Net billing and solar in Carlsbad, CA
New solar customers in California are credited for exported power differently than they were before April 2023. Here is what changed and what it means for a battery question.
What changed in April 2023
The CPUC says that customers applying to interconnect since April 15, 2023 take service on a net billing tariff. SDG&E calls it the Solar Billing Plan. The system's power is first used on site, which offsets what the home would have bought. Extra power sent to the grid earns an hourly Energy Export Credit that reflects the value of that power to the grid, not the retail rate.
How the credit compares to the retail rate
The CPUC says the export credit is usually lower than the retail rate but can rise above it on late summer evenings. SDG&E's plan is based on time-of-use pricing, so both the price of power you buy and the credit for power you send back change by time of day and season. Unused credits roll over to following months, but SDG&E says export credits cannot be applied to its non-bypassable charges.
What is locked in
SDG&E says export pricing is locked in for nine years from the permission to operate date of their system. Pricing after that period is illustrative only.
Where a battery comes in
The CPUC says customers can maximize bill savings under net billing by installing storage, so they can use or export stored energy during the high-value hours. That is a general statement, not an estimate for your home. See battery storage and ask the contractor we connect you with for a written payback estimate.
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Net billing questions
Does net billing apply to a system installed before April 2023?
The CPUC date applies to customers applying to interconnect since April 15, 2023. An older system may be on a different tariff. Check your bill or ask SDG&E which one you are on.
Is the export credit the same every hour?
No. SDG&E says the credit varies by time of day and season, and it publishes the export price tables on its website.
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Photo credits
- Suburban rooftop solar power generation in Canberra, Australia (part 3).jpg. Photo by Benlisquare, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
