Dynamic solar prices
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Art Hunter
Aug 28, 2025, 1:21:46 AM (10 days ago) Aug 28
to CACOR CG, cacor-public
In Ontario there is not a VPP I can join so I am stuck with grid energy dynamic pricing to follow where the grid wants to drag me for consumption from and supply to the grid. With my three powerwall batteries I can time shift all my home energy consumption and all my solar panel energy generation to times when it is most desired by the grid managers. They use financial incentives to encourage me.
It is not complex to implement and follow the Ultra Low Overnight (ULO) rates published by Hydro One.
but for clarity I will use their graphic
It is quite clear, Hydro One wants me to shift my consumption to after 11 p.m. thru 07 a.m. OK, that is easy to do. All I do is let my batteries provide all my home energy during the day and recharge the batteries at night. That is the simple time shift of the demand.
But also considering the solar panel power generation is during the day and I can sell power to the grid customers at the same price as shown. Yes, I can sell at 28.4 cents/kWh from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Hence, this is what I do. Alas, I Don't receive real money in the bank but I do get energy credits valued in dollars put into my account with Hydro One.
Now instead of real money Ihave to deal in energy credits. It is now all in energy credit dollar terms in a private "bank like" account with Hydro One. Hence I sell ALL my solar energy toHydro One at the time it is generated and the price in the above schedule. During the daytime hours, I run the house off my Tesla Powerwall batteries so there is no need to use solar power for this load. Sell it all to Hydro One.
Then, in the evening, after 11 p.m. I can charge my batteries as fast as possible (controlled by the battery charge controller and it is set at 5 kW per battery). I also connect my ongoing house load to be satisfied directly from the grid after 11 p.m..
Hydro One is kind enough to keep track of all this for me so I don't need to keep any other records. They show all this buying and selling activity on their monthly billing to me. They keep a running total of my "bank account" energy credits as well. Excellent. Now in November, December, January and February I consume more power than is generated so the energy credits saved from the prior summer get used to make up the difference in my strong demand and my weak supply. All I have to do is to monitor this on the monthly billing supporting analysis.
I always have more energy credits than I can use after 12 months (my 12 month year is May to April) and the excess credits are absorbed by Hydro One without any financial benefit to me. Unfair? Perhaps if you simply look at a tiny microgrid as an island. However, the actual energy has long since been delivered to the grid and used by my neighbours. This means that there is a downward pressure on the utility rates and also no upward pressure to expand the transmission and distribution system to deliver far off nuclear power generation.
This is of value to me as it reduces the GHG loading of the atmosphere.
Business decisions are not only dollar decisions. Politicians also don't function only on dollars. Accountants are paid to think in only one dimension - dollars. This gives managers some fairly strong dollar amounts to trade against other considerations. Good managers have their shareholder's interests at the business core and items like health, comfort, convenience, and well being are right in there with profits. The stakeholders are fully aware of the diverse nature of their demands and they keep the system managers focused on delivery of a balanced portfolio.
Hence we circle back to dynamic pricing by Hydro One as they have to make decisions on rates and times in the above chart. Do you think this is only an accounting consideration? I don't.
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