[quote threadkiller]
Without selling it back I don’t think it pencils out for us as we are not really using much electricity during the day when the panels are producing the most.
[/quote]
Generally, the law mentioned earlier, is relative to something known as ‘net-metering’. The fact that you produce during the day, allows you to consume during the night. This is the ‘net’ in ‘net-metering’. If I recollect correctly, the ‘net-metering’ period is one month. If the net between consumed and produced is zero… then you don’t have a bill (other than misc connect charges/fees etc).
NOTE: There may have been changes in the law for net producers being paid.. but I am currently unaware of these or what they might be.
Now why would a power company do this/allow this?
1) Normal power consumption peaks during the day – all of those companies w/ their employees – computers – etc.
2) Power companies have to deal with fluctuating demand on power. Atomic reactors, coal/natgas-steam and large hydroelectric dams do not respond to output requirement changes very quickly, and sometimes not very well.
3) Normally the way that power companies deal with these variations is through the construction of generators known as peaking stations. Lake Wohlford has functioned as one of these in the past.
4) Because you are producing power through solar at what would generally be near peak times, you are also functioning as a ‘peaking power station’.
