14 September 2009
13 September 2009
An interesting look into American Electric Power
American Electric Power, which is the largest coal consumer in the Western Hemisphere and provides the power for our region is committed to coal. The political calculus is this:
There are 25 "coal states" which makes for 50 senators votes, nothing will shift the sand under their feet because it is held together with a money coagulant. For an interesting article that discusses AEP's future reliance on coal check this out and this.
12 September 2009
China ready to introduce large feed in tariff.
For those folks who make the spurious claims that we cannot make a commitment to climate change legislation because of the developing world's use of fossil fuels, here is a real kick in the teeth. China, a large developing country that uses alot of coal has made a commitment to sustainable energy and put their money where their mouths are. They are going for a goal of 20% sustainable generation by 2020. To move this forward they are getting ready to introduce a feed in tariff of likely between 1.09 and 1.5 yuan ($0.16-0.22) per kilowatt-hour of electricity. This is significant because this will be one of the highest paying feed in tariffs in the world and will spur economic innovations.
I don't think the folks here in the US realize how fast we are being outpaced by the rest of the world. How far back we will we be when (and if) we wake up?
11 September 2009
10 September 2009
Net Metering Update
Here is the elusive 1:1 net metering language I discussed earlier:
20VAC5-315-50. Metering, billing, payment and tariff considerations.
Click here for more info: Net Metering
After writing this I got this response from Carol Huffman, the AEP local netmetering coordinator which makes this much clearer:
Hi Adam-
Yes, that little summary is a little bit misleading. The entire law allows for the following:
First, the Net Metering program is intended for customers wanting to offset their own energy requirements so the generators need to be sized according to their loads.
Net metering periods run 12 months and begin on the first meter reading date following interconnection. A customer can carry forward, to the next 12 month period, excess generated energy to the extent that they purchased that number of kwhs from the utility during that same period. This is what I think the summary is referring to when it says "allows customers to receive the full retail value for their excess electricity at times when their system is producing more electricity than the building is consuming" because they are in essence offsetting future usage at retail rates. At the end of each 12 month period, you should come out even at the most (that's why you can only carry over to the extent you purchased that many kwhs during the year).
The Virginia Administrative Code 20VAC5-315-50 puts it like this:
"If electricity generated by the net metering customer and fed back to the electric grid exceeds the electricity supplied to the net metering customer from the grid during any billing period, the net metering customer shall be required to pay only the nonusage sensitive charges for the billing period. Such billing period credits shall be accumulated, carried forward and applied at the first opportunity to any billing periods having positive net consumptions. However, any accumulated billing period credits remaining unused at the end of a net metering period shall be carried forward into the next net metering period only to the extent that such accumulated billing period credits carried forward do not exceed the net metering customer's billed consumption for the current net metering period, adjusted to exclude accumulated billing period credits carried forward and applied from previous net metering periods."
This clause in the law, in my mind, ensures that customers are not sizing generation larger than their own energy requirements.
New as of last fall, customers now also have the option to enter into a contract with their utility to have those kwhs purchased at the PJM day ahead annual simple average LMP rate for the AEP zone and for the most recent calendar year ending on or before the end of each Net Metering Period. For calendar year 2009, that rate is .053 per kwh. The law does stipulate that they have to request to contract for payment PRIOR to the beginning of the net metering period. And remember too..the intend is still that the customer is producing to offset their own energy requirements.
The Virginia Administrative Code explains it as follows:
"...upon the written request of the customer, the electric distribution company shall enter into a power purchase agreement for excess generation for one or more net metering periods. ...For net metering periods beginning on or after January 1, 2009, the written request shall be submitted prior to the beginning of the net metering period....and obligate the investor-owned electric distribution company to purchase the excess generation at a price equal to the PJM zonal day ahead annual simple average LMP for the PJM load zone in which the electric distribution company's Virginia retail service territory resides, as published by the PJM Market Monitoring Unit, for the most recent calendar year ending on or before the end of each net metering period.
Hope this helps!
PS...I really enjoy your blog!
Carol R. Huffman, C.E.M.
Customer Services
Appalachian Power Company
Yes, that little summary is a little bit misleading. The entire law allows for the following:
First, the Net Metering program is intended for customers wanting to offset their own energy requirements so the generators need to be sized according to their loads.
Net metering periods run 12 months and begin on the first meter reading date following interconnection. A customer can carry forward, to the next 12 month period, excess generated energy to the extent that they purchased that number of kwhs from the utility during that same period. This is what I think the summary is referring to when it says "allows customers to receive the full retail value for their excess electricity at times when their system is producing more electricity than the building is consuming" because they are in essence offsetting future usage at retail rates. At the end of each 12 month period, you should come out even at the most (that's why you can only carry over to the extent you purchased that many kwhs during the year).
The Virginia Administrative Code 20VAC5-315-50 puts it like this:
"If electricity generated by the net metering customer and fed back to the electric grid exceeds the electricity supplied to the net metering customer from the grid during any billing period, the net metering customer shall be required to pay only the nonusage sensitive charges for the billing period. Such billing period credits shall be accumulated, carried forward and applied at the first opportunity to any billing periods having positive net consumptions. However, any accumulated billing period credits remaining unused at the end of a net metering period shall be carried forward into the next net metering period only to the extent that such accumulated billing period credits carried forward do not exceed the net metering customer's billed consumption for the current net metering period, adjusted to exclude accumulated billing period credits carried forward and applied from previous net metering periods."
This clause in the law, in my mind, ensures that customers are not sizing generation larger than their own energy requirements.
New as of last fall, customers now also have the option to enter into a contract with their utility to have those kwhs purchased at the PJM day ahead annual simple average LMP rate for the AEP zone and for the most recent calendar year ending on or before the end of each Net Metering Period. For calendar year 2009, that rate is .053 per kwh. The law does stipulate that they have to request to contract for payment PRIOR to the beginning of the net metering period. And remember too..the intend is still that the customer is producing to offset their own energy requirements.
The Virginia Administrative Code explains it as follows:
"...upon the written request of the customer, the electric distribution company shall enter into a power purchase agreement for excess generation for one or more net metering periods. ...For net metering periods beginning on or after January 1, 2009, the written request shall be submitted prior to the beginning of the net metering period....and obligate the investor-owned electric distribution company to purchase the excess generation at a price equal to the PJM zonal day ahead annual simple average LMP for the PJM load zone in which the electric distribution company's Virginia retail service territory resides, as published by the PJM Market Monitoring Unit, for the most recent calendar year ending on or before the end of each net metering period.
Hope this helps!
PS...I really enjoy your blog!
Carol R. Huffman, C.E.M.
Customer Services
Appalachian Power Company
09 September 2009
An update for Passivhaus folks
I spoke in an earlier post of the Passive House Diaries that is following the construction of a new Passive House in England. For those of us starting the PH movement in the US there is some real good real tim, real life trial and error stuff to learn. Also some very good commentary and discussion going on. Take a look if you have not.
08 September 2009
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