Many homes and businesses in California will be having smart meters installed pursuant to a mandate of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). But what does this mean, exactly? How can smart meters help you save money?
How can smart meters help you save money?In short, smart meters give consumers the tools they need to help them manage their electricity demands and lower utility bills. When you have solar panels on your property and are grid-connected, they can also account for excess solar electricity generated, which can end up giving you a credit on your bill.
In short, a smart meter collects information for the smart grid. They have been described as connecting your home to the grid in a similar manner as a cable or DSL modem connects your computer to the Internet.
Unlike the electro-mechancial analog meters with which you are probably familiar, smart meters include digital displays that precisely record the amount of energy you use, and then sends the information directly to the utility company. That’s right…. the traditional “meter reader” is replaced with direct, 2-way communication between your property and the utility. This is more efficient and more accurate.
Utilities can cut costs related to on-site meter reading and can even address service disruptions remotely. The other benefit is that peak load times can be better managed. Utilities can match real-time demands on the grid with information flowing directly to it. Moreover, instead of simply looking at a consumer’s total consumption, smart meters pinpoint the exact times of day that electricity is used. If you want power during peak hours, you will pay more than if you shift energy consumption to off-peak hours, say by washing dishes or doing laundry later at night.
Generally speaking, smart meters record the solar power generated by your residential solar power system. This allows you the opportunity for net metering to get credit for solar electricity you feed back into the grid.
Consumers are finding that they can save money with solar power and smart meters. First, installing solar is more affordable than ever with falling prices and continued government rebates and incentives. Second, its much easier to finance solar power, which can further cut down on the cost of solar electricity. Experts believe that TOU (time of use) pricing via smart meters for residential use is just a few years away. When you factor in solar power, the impact of such a structure will be minimized because homeowners can “smooth out the gaps” in generation vs. demand. Lots of solar electricity generation during the day (when people are at school and work), and then higher demand in the evening and morning hours.
Turns out to be a win-win for both the homeowners and the utilities with solar power and smart meters!
Tags: smart grid, smart meters, smart meters solar, solar power, solar smart meters
No comments:
Post a Comment