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Is Anybody Else Doing The PG&E Powersaver Rewards?

The CAISO site this morning showed California could fall more than 5,000 megawatts short of its power supply at peak demand, forecasted for 5:30 pm.
 
Risky Rob said:
The CAISO site this morning showed California could fall more than 5,000 megawatts short of its power supply at peak demand, forecasted for 5:30 pm.
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Makes the 6kw I can push into the grid look like a nothing.

Literally nothing!
0.00012% of the shortfall. I'm helping! Lol
 
Lol, insert Scotty "I'm givin her all I've got captain!"

I just the the email from PGE to expect rotating outages this evening.
 
Risky Rob said:
Rotating outages are what motivated me to build a solar power system. I am vindicated!
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That is the reason I built my system too since last time I had power outage for 5 days when we had big fire in Sonoma 2018. I was going to get a small gen from Costco so I did the research on the gen and stumbled into Will video, I was hooked and that is how I got my system built.
I am in North bay but I did not get any notice about rolling black out yet.
 
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400bird said:
Lol, insert Scotty "I'm givin her all I've got captain!"

I just the the email from PGE to expect rotating outages this evening.
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I lied: email, text, and a phone call. They really are trying will everything they've got on the consumer end.
 
Bud Martin said:
That is the reason I built my system too since last time I had power outage for 5 days when we had big fire in Sonoma 2018. I was going to get a small gen from Costco so I did the research on the gen and stumbled into Will video, I was hook and that is how I got my system built.
I am in North bay but I did not get any notice about rolling black out yet.
Click to expand...

I'm a prepper, and don't want to use a noisy gas generator that I need to find fuel for. Solar power is much better.
 
I have no reports of actual blackouts due to lack of generation. CA may have actually pulled this off. If all stays on-line we might just squeak through this.
Time to plan the capacity expansion for next year. Demand is sure to increase.

My A/C interruption ended at 9pm. 9:02 my cool air has started to flow :)
 
time2roll said:
I have no reports of actual blackouts due to lack of generation. CA may have actually pulled this off. If all stays on-line we might just squeak through this.
Time to plan the capacity expansion for next year. Demand is sure to increase.

My A/C interruption ended at 9pm. 9:02 my cool air has started to flow :)
Click to expand...

Even though Cal ISO went to Energy Emergency Alert 3, I don't see news of rolling outages.
 
We were on the chopping block, but maybe it didn't happen.
At home I wouldn't notice, but 5:30 PM on the road, traffic lights were working.

1662524907146.png

Bunch of areas in South Bay without power for some reason.

1662524804415.png
 
time2roll said:
Time to plan the capacity expansion for next year.
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I have a basic system, and I'm surprised at the battery usage, especially yesterday, when I ran to 10PM. I test voltage early in the morning, and this morning I *thought* the LiFePo4 bank had a 65% charge, but when I charged that bank today, it charged 80%. In a serious pinch, with both banks, I might not have 16 hours of battery use.
 
Risky Rob said:
I have a basic system, and I'm surprised at the battery usage, especially yesterday, when I ran to 10PM. I test voltage early in the morning, and this morning I *thought* the LiFePo4 bank had a 65% charge, but when I charged that bank today, it charged 80%. In a serious pinch, with both banks, I might not have 16 hours of battery use.
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That is why a (propane) generator as a tertiary backup is always nice. A couple 20# bottles and a 120V charger for the battery bank gives you a whole lot more options.
 
Risky Rob said:
I have a basic system, and I'm surprised at the battery usage, especially yesterday, when I ran to 10PM. I test voltage early in the morning, and this morning I *thought* the LiFePo4 bank had a 65% charge, but when I charged that bank today, it charged 80%. In a serious pinch, with both banks, I might not have 16 hours of battery use.
Click to expand...

Do you know if the batteries got full, power production was curtailed, but only later battery was drawn down heavily?
Any chance to shift the time some loads run, so you can get by with what you've got?
How about adding more PM or AM oriented PV, to keep battery full later or switch from draining to charging earlier?
(PV is half the price of batteries or less, over useful life)
 
Hedges said:
How about adding more PM or AM oriented PV, to keep battery full later or switch from draining to charging earlier?
(PV is half the price of batteries or less, over useful life)
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Good advice. My back of the envelope calculation of the lifetime cost per kWh is that PV costs $0.05 per kWh and battery storage costs over $0.20 per kWh. Also batteries are just storage and you still have to pay for the energy you put in them.
 
Hedges said:
Do you know if the batteries got full, power production was curtailed, but only later battery was drawn down heavily?
Any chance to shift the time some loads run, so you can get by with what you've got?
How about adding more PM or AM oriented PV, to keep battery full later or switch from draining to charging earlier?
(PV is half the price of batteries or less, over useful life)
Click to expand...
Right now, I'm following the PG&E Powersaver Rewards program schedule, and using my inverter from 4 to 9, or 10PM. They time it to save grid power as their solar production drops off.
 
Ampster said:
Good advice. My back of the envelope calculation of the lifetime cost per kWh is that PV costs $0.05 per kWh and battery storage costs over $0.20 per kWh. Also batteries are just storage and you still have to pay for the energy you put in them.
Click to expand...

My estimate of PV (string GT inverter, PV panels, mounting racks and electrical; hardware only) is $0.025/kWh amortized over 20 years. Make that $0.035 if inverter requires replacement once. Actual system life should be considerably longer. But some PV panels degrade badly, while others do not.

LiFePO4 batteries (server rack 6000 cycles over 16 years, DIY 280 Ah cells 3000 cycles over 8 years, battery inverter not included), my estimate is $0.05/kWh.

Most other batteries cost more. Most name-brand lithium ESS are still expensive. My AGM would be $0.50/kWh over 650, 80% cycles. I was looking up Rolls Surette FLA (available dry, which I though could be an investment for the future), and prices were way higher than I liked.


Risky Rob said:
Right now, I'm following the PG&E Powersaver Rewards program schedule, and using my inverter from 4 to 9, or 10PM. They time it to save grid power as their solar production drops off.
Click to expand...

Take a look at PV output after 4:00 PM until 6:00 or 7:00 PM. Adjust for off-angle orientation of panels.
Could you support your usage with additional panels oriented West, or West South West, reduce draw on battery?
(Best charging would still come from your South panels, so long as they don't have to be limited due to max charge current.)

When PG&E altered time of use rates, I put up 5kW of panels aimed West and tilted steeply.
 
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