New Time of Use (TOU) Rate for Solar Clients

PG&E Announces TOU Rate Plan Change

PG&E has announced that they are changing their Time of Use (TOU) E-6 Rate Schedule in March 2016. They have not said exactly what the new rates will look like…but they have indicated there will be two new options replacing the current E-6 rate plan.

Bay Area solar clients generally switch their PG&E rate schedule from E-1 (tiered) to E-6 (Time Of Use) when their solar system was installed to get the maximum benefit from Net Energy Metering. PG&E customers currently on E-6 will have the option to stay on the current E-6 rate schedule, basically grandfathered into these terms until 2020. If the new plan options are better, they can switch. Clean Solar is suggesting that all our clients be on the TOU E-6 rate schedule now, so they continue to have options in the future.

Peak Window Changes in New Time of Use (TOU) plans

The current E-6 rate schedule has a summer peak (May – October) window from 1pm-7pm…during which 70% of a solar system’s annual energy is produced and customers receive a full retail credit to their PG&E account for energy produced. The new TOU rate schedule proposes to change the peak window to 3pm-8pm…when systems do not produce as much. This is why it is important for solar clients to have the option to stay on the current TOU E-6 rate plan for as long as they can.

PG&E TOU E-6 Rate is Best for Solar Customers

Solar customers and their friends with solar who are on the PG&E rates E-7 or E-8, will automatically be transitioned to the new Time of Use rates. Solar customers can hedge their bets, by switching to E-6 before the change, so they at least have the option of the E-6 Time of Use peak windows until 2020… and have the option to transition to the new rates if they choose.

Clean Solar is strongly recommending all solar clients switch to E-6 by mid-February. This is also true for homeowners considering installing solar in the near future. Switching to E-6 now will give customers options.  New solar clients after March 2016, currently not on the E-6 rate schedule will only have the two new Time of Use rate options from which to choose.