23yr Old Wants To Overturn The Phils Power Industry

[PhilsFan 1,422]

Even when it's dark for 67 days straight .....

 

Nope...rely on solar then....and you'll freeze your ass off. But your smart enough to know what I mean by potential.  Yearly production potential.

Edited May 28, 2016 by PhilsFan

[Buko Beach 5,085]

Solar panel user complains against power provider

 

By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/ATO (The Freeman) | Updated May 22, 2015 - 12:00am

 

CEBU, Philippines - A customer of the Visayan Electric Company complained before the Energy Regulatory Commission-7 alleging she has high electricity bill despite using a solar panel which is supposed to help lower down her monthly energy tab.

 

Ann Caballes of Talisay City, Cebu was assisted in her complaint against VECO by Pambansang Solar (PS), the company that built her a 5-kilowatt hour (kWh) solar panel.

 

Dax Sarabosing, PS operations manager, said that the 5 kWh solar panel would have provided their client around P7,500 to P8,500 worth of electricity generated from the sun.

 

Prior to the installation of the solar panel, Caballes was paying around P10,000 a month for her electricity bill to VECO.

 

When the solar panel was installed, Caballes’ bill went down to around P1,500 a month.

 

However, VECO allegedly insisted that a net meter should be commissioned and installed and that the system for the net metering compliance should be approved.

 

This was reportedly complied by PS but after the net metering was approved, Caballes’ electric bill went back to P10,000.

 

Caballes called VECO, particularly Richard Alfafara, an energy efficiency specialist of VECO. But Alfafara reportedly told her that “it is the solar that was built that has a problem.”

 

In a statement, PS said that it raised the concern to ERC-7 regional director Joel Bontuyan. VECO then immediately sent a field crew to replace the meter.

 

Yesterday, Bontuyan led a dialogue between the complainant, PS and VECO.

 

Bontuyan said VECO representatives have agreed to look into the digital meter installed.

 

“They promised to render a report by next week,” said Bontuyan.

 

Bontuyan said that the electricity bill would normally reduce by at least 40 percent once a power consumer installs a solar panel.

 

“Wa sad na nagpasabot nga kung na na kay solar panel nga wa na gyud kay bayranan sa imong electricity bill,” Bontuyan added.

 

Further, PS officials are calling on all other solar rooftop installers in Cebu and in the Visayas, as well as electric end-users who have the same concerns, to contact them through [email protected] so that they can submit a petition to ERC.

 

Sarabosing added that they want ERC to review the current Net Metering Law for the advantage of the end-users. — (FREEMAN)

A little food for thought about VECO solar issues. The article is a year old so I'm not sure if VECO has 'corrected' things since.

 

http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2015/05/22/1457510/solar-panel-user-complains-against-power-provider

[Paul 55,114]

 

 

Remember the Utility benefits from any of your excess generation as well.

 

This isn't quite as attractive as one may think.

[Ozepete 9,569]

 

 

“Solar has gone down so far in cost it’s even cheaper than coal,”

 

I'd like to see where he plucked this from!

[Cipro 6,202]

I'd like to see where he plucked this from!

 

This has been in the news. 

 

Solar is decreasing in cost but they handily disregard all the costs of infrastructure to make solar almost practical when computing that number. 

[PhilsFan 1,422]

This has been in the news. 

 

Solar is decreasing in cost but they handily disregard all the costs of infrastructure to make solar almost practical when computing that number. 

Google is your friend...it's pretty common knowledge what the average price for a home system will cost you and easy to determine. Whether or not it is competitive with Coal depends on alot of factors. Perhaps in a few places it is competitive on an industial scale. Put a price on the carbon cost to the environment (it's coming sooner or later... even Oil companies are asking for a price on carbon) and it's cheaper than coal almost anywhere you install. 

 

But look at the solar panel efficiency and price progress!  How cheap will panels be in a few more years? How long before someone fiqures out how to do installations quicker, faster and cheaper?

 

If you are capable and willing to self-install and get your own permits/electrician, a home system is very affordable, ROI can be pretty quick.

 

Cheap storage and continued price reductions are key factors to greater adoption. It's fast approaching, but not quite there yet.

[Cipro 6,202]

 

 

Google is your friend...it's pretty common knowledge what the average price for a home system will cost you and easy to determine

 

'What it will cost you' is not what it costs. You have to figure in what sort of breaks you're getting to reduce costs, including but not limited to tax breaks, direct subsidies, as well as indirect subsidies such as rules that require the electricity generated be bought back at a rate other than wholesale. Then if one wants to be realistic, one has to figure in the cost of storage if 'everyone was doing it'; without that you're back to having all the non-solar people propping your choice up financially. 

 

Once that foolishness is accounted for solar is still more expensive, but it's not nearly as bad as it used to be. 

[thebob 18,260]

 

 

'What it will cost you' is not what it costs. You have to figure in what sort of breaks you're getting to reduce costs, including but not limited to tax breaks, direct subsidies, as well as indirect subsidies such as rules that require the electricity generated be bought back at a rate other than wholesale

 

You also have to account for the huge subsidies that the fossil fuel industry receives. Transmission infrastructure is used by all power users, it isn't owned by "fossil fuel".

 

Storage is the last big problem, and it's a hard nut to crack. Grid based storage would also reduce the cost of fossil fuel generation, allowing rotating units to operate more efficiently instead of spinning them up to match load.

 

Lots of small local storage is what is needed to reduce transmission losses.

 

Incentives should be given to home owners who oversize their storage to feed back after dark, and the rate for feedback during daylight should be reduced heavily. These users could also make "credit" by charging their storage from the grid at times of low demand.

 

The grid needs to get a lot smarter.

[big RB 770]

The problem about storage is within the electric companies grid. On a sunny day, if enough people have solar home units backfeeding the grid, they need to store the surplus. Here in the Philippines, they need to do like the CVP in California does with the San Luis dam. They use excess power to pump water up into it, then when they need it, they run it back down through the turbines. But since the airconditioning load in the Philippines is 24/7, peek demand can be after dark.

[Cipro 6,202]

 

 

The problem about storage is within the electric companies grid.

 

The electric power companies operate by buying electricity at wholesale as they have demand, and spending money on the grid and other expenses. They then recoup this by selling at retail rates. Laws that force them to buy back at retail and when and in amounts set by the seller are another form of subsidy. 

 

Yes some energy producers also benefit from subsidies now, which is also wrong. 

[Oz Jon 2,476]

Not if you pursue a solar powered manufacturing business. Factories only need to be powered during the day.

Good thinking Bob! - That's what solar needs - something that needs power by day and not by night.

 

Still a need for grid or battery back-up, but very little demand on them.

 

Then solar economics have a better chance of paying off.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Oz Jon

[Cipro 6,202]

 

 

That's what solar needs - something that needs power by day and not by night.

 

You know, I used to do factory automation, and I can't think of a worse idea (fiscally and operationally) than a manufacturing plant that shuts down every evening and starts up every morning. Sorry to say, but true. 

[PhilsFan 1,422]

The electric power companies operate by buying electricity at wholesale as they have demand, and spending money on the grid and other expenses. They then recoup this by selling at retail rates. Laws that force them to buy back at retail and when and in amounts set by the seller are another form of subsidy. 

 

Yes some energy producers also benefit from subsidies now, which is also wrong. 

All Fossil fuel and Nuclear production is subsidized. I wish more people realized that and how MUCH we subsidize them. Subsidy's/Tax breaks/loopholes/Military costs, too.

 

If we also factor in the environmental costs incurred burning them...folks it not even CLOSE anymore. We need to Invest in renewables and storage (thank god we are) because it's CHEAPER.

 

Yeah..those "solar spills" are a bitch.

Edited May 30, 2016 by PhilsFan

[thebob 18,260]

You know, I used to do factory automation, and I can't think of a worse idea (fiscally and operationally) than a manufacturing plant that shuts down every evening and starts up every morning. Sorry to say, but true. 

 

 

I'd think it would depend on the industry. Manufacturing is changing at frantic pace as well. The same problems were encountered when we changed from steam to electricity.

 

I'm also a fan of solar thermal. Thermal storage is one of the best ways to spread load.

 

[Cipro 6,202]

 

 

I'd think it would depend on the industry.

 

It would depend on factors as to whether you got 1/2 the return running (charitably) 12 hours a day you would by running 24 hours, or less than half, sure.