<div dir="auto">Friends:</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">I am pondering a plan to prevent usage spikes. It would involve installing a battery inverter that has true generator support. Connect the utility to the generator input on the inverter and program the generator amps to just below the threshold that incurs peak demand charges. If the load exceeds that amount occasionally the inverter supplies the difference. The battery is sized to sustain the shortfall for the expected duration. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">The potential to save $300 a month provides a budget for the project. <br clear="all"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><br>William Miller<br>Miller Solar.com<br>805-438-5600<br><a href="http://www.millersolar.com">www.millersolar.com</a><br></div></div></div><div><br></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sun, Feb 25, 2024 at 9:12 AM Drake Chamberlin via RE-wrenches <<a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><br>
Peter,<br>
<br>
Right, that is about it. The fee is a monthly fee. It will take a year <br>
of keeping the spike below that before the fee will be dropped from the <br>
bill.<br>
<br>
Thanks,<br>
<br>
Drake<br>
<br>
Drake Chamberlin<br>
Athens Electric LLC<br>
Ohio Electrical Contractor’s License 44810<br>
NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional<br>
<br>
<br>
---<br>
<br>
<br>
On 2024-02-23 11:12, <a href="mailto:pgiroux@mindspring.com" target="_blank">pgiroux@mindspring.com</a> wrote:<br>
> Drake<br>
> <br>
>   AEP should be able to provide your client ( if they are the one<br>
> asking ) with a real time readout showing the "spike / load increase "<br>
> and what actual equipment they had to install. Sounds a bit dodgy.<br>
> What's next, special fees for homeowners who kick on the well pump<br>
> flushing a toilet while using a hairdryer at the same time?<br>
> <br>
> Peter Giroux<br>
> ASAE<br>
> <br>
> -----Original Message-----<br>
> From: RE-wrenches <<a href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>> On<br>
> Behalf Of Drake Chamberlin via RE-wrenches<br>
> Sent: Friday, February 23, 2024 10:57 AM<br>
> To: RE-wrenches <<a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>><br>
> Cc: <a href="mailto:drake.chamberlin@redwoodalliance.org" target="_blank">drake.chamberlin@redwoodalliance.org</a><br>
> Subject: [RE-wrenches] $300 + transmission fee!<br>
> <br>
> Hello All,<br>
> <br>
> A system we installed several years ago is on an old school building<br>
> that has been repurposed to office space and small shops. The loads<br>
> are very small. The electric bill, during the short days of the year<br>
> with lots of clouds (very little solar), was around $30.<br>
> <br>
> Suddenly the electric bill came with a $300+ fee for transmission. AEP<br>
> claimed that the load, at some point, went over a certain amount of<br>
> power, so that the company had to charge for equipment that would<br>
> handle that load year around. No equipment changes have been made. The<br>
> service is 200 A.<br>
> <br>
> Has anyone else encountered this? I wonder if there is any other type<br>
> of rate schedule the building could be put on to eliminate this<br>
> problem.<br>
> AEP is not forthcoming about rate schedules or this issue.<br>
> <br>
> Thanks,<br>
> <br>
> Drake<br>
> <br>
> Drake Chamberlin<br>
> Athens Electric LLC<br>
> Ohio Electrical Contractor’s License 44810 NABCEP Certified PV<br>
> Installation Professional<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> --<br>
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</blockquote></div></div>