Does it use batteries for power at night and cloudy/rainy days?
No. There are no batteries. It’s a “grid tied” system and we sell extra power to PG&E. When we are making more power than we are using, our meter runs backwards. At night, we just buy back the power we made during the day. What makes this system very effective is something called Time of Use Metering. By going on a special rate schedule with PG&E (E-9), we have a rate of approx. .$.30 per kWh M-F 12-6 pm. This is their peak period where businesses are running their AC, lights, equipment etc. Since it is difficult to store large amounts of energy, PG&E has to generate more power during peak periods and it usually comes from dirtier coal powered plants and older inefficient plants. During the non-peak period when they have extra capacity, the rate goes down to $.10 per kWh. So…. the best power generating time for a solar system is the same as PG&E’s peak period. When we are cranking out power from our solar system, PG&E has to buy it from us at the high $.30 rate. We don’t run our pool
