Understanding Your Solar Bill
Understanding Your Solar Bill (CCA Customers)
Understanding Your Solar Bill (Non-CCA Customers)
CCA Customers (Residential/Commercial)
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Non-CCA Customers (Residential/Commercial)
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Detailed Solar Bill
The Detailed Solar Bill provides an expanded view of your charges and credits for each billing period. Visit My Energy Center to download your bill.
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Export Data and Pricing
The Export Data and Pricing table provides details about energy export pricing and credits for each billing period. Visit My Energy Center to download your export data. Visit Solar Billing Plan Export Pricing to view annual pricing.
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As a Solar Billing Plan customer, your bill is due monthly.
You receive export credits for energy you export back to the grid. These credits are calculated based on the value of energy at that time of day. Export credits are split into two separate buckets: Generation Export Credits and Delivery Export Credits. Generation Export Credits can only be used to offset Generation Import Charges, while Delivery Export Credits can only be used to offset Delivery Import Charges. If you’re a CCA customer, contact your CCA for more information about your generation credits.
Solar paired with battery storage allows you to import less from the grid, helping you save on your bill. The best time to use stored energy is during on-peak hours when electricity is priced the highest.
- Shift energy use away from on-peak hours. Use high energy appliances like washers, dryers, and dishwashing machines outside of on-peak hours of 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Consider adding battery storage to use stored electricity when electricity prices are highest.
- Keep solar panels clean and maintained to maximize energy generation.
- If you have an EV, consider charging after midnight and before 6 a.m.
- If you have a pool, consider shifting when the pool pumps run to off-peak hours.
At the end of each 12-month period, you will receive a true-up bill. If you exported more than you imported throughout your entire true-up period, your true-up bill will reflect an Annual True-Up Adjustment charge. This amount adjusts for export compensation that has been previously credited to your account in the form of export credits. If you imported more than you exported during the 12-month period, no adjustment is necessary, and this amount will be zero. After you receive your true-up bill, your account is automatically reset for a new 12-month period.
Delivery Export Credits can only be used to offset Delivery Import Charges. If you do not have Delivery Import Charges, or you have a credit for this item, your Delivery Export Credits will be banked for use against future charges.
Customers with paired storage are eligible to be compensated for exports up to a set amount each month based on system size and climate zone. For customers with a 10kW battery size or less, the amount of credits they receive will be capped if they reach the set amount in each bill period. For customers whose battery size is greater than 10 kW and have a Net Generation Output Meter, capping is determined based on each interval in the bill period.
Solar Bill Terms and Definitions
Solar Bill - Electric Charges and Credits
Current Export Credit Plan: The annual export pricing used to calculate your export credits on the Solar Billing plan.
- For CCA customers, Delivery Export Credits are determined by SDG&E, and Generation Export Credits are determined by the customer's CCA.
- For SDG&E-only customers, both Delivery and Generation Export Credits are determined by SDG&E.
Non-Nettable Charges: Required charges not eligible to be offset by Delivery Export Credits or Generation Export Credits. These charges include: monthly minimum charges, customer charges, meter charges, facilities charges, basic service charges, demand charges and surcharges, non-bypassable charges and any fixed charges.
Delivery Import Charges: Charges for delivering electricity to your location, as well as other services including billing, customer care services, and maintaining and modernizing infrastructure.
Generation Import Charges: Charges for the electricity used in your home or business.
- For CCA customers, your electricity is generated or purchased by your CCA.
- For SDG&E-only customers, your electricity is generated or purchased by SDG&E.
Delivery Export Credits: Credits calculated based on how much energy you export to the grid, as well as the value of the energy at that time of day. These energy export credits can only be used to offset Delivery Import Charges.
Generation Export Credits: Credits calculated based on how much energy you export to the grid and the value of the energy at that time of day. These energy export credits can only be used to offset Generation Import Charges.
- For CCA customers, credits are determined by your CCA.
- For SDG&E-only customers, credits are determined by SDG&E.
Solar Bill - YTD Solar Billing Plan Summary
Estimated Annual True-Up Adjustment: An estimate of the charge or credit you will receive on your Annual True-Up bill. This monthly estimate accounts for net export compensation that has previously been credited within your true-up period.
Annual True-Up Adjustment: The charge or credit on your annual true-up bill that accounts for net export compensation that has been previously credited within your true-up period. The adjustment is calculated by summing the Excess Generation Payment and the Average Delivery and Generation Export Amounts.
- For CCA customers, the Annual True-Up Adjustment includes only the Average Delivery Export Amount. The Average Generation Export Amount and Excess Generation Payment are determined by your CCA.
YTD Non-Nettable Balance: The running total of Non-Nettable charges and credits for the current true-up period.
YTD Generation Balance: The running total of generation charges and credits for the current true-up period.
- For CCA customers, this balance is determined by your CCA.
- For SDG&E-only customers, this balance is determined by SDG&E.
YTD Delivery Balance: The running total of delivery charges and credits for the current true-up period.
YTD Remaining Delivery Export Credits: The amount of Delivery Export Credits available for you to apply to future Delivery Import Charges.
YTD Remaining Generation Export Credits: The amount of Generation Export Credits available for you to apply to future Generation Import Charges.
- For CCA customers, YTD Remaining Generation Export Credits are determined by your CCA.
- For SDG&E-only customers, YTD Remaining Generation Export Credits are determined by SDG&E.
YTD Net kWh: The total amount of energy imported and exported, by kWh, from your solar system. If this value is negative, you've exported more to the grid than you have used.
Detailed Solar Bill
Applied Delivery Export Credits: The amount of Delivery Export Credits applied to offset any Delivery Import Charges this bill period.
Applied Generation Export Credits: The amount of Generation Export Credits applied to offset any Generation Import Charges this bill period.
- For CCA customers, credits are determined by your CCA.
- For SDG&E-only customers, credits are determined by SDG&E.
Average Delivery Export Amount: The average amount you were compensated for delivery exports over the previous 12 months. If your YTD Net kWh is negative at time of true-up, this amount will be factored into the Annual True-Up Adjustment.
Average Generation Export Amount: The average amount you were compensated for generation exports over the previous 12 months. If your YTD Net kWh is negative at time of true-up, this amount will be factored into the Annual True-Up Adjustment.
- For CCA customers, this amount is determined by your CCA.
- For SDG&E-only customers, this amount is determined by SDG&E.
Excess Generation Payment: Shows any excess generation payments at the time of your true-up. If your total kWh is a negative number in the YTD Totals, you will receive an excess generation payment as a credit on your bill. Payment is based on a rolling 12-month average of spot market prices. If your total kWh does not reflect a negative number, then you do not qualify for a payment.
- For CCA customers, the Excess Generation Payment is determined by your CCA.
- For SDG&E-only customers, the Excess Generation Payment is determined by SDG&E.
Estimated Excess Generation Payment: Provides an estimate of any excess generation payments at the time of your true-up. If your total kWh is a negative number in the YTD Totals, you will receive an excess generation payment as a credit on your bill. Payment is based on a rolling 12-month average of spot market prices. If your total kWh does not reflect a negative number, then you do not qualify for a payment.
- For CCA customers, the Excess Generation Payment is determined by your CCA.
- For SDG&E-only customers, the Excess Generation Payment is determined by SDG&E.
Estimated Average Delivery Export Amount: The estimated amount that may be applied to your true-Up bill for your Delivery Exports. Note: the actual amount will be based on the most recent rolling 12-month average of Delivery Export Credits at time of true-up.
Estimated Average Generation Export Amount: The estimated amount that may be applied to your true-up bill for your Generation Exports. Note: the actual amount will be based on the most recent rolling 12-month average of Generation Export Credits at time of true-up.
- For CCA customers, this amount is determined by your CCA.
For SDG&E-only customers, this amount is determined by SDG&E.