no solar in the sunshine state

NO SOLAR IN THE SUNSHINE STATE

now thats me planking on the roof of our barn
in front of our solar panels

later well last year
we doubled our solar power by increasing our solar panels
noting the new system was more efficient that the one we
put in 15 years ago

so how this works in texas is
if you are grid tied
which most folks are
that means your solar system is hooked up to the power lines

as you produce electricity
if you need it
it goes to your house
if you dont need it right now
it goes up the lines into the electric grid

there is a meter on the light pole
that measures how much of your electricity goes up
into the grid

as you pull electricity back from the grid
like say at night
like say if you use more than you are producing at the time
like if a big ole cloud comes over to decrease your production
the meter measures how much you pulled back
from the grid

at the end of the month
the amount you produced that went up into the grid
is
subtracted from how much you pulled down
from the grid
giving you
the total that you get charged on
fair enough i guess

but
then they add a
connection fee for us its $21.50
thats added on to what we owe

so if i produce exactly what i use
my bill is $21.50

this month bill was $58.82
so we used $37.32 of the electric companies electricity
and
used a lot of our own electricity directly as it was produced
and
indirectly pulling from the grid the electricity we stored up there

so thats the way it should work
i dont like that $21.50 but everyone has to pay that

fair ok with me

i still pay much much less for our electric use each month
we havent had a bill over about $85 in a year
we use to have $250-300 bills in the cold winter and hot summer

so i cant complain

now in that sunshine state
florida
which stays sunny most of the year
well
you would think what a great place for solar

well
maybe not
enter the electric companies

now they did pass an amendment that caught florida up
with how texas does its solar

a lot of folks in florida with solar
lease the solar system from a company
the electric companies are trying to make those companies to
be the electric companies
so that instead of being able to sell what they produce
back to the electric companies
well
they wont be able to
financially the fees eat up all the gains

its like if the electricity that i produce now
that i dont use
that goes up into the grid
the electric company gets to keep
by adding fees and fees and fees that eat up any financial incentive
from generating your leased solar power

eg if they did this in texas
added all those fees
it would disincentive me from having solar
i might pay the same each month to the electric company
as
i did when i didnt have solar

seems fair
nope it doesnt

a vote is coming up in the sunshine state to determine what to do

so
the sunshine state with all that sunshine
with the largest source of solar energy
wont be able to access it financially
at least for many who elect to lease their systems

electric companies 1
solar collection 0

the organicgreen doctor