Solar industry professional, passionate about making technology work for people. Engineering Director/Owner at @netzerosolar. Solar policy, @EWBUSA volunteer, member @ewbusaenergy, grad of @UofA & @ASU.
It’s a great year to go solar! Prices for installation have never been lower. We have high-quality equipment that is designed to last for more than a quarter century, with 25-year warranties for solar modules, energy conversion equipment, and racking products.
Solar electric systems installed before the end of 2019 are eligible for a full 30% federal tax credit, as well as a $1,000 Arizona tax credit.
But before you sign a contract with a solar installer, make sure that they thoroughly understand how solar can save you money, and that your installer has done their homework before giving you a quote. Read on to learn how solar has changed in Arizona, how you can put it to work for you, and how to avoid being taken for a ride by a shady solar contractor!
A solar electric system installed on the west side of Tucson.
Great news! Tucson Electric Power is now complying with Arizona Corporation Commission’s decision from September 2018, requiring that TEP provide “the hourly load data of its customers available in an easily downloadable file from its website” within 60 days, or tell the ACC why they can’t provide this to customers.
TEP has been providing interval data through a clunky request process and providing the info by email (and waiving data request fees), but this has been taking up to ten days, and is certainly not an easily downloadable file!
In this guest post, Justine Schluntz shares an update on her experience living with solar, after three years of producing clean energy. Thanks Justine!
January 14 marked the 3-year anniversary of my solar PV system getting connected to the grid. Each of the past two anniversaries, I’ve written up a summary of my solar data for the year and shared it here (click for year 1 data and year 2 data). My love for numbers hasn’t gone away and neither has my goal to help others learn more about solar energy, so I’ve decided to continue the tradition and share my system and cost data for a third year.
Before I continue, it’s important to note that the financial picture for residential solar energy in Arizona has changed since I had my system installed in 2015. This means the numbers I report for costs won’t be consistent with numbers for someone installing a system in Tucson this year. Nevertheless, for many people, solar energy can still be a sound decision from a financial standpoint. If you want to find out what the numbers look like for your home, I encourage you to talk to the very knowledgeable staff at Net Zero Solar, the company I got my system from…
We’ve shared a lot of info on Prop 127 on our social media and in a August blog post, but we wanted to directly address some of the recent questions we’ve heard.
We have quite an opportunity on November 6th to transform our energy use here in Arizona! Proposition 127 would require 50% of energy sold by most electric utilities in Arizona to be renewable by 2030!
We strongly support Proposition 127. Ideally, it would not be necessary to put such a measure in the AZ Constitution, but due to the influence of lots of utility money at the Arizona Corporation Commission, it’s our best path to a clean and cost-effective energy future. A 50% renewables will be a good step for a state like Arizona that has a lot of great renewable resources, and the timeframe is reasonable for implementation. It would also create about 16,000 new jobs!
When you hear “energy policy,” what comes to mind? Do you think of lawyers and regulators sitting in drab rooms, interminable questions about arcane matters, and stacks and stacks of paper, with all this conducted over months and months? Does “boring” seem a fitting descriptor?
In some sense, this is true. Energy policy, like any public policy, is typically a long, deliberative process, conducted within a legal framework, with many stakeholders who hold diverse opinions. If we focus only on the process, it can seem boring. But that’s wrong. The illusion masks the actual nature of energy policy—this work is how we get to a better energy future! We have the choice to fundamentally change how we generate and use electricity, or to remain in the old paradigm that no longer serves either the desires of consumers or greater societal goals.
Update Wednesday, September 5th, 2:25pm. The Arizona Corporation Commission has placed consideration of TEP and Unisource Electric rate cases on the agenda for their September 11th-12th Open Meeting. At least until the ACC makes their decision, customers can continue to submit applications for solar electric systems with net metering.
Net metering for TEP and Unisource Electric customers has been a long saga. Although we expected net metering to disappear early in 2018, the case has dragged on due to a variety of factors.
Do you know what data your electrical utility is collecting, how it’s stored, and how they might use that data? Want to understand how that data could help you reduce your energy use or save you money? Would it surprise you to learn that your utility may be sharing your data with various law enforcement agencies without notifying you? Read on for more info on this seemingly obscure but truly important topic.
What is a smart meter?
A smart meter is an advanced electronic device used to measure various aspects of electricity use at your home or business. The most basic smart meters can measure energy use (kWh) on a monthly basis, and transmit this information to your electric utility over a powerline signal, wifi network, or cellular connection. If your electric meter is digital, it’s likely that your utility provider has at least this basic “automated meter reading” (AMR) capability.
More advanced smart meters can do more—both in measurement, and in communication. Many can measure energy use in kWh hourly, and also measure electric demand in kW over the same time period. Some meters even measure these values every 15-minutes. With this advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), communication can occur in both directions, so a utility can “check-in” with a meter to see if it’s active, looking for power outages, or other problems on the system. Utilities may also be able to see other problems in the grid, such as lagging voltage, frequency dips, or poor power factor.
A bi-directional utility meter.
Why smart meters?
The benefits of smart meters have been promised for many years. Some have already materialized, others are a bit more tentative.
For utilities, the ability to automatically read meters remotely means they don’t have to send out meter readers. It also allows better monitoring of the grid, and better visibility into power outages or other problems. Read More
Update, 7:50am, Wednesday, June 13th: I supposed we may have cried wolf again. In an unexpected move, Commissioner Andy Tobin pulled consideration of the item yesterday afternoon, after a vigorous discussion. We are glad that he and the rest of the Commission are carefully considering how their actions would affect consumers and solar installers in Tucson. We’ll let you know when this is again scheduled at the ACC. In meantime, net metering is still available for TEP customers.
Some days, we feel like the solar folks who cry wolf. Over the past several months, we’ve told you that net metering for Tucson Electric Power customers will end on several different dates. Initial expectations were that the case would be completed in January or February. The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) even put it on their April open meeting agenda, but later pulled it from consideration.
But unless something happens before next Tuesday, June 12th, at 10:00am, we’re finally at the end of this long process. Items 22 & 23 on the ACC’s agenda are their “Order Relating to Phase-2 Rates” for UNS Electric and Tucson Electric Power.
A ground mount solar electric system installed in Tucson
I won’t rehash our specific thoughts on this case, but we would invite you to read our post from April, Rate Case Reckoning. Read More
Friends with solar electric systems on Tucson Electric Power’s grid, you might have heard about TEP’s new bill design.
Unfortunately, these bills provide inaccurate information for solar customers on net metering. Under their “2 Ways to Save” section, TEP suggests switching to time-of-use and/or demand rates. You can see what it looks like on the left side of the image below.
A recent TEP bill for a solar customer with net metering.
Very few (if any) solar customers will save money by switching to these rates, and it’s a bad idea to switch without doing a detailed analysis of the impact on your bills. We strongly recommend you remain on your standard residential net metering rate to preserve your solar savings.
Update, 12:50 pm, June 5th. The Arizona Corporation Commission has scheduled consideration of Phase II of the TEP and Unisource Energy rate cases for their June 12th Open Meeting. At least until the ACC makes their decision, TEP and UNSE customers can have their contractor submit a complete interconnection application to be “grandfathered” on net metering for twenty years.
April 26th, 2018. The day is almost upon us. After years of legal wrangling and public discussion, our elected Arizona Corporation Commissioners are expected to make their decision on the future of rooftop solar for Tucson Electric Power customers. Chairman Tom Forese and commissioner Andy Tobin will weigh in on the policies they approved in the December 2016 decision on the value of solar. Commissioner Bob Burns, who dissented in the value of solar docket will express his preferences. Newer commissioners Boyd Dunn and Justin Olson will also vote.
What will they be considering? A “Recommended Opinion and Order” (ROO) from the ACC’s Chief Administrative Law Judge, Jane L. Rodda. This 134-page document provides background on the case, including the position of TEP, solar companies, ACC staff, and other parties. More critically, it includes Judge Rodda’s careful conclusions regarding how each issue in the case should be resolved. However, the Commissioners can modify any aspect of the ROO at the planned hearing.
A Rooftop Solar Electric System in Tucson
The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown
Based on the decisions made in the Value of Solar Docket, we have known for some time that most Commissioner’s support for increased renewable energy is lukewarm at best. This is puzzling in a state like Arizona with an excellent solar resource, where the public overwhelmingly supports increased solar energy. I have found Judge Rodda to be an extremely thoughtful and intelligent public servant. Her duty is to evaluate the legal and policy issues raised in the value of solar and rate case dockets, and implement the ACC’s policy decisions. Read More
Mike Heinz on Rate Case Reckoning: “Thank you for this well written and informative piece. I appreciate NetZero’s commitment to our environment and our community.” Apr 20, 07:35
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