heat pump will cost the same. My annual electric bill is less than $250, including the $140 fee paid to PG&E for grid connection. It’ll go up with the heat pump, but still be less than my gas bill for winter heating, & I’ll have AC.

By: Gregory Devlin

Gregory Devlin — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 15:27:32 +0000

What needs to happen to get the legislation to roll back the regulations. Are we a block of voters, if so what is the lobbying group we need to fund? Our bill is average $550.00/month. We’re installing solar with batteries to the tune $100,000 just keep our head above water.