We’re having record breaking heat waves in CA, PG&E are doing rolling blackouts for certain neighborhoods during the hottest part of the day. The grid can't sustain consumption even though CA has a huge percentage of rooftop solar. Rates go up every year (we pay about .26 cents per kWh on avg. which is WAY higher than the national average of .16 cents). Oh and they’re responsible for starting wildfires every year Hate PG&E and I’m in the process of getting solar installed since my bill for the past two months has been ~$800
Solar is fun, but only works during the day. Make sure you are storing as much of that power as possible to try and get you through the night. Cali has something like 20% of it's electricity from solar but again that is worthless if it rains or at night. When you combine relatively fragile renewables, laws like everyone needs an electric car, and how many traditional power plants like coal, nuclear,and natural gas that are being shut down it's a recipe for disaster. I mean imagine you don't have electricity and you can't drive. All that being said, make sure you are getting a good battery system with your solar.
You are talking about an off grid scenario. You don’t need battery unless you’re fully off grid. If you’re tired to the grid, you “sell back” unused produced power in the day (peak) to grid in terms of credit and then use that credit at low peak hours (night) to “use” grid power “for free”.
That only works if you are generating enough power to sell back and you don't get hit by a rolling brownout. If the power company turns your power off it doesn't matter how much you've sold back.
Are you getting a battery with your solar so you don't have to cut power usage at night? I recommend going to the Enphase website and searching for installers based on your zip code. Good luck.
PG&E is a convicted felon, it is reasonable to hate them. They kill people.
Keep voting in those Democrats!
thanks for Democrats, California is the 4th biggest economy in the world
Your problem is California, not PG&E. And the fact you don't understand it (and instead of asking for coal/gas energy seek more solar useless/inefficient power) makes it probable you are part of the problem.
you're wrong. how is the state the problem when it's these private companies monopolizing the electric grid, milking all our money
Form my POV there are a few issues. PG&E is investor owned, therefore trying to maximize profits, at the same time there are heavy state regulations about how much it is allowed to charge. California imports 30ish percent of it's electricity because it can't produce its own. Importing is always going to lead to hire costs. The fact is that, no matter your opinion on a single company, the state has restricted the types of power generation that can be built. Renewables are incredibly expensive to build and maintain. I'd say this issue is at least as much a state policy problem as it is a technical debt problem for PGE